86. The Naughty Kid and Candy

"What happened at Elbaf?" The giant's expression was tense, laced with unease. He couldn't be bothered by the navy and government personnel who had been startled by his reaction.

"Sakazuki!" Dorry turned his head toward the highest-ranking officer present, hoping to get an explanation.

But Sakazuki didn't even glance at him. Instead, he leisurely poured himself a cup of liquor.

"This matter was quite a sensational event at the time," the Vice Admiral lowered his head, staring into the golden surface of his drink. "There's no harm in telling you—it's something even children know about."

"Whitebeard... Oh no, you guys are used to calling him 'Waterfall Beard,' right? One of the two most senior and most respected elders of Elbaf Village—Jorul."

Dorry's voice trembled. "Lord 'Waterfall Beard'—what happened to him?! Hurry up and tell me!"

"You're the one who succeeded the position of chief, right, Dorry? The former supreme leader of the Giant Warrior Pirates. One of the Giant Elders, 'Waterfall Beard' Jorul... was killed by a devil-like little girl. After that, more than half of Elbaf Village was destroyed." Sakazuki raised his head, meeting the gaze of the giant before him.

"?!" The giant felt dizzy. His wide eyes stared blankly at the soldiers sitting around the fire.

"Hahaha, Sakazuki, that joke of yours isn't funny at all," Dorry let out a dry laugh. How he wished this was just some drunken jest!

But the surroundings were deathly silent. Only the faint crackling of the bonfire could be heard.

The giant was silent for a moment, then suddenly roared: "This isn't true, is it? Sakazuki! Tell me this isn't true!"

"This incident was widely spread across the world back then. Even if I tell you it's false, who would that deceive? You're just trying to comfort yourself." Sakazuki sneered. "I have no reason to lie to you. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you the same thing."

"Tell me—how did Lord 'Waterfall Beard' die? I don't believe it. I don't believe it! A devil-like little girl? How could a mere child be a match for Lord Jorul?!"

The giant abruptly stood up, shaking his head fiercely, his expression menacing.

"Are you interrogating me?" Sakazuki's expression turned icy. "Out of consideration for your emotions, I specifically ordered the soldiers not to mention a word of this. Is this how you show gratitude when you're the one seeking answers?"

After taking several deep breaths, the leader of the Giant Warrior Pirates slowly sat back down on the ground. But his hands were still trembling uncontrollably. "I meant no offense... It's just that this news is too shocking for me to accept."

"When we in the navy first heard about it, we also found it hard to believe—until the government's envoys, who were sent to negotiate an alliance, saw Jorul's corpse with their own eyes."

Sakazuki seemed to drift into thought, perfectly mimicking someone lost in contemplation.

"A Giant Elder... killed barehanded by a human girl. It's the most absurd joke imaginable." He let out a bitter laugh and downed the liquor in his cup.

"But the most unbelievable part comes after," Sakazuki deliberately lowered his voice. He noticed that Dorry was now completely drawn in. Even the navy soldiers and government personnel sitting around the fire had unconsciously pricked up their ears, listening intently.

This was high-level insider knowledge. As ordinary soldiers and lower-ranking officers, they only knew that the infamous 'Waterfall Beard' Jorul had been killed by a girl. But as for the reasons and the details, they had no clue.

Tonight, they had the rare chance to hear the truth from someone in the know, and they weren't about to miss it.

Sakazuki turned his gaze toward Rob Lucci's side. Sitting next to him was a black-haired little girl, who was also watching him attentively.

With a deep, resonant voice, as if telling an ancient legend, he said: "Do you know why that girl was called a demon? Why she was called the Evil God, Linlin?"

No one responded. Everyone was waiting for Sakazuki to give the answer.

But the Vice Admiral deliberately heightened the suspense, speaking instead of something else:

"We usually think of children as innocent, weak, and lovable. But that child... she was different. Yes, completely different. She was the embodiment of human evil."

Sakazuki glanced at Dorry.

"That child, named Charlotte Linlin, was taken in and raised in Elbaf..."

"?!" Dorry felt a chill run down his spine. He had just realized a terrifying truth. "Could it be—?!"

"That's right. It's exactly what you're thinking." The navy Vice Admiral nodded. "That child was allowed to live in Elbaf, receiving kindness from the giants, eating the food generously provided by the Elders, and was even permitted to participate in the most sacred War God Festival."

"Then, simply because she wasn't satisfied with the amount of sweets she was given, she destroyed half the village. And when Jorul rushed over to stop her rampage... she killed him."

"Sweets?" Dorry dug at his ears, wondering if the battle earlier that day had damaged his hearing.

"Sweets," Sakazuki confirmed with a nod. He turned to the crowd, explaining, "Before Elbaf's Winter Solstice Festival, no one is allowed to eat any food. They can only drink water."

Dorry was now certain. The Winter Solstice Festival was the most sacred ritual in all of Elbaf. Every villager, from childhood to old age, followed the tradition of twelve days of fasting and prayer.

"So it was because she was invited to participate in our most sacred and joyous festival... and her desire for sweets wasn't satisfied?" Dorry erupted in fury, yanking out a tuft of his prized beard without even realizing it.

"Terrifying, isn't it?" Sakazuki thought of bratty children in his past life. But in this world, where strength reigned supreme, Charlotte Linlin had taken the destructiveness of an unruly child to its absolute peak.

"She had no regard for the kindness the giants showed her. Not a shred of gratitude."

"She repaid their goodwill with the most brutal, most malicious response."

Sakazuki didn't hold back in his condemnation of Charlotte Linlin.

A typical mischievous child might cause trouble in a way that was frustrating yet endearing, but ultimately, they would still be filled with goodwill at heart.

But in Sakazuki's eyes, calling young Linlin a 'troublesome child' was an insult to the term.

Killing and destroying at a whim—acts that even adults feared—came naturally to her. The word 'childish' couldn't explain it.

Seeing the giant gnashing his teeth in rage, Sakazuki added:

"Afterward, she also went on to kill the nun who had taken care of her, then became a pirate, and eventually turned into a lunatic who would conquer entire nations just for sweets."

"What?! Sister Carmel's disappearance—was actually the work of the child she raised? That wretched brat!"

Most of the navy personnel had heard of this renowned nun. Not everyone had the courage to stand against the navy's execution of captured giants.

"By killing a giant, she ensured that the deep hatred between giants and humans could never be undone."

"'Spare them! The heavens want us to create a world where all can live in harmony!'"

Sakazuki sneered. That was Sister Carmel's most famous declaration. He knew the truth—she was nothing but a human trafficker. But the ordinary people didn't know that.

As a so-called "peace-loving nun," she had been placed on a pedestal. When she suddenly vanished in her old age, countless civilians had prayed for her.

Now, the navy soldiers had just received yet another explosive revelation.

Many couldn't help but sigh in regret over the nun's tragic fate.

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