Chapter 25: Myrkheim
Red Force
Shanks felt a very unnatural Haki heading from Elbaf all of a sudden. An immense one.
"What about Blackbeard?," asked Beckmann.
"Giants are usually honest about everything. Roger said as much...this is going to have a LONG explanation.," he said.
"But, didn't you sense what he did on Egg-," asked Yasopp.
Shanks glared at the crew.
"Could it be that ghost thing from Mary Geoise that makes p-people vanish?," asked Gab.
"I'm not sure if ghosts exist that way.," argued Hongo.
Shanks then stood on the helm as they headed to Elbaf.
Oden...I'm sorry...your son's going to have to endure what's coming on his own..., thought the Emperor.
Sunworld- Elbaf
The Straw Hats, the Giant Warriors, the New Giant Warriors with one exception, and the Vegapunks were all reeling with something that made them unable to fight outside of the ones on the tendrils or were currently missing.
"That's...," Lillith noted as if she recognized the girl.
"Let go of Robin Swan...and the rest!," Sanji demanded.
"Nerona Imu...they're using Armament Haki to obscure their form-," said Atlas.
"Nah, that's Nerona Umi. She's just a literal shadow of what she was once.," said Vega 40.
"A woman?!," shouted Sanji.
"Where'd you get that information?," asked Edison.
"My dad saw her once on a place called God Valley.," said the cyan-haired girl.
"How dare you talk in the presence of the Sun God!," yelled one of the Giant children.
"I didn't think you'd be this faithless. Peace is admirable, but not the expense of common sense. That's just darkness in human form-quasar.," Stella said.
"I can't move...," Luffy spoke.
"Clisson...you've chosen the wrong man to love.," spoke the shadow to the Lunarian girl.
"I thought I was below you since my paycheck isn't that high.," joked the Lunarian girl.
"A hybrid of Lunarian is always something to look out for.," spoke the entity.
"Sorry...they got the jump on us. And Saul...was hurt protecting us.," cried Chopper.
"Don't worry about us. I've died once. Why worry about dying again?," Brook begged.
"There's other factions against them. They might not be ideal, but it's better than here.," explained Robin.
She noticed that the others were all on the ground either unconscious or knocked out.
"What did you do?," asked Robin.
"Why is Umi having to do Umi's dirty work in getting Robin. Right because only Robin is the only one that can read Poneglyphs to undo THAT placed on Umi since everyone who could is capable of fighting back.," said the shadow.
"Sun God! Sun God! The Rapture! The Rapture! We will be spared right since we've proven ourselves right?," asked one of the Giant Children. The adults agreed albeit more reluctantly.
"We already have Giants in our employ. We tried Gigantification but that failed because fundamentally Giants have an entirely different biology than Humans. But they're Human Insect enough to tolerate seeing.," the Shadow replied. "So yes. You will be fine Marines under our care."
"Yay! Yay! We don't get to die! We can leave this crummy island! And be like Humans! How cares about integrity!," shouted the Giant children as Usopp shivered, but not out of fear.
"This goes beyond wimpy! This is cowardice to its core! And I should know since I am one!," Usopp yelled. "I'm sorry that I failed to do anything! But what Elbaf stands for isn't just warring, adventuring, or parties! It's a sense of honor! I don't want to die but I'd rather die than know that the Giants I grew up admiring in the generations in the coming future be as two-faced, boot-licking, and compromising as any scumbag Human! Giants are what Men look up to! Some men may like to be modest! But true Men have something to strive for!"
He remembered just earlier how he stood there frozen like a deer at candlelight as the others tried their best to thwart not being captured in vain while he didn't put up any resistance. It was one thing to be cowardly anywhere else, but this was the place of his dreams- if he failed here, he wouldn't be just failing to keep up his promise with the Giants and himself but to Luffy and the others after his shameful behavior in Water 7.
Umi tossed Usopp to the ground, curious about his words.
"He's just a loudmouth that talks big but he'll be running away because he's the weakling of the group. "God King" Usopp.," Ange said.
Umi continued to stare at Usopp as he got to his feet and shivered and chattered his teeth as he reached to get a Pop Green. Maybe he couldn't defeat it, but he could buy enough time to allow the others to be freed so he could be the distraction.
"His eyes...His eyes...his eyes...his eyes...his eyes...his eyes...," Umi spoke as if repeating a mantra to keep down some trauma.
Chopper then pulled out the same kind of medicine as what he gave to the Minks while the shadow was distracted and Brook generated his astral body. Robin prepared her pose.
Umi then screamed as they released Haki which sent several Giants into an unconscious state including Ange. This managed to free Chopper, Brook, and Robin from Umi's clutches. However, the surge also caused them to be paralyzed from the intense will. Just before this could escalate, Gaban yelled.
"This just ruined my night. Heading back now. I'll be takin' everyone who's not under the weed's influence.," he said as he casually drew magic circles around all of the parties that were affected by whatever was done to them. He then looked at Ripley and sighed in disappointment.
He then uttered phrases only Robin understood as purple lights glowed. He also released an Infusion Haki which Umi emerged from as it shattered, causing the shadow to vanish.
"Not all defeats require beating them to a pulp. Let's call it a night.," he said with a bored tone. Colin dashed after him as the circles illuminated.
With a blinding flash, he had vanished along with the parties and the Infinite Dawn.
Luffy awoke in a dark space that didn't have a sky- it was covered in earth from what he could see. As his eyes adjusted, he could see glowing large quartz emerging from the sides of the walls.
He then spotted a figure approaching as they picked up a pickax as they began to tire through the quartz before planting back a piece of the quartz, which miraculously regenerated. The figure then chanted something as runes appeared on the quartz dimmed.
He then noticed Luffy and co. and stared at them for several seconds before saying-
"I call dibs. You can't take it."
"Wha? I don't want that I can't eat! What's this place? Did you do something? Where's the other Giants? Wait, you're not a Giant! You're Big but Tiny! Shishishishi!," Luffy replied.
Nami then bonked him on the back of the head.
"Don't be pickin' fights!...," she said before noticing the quartz around her.
"Can...I take one?," asked Nami.
"I wouldn't recommend it. You need Sorcery Haki to negate the Quartz disease. Things like Amber Lead, Sapphire Disease, Gold Fever, Ruby Disease, Jade Disease, etc. could've been avoided if Umi wasn't so tight-lipped about keeping it a secret yet deciding to steal from the earth without respecting it. That's why those Dregs who live on that artificial dome to hold those creatures at bay caused their homeworld on the moon to dry out and now they're repeating the same thing on Terra. Avarice should only to real Dragons and they have reasons to- it's the only bed they can sleep on. There's gotta a better means of currency y'know.," replied the large figure wearing goggles, lederhosen, boots, gloves, and a red bread.
The individual was confused at why the group that had suddenly appeared were so dumbfounded. From how he was confused, it seemed like some more every day to know compared to how mind-breaking and valuable this intel was that countless generations literally died to find out a glimpse of the truth.
"The Celestial Dragons...are called Dregs?," asked Bonney.
"What's Terra...?," asked Chopper.
"From the way he's taking about it. I think that's the name of this world...wait it has a name than the world?," asked Brook.
"What creatures? The Red Line was created for that purpose?," asked Robin.
"Wait, there's real Dragons?," asked Zoro.
"The World Nobles...came from the Moon...quasar?," asked Vegapunk Stella.
"Where are we is important all of that! I think we're in a cave!," shouted Usopp.
"Oh Yeah, Dregs, the folks called the Shandians, the Birkans, and the Skypeians came from the moon once they wasted all of their resources and thought Terra's more infinite in terms of exploiting it forever. Heard one of them blast new Birka all the way down to the Heaven Realm thinking he killed everyone. He called himself Eneru. He likely went to the Moon thinking it's Fairy Vearth. They came down to our world calling it Vearth, but they brought down-," the figure said before being knocked in the back by a stocky woman with brown braids of the same body type while wearing a chainmail armor with wide shoulder plates, kelt, gauntlets, and boots.
"Them Humans, People of the Sea, Minks, Robo-Folks, and Giants can't handle all this new information. You give you in smaller gaps because it's too big for 'em.," said the woman as she scolded the other Giant.
"So what you're saying is true?," asked Robin.
The woman sighed before she replied, "You can say anything but seeing is believing because believing the unseeable is too hard for most folk. And even if you see it in all of its mythical glory, the mind rationalizes as something else or destroys it to keep its status quo unchanged. You need undeniable proof that no one can mock or pretend it's otherwise. But enough about that, you guys need to rest up."
She beckoned them to follow her and her associate down the tunnel as the Straw Hats looked confused.
"Weren't we in a more perilous situation before? I'm worried about Ripley and the others with that thing around them?," Nami argued.
"Shanks is the thing that keeps the World Government constantly dashing out of Elbaf since Roger passed and after that guy passed and so on. He's got sway with them in ways I don't agree with but it keeps things from getting worse.," spoke Gaban as he walked towards them.
"It's you!," Luffy shouted as he pointed his finger at him.
"I come here because outside of the East and North sides of the Sunworld- they've been ensnared and I usually avoid the night or darkness since they can't stand the sunlight. It's in a way that conventional Haki users can't detect, but we can if we get close enough. Isn't that right? Luffy? Vegapunks? Vega? Brook? Robin? Clisson? Chopper? and of...," he explained.
Suddenly, Galahad appeared out of a swirly vortex with Jinbe and Franky in tow just as black torrents of hands began to reach out to them. They seemed to be made of Haki as they emitted an electric spark of blackness on their bodies. While some of the group could definitely see them, most of them like Sanji, Nami, Zoro, Vivi, etc. were confused at the concerned look of the Fishman.
"Galahad! Why are they unconscious?," asked Nami.
"They know too much! Get them before they rat it out to Shanks or anyone more dangerous like Dragon!," shouted a haggard, feminine voice as a black head shape with yellow teeth attempted to bite either Jinbe or Franky but vanished as it was sucked into the vanishing swirl before it do so.
"I ate the Swirl-Swirl Fruit, but also another power- call it a Vegetable. It's not a Fruit. Teach is the only current user of two Devil Fruits at the same time.," explained the Fishman.
"W-what was that?," asked Chopper.
"What is what? I don't see anything.," argued Vivi as she looked puzzled.
"Of course you wouldn't. Not even Roger or Garp can see THEM. It's similar to how normal people can't see Haki, but it applies to Haki users- they can't see THEM. Only people who've eaten the powers of Daemons...better known as Devils can see them.," explained Gaban.
"W-wha? What're you talkin' bout Dad?," asked Colon as Gaban sighed.
"You followed me too? Guess it's my luck. I only know enough but there's someone here who knows exactly what they are...especially since that shadow you saw is planning to release them on the populace by using the Wolf Bridges to destroy the Red Line and bloat out the sun. The Lunarians created the Red Line to close their Line from existence...Jeez, I'm not good at this. Ask this guy up ahead.," the man said as he gestured for them to follow.
The quartz seemed to leading down a path. It was a labyrinth of tunnels, all shimmering in the glow of the crystals that lined the walls. The air was cool and damp, and the silence was only broken by the echoes of their footsteps. The group exchanged worried glances as they followed the Giants, their heads spinning with the revelations of the Moon's history, whatever glimpse of the creatures the Devil Fruit users just saw, and the Celestial Dragons.
The anticipation built and built till Luffy saw a clearing and was amazed at the sight.
Welcome to the home of the original inhabitants of Elbaf...or should I say Myrkheim, home of the Nidavell better known as Dwarfs.," spoke Gaban.
It was a sprawling, intricately carved complex of tunnels with ornate bearded houses made of massive blocks of stone, often with thick walls and heavy, arched doorways lining the more solid walls. Larger castles were built closer to the bottom.
Visible mine shafts floated above a track and tunnels to travel between gemstone and shiny earth materials mines as workers would get these items to then power their houses' lights, embed in their weaponry, and power their technology.
Watchtowers were also built into the structures to detect anything that could harm the cities. It was full of libraries, eateries, drinking bars, etc.
The inhabitants would drink, tell stories, play fight with no intention of lethal harm, perform the Nika dance along with other odd dances, people would bathe in open baths, etc.
It also had databases detailing current events across the known world plus 19 other odd locations currently obscured, large machine people that resembled Emeth aided in gathering material from the mines, artificial limbs were grafted on those who lost their natural limbs/weren't born with them, and so much more that was unfathomable to the current time.
The Vegapunks collectively were floored at the sight outside of Stella who seemed more accepting of the idea. They reversed engineered technology on Egghead but it wasn't nearly as advanced as what they were currently witnessing. Vega 40, who had heavily implied to have experienced elements of the OLD WORLD, was also less shocked.
Everyone else was stunned at the sight. This place was a marvel, a dream that they didn't even know was possible. The Dwarfs looked up at the newcomers with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
Luffy broke the tension by turning into the White Warrior of Liberation in front of the onlookers as he leaped down to one of the crowds.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I'm gonna be King of the Pirates.," said the young man.
After a pause, they all laughed and proceeded to look at the others to invite them.
"Could this be another trap?," asked Zoro.
"Luffy seems to like them. And they don't have any reason not to trust us. Since we all have the same enemy- quasar.," said Stella.
"How would you know that?," asked Sanji to the scientist but didn't get a response as the group went down.
They saw that the Infinite Dawn and Saul on a medical bed being treated were all safe.
A grizzled Dwarf Warrior with a battle ax on their back came and looked at Jinbe.
"Our High Observation Haki saw that it was a 25% chance it would be you, the Heart Pirates, or a reformed Kidd Pirates group who would come down here. Come before we feast. Our King wants to talk to you. Since he knows all about what Luffy has.," he said.
He then walked directly into a pole much to the confusion of the others.
"I am Alius. One of the 7 Rainbow Dwarf Knights of this nation. I will lead you to King Durinn. He was once a crewmate of Joyboy back in the day.," he spoke, ignoring his subtle forehead bleeding.
"Joyboy?," asked Robin.
Myrkheim- Lowest Part of Elbaf- Home of the Nidavell/Dwarfs.
Next Chapter: Shogun of Wano
Author Notes: This chapter resolved the potential Umi/Giant conflict by saving it for a later date as we explore a different side of Elbaf based on its literal roots. The Dwarfs here are portrayed more like their fantasy counterparts than the Tontatta that were inspired by the Little People/Fairies.
Much like Egghead, we're going to go into different parts of the World to explore different journeys