One piece: I,Akaino will not die easily

"Let's go, Major Bell. Don't tell me you actually want to study the cooking methods of a T-Rex?" Lindemann casually planted his knife into the ground.

"Colonel Lindemann, Major Bell, I must remind you that the 'little cuties' hiding behind the thick jungle leaves haven't left yet." The ponytailed lieutenant colonel still frowned.

The velociraptors wandered through the jungle. One, about the height of an adult human, emerged from the dense underbrush, silently observing them from a short distance ahead.

"Relax, this is normal behavior," Bell spoke before Lindemann could, patting his comrade on the shoulder with a smile. "Look at the one right in front of us. Yes, do you see it clearly? A wild velociraptor—beautiful, isn't it? But don't let it distract you. That's just bait. These cold-blooded pack hunters always send one to draw our attention while the others flank us from the sides and rear to launch their attack."

Suddenly, he lunged sideways, stabbing his knife backward into the eye socket of a raptor that had failed in its ambush—right up to the hilt.

The other two didn't remain idle, swiftly dealing with the raptors attacking them as well.

"Hmph, amateurish." Lindemann flicked the blood off his blade, twirled it in his hand, and sheathed it.

"Speaking of which, which has higher nutritional value, raptor meat or beef?" Bell suddenly remembered something and loudly asked his teammates.

"Can you stop already? I—" Lindemann finally lost patience with Bell's obsession with food. But before he could finish, a rough, booming voice echoed from the distance, answering the naval major's question.

"Velociraptor meat is tougher than beef, but it always has a gamey taste."

Following the source of the voice, the three of them instinctively turned their heads.

"!? GIANT!!"

The first thing they saw was a thick mane of long facial hair, naturally flowing down to the giant's muscular abdomen. Beneath a deep-blue cape draped over his broad shoulders, his upper body remained bare, displaying his powerful physique. He only wore a multi-purpose belt fastened around his waist, securing the cape.

Lindemann quickly recovered from his initial tension. Over the past two months at sea, Sakazuki had drilled emergency response training into him relentlessly. Seeing his two comrades standing stiffly, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to ignore the giant's sword and shield. He raised his head, attempting to communicate with the towering figure wearing an ancient gladiator-style helmet.

"Hey there! Didn't expect to hear another human voice in this damned jungle."

"Hahaha! That's right! It's rare for me to come across sailors passing through this island." A coarse, booming laugh rumbled from the giant's throat.

Standing over 12 meters tall, the giant pointed a thick finger toward Bell. "That kid over there is pretty interesting!"

"By the way, may I ask your name?" Lindemann followed the method Sakazuki had taught him, trying to extract more information.

The giant seemed to have no reservations. "I am Dorry from Elbaf in the New World. People call me 'Blue Ogre.' And you? What's your name?"

"Lindemann." Sticking to intelligence-gathering protocols, he didn't reveal the names of his two comrades, only his own.

dorry finally took notice of their attire. "Hmm? Lindemann, you're Navy, aren't you? Back when I led a pirate crew, I had some fame. Never thought you'd track me all the way here. So, shall we have an honorable duel?"

Lindemann's heart sank. Things were taking the worst possible turn. If he said the wrong thing, this "Blue Ogre" Dorry might attack them on the spot. But his expression remained a smile.

"We're just conducting a natural survey of this island." The colonel lifted the camera hanging from his chest and waved it toward the giant as a sign.

"As for a duel? What could be more important than the delicacies in front of us? Hey! Bell, what are you standing around for? You seemed so knowledgeable earlier. We're all waiting to taste what dinosaur meat is like!"

He loudly scolded his teammate while secretly signaling them from an angle the giant couldn't see.

"Oh! The wild is full of gourmet treats!" Snapping out of his daze, Major Bell quickly pulled out the dry twigs and leaves he had gathered earlier from his uniform pocket—plenty of tinder to start a fire.

"Hahaha! You Navy guys sure are a strange bunch!" Dorry was briefly stunned before bursting into laughter. "Not bad! In the jungle, what's more important than filling your belly?"

Lindemann simply sat cross-legged on the ground, looking up as he invited the giant, "Dorry-san, why don't you sit down and have some too? After all, we still have a rather large T-Rex to deal with!"

Being invited by the Navy for a meal was a new experience for Dorry "Alright! I am hungry too."

Imitating the peculiar Navy man before him, the giant also sat cross-legged.

Lindemann waved at the still-tense ponytailed lieutenant colonel, who had his hand gripping his weapon. "Go gather some firewood for us."

Now he wasn't in a rush. A giant sitting down like this was a clear gesture of goodwill. Lindemann seized the opportunity to extract more intel.

"Dorry-ossan, you led a pirate crew?"

If this information was true, he had caught a big fish.

Talking about his pirate days, the giant boasted with pride, "I was the captain of the Giant Warrior Pirates! Dorry, the 'Blue Ogre,' the mightiest warrior of Elbaf!"

...Originally, Lindemann had assumed he was just a crew member of the Giant Warrior Pirates. Dorry's self-revelation made Lindemann secretly grateful they hadn't resorted to violence.

"Huh? Speaking of Elbaf, I actually have a few giant friends in the Navy." Lindemann deliberately mentioned this to gauge Dorry's reaction.

"Impossible! The giant immediately shook his head. "Kid, I might believe you have a few giant friends, but in the Navy? No way. If you're going to lie, at least make it believable!"

Looks like he has no idea about Elbaf's agreement with the World Government, Lindemann noted in his mind.

"Do you know John Giant?" He continued. "He's currently a Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters. And then there's Ronse, Saul, and others who joined the Navy."

"!?"

This time, it was Dorry's turn to be dumbfounded. He recognized every name Lindemann mentioned, but… how?

"Impossible! You're saying that crybaby Saul joined the Navy? That I might believe. But John Giant and Ronse? No way!" Dorry couldn't believe his ears.

Lindemann shook his head. "Nothing is impossible. Ever since Elbaf allied with the World Government, they all became Navy officers."

"Yo! The meat is ready!"

Holding a large, medium-rare piece of meat, Major Bell's face was full of excitement. But Dorry had already lost interest in eating.

All he wanted to know now was why Elbaf chose to ally with the World Government—and what that meant for the future of the Giant Warrior Pirates.