Weiwei wanted to rot the meat in the pot, but she couldn't allow them to march directly to Baroque Works headquarters, so she asked the two giants, "You don't want to ruin Dongli's duel, right?"
"Of course not! A duel is sacred. No one has the right to interfere until the victor emerges."
"The winner will obviously be Big Brother Dongli!"
"Nonsense! Brother Brogy is clearly stronger!"
Weiwei feared they'd start brawling right then and there. She deeply understood the giants' tendency to fight at the drop of a hat. If they were in Little Garden, she could have let them duke it out, but this was Enies Lobby, not some forgotten island! She worked hard to mediate, finally convincing them to stop arguing. Dongli was Big Brother, and Brogy was also Big Brother! Let them figure out who was the eldest of the elder brothers.
"You sure know giants well! You're definitely a friend of the giants!" said Cassie, one of the giants, officially bestowing Weiwei with the title "Giant's Friend."
The giants' obsession with duels was incomprehensible to outsiders. The newly minted Giant's Friend was relieved to learn that these two wouldn't rush back to Little Garden to finish their fight. That made things simpler. She believed her little lie—flawed though it was—could still hold.
Whether the Giant's Friend was Jaina or Vivi didn't matter. What mattered was controlling the situation.
"Anyway, you've already left Elbaf. You don't plan to return soon, right? You were once pirates, but your bounties were revoked when you became the gatekeepers of Enies Lobby. Now you're technically free men."
As Weiwei spoke, the two giants nodded in agreement.
"You're still eager for battle, but you don't really want to go back to piracy right now, do you?"
Another pair of nods. During their time guarding Enies Lobby, even though they spent most of it asleep, they'd still met admirals, vice admirals, and other high-ranking Marines.
Back in Elbaf, they'd been fearless and brash. Now, not so much. They understood that although the Marine Admirals were tiny compared to them, those "ants" could pummel them with ease. Pretending not to fear the Navy was a joke. Their thirst for battle remained, but the pirate's path no longer called to them as it once did.
Weiwei continued, "Since you don't want to return to Elbaf, don't want to interfere in Dongli and Brogy's fight, and don't want to keep guarding the World Government's gates, then why not become bounty hunters? I know a place—in the first half of the Grand Line—called Alabasta. Lately, lots of pirates have been gathering there. As bounty hunters, you could fight to your heart's content."
As long as the two giants showed up in Alabasta, they'd definitely catch the attention of Baroque Works. Nicole Robin had always been fond of giants. Weiwei estimated there was at least an 80% chance Robin would recruit them. After that... well, she couldn't say what would happen exactly, but it would surely stir things up.
To make everything more formal and "civilized," Weiwei began teaching the giants how to write resignation letters.
"I've read a lot. I'll show you how. Just write:
'Dear leaders of Enies Lobby,
Hello. For personal reasons, and after deep reflection, I solemnly submit my resignation to the World Government.
Wishing you all good health and continued success.
Best regards,
[Name]
[Date]'"
"That's the Common tongue version. To really make it serious, write one in the Giant's language too. I heard Dongli and Brogy use some truly... flamboyant phrasing."
She cleared her throat and said:
"'You stupid dogs! You pigs! Brain-dead maggots! To hell with you! I quit!'
Then just sign your names and date at the bottom, like the other one."
Weiwei had them each write two copies. Once that was done, she washed her hands of the matter. Seeing it was nearly time, she left the second gate and began heading back to the waiting room to await Randoluff's ordnance case trial.
Midway through her return, she abruptly stopped, narrowing her eyes.
A young woman was leaning against a nearby tree. Her outfit drew attention immediately: a red sleeveless vest over a form-fitting top, a red miniskirt, and matching red boots. But more striking than the color was the woman's bold fashion sense.
Weiwei had seen Smoker before—the man didn't bother buttoning his shirt, flaunting his chest and abs—but he was a man. This was a woman!
Could a woman dress like that? One wrong turn and something "accidental" might happen...
The young woman didn't appear even slightly embarrassed. She wore sunglasses and puffed on a cigarette, exuding the aura of a high-ranking mob boss.
"Hey. How'd you find the Green Ghost and the Red Ghost? You know how long I've been trying to recruit those gatekeepers? Two whole months! And you ruined everything," the woman said, her voice sharp and sarcastic.
When she got agitated, it wasn't just her words that bounced—Weiwei noticed some vigorous "motion" as well.
Weiwei ignored her. Why should she explain anything to someone when she had tricked the giants through her own effort? She walked right past her.
But the woman grabbed her wrist. "Oh no you don't. You owe me an explanation. Who are you? Why are you recruiting giants?"
Weiwei didn't want anything to do with her, but from this close, the woman's red vest was simply too bright and eye-catching. Weiwei couldn't help but glance sideways, though a thought crossed her mind:
Isn't she cold dressed like that?
"It's none of your business. I don't know you," she replied firmly.
"Nope. The way you just looked at me—you do know me."
"Let go."
Weiwei's wrist darkened with Haki. She used Armament Haki to break free—but the young woman responded instantly, covering her own hand with Armament Haki too.
Both froze in surprise. Then, in perfect sync, they scanned the surroundings. No one had noticed. Their eyes met again.
Weiwei lowered her voice. "This is Enies Lobby. I don't want to cause a scene. Let go."
The woman exhaled a smoke ring. "Fine. Goodbye."
Fifteen minutes later, after circling back to the waiting room, Weiwei finally understood what the woman had meant by "goodbye."
In that short time, the woman had already embedded herself with the acting troupe. A few men who usually hovered around Weiwei—unscrewing bottle caps, fetching duck snacks—were now completely smitten by the newcomer. They buzzed around her like bees to nectar, full of simpering gallantry.