Summary
Although the arc is still in its infancy, Elbaf is already shaping up to be an essential part of the story and is on its way to becoming one of the greatest in all ofOne Piece. As of Chapter 1134, the pieces are being set in place for what the arc has in store for the heroes as well as the world at large, being fraught with mystery and historical significance that is sure to change the course of the story once it reaches its conclusion.
One of the biggest mysteries regarding the Land of the Giants has to do with one of its most elusive figures, Prince Loki. This man was the subject of perhaps the best character reveal in all ofOne Piece, where he was chained up to the base of the Adam Tree due to the crime of killing his father, King Harald. However, there is a theory that states that he may just have been framed for the whole thing, so let’s take a look at the claim.
Story Arc
Elbaf
As stated previously, Loki was kept prisoner at the base of the Adam Tree at Elbaf’s lowest level, known as the ‘Realm of the Dead’. The crime he was accused of was the murder of his own father, King Harald, to stealthe legendary Devil Fruitpassed down through the royal line of the giants on the island, which he successfully ended up doing 6 years ago.
However, this regicidal act prompted the entire country of Elbaf to join forces to aid in Loki’s capture, which they did by securing him to the Adam Tree with giant, presumably Seastone, chains. However, there is a theory that Loki may not have been the one to kill King Harald and was framed for it, or, if he did do it, it may have been for the greater good to protect Elbaf from a greater threat.
I am the Sun God who will bring about the end of the world!
The theory of Loki’s true allegiance has been the topic of much debate since his introduction, despite him being spoken about as a madman with dreams to bring about the destruction of the world. However, his conversation with the mysterious ‘Mosa’ in Chapter 1134 seems to hint that the character is far more nuanced than what the other giants believe him to be. Although Lokispoke about committing destruction and violence, Mosa stated that there are hints of kindness in his words, seeming to indicate that he may not be completely evil.
According to the theory, it was likely Shanks' twin/the Gods' Knights who originally killed King Harald but framed Loki for the act. There are a few reasons to believe this, chief of which concerns the strength of the giants. Throughout history, giants have been known as the strongest race on the planet due to their size, strength, and war-like culture, which is what made Elbaf one of the few islands on the planet that no one has been able to conquer for centuries.
This is largely because of their violent and destructive tendencies, which have all but completely been wiped from the land. Chapter 1134 explains that thegiants are no longer warmongering, savage peoplewho live to conquer, but rather, have taken the focus off that to promote a more peaceful image, as the children now take more of an interest in learning and playing rather than being brought up to fight.
Normally, this would be a good thing. However, the theory states that this has been the plan of the World Government for a long time now. Since it’s impossible for them to take over the country through conventional means, they may have now made the entire race of Elbaf giants much more docile to take the legendary island for themselves. Perhaps this is why they framed Loki 6 years ago, as the prince sought to fight against the forceful takeover of the giants' land. By branding him as ‘accursed’, they made propaganda that would have made it impossible to side with Loki or to help him at all.
No man chooses to be chained. And I am no exception in this regard. I would rather be free.
This may also go to show why he has such animosity towards Shanks, since Chapter 1134 all but confirmed that the Emperor has a twin who is likely just as strong as him and may have played a part in capturing Loki. So, by destabilizing the foundations of Elbaf,the Gods' Knights and World Governmenthave made Elbaf far weaker than it has ever been and ripe for a takeover or proxy control. This could also explain the sudden interference of the 2 Gods' Knights on the island, who arrived to stop Luffy from liberating the giants as he has done everywhere else.
An Accompanying Alternative Theory
A Different Theory That Supports This One
A different take on how everything has ended up the way that it has seems to work with the previous theory as well. While not much different from the overall theory, this one states that instead of having his father killed by the Gods' Knights and framed for the murder, Loki did, in fact, end up killing King Harald buthad to do so for the greater good. The king may have secretly been conspiring with the World Government to take over Elbaf or have greater control over it, which Loki saw and had to work against, but was too late to actually do anything.
This seems to work a bit better than the previous theory for this point simply because King Harald was known as a peace-loving king for ages, so it’s possible he was colluding with the evil powers for years before Loki stopped him. While, on the outside, he may have been seen as a benevolent and kind ruler, he could have been destroying Elbaf from the inside. However, all of this is purely speculative and is admittedly far-fetched, so fans just have to wait for the arc to eventually reveal everything.
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One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
