Meanwhile, somewhere in the New World, on an island shaped like a straw hat—
"Cheers!!!"
A rough, booming voice echoed across the sky, startling a flock of seabirds resting nearby.
At the peak of the island's central mountain, a large gathering of giants was drinking from massive barrels, chugging the liquor straight down their throats. Sitting atop their broad shoulders were members of the Mink Tribe, equally engrossed in the merriment, sharing drinks and laughter with their giant companions.
All around them, numerous grills sizzled with skewers of unknown meats, dripping with juices as they cooked over open flames, filling the air with an irresistible aroma.
The giants downed their drinks in one go before grabbing hunks of sizzling meat with their bare hands, completely unfazed by the scorching heat, devouring their meals with great relish.
Yet, away from the raucous festivities, a lone giant sat cross-legged, shackles binding his wrists and ankles.
This giant had long, wavy golden hair cascading down his back, a massive horned helmet upon his head, and white bandages covering his eyes. His bare upper body was adorned with brown sun-shaped tattoos, standing out against his pale skin.
Compared to the rough and rugged faces of the other giants, he was undeniably handsome, though the aura he exuded was no less intimidating. He sat quietly, sipping his drink, occasionally glancing at the lively crowd with a smirk—a playful, almost mocking grin.
Suddenly—
A white figure shot out from the crowd of giants, landing in front of the seated one with a strange, bouncing motion. It was none other than Joy Boy.
With a mischievous grin, Joy Boy raised a barrel of liquor and called out, "Loki! Why aren't you joining in?"
Loki's smirk widened. Casually tossing the empty barrel over his shoulder, he replied,
"No one can stand beside the sun. When they get too close, all they feel is fear."
As he spoke, Loki stuck out an unnaturally long tongue, twisting his otherwise handsome features into something sinister and eerie.
Joy Boy tilted his head. "Maybe."
Loki slowly rose to his feet, the metal of his shackles clanking as he moved. The giants drinking nearby immediately froze, turning to glare at him with expressions of contempt and disgust.
Yet Loki seemed utterly unfazed. Or rather, he was used to it.
To them, he was "The Cursed Prince," "The Shame of Elbaf." Just those titles alone made it clear how unwelcome he was among his kin.
Loki sneered at their scornful gazes. "Staring directly at the sun will burn your eyes. Don't tell me you fools haven't figured that out yet?"
His taunt ignited the giants' fury. Weapons were raised, and several stepped forward, ready to strike him down. Yet Loki remained unfazed, standing still with an air of arrogance. He ran his long tongue over his lips and rattled his shackles with a smirk.
"Still daring to challenge the sun? Or do you think you stand a chance against me, even bound in these chains?"
One of the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, Brogy, finally snapped. Infusing his massive battle-axe with Armament Haki, he hurled it straight at Loki, clearly intending to end him right then and there.
Loki sneered but made no move to dodge. Just as he was about to counter, Joy Boy leaped into the air and intercepted the axe with a casual slap, deflecting it harmlessly to the side.
Brogy growled in frustration. "Joy Boy! What the hell are you doing?! That bastard deserves to rot in hell!"
Joy Boy crossed his arms, floating in the air with his legs folded. With a weary sigh, he said,
"Yare yare... No infighting, guys. No matter what Loki has done, he's agreed to fight against the World Government with us. That makes him an ally, at least for now."
Loki, however, scoffed, making it clear he didn't appreciate Joy Boy's intervention.
"The sun needs no allies. I'm only interested in destroying the World Government for my own amusement."
At that moment, another young giant stepped forward. He wore a golden Roman-style gladiator helmet, and his arms—up to his forearms—were encased in massive metal gauntlets.
This was Hajrudin—the future captain of the New Giant Warrior Pirates.
He was also Loki's half-brother.
But unlike a brother, Hajrudin's gaze carried even more hatred and disgust than the rest of the giants.
Locking eyes with Loki, he clenched his jaw and growled, "Even now, you feel no remorse, do you?"
Loki lifted his chin arrogantly. "Remorse? Why would I feel remorse? Are you joking?"
"You monster! Father valued you above all, and you killed him over a mere Devil Fruit! If you had even a shred of decency left, you'd take your own life to atone!"
"Tch! That same old, tired argument? Harald never deserved to be king. The giants are a race of warriors, yet he spent his days obsessing over trade and economy. And to top it all off, he had a Devil Fruit with incredible power but refused to use it! A fool like that was unfit to be king, and he certainly wasn't worthy of being my father."
Loki's words sent shockwaves through the crowd, the giants trembling with rage, their faces turning red with fury. They wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.
The tension grew thick. Loki once again rattled his shackles and mused to himself,
"I'd love to get rid of these damn things. Then I could show you all the true extent of my power. Maybe then you'd finally understand how much of a fool Harald was."
The shackles on his wrists and ankles were made of pure, high-quality Seastone. Even with his Ancient Giant bloodline, Loki couldn't break them through brute strength alone.
And the giants knew full well the kind of destruction Loki could unleash if he were freed.
After all, the day he killed Harald, he had only just obtained his Devil Fruit—yet he nearly wiped Elbaf off the map. The chains binding him had been placed at the cost of countless elite giants' lives, warriors who had fought to subdue him but never even left behind intact corpses.
By all accounts, Loki should have been executed for his crimes. But many felt that death was too merciful a fate for him. So, instead, they bound him in Seastone chains and imprisoned him to be kept in confinement until he died with the devil fruit he had spent so much effort to obtain.
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+160 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg