Thor’s life in Elbaph was simple and straightforward.
Almost every day, he studied the written language of the One Piece world and learned the Giants’ traditional combat techniques from Elders Jarul and Jorul.
Since the world was ostensibly ruled by the World Government, the various nations all used a common language and writing system.
At least Thor didn’t have to worry about this world having thousands of different languages and scripts like Earth.
The One Piece world essentially had a single common language and writing system.
Once he learned it, he could use it anywhere in the world.
Ancient scripts were another matter, of course.
“Grandpa Jarul, Grandpa Jorul, tell me more stories about the Giant Warrior Pirates.”
Thor wasn’t the only one who frequently visited the two Giant elders.
Hajrudin came often as well.
Unlike Thor, who came to study, Hajrudin was fascinated by stories about the former Giant Warrior Pirates.
He also greatly admired Jarul and Jorul, the crew’s former captains.
“Gakakaka!”
Elder Jorul let out another peculiar laugh.
Stroking his waterfall-like beard, he asked with a hearty laugh,
“Hajrudin, do you want to become a pirate someday?”
“That’s right! I’m going to create a new Giant Warrior Pirates!”
Hajrudin had dreamed since childhood of restoring the glory of the Giant Warrior Pirates.
Hearing his nominal older brother say that, Thor couldn’t help commenting,
“Then you’d better make sure Dad never finds out, or he’ll beat you to death.”
Harald was dedicated to changing the Giants’ savage and violent reputation.
As king of Elbaph, he had already issued a royal decree forbidding the Giants from going out to sea as pirates and plundering other nations.
The decree had originally caused considerable controversy among the Giants.
But after Elbaph suffered its year of natural disasters and received aid from human nations, the Giants became convinced.
Everyone began to believe that King Harald had been right.
And if Harald’s own son stood in front of him and announced that he intended to rebuild the Giant Warrior Pirates and become a pirate…
Harald would probably beat Hajrudin until he spun like a top.
“That’s easy. I’ll just wait until you become king of Elbaph before I head out to sea,” Hajrudin said confidently.
“That… actually makes a lot of sense.”
Thor had to admit that his cheap older brother did possess a few brain cells.
If Thor became king of Elbaph, he would definitely launch a massive military buildup.
The World Government was the enemy.
Sooner or later, he intended to turn this entire world upside down.
“Bojajaja! Then you’ll have to wait at least another hundred years, Hajrudin.”
Elder Jarul wasn’t joking.
The average Giant lived for around three hundred years.
Even a hundred years from now, he would only be middle-aged.
If Thor wanted to become king of Elbaph early,he might have to pull an Arthas on his own father.
“Oh, right!”
Thor suddenly thought of something and turned toward the two Giant elders.
“Grandpa Jarul, Grandpa Jorul, does Elbaph have any powerful Devil Fruits?”
As the strongest nation in the world of One Piece, Elbaph ought to possess some extremely powerful Devil Fruits, right?
The Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Nidhoggr didn’t count.
That one was meant for Loki.
Thor had no interest in stealing something from his little brother.
“Well…”
Jarul and Jorul exchanged glances.
The first thing that came to mind was naturally the Devil Fruit that Ragnir had guarded for centuries, which no one had ever been able to eat.
For the Giants, that Devil Fruit was undoubtedly the strongest of them all.
The moment Thor saw the troubled expressions on the elders’ faces, he knew exactly what they were thinking.
So he clarified his question.
“What I mean is, does the Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Type, Model: Fenrir exist?”
“Huh?”
Jarul and Jorul exchanged another glance.
Neither of them had ever heard of such a Devil Fruit.
“There isn’t one?”
Thor was bitterly disappointed.
All of Elbaph was steeped in imagery from Norse mythology.
Nidhoggr itself was the evil dragon from Norse mythology that gnawed at the roots of the World Tree.
If there was a Nidhoggr Devil Fruit, then logically, shouldn’t a Fenrir Devil Fruit exist as well?
The gigantic wolf destined to bring about Ragnarök.
If a Mythical Zoan modeled after Fenrir really existed, then no matter how he looked at it, both its combat power and sheer presence should be incredible.
“We’ve never heard of a Devil Fruit like that. Thor, where did you hear about it?”
“Some drunk Giants in the tavern were talking about it.”
Thor casually made up an excuse.
Jarul and Jorul didn’t suspect a thing.
Those drunks in Ida’s tavern could boast about absolutely anything once they had enough alcohol in them.
“You do know that anyone who eats a Devil Fruit will be hated by the sea and lose the ability to swim, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
Thor nodded.
Teacher Kaido had once said that only Haki could transcend all.
But Lord Imu would tell you that times had changed.
Devil Fruit powers could transcend all just as well.
The individual did.
Just look at Garp.
No flashy Devil Fruit powers whatsoever.
He simply hit ridiculously hard.
“Big bro, if you ever come across a powerful Devil Fruit in the future, you should eat it.”
Thor took the opportunity to advise Hajrudin.
Otherwise, his older brother might still end up as roadside fodder in the future.
If Hajrudin still followed Luffy around and became one of his underlings, it would be far too embarrassing for Thor, the future king of Elbaph.
“No way. If I eat a Devil Fruit, I won’t be able to swim anymore. Then how am I supposed to go out to sea and become a pirate?”
“Fine…”
Thor couldn’t be bothered persuading him further.
Once Hajrudin went out to sea someday and got beaten black and blue, he would remember how good his little brother’s advice had been.
“All right. Let’s continue practicing Elbaph’s traditional combat techniques today.”
Jarul and Jorul did their best to teach the children everything they knew.
These children were the future of Elbaph, after all.
…
Another two years passed.
Thor and Loki had grown only another two meters and now stood at roughly seventeen meters tall.
According to Elder Jarul, Giant children developed far more slowly than human children.
For Thor and Loki to grow to around Harald’s height of sixty meters, they would need to reach at least fifty years old.
Fifty years old for a Giant was roughly equivalent to eighteen for a human.
Thor and Loki were currently five years old, which meant that physically, they were effectively less than two years old by human standards.
However, age only affected the rate at which a Giant’s body developed.
The minds of Giant children matured at roughly the same pace as human children.
At only five years old, Loki had already begun displaying an impressive talent worthy of the “God of Mischief.”
He would lead the Mountain Lords of the Underworld up into the Heaven World and cause trouble for Queen Estrid’s relatives.
Thor and Loki’s biological mother, Queen Estrid, might have been dead, but she was still officially recognized as Elbaph’s queen.
Her relatives occupied many important positions throughout the kingdom.
Estrid’s older brother, for example, served as Elbaph’s regent.
Whenever King Harald was away, those people were the ones effectively in charge of Elbaph.
Loki despised everything connected to his biological mother.
All the abuse he had suffered during his early childhood was now being repaid through his endless pranks.
At only five years old, there was no longer anyone in all of Elbaph besides King Harald who could stop Loki.
As for Loki’s brother, Thor?
The fact that Thor wasn’t joining Loki in causing trouble was already an act of mercy.