Chapter 167: Loki's Story
"It is all that cursed prince's fault!"
A flushed giant slammed the table and growled through clenched teeth.
At once, the nearby giants wore the same looks of hatred and outrage.
Yamato, Robin, and Kozuki Hiyori exchanged glances, each seeing surprise and curiosity reflected back.
It felt like they had just stumbled onto a massive scandal.
Only Kai, who knew part of the truth, stayed relaxed, savoring the amber giant liquor in his cup with an appreciative nod.
For all their rough edges, the giants' craft in brewing was exquisite. The liquor was full‑bodied and clean, with a long finish.
Perhaps long lifespans helped. Aged vintages were not in short supply here.
"Prince? Do you mean Hajrudin?" Dorry and the others looked even more confused.
Brogy scratched the side of his huge helmet. "We were just praising that kid a moment ago."
"No, not Prince Hajrudin."
Sigvald shook his head. The muscles in his face twitched with strong emotion—a complicated blend of anger, resentment, and a trace of bitter regret.
"It is Loki, King Harald's second son."
With everyone watching, Sigvald began to recount a story that bound Elbaf's royal line to fate itself.
He started from Hajrudin and Loki's parentage.
Hajrudin's mother, Ida, was an ordinary giant whom Harald had met during his youth at sea. They fell in love and had their first son, Hajrudin.
Though Harald wanted to marry Ida and crown her queen, the people of Elbaf firmly rejected any outsider entering the royal family. In the end, Harald gave up and instead married Astrid, a noble of Elbaf with ancient giant blood.
Their union produced Loki.
"However, from the moment Prince Loki was born, a shadow of disaster seemed to fall over Elbaf."
Sigvald's voice trembled slightly. "A terrifying rumor spread through the royal citadel, calling him 'the Cursed Child.'"
"As the rumor spread, so did a prophecy: that Loki would one day bring about the end of the world."
Sigvald grabbed his mug and threw back a heavy gulp, as if he needed alcohol to steady his nerves. "Worst of all, the prophecy began to come true. Elbaf entered an age of calamity."
"That same year he was born, Elder Jorl, a hero of legend, was killed during the Winter Solstice Festival by that damned Charlotte Linlin!"
"At the same time, Elbaf was struck again and again by rare natural disasters—fires, storms, cold snaps. Unnatural weather took turns ravaging us, destroying agriculture and fishing. A famine worse than any in centuries engulfed Elbaf."
"When we barely survived the famine, Loki at age ten began driving Nether Realm beasts to raid villages, setting fires and burning them down."
"If—if it had only been those things…"
Sigvald's voice turned hoarse under the strain of forced restraint. "We could have endured it by avoiding him. King Harald constantly worked to repair the damage and comfort the victims."
"But—!"
Bang!
Sigvald's massive palm slammed the thick table. The deafening crack made the mugs jump.
Scarlet-eyed, he roared like a wounded lion. "His greatest, unforgivable sin was patricide. He murdered his own father to steal the legendary Devil Fruit passed down through Elbaf's royal line!"
"That's right!"
"Unforgivable!"
"The kin-slaying criminal!"
Rage exploded through the tavern like a storm, the noise roaring up toward the rafters.
To the giants, Loki's earlier deeds could still be called "wrongs." But the murder of a father was a sin beyond all morality and honor, a stain burned into the soul forever.
Loki had defiled a warrior's honor.
"That prince Loki is awful! How could he do such a thing?"
Yamato's fists tightened, her face full of fury at the very thought of patricide.
Kai glanced sidelong at her, his expression turning slightly odd.
And you have room to talk?
Leaving aside the real truth, even if the motives differ, you and Loki could tie for first in "filial piety turned power."
In truth, Loki's tragedy began at birth.
Because of his strange fate and serpent-like eyes, his own mother marked him as a bad omen and threw him into the perilous Nether Realm to die.
He clung to life through sheer tenacity, survived the hellscape, slew countless monstrous beasts, and crawled his way back to the Sun Realm.
Only to be rejected again in the aftermath of Charlotte Linlin's rampage.
When his mother died, his uncle—spurred on by his sister's last words—tormented his nephew in every way he could.
His life had been marinated in cold malice since its first breath.
If not for Harald's clumsy yet unconditional love, a flickering candle that barely lit a corner of Loki's darkness, the one who later chose to save Elbaf in a moment of crisis might never have existed.
Dorry's voice tugged Kai back to the present. "So, did you catch Loki?"
Sigvald shook his head heavily, regret and anger etched into his face. "No. After King Harald's death, Loki escaped Elbaf in the chaos and vanished."
"Kai!"
An idea struck Yamato. She clamped onto Kai's arm, eyes blazing. "Let us capture Loki for Elbaf and bring him to justice!"
Her sudden enthusiasm drew every giant's gaze.
Sigvald frowned and, with kind intent, warned her solemnly. "Human girl, Loki is not an ordinary giant warrior as you imagine. His blood is purely ancient giant. His strength is beyond expectations. If you charge in blindly, you will die for nothing."
Other giants spoke up as well, voices full of fear toward Loki's power and concern for their "small" friends.
"Hmph!"
Sanji bristled at once. How dare they underestimate the man he admired?
"Kai-aniki is a top pirate worth 2.4 billion berries! A mere fugitive giant prince is not his match."
"What?! 2.4 billion berries?!"
The giants gaped in disbelief.
Elbaf was not cut off from the world. They knew exactly what that figure meant.
That one-armed red-haired human had been terrifying when his bounty was two billion.
The shock on their faces made Sanji beam.
He puffed his chest in pride, looking for all the world like the bounty belonged to him.
Kai watched Sanji's "my big bro is number one" zeal and couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
For some reason, it felt embarrassing.
Like when Shiro unwrapped Liu Maoxing's arm bandage and screamed "Special‑grade Chef!" to the world. A bit much.
Dorry and Brogy stepped forward to back Kai.
"Kai is terrifyingly strong. Even together, the two of us cannot beat him."
The giants' eyes lit up at once.
A warrior who could defeat both captains at once?
Perhaps these humans really could do what even giants struggled to achieve.
Still, entrusting humans with the capture of a disgraced royal was not a call warriors could make on their own.
After a moment of thought, Sigvald invited them. "Brother Kai, and honored friends from afar—if you truly wish to help, I will take you to visit Elder Yarl."
"He is Elbaf's eldest and most respected elder. Only he can decide whether to commission you to pursue Loki."
Because Loki had committed the unpardonable crime of patricide, no one in Elbaf recognized his claim. They would sooner leave the throne vacant than let a kin‑slayer stain it.
As such, Elbaf had no king. National affairs were managed by the revered Elder Yarl.
"Of course," Kai said warmly. "It would be an honor to meet Elbaf's heroic elder."
Yamato's impulse was unexpected, but it suited Kai's plans perfectly.
If he could take the commission from Shanks's hands and capture Loki, it would be a masterstroke.
Winning Elbaf's trust was one part. The other—
If he could uncover the truth behind the "patricide," dissolve the hatred, and reconcile Loki with Elbaf, he stood a strong chance of gaining both Elbaf and Loki's strength.
Judging from the original tale, Loki's power was Four Emperors class.
And one of the two legendary Devil Fruits Rocks that had been sought may very well be the one Loki ate.
Loki would be recruited.
With that, the welcome feast had to end sooner than planned.
Leaving behind Dorry, Brogy, and the others, who were itching to keep drinking, Kai and his group followed Sigvald to a village called Westham.
The moment they stepped into Westham, a strange scene greeted them.
A beach formed from ancient branches of the Treasure Tree Adam, fossilized and weathered by time.
Above it, a grand waterfall thundered down through the gaps between boughs.
Though there were no tides, the waterfall hammered the water's surface and sent waves rolling onto the sands.
"This is the Warriors' Spring."
Sigvald introduced the landmark. "The village children love to play here. But it's school hours now, so those little rascals are in class."
Kai suddenly remembered something and turned to Robin with a secretive smile. "Robin, there is an old friend here. You will be very happy to see him."
Old friend?
Do I have a giant friend?
Robin blinked, confused.
Wait—
A massive silhouette she had buried deep, long thought lost forever, crashed into her mind.
Like thunder detonating in her soul, she went rigid, trembling despite herself.
She swallowed hard and raised her eyes to Kai, panic and fragile hope mingling there. "Is it Saul? Kai, tell me, is it Saul?!"
She stared at his lips, terrified he would say no.
Before Kai could answer, Sigvald spoke in mild surprise. "Hm? You know Teacher Saul? Ah—I see. You must be friends he met during his voyages."
Boom.
The last doubt shattered in Robin's heart.
Tears welled in her dark blue eyes.
Saul—her friend and savior—was really here.
Though she trusted Kai completely, hearing it confirmed by another giant unleashed fifteen years of pent‑up joy like a tidal wave that swallowed her whole.
"Sir Sigvald—please, is it true? Is Saul really here?"
She could barely speak through sobs. She needed the concreteness of the words to calm her racing heart.
"Of course. About fifteen years ago, Saul returned to Elbaf with his kin and a collection of precious books."
Sigvald nodded firmly. "It happened to be when King Harald was trying new reforms. The king invited him to establish the Walrus School. Look, there."
He pointed to a playful, scholastic building beside the Warriors' Spring.
At its most prominent spot sat a cute walrus head figure wearing a black mortarboard.
As they drew close to the school, childlike voices drifted from within.
Sigvald tilted his head, then sighed with a helpless smile. "Cologne is slacking off again."
Knowing Saul was at the school, Kai and the others decided not to rush to Elder Yarl.
They waited at the school gate for class to end.