"Roar—"
Elbaf.
A beastly roar echoed across the sky, startling many of the giants and the children from the Sheep's House. A massive creature, over a hundred meters long, soared toward them, leaving them in awe.
"Don't worry, it's me, El," came a familiar voice from the enormous figure.
"Huh? El?"
"Is that the legendary Quetzalcoatl?"
"Is that El's power? It's the first time I've seen it!"
Hearing El's familiar voice, the once-alert giant warriors, who had drawn their weapons, relaxed and stared in disbelief at the awe-inspiring creature.
With a series of loud thuds, several large iron cages were gently placed on the ground. Inside were the children from the Sheep's House, unconscious and still dazed from being knocked out by El's Conqueror's Haki.
"That's…"
"Isn't that Moss? Jien? Rock? Tain?"
"What's going on? Didn't Carmel say she was sending them to good homes?"
The giant warriors quickly gathered, recognizing the children inside the cages. These were familiar faces, often seen causing mischief around the village. Although they caused trouble, the giants often turned a blind eye out of respect for Sister Carmel, the "Holy Mother."
"El… what's the meaning of this?"
The giant elders, Mountain Beard, Jarul, and Waterfall Beard, Jorul, approached, drawn by the commotion. They looked up at the massive Quetzalcoatl in surprise, their faces turning solemn.
"This is what happened, elders..." El, now back in his human form, descended gracefully to the ground in front of them.
"I heard from Gerd that Sister Carmel planned to send these children to be adopted today, but something felt off," El said seriously. "So I went to investigate the nearby island."
"What I found was that she wasn't sending them to good families at all. She sold these talented children to the World Government!"
"What!?"
"Impossible—"
"Are you joking?"
"That's not funny at all!"
"El, do you understand what you're saying?"
"Sister Carmel is the 'Holy Mother!'"
"That's right, she would never betray us for money and cooperate with the World Government!"
The gathered giant warriors were stunned, shouting in disbelief. Some, furious, began hurling accusations at El.
"Quiet, everyone!"
Mountain Beard raised his hand, signaling for calm. He glanced at the children inside the cages, noticing their pale faces and terrified expressions, even in their unconscious state. Frowning, he turned back to El and said, "I trust you're not the type to make such serious claims lightly, but this is a grave accusation. It's hard to believe."
Waterfall Beard, stroking his beard, looked conflicted. His voice was grave as he asked, "Do you have any evidence, El? Where is Sister Carmel?"
Without hesitation, El responded, "I'm sorry, but as a Soul-Soul Fruit user, she could have caused trouble if left alive."
"To prevent any complications, I killed her."
"What!?"
"You bastard—"
"Unforgivable! What did you do to the Sister!?"
Hearing that El had killed Sister Carmel, the giant warriors were thrown into a fury. They stared at El, both shocked and enraged. Many of them, especially former members of the Giant Warrior Pirates, had been saved from execution by Carmel and were deeply grateful to her. Their anger surged, and some instinctively moved to attack El.
"Stop—"
"Everyone calm down!" Mountain Beard and Waterfall Beard shouted, their voices filled with authority.
"Mountain Beard, Waterfall Beard!"
"Elders, this isn't just a childish prank!"
"Sister Carmel saved our lives!"
"She's revered as the 'Holy Mother' across the world! How could she ever sell children to the World Government?"
The former warriors of the Giant Warrior Pirates, who owed their lives to Carmel, were visibly emotional. Though they dared not defy the orders of the two elder giants, they clenched their fists in frustration, glaring at El with resentment.
The Sister had earned worldwide respect as the "Holy Mother." She had spent her life helping orphans and troubled children, nurturing them and sending them to good families. The notion that she would trade children like a trafficker and then be killed by El was outrageous and couldn't simply be brushed aside.
"El, I believe you wouldn't lie," Mountain Beard said, looking at El with a pained expression. "But this is too extreme!"
"We've known Sister Carmel for years and have observed her closely," Waterfall Beard added sternly. "We've never seen anything suspicious in her behavior. There must be a misunderstanding."
More experienced and less emotionally driven than the other giant warriors, the two elders chose to remain calm. After all, El had giant blood in his veins and had no personal grudge against Carmel, so they believed there must be more to the story. However, the fact that El had acted so decisively in killing someone as revered as Carmel was not something that could be taken lightly.
"Elders, you know I wouldn't act recklessly without proof," El said confidently, unfazed by their doubt.
Reaching into the bag slung over his shoulder, El pulled out a large stack of documents and handed them to the two elders.
"These are the documents I found on the World Government ship," El explained. "They contain personal information about Carmel and records of her previous dealings with the World Government, including a list of children she planned to sell this time."
"Once the children wake up, you can also question them. They saw the real face of the 'Holy Mother' themselves."
"In addition, I found a hidden compartment under Carmel's bed. Inside were detailed records of her dealings with the World Government over the years, as well as information on all the children she sold in the past."
"I think all this evidence will be more than enough to reveal the truth."
"What!?"