As Thor, Xebec, and Harald finished their planning, the only thing left to do was for Thor to say his goodbyes. Xebec, on the other hand, was already eager to begin searching for new crewmates and to continue executing the plans that he had been refining for years. With one of his major goals now partially achieved, Xebec felt ready to move on to another stage of his ambitions.
Before Thor departed, Xebec granted him a single day to settle his personal affairs and prepare himself. Thor decided to use that time to gather all of his closest friends, including Loki, whom he already knew would insist on joining him. Loki's attachment to Thor ran deep, and beyond that, he also admired Xebec greatly, seeing him as someone who carried an aura of destiny.
When Thor arrived at their usual training ground, he found Hajrudin already there. Hajrudin was practicing intensely, swinging a massive sword that was larger than his entire body. Despite its enormous size and weight, Hajrudin handled the weapon with noticeable ease, his movements showing that he had been training relentlessly.
Thor greeted him with a simple nod, and Hajrudin returned the gesture briefly before resuming his drills. It was their usual routine. Hajrudin, being the eldest son of Harald, carried the heaviest expectations, and though he was the weakest among them, his drive to improve surpassed them all.
A few moments later, Gerd, Stansen, and Goldberg arrived together, as they always came from the same tribe and usually traveled as a group.
"Hey Thor, where's Loki?" Gerd asked cheerfully, greeting him in her usual way.
"He was still asleep when I left," Thor replied with a grin. "But knowing him, he'll show up soon."
Gerd accepted the answer without question, as it was a familiar situation. Loki being late was nothing new. Goldberg and Stansen also greeted Thor, though both looked half-asleep, still groggy from waking up too early. Before Thor could say anything, Gerd gave them each a light punch to the head, snapping them awake immediately, which made Thor chuckle.
The four of them then began their daily free-for-all sparring session. Thor stood at the side at first, watching them as they exchanged blows. He observed their movements carefully, commenting whenever they made mistakes, and pointing out how to correct them. He had always taken the role of a mentor among them, ensuring that each of his friends grew stronger.
After more than an hour of sparring, Loki finally appeared, irritation clearly visible on his face as he walked toward Thor.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" Loki complained loudly, his tone filled with mock annoyance.
Thor laughed, not at all surprised. He let Loki rant for a moment, knowing that this was part of his usual routine whenever he was late. Once Loki finished, the atmosphere quickly returned to normal, and Thor joined the group, turning their sparring into a full six-way match.
This time, all of them wore blindfolds. It was a tradition that Thor had introduced — fighting blind to sharpen their instincts. The training was harsh, as they faced Thor all at once, yet still struggled to even touch him. Even when he was holding back, his strikes were incredibly heavy. Getting hit by him often meant hours of paralysis.
However, this method of training pushed them beyond their limits. Over time, they learned how to dodge and predict Thor's movements by sound and feeling alone. Hajrudin and Loki, in particular, became so dedicated that they continued wearing their blindfolds even outside training sessions, removing them only when they were home or handling weapons too dangerous to risk. Thor often reminded them to stay cautious, but deep down, he was proud of their dedication.
After hours of this relentless sparring, the result was predictable. Hajrudin, Gerd, Goldberg, and Stansen were lying flat on the ground, gasping for air. Their bodies were covered in sweat, their energy completely spent. Loki, however, was still standing, though barely. He was breathing heavily, his legs trembling, but he refused to give up. Thor, in contrast, didn't look even slightly exhausted.
"This will be my final attack," Loki said between breaths. "I'll give it everything I have. Once I'm done, that's it for today."
He charged toward Thor, unleashing a flurry of punches. Thor blocked them easily at first, reading each strike with precision. But then Loki threw one more punch, different from the rest — faster, heavier, and filled with raw determination. When Thor caught it, he felt a sharp sting in his arm, something he had never felt from any of their blows before.
"Good work," Thor said with a proud smile. "That's the first time I've actually felt something from your attacks."
Loki, exhausted, dropped to the ground with a satisfied grin, glad that he had finally managed to surprise Thor.
"I have some news," Thor said as he whistled loudly. Two massive goats came running toward him, pulling behind them several large animals they had hunted earlier. The goats had grown to incredible size — almost as large as the ancient beasts of Elbaph — a result of their unique diet of meat instead of grass. Their strength and endurance were unmatched, and even Loki would have trouble defeating them in a fight.
"I'm leaving Elbaph," Thor said after a short silence. "I'll be joining the Rocks Pirates. That means today's sparring will be our last one for a long time."
Everyone froze. Their heads turned toward Thor at once, disbelief written on their faces.
"What?" they said almost simultaneously.
Thor, now starting a small fire with pieces of wood destroyed during their training, began explaining the circumstances. He spoke about his role as the figurehead of the alliance between Elbaph and the Rocks Pirates, and his vision of strengthening Elbaph further by learning from the world beyond their borders.
"Why do you have to leave for that to happen?" Loki asked. "Elbaph is already the strongest nation in the sea."
Thor answered every question calmly, making it clear that this was not a farewell forever.
"I'm not leaving for good," Thor said. "I'll visit when I can. But while Father and I are away, I'm leaving Elbaph's protection in your hands — especially yours, Loki. You're next in line for the throne."
The group fell silent. They could tell from Thor's tone that this wasn't a simple decision. He was serious, and his sense of duty ran deep.
After a while, Thor began cooking the meat his goats had brought, using the fire as the centerpiece for their gathering. Slowly, one by one, the others sat up, recovering enough strength to eat. As they shared their meal, their conversation shifted between memories, jokes, and future dreams. Even though there was a quiet sadness in the air, they all understood why Thor needed to go.
When the meal was finished, Thor stood up and looked at each of them with a smile that carried both pride and warmth.
"Make sure all of you become stronger by the time I return," he said firmly. "If you don't, I'll be very disappointed."
Loki immediately replied, a grin forming on his face. "You're the one who should make sure not to get complacent. If you slack off, we'll surpass you and beat you when you come back."
The others laughed and voiced their agreement. Thor chuckled softly, then turned and began walking toward the direction of Xebec's camp, his two mighty goats following close behind.