As Kratos rose from the ground, the clear sky above everyone's heads was suddenly shrouded in dark clouds, as if something unsettling was about to emerge. A heavy, oppressive aura, that made everyone in Elbaf's heart sink, filled the entire sky, as if the heavens were about to collapse.
"Hahahahaha!!"
Power, unparalleled power, more potent than the blessings Elbaf had bestowed upon him, revitalized Kratos's confidence, which had been on the verge of collapse from being suppressed by Kongtai. His laughter carried a mental pressure that felt suffocating. This was not like Conqueror's Haki; it was a pressure born from a fundamental, biological gap, an instinctual pressure.
"Is this Elbaf? Is this the domain of 'gods'?" Kratos stopped laughing, spread his arms wide, and declared, "It truly brings joy from the very depths of my heart!"
"False god!"
This was Kongtai's appellation for Kratos's current state. He indeed possessed god-like power, but not the true domain of a god. He was stronger than the world's peak powerhouses, yet he hadn't truly broken the world's rules. This was Kratos's current strength.
Where there is light, there is often profound darkness. This was no mere fallacy or cause for surprise. Such is the nature of the world, and such is human nature. The more one is suppressed, the more one yearns; the more one yearns, the more one craves, craving power, craving the vast, tumultuous world beyond.
If this were an ordinary world, it would be one thing. No matter how suppressed, nothing beyond comprehension would occur. But unfortunately, this was a magical world. The desires and beliefs of living beings gave rise to Devil Fruits, known as "miracles." The Giant race, already at the apex of the world, with any adult being considered a powerhouse globally, how intense must their desires be? They might not desire power, as their very existence embodied power, but confined within the seemingly vast, yet to them, incredibly small Royal City, their inner yearning must be profound, so strong that it could condense into desire and forge the false god before them.
In fact, if time were extended, and their desires grew stronger, perhaps the person before them could truly break free from the world's restraints with this desire and reach the domain of gods.
Alas...
Looking at Kratos, Kongtai's eyes held a trace of coldness.
"But you encountered me."
"What did you say?" Kratos lowered his head, his eyes fixed on Kongtai, his lips curling into a twisted smile. "I said, it's a shame you encountered me."
Kongtai remained indifferent. "Indeed, it's a shame you encountered me, the me of *this* moment."
Kratos, as if not understanding Kongtai, continued, "After entering Elbaf's Temple of Gods, I realized that Elbaf was much like us later giants. The only difference, perhaps, was in physique and talent."
"But even so, what made him such a god-like, great being?"
"Thinking of this, I thought of Joy Boy, of Joy Boy from eight hundred years ago."
At this moment, he resembled not a demon who had gained power, but a fervent scientist. He gestured wildly as he continued, "Why was Joy Boy also stronger than ordinary giants? Perhaps it was Elbaf's power, perhaps the Nika Fruit's power, but after receiving Elbaf's blessing, I know: it was neither."
"Neither?" Kratos paused, then, playing two roles like a schizophrenic, asked and answered himself. "Yes! Truly neither."
"Because I discovered their commonality."
At this point, he looked up at Fabuti, who stood by the temple entrance, bathed in golden light, his eyes filled with mockery.
"And you, who should have been as great as Joy Boy and Elbaf, you merely hide here, having completely lost the possibility of becoming like them."
"As royalty, you should know what our venturing out to sea means for the Giant race."
Fabuti stared into Kratos's eyes and said gravely, "If we go out to sea, Im will not spare us. Then the Giant race will face Uranus, the World Government, and the Marines. In other words, we will face the entire world."
Licking his lips, Elbaf remained noncommittal to Fabuti's words. He laughed heartily.
"I know all that you say, but even so, what of it?"
"Do you feel my current power?"
"Originally, I planned to wait until I occupied your position, then slowly plot step by step, but..."
He abruptly turned his head, his gaze fierce as he stared at Kongtai. "...but it was the appearance of you who disrupted all my plans, forcing me into this predicament."
"The power of faith forged Elbaf and Joy Boy's greatness, and the desires of living beings can indeed forge demons as great as Elbaf, but in the opposite direction!"
He let out another hearty laugh, looking up at the sky. After discovering the power of faith, he had been planning to ascend to the throne of the Giant King, lead the Giant race to glory, and then, using the Giants' faith, break through the world's confines to become a true god like Elbaf. But plans don't always match reality. Who knew he would encounter Kongtai today and be so easily crushed by him?
There was no choice. He had to abandon the faith he had always upheld and plunge into the darkness of desire, hoping to gain power to defeat Kongtai, this detestable brat who had made all his plans futile. He never expected this shift to actually bring him success. Although he knew that by embracing darkness, there would be no turning back, and he would gradually be consumed by desire and the desires of all Giants, becoming a soulless killing machine. But to kill Kongtai, he had no other way. The moment his mindset shifted, there was no room for regret.
"Are you finished speaking?"
Kongtai's right hand, for the first time, gripped the hilt of his blade, Zankong. He stared at Kratos coldly and said, "If your last words are done, then be on your way!"
"On my way?"
Kratos lowered his head, his blood-red eyes fixed on Kongtai. He licked his lips and chuckled, "With just you, a mere mortal, you think you can stand shoulder to shoulder with me, who has ascended to the divine realm."
"Hahahahaha!!"
As if hearing something incredibly amusing, Kratos burst into laughter again.