"Tiny humans, who are you people!"
"How can you be so strong!"
Under Fang Huo's sacred Moonlight, Loki slowly recovered and struggled to sit up. He tore the bandages from his eyes, revealing a pair of terrifying, demon-like vertical pupils.
He would etch into memory the man who had floored him with a single strike—Rocks!
He couldn't understand how such a small body could explode with so much power.
"wahaha! Brat, now I'm the one asking questions, not you."
"First question: is Harald currently in Elbaf?"
"Second question: how do I find him?"
Rocks raised two fingers and barked at Loki, treating the towering kid as anything but a child.
Now that he'd met Harald's son, tracking down Harald would be easy.
"My father is on a campaign in the outer seas, making peace with those worthless little humans!"
"Unless something urgent happens, he only returns to Elbaf once a year…"
Overwhelmed by Rocks's terrifying aura, Loki pouted and answered.
He sensed this small human might rival his own royal father!
"Urgent? Does beating you half to death count as urgent?"
Rocks arched a brow, voicing the ruthless words that made every Executive widen their eyes.
So cold-blooded!
And to a child, no less!
"Hmph! He wouldn't care about me…"
"Even if you kill me, it won't help."
Loki pouted again, though deep down he hoped his father would sail home for him.
Born mighty yet cursed, he felt only fear and rejection from other Giants and their children.
Only his powerful father gave him a shred of warmth.
The year Loki was born, Elbaf suffered countless natural disasters and a total crop failure.
Coupled with the prophecy of Loki's mother, Aestrida, the Giant Race branded him the Cursed Child.
That same year, Charlotte Linlin slew the Waterfall-Bearded Jorul.
Charlotte Linlin was also deemed an evil monster of misfortune, and the Sheep's House was driven out.
That year, Ida and her son Hajrudin were likewise seen as tainted blood, pollutants to the royal line, and banished from the Sun-Realm to the perilous Underworld to scrape by.
Only Harald's return with food from the outside saved Prince Loki.
With Harald's supplies, Ida built an inn on a relatively warm stretch of coast in the Underworld.
It became one of Elbaf's few gateways to the outside world.
—"Hey, Loki, want to be our apprentice crewmate?"
Activating the Momo Fruit and the Gulp-Gulp Fruit, Fang Huo instantly became a history-text giant dozens of meters tall.
Lightning crackled around him as he hoisted Loki in one hand, unleashing a violent burst of Conqueror's Haki.
He flaunted his terrifying might.
He piled Gravity Ability atop Conqueror's Haki, crushing the boy in his grip and subjecting Loki to pressure he'd never felt.
Loki's face distorted, his pupils shook, and his arms hung limp.
He never imagined the tiny human who'd just healed him could turn into a giant and wield such overwhelming might.
Were all the little humans outside this powerful?
Was this why his father sought peaceful ties with them?
"We're the strongest pirate crew on the seas!"
"Without strength, you don't even qualify to apply."
Fang Huo released Gravity and Haki and hurled Loki to the ground.
He knew Loki worshipped the strong; kindness would earn only contempt.
"Haha, even our first mate's turned into a bully!"
Kiel Bastard and Maron laughed at the sight of Fang Huo tormenting the Giant kid.
Shimotsuki Furiko winced, about to intervene.
"You're the strongest pirate crew from the outer seas?"
"Are you planning to start a war to destroy the world?"
Loki's eyes lit up, excitement spilling over.
"Hey, Fang Huo, who'd want a brat? The Rocks Pirates aren't babysitters; he hasn't the makings of even an apprentice!"
Rocks flatly rejected the recruitment; the Rocks Pirates had no use for children.
What he wanted was Harald—top-tier strength to match his own!
"What! I don't even qualify as an apprentice?"
Feeling Rocks's contempt, Loki exploded in rage.
He was a born king who could defeat Giant warriors!
Boom!!
With a single slash, Rocks blasted the furious Loki away.
Loki crashed down, grievously wounded once more.
"Shut it, brat!"
"Now Harald will have to hurry back."
Rocks grinned, unbothered by his Executives' odd looks.
"You bastard!!"
Half-fainting from pain, Loki could only grind his teeth and curse.
Yet he found himself liking these violent pirates more and more.
They were far better than his soft clansmen.
"Time to climb that great tree?"
The other Executives could hardly wait to set foot on true Elbaf.
"Let's find Harald's little wife first! She runs an inn on some Underworld beach; she'll have his Den Den Mushi."
Fang Huo figured that marching into Elbaf's Sun-Realm with Prince Loki in tow would provoke those muscle-headed Giant hotheads.
That would mean another big fight.
If it got out of hand, it could ruin their relationship with Harald.
"Harald's little wife?"
Rocks raised a brow—was the solemn-looking Harald as fickle as Fang Huo?
Though Rocks loved beauties too, he was a traditional romantic at heart.
He would marry only one woman in his life.
"Hmph! You're after that shorty who wants to be queen?"
Loki's relations with Ida and Hajrudin weren't great.
Yet whenever Harald returned to Elbaf, he'd bring Loki to Ida's inn to bond.
Ida and Hajrudin often came to the Sun-Realm to play and stock up.
Ida, from Samunai Island in the South Blue, was a half-blood Giant only ten meters tall, "rescued" by Harald from the Bondo Kingdom in the New World.
At eleven, Loki—royal blood of the ancient Giant kings—stood over ten meters.
So he looked down on the short Hajrudin and the dwarf woman Ida.
As Harald's eldest, Hajrudin had no ancient royal blood: no horns, no colossal frame, no monstrous strength.
Eighteen years Loki's senior, Hajrudin was regularly beaten black-and-blue, left to rage helplessly.
But the vast gulf born of bloodline and talent can't be bridged by training or fury.
As they age, the gap between Loki and Hajrudin will only widen!
When Loki gains the approval of Iron Thunder Ragnir, eats Elbaf's inherited Devil Fruit, and with Haki Infusion slays Harald—controlled by Imu—
Hajrudin might not even beat an Executive of the Donquixote Family.
Both sons of Harald, yet their strength is worlds apart.
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