After reading the contents on the stone tablet, Nicholas and his group returned to the square, where Brook and the others were chatting with Roger's crew.
Seeing them return, Roger smiled and asked, "So, Nicholas, did you learn anything from the stone tablet?"
"Katie always has confidence in her captain," she said, certain that Nicholas would have no problem.
"I think both Nicholas and Vista did just fine," Simon added with a smile.
"I did gain some insights," Vista said, smiling. He had indeed grasped some things from the diagrams.
Hearing this, everyone looked at Nicholas. If Vista had understood something, then Nicholas must have as well. Some even thought he might have learned the Giants' strongest technique, the Spear of the War God.
But Nicholas shook his head.
"What?" Jaba's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Didn't learn anything?" Rayleigh looked at Nicholas, puzzled. This was Nicholas they were talking about!
"Vista figured it out, but the captain didn't? Does the strongest technique of the Elbaf Giants depend on size?" Brook mused, rubbing his chin.
Bonney was stunned, "Then no one in the world could learn it, right?" She had witnessed Nicholas's strength firsthand.
Seeing everyone's reactions, Nicholas couldn't help but laugh, "Hey, what's with those expressions?"
"But it's the Giants' strongest technique!" Jinbe said, feeling parched. He knew how powerful the Giants were; their techniques, as recorded in the Dragon Palace, were said to be capable of killing giant sea kings.
"Hey, hey, these guys might not have noticed, but even you didn't catch on, Roger?" Nicholas shot a glance at Roger.
With Nicholas's words, everyone turned to Roger, wondering how this was related to him.
"Well, I did have some guesses, but I wasn't sure," Roger said, confusing the others even more.
Even the Giant King Yorm was curious, as Roger was the first human in years to view the record of Elbaf's Spear of the War God.
"Actually, Yorm, the so-called strongest technique, the Spear of the War God, might not be as extraordinary as you think," Roger said, stroking his chin.
Yorm was even more puzzled by this.
"Have you considered that since you are the strongest of the Giants, your strength might already rival or even surpass the one who originally wielded the Spear of the War God eight hundred years ago? In other words, the power you've demonstrated might be equivalent to what that ancient Giant King achieved back then."
As Roger's words sank in, Yorm's face showed disbelief, but soon it turned into deep thought.
Yes, the stories of that ancient Giant King were passed down through generations, but no one had actually seen his power. As the current Giant King, why would his strength be inferior?
"That's quite an interesting thought, hahaha!" Yorm burst into hearty laughter.
"Then let's celebrate the possibility of surpassing our ancestors with a feast, hahaha!" Yorm laughed heartily.
It seemed that a mystery that had troubled the Giants for centuries was now resolved, and the idea of surpassing their ancestors was something that all Giants could rally behind.
"Nicholas, your strength has indeed reached a terrifying level," Roger said, approaching Nicholas during the feast, his expression complex.
Roger had only had a guess about the stone tablet that recorded the Spear of the War God, but Nicholas had seen through it immediately.
"Roger, join me," Nicholas suddenly said.
But Roger shook his head slightly and sighed, "Sorry, Nicholas."
Then he looked at Nicholas, "But don't worry, I'll be there for the final battle. After all, it's a war that will decide the world's future; I won't miss it."
"Then you'd better hurry up. After all, that little brat in the East Blue that you all have high hopes for doesn't even have the strength to set foot on the battlefield yet," Nicholas said disdainfully. If it weren't for the protagonist's plot armor, Luffy would have been defeated long ago.
Hearing this, Roger felt a bit melancholic.
"By the way, I'm taking the Ancient Weapon, Uranus," Nicholas suddenly said.
"Oh? You're so sure Uranus is in my possession?" Roger paused.
"I'm not blind. Many people have guessed that Uranus is with you. After all, with such a big egg on your ship, it's hard to ignore," Nicholas replied, smirking.
"Everything else is negotiable, but not Uranus. It's still too young and needs time to grow," Roger said seriously, looking into Nicholas's eyes.
"Don't worry about that; I have a way," Nicholas said confidently. He had some ideas on how to speed up Uranus's growth. Not to mention Bonney's Devil Fruit abilities, there was also the mature-mature fruit, which could quickly accelerate Uranus's growth without affecting its power.
After all, if someone like Momonosuke could gain a body and dragon form comparable to Kaido's under the influence of the fruit, then the Ancient Weapon Uranus would have even greater potential.
Clearly, the two of them didn't reach an agreement on the matter of Uranus.
"Join forces with us, Nicholas, ally with Elbaf," Giant King Yorm suddenly said seriously to Nicholas just as he was about to propose a deal to Roger.
"Huh?" Nicholas was confused. This time he came to Elbaf for two reasons: to deal with Roger's pirate crew and Uranus, and to gain the support of the Elbaf Giants.
But wasn't forming an alliance supposed to be something he proposed?
"Yes, an alliance. If a world-shaking war ever breaks out again, then..." Yorm said seriously, "Elbaf will be your most steadfast ally! And in exchange, the Giants will no longer be confined to Elbaf."
This was hard to refuse.
Considering the power of the Giants, Nicholas could only say, "Deal."
Meanwhile, as Nicholas and his group were forming an alliance with the Giants in Elbaf, the world was once again in an uproar. Kaido and Bullet had formed an alliance and launched a war against Whitebeard. The news of their quest for the final island had spread, creating a frenzy worldwide during these sensitive times.
The final island—what kind of place was that?
It was the end of the Grand Line, the place no one had reached in over twenty years since Roger's crew, and it was said to be where the legendary One Piece was hidden!
If the news about the Eternal Pose was true, it meant that Kaido, Bullet, and their crew could claim the One Piece and use it to dominate the world.
With Kaido's war against Whitebeard, the rumors gained more credibility. Many believed this was Kaido's attempt to eliminate his competition.
Pirates around the world went mad with excitement, though some kept their cool, remaining cautious and observant.
They weren't going to believe in an Eternal Pose to the final island just because of some news article.
After all, Bullet had made similar claims before, which turned out to be nothing but a joke.
But on the other hand, many more pirates believed in the existence of the Eternal Pose to the final island.
In just a few days, the world's attention was entirely focused on the chaos in the New World.