The Heberfil Family Will Be Great
Charlotte gripped the hilt of his blade and slowly unsheathed it.
"Forget it. Let's not drag this out. This guy is tough—fighting him will be exhausting. One strike will decide the outcome."
If he could end the fight with a single blow, there would be no problem.
Though this was no famed sword—just an ordinary blade—the moment Charlotte drew it, a fierce, murderous aura surged forth.
The giant shuddered.
A green glow emanated from the blade, making his hair stand on end. A cold, needling sensation crept over him, like thousands of tiny daggers piercing his skin.
As a warrior from Elbaf, a land of battle-hardened giants, his instincts were razor-sharp. He sensed it immediately—this attack was different.
He tried to move, but his massive body was sluggish. The eerie glow had completely locked onto him.
I'm going to lose!
No… I'm going to die!
This guy intends to kill me!
"One-Sword Style—"
"No more fighting!"
"?"
Charlotte froze mid-swing and tilted his head in confusion. He watched as the giant abruptly threw his massive iron mace aside.
BOOM!
The ground cracked open where the weapon landed.
"I surrender! Do whatever you want!"
The giant strode forward and sat down with a thud, casting an enormous shadow over the area.
"...No more fighting?"
Charlotte considered this outcome. Wasn't this exactly what he wanted?
He chuckled. "Alright, then tell me about yourself."
It was rare to see a giant outside of Elbaf, even in the New World. Charlotte's curiosity was piqued.
"My name is Dal. I was exiled from Elbaf."
"???"
"Exiled?" Charlotte frowned. What could a giant possibly do to be cast out from their homeland?
"I… killed one of my own by accident."
A heavy silence fell between them. The weight of guilt and sorrow in Dal's voice was unmistakable. He hadn't meant to do it, yet he had to live with it.
Just then, Dal's stomach let out a loud growl.
"Sorry… I'm starving."
Charlotte laughed and immediately ordered his younger brother to fetch food.
Soon, a feast was laid out before them. But as Dal began devouring everything in sight, Charlotte's eye twitched.
This… this is absurd!
The food they had stocked for a long voyage—gone. Dal had eaten one-tenth of it in a single sitting. This wasn't just a large appetite; it was on a monstrous scale.
"Glutton" wasn't enough to describe it.
"You… you didn't actually eat every animal on this island, did you?" Charlotte asked, half-joking.
Dal scratched his head awkwardly. "I, uh… I can eat a lot."
Good grief. No wonder giants rarely traveled far. Their sheer food intake alone could wipe out an ecosystem.
Charlotte shook his head. "Have you ever thought about building a ship and leaving?"
Dal's massive brows furrowed. "I… don't know how to build one."
Charlotte was speechless.
Well, that made sense. Without a strong enough ship, venturing into the New World was suicide. The seas here were merciless.
After a moment of thought, Charlotte looked at Dal and made a decision.
"Dal, would you like to join the Heberfil family?"
Dal hesitated, then lowered his gaze. After a brief silence, he muttered, "As long as I can eat my fill… I'm in."
Charlotte grinned. Sure, Dal ate a lot—but his strength was undeniable. Worst case? They'd just have to hunt Sea Kings more frequently.
"No problem."
"Dal, welcome to the Heberfil family."
The atmosphere lightened. Dal, having been alone for so long, finally felt a sense of belonging.
"Welcome, big guy!" Beta, one of Charlotte's younger brothers, cheered.
The other siblings were equally excited. Their leader had just recruited a fearsome giant!
The Heberfil family will be great.
This was Ivan's famous saying.
But Charlotte hadn't forgotten the true reason he came here.
"Dal, do you know if anything unusual has happened on this island?"
Dal's massive eyes flickered with thought, but soon, he shook his head.
Charlotte sighed. It seemed Dal had no idea. Searching would take time.
"Well… do ruins count?"
Charlotte's eyes widened.
Ruins?
For Dal to call them ruins, they had to be ancient!
"Of course! Take me there!"
Dal nodded, stood up, and started walking. Charlotte and the others quickly followed.
Not long after, they arrived at the site of a massive, crumbling manor. Broken walls and scattered debris painted a picture of a once-glorious past.
Charlotte slowly approached a massive black stone tablet.
Its surface was cracked and weathered, the inscriptions barely legible.
He traced his fingers over the worn letters, trying to decipher them.
Yukeshiel…?!
Charlotte's mind buzzed.
He had read about Yukeshiel in an old book.
A legendary family that had reigned supreme for over two centuries. They were once feared and revered—the kings of weaponry and commerce.
In fact, part of Charlotte's inspiration for founding the Heberfil family had come from their story.
But… they had vanished.
No one knew exactly why.
Some claimed the Yukeshiel family had been wiped out by an overwhelming pirate force. Others whispered of an ancient curse. Some believed they had uncovered the "Truth of the Void Century"—and were destroyed for it.
The only certainty was that their immense wealth had been plundered.
And the greatest benefactor of that plundering?
Rocks D. Xebec.
The man who once sought to become the "King of the World." A man so dangerous that even the World Government erased his existence from history.
Charlotte had never expected to find a remnant of Yukeshiel here.
Unfortunately, this base had long been destroyed. Just another casualty of the family's downfall.
But if the treasure here was truly tied to Yukeshiel, even a fraction of it would be an astronomical fortune.
Charlotte's breath quickened.
If there's even a single treasure left… it's worth finding.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and began his search.