87. Believe in the Holy Light!

Dorry was silent for a long moment. His voice was deep, somewhat hoarse, and slurred as he muttered, "Thanks for the news."

No one in Elbaf revered Takiko Elder more than he did.

As a warrior of the Giant race, personally trained and nurtured by Jorul, Dorry had eventually risen to become one of the current leaders of the Giant Warrior Pirates. His feelings toward Takiko were complicated—he was a great warrior whom Dorry had always respected; a strict instructor during his years of training; a powerful opponent he had longed to challenge.

But Takiko was dead now—killed by a mere brat.

The giant slowly rose and walked toward the river inland. No one stopped him.

Dorry turned his head and gazed at the pitch-black night sky, in the direction where Elbaf lay.

The man who had spent an entire afternoon exchanging brutal blows with Sakazuki without falling to his knees now knelt on one knee on the damp, somewhat muddy soil by the riverside.

Solemnly, he drew the sword from his waist—the very weapon he had received from Jorul during his coming-of-age ceremony.

Gripping it tightly, the giant drove the blade, now chipped and worn, into the foreign land beneath him.

He lowered his head, which he had always held high, and murmured the warrior's prayers of his homeland.

The Marines behind him stood in silent observation. No one spoke to break the solemnity of the moment.

The bonfire continued to crackle, its flames flickering in the night.

Sakazuki gestured to the Marines, leading them back to the ship's cabins for the night.

The banquet was cut short—but his goal had already been achieved.

Lindemann appeared somewhat worried. With a perplexed expression, he turned to his superior and asked, "Vice Admiral, since we've already informed the giant of the truth, why didn't we strike while the iron was hot and recruit him just now?"

Sakazuki's response was enigmatic: "No rush. Let the bullet fly a little longer."

Warfare, in essence, revolved around precise balance—offense and defense, feints and direct strikes.

A carefully measured push and pull would make the giant feel both valued by the Navy and yet not excessively courted.

In this invisible battle of diplomacy, the initiative always remained firmly in Sakazuki's hands.

The next morning, Sakazuki's biological clock woke him up right on time. Thanks to his years in the military, his daily routine was rigidly disciplined.

Even before opening his door, his Observation Haki had already detected a massive face blocking his way.

The Vice Admiral shook his head slightly. He had Gion to thank for relentlessly tailing him during that period—her persistence had trained him into the habit of always using Observation Haki before opening a door.

"You've made up your mind?"

Sakazuki pushed open the door and, as expected, found himself staring into Dorry's bloodshot eyes.

"Can I board the next Navy fleet heading for Elbaf?"

Dorry asked the highest-ranking officer of this Marine unit with a solemn expression.

"You're planning revenge?"

Sakazuki straightened his uniform—he couldn't tolerate appearing disheveled in front of his subordinates.

It wasn't about vanity.

A soldier's image and demeanor influenced the entire unit's discipline and morale.

In his command, strict discipline wasn't just a slogan—it was enforced through meticulous attention to every detail.

If not for his superiors, Sengoku and Kong, and their bizarre hairstyles, Sakazuki suspected his first act after arriving in this world would have been ordering all Marines to shave their heads down to military cuts.

There used to be Marines who dared to show up before him wearing wrinkled, sloppy uniforms.

But ever since he instituted the rule of 300 push-ups for improper attire—doubling the punishment for repeat offenses—no one dared appear before him with their Marine caps tilted askew.

Dorry frowned as he watched the Vice Admiral heading toward the second-floor dining hall.

"Elbaf has always repaid blood with blood," he declared. "Are you trying to stop me?"

Sakazuki halted and turned back to study the giant.

"Revenge is sacred to you giants. I won't stop you," he said, then added meaningfully, "but let me ask you—are you in such a hurry to go get yourself killed?"

"What did you just say?"

Dorry's temper flared at those words.

"Oh?" Sakazuki raised a brow. "You think this is about another fight?"

"No, listen carefully," he continued. "What you're about to do is vengeance—cutting off that pirate's head to honor Takiko's spirit. You're not going there to pick a fight with Charlotte Linlin."

"If I were to use my Devil Fruit powers against you in a life-and-death battle, who do you think would have the greater chance of winning?"

The words struck Dorry to his core.

After a long silence, he replied, somewhat unwillingly, "I'd die. You'd live."

Sakazuki nodded, his expression approving, as if pleased with a student's progress.

"Even I, as I am now, wouldn't dare claim victory against Charlotte Linlin," he stated plainly. "The Navy's top fighters have struggled against Big Mom. What makes you think you can kill her?"

Seeing the giant's shaken expression, Sakazuki delivered his final blow.

"After that nightmare descended upon Elbaf, the giants allied themselves with the World Government."

"As you are now, Dorry, you have no way to avenge the elders."

Dorry grasped the underlying meaning.

"You want me to join the Navy?"

He shook his head firmly and refused without hesitation.

"Sorry. I won't rely on others to fulfill my revenge. I want to personally slay that heartless pirate!"

Sakazuki wasn't discouraged. Instead, he simply looked at Dorry as if he were a fool.

"Who said the Navy would help you take revenge?"

Dorry blinked in confusion.

"You're not helping me avenge them? Then why would I join the Navy?"

Sakazuki laid his cards on the table.

"Haki—do you truly master it? Your combat skills—can you claim they're refined?"

"In the Navy, we have the best Haki instructors, the strongest martial artists. You've heard of Devil Fruits, haven't you? We happen to have a few miracles of the sea at our disposal."

If last night's maneuvering had been mere trickery, then today's approach was an open and undeniable truth.

The scarcity of resources dictated their unequal distribution.

Sakazuki's confidence in convincing Dorry lay in the undeniable strength of the Navy—compared to Elbaf, they simply weren't in the same league.

As he watched the giant wrestling with internal conflict, he delivered the final straw that would break him.

"You can either stay on this island and continue your so-called sacred duel with Brogy… or you can join the Navy's Giant Unit and pursue real revenge."

Without waiting for an answer, the Vice Admiral turned and headed to breakfast.

A good cup of coffee was essential for starting the day.

Sakazuki retained his old habits.

Robin, imitating him, sat across from him with a cup of milk-and-sugar coffee.

On the warship, fresh milk had been a luxury—but this time, the government's supply shipment had included two dairy cows.

Damn those corrupt bureaucrats.

Comparing the black coffee he used to drink daily at sea to today's breakfast, Sakazuki felt an overwhelming sense of injustice.

"Sakazuki, we should warn everyone about insect bites here."

Robin, holding a book, pointed to a highlighted passage for him.

"The ancient insects on this island carry rare prehistoric viruses and bacteria. I asked the doctor sent by Sengoku-uncle, and they've brought enough medicine, but I still think we should stay alert."

She was beginning to advise the officers aboard—perhaps without realizing it, she was subtly mimicking the cautious, methodical thinking of Jonathan, Sengoku, and even Sakazuki himself.

"What is it?" she asked, tilting her head curiously at the Vice Admiral's odd look.

For the first time, Sakazuki was deeply grateful that he had brought Robin to Marineford.

She absorbed the behaviors of those around her, gradually transforming.

Beyond book knowledge, the environment of Marine HQ was shaping her into a keen strategist, instilling discipline and a solid moral foundation.

Embrace the light!

For some reason, that phrase suddenly popped into Sakazuki's mind.

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