Loki, Driven by Scorn

Narration recounts Elbaf's past: "CASCADE BEARD JARUL WAS STRUCK DOWN DEAD... BY THE HANDS OF A CERTAIN YOUNG GIRL." "63 YEARS AGO..." "LORD JARUL!!" Jarul's partner is lost. The young girl would later become an Emperor, earning the epithet "BIG MOM." Her name was Charlotte Linlin. A mere human, yet she left a large part of a giant village in ruins. The magnificent land fell into famine after abnormal weather brought fires, windstorms, bitter cold waves, and devastated crops. Elbaf faced tragedies that same year.

An elderly man with horns and a hat exclaims, "NO... SURELY IT'S JUST A COINCIDENCE..." Inside a grand hall, a cloaked figure stands as someone shouts, "THIS LAND WAS CURSED BECAUSE YOU ALL FAILED TO KILL IT IMMEDIATELY!!" "NOW DO YOU SEE!! THIS IS ALL THAT CHILD'S DOING!!" A monstrous baby with spotted skin and horns appears, eyes glowing. People scream: "GYAAAAH! HE'S STARING AT ME!!" "GAA!" "PRINCE LOKI!!!" "GOOO..." "CRASH!!" The baby cries as voices yell, "GOUGE OUT THOSE MONSTROUS EYES!! IF LEFT UNCHECKED, HIS CURSE WILL GROW TILL IT BRINGS ABOUT THIS NATION'S COLLAPSE!!" "PRINCE LOKI!! YOU HAVE TO KEEP AWAY FROM YOUR MOTHER'S ROOM!!" "WAAA HHHH!!" "TAKE IT AWAY!! DON'T EVER LET THAT MONSTER NEAR ME AGAIN!!" The infant wails, "EEEEEAAAA NNNNHHH!" "WEEEE NNNHH!!"

Giants argue amid ruined buildings: "DON'T BE RIDICULOUS!! A SENSELESS RAID ON THEM WOULD ONLY BRING SHAME TO ELBAF!" "AIN'T THAT HOW IT'S ALWAYS BEEN IN ELBAF'S HISTORYI!" "WE COULD EASILY STEAL WHAT WE NEED FROM THE HUMANS..." "YOU'RE GOING REAVINGI" "WAAAAAHH!! I'M HUNGRY!" A woman replies, "SORRY, SWEETIE, THAT WAS THE LAST BIT OF BREAD WE HAD..." Narration notes internal giant struggles and raids: "QUICK, ARM YOURSELVES!! DON'T LET THEM LOOT THE VILLAGE!!" "IT SEEMS THEY'VE HIT OTHER VILLAGES TOO!!" "WHAT ARE THEY...I!!" "THOSE BASTARDS FROM HUNTER'S VILLAGE ARE ATTACKING!!" The country descended into chaos and misery, with incidents becoming more severe and bloody during desperate times. An elder recalls, "I HEARD A RUMOR ABOUT THAT PRINCELING BORN IN THE CASTLE..."

A massive giant looms with a furious glare as a speech bubble declares "HE'S CURSED...". Nearby narration reads "...AND THE BITTERNESS FESTORED AS SPIRITS BROKE...". Hajrudin reacts in shock with "!!I" and "HEY, WAIT!!". In the next panels, a horned giant snarls at Hajrudin, "AS HIS ELDER BROTHER... YER BROTHER DOOMED THIS COUNTRY WITH HIS CURSE! YOU'LL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AS A SACRIFICE!" Hajrudin stammers "HUHI!" while another voice yells "HEY, HAJRUDIN!". Ida appears enraged, shouting "DON'T YOU LAY A FINGER ON MY MOM!!" and "GO TO HELL!! I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!" A cloaked figure retorts "CAN IT, IDA! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT AN OUTSIDER WHO SEDUCED HARALD!!" Ida fires back "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUTI! DON'TCHA KNOW MY SON'S A CUTIE WHO'S GONNA BE THE WORLD'S LONGEST LIVING MANI!" Impact lines and debris fly as tensions explode.

Flashback panels show allied ships arriving with food as narration explains "OUR ALLIED NATIONS CAME TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT... WE GOT ENOUGH TO TRULY FILL AND SATIATE OUR GIANT BELLIES." King Harald roars with fury, recalling "WORD REACHED ME ABOUT LOKI'S BIRTH... AND THE RECENT FAMINE." He declares "I'M GONNA FLATTEN YOU!!" while smashing through structures with massive impact effects. Crowds chant "DIG IN AND FILL YOUR HEARTS WITH GRATITUDE!!" and "WE WILL GRACIOUSLY ACCEPT THEIR AID!!" as ships dock amid celebrations and giant lettering "わあああああ". Ida's children cry "KING HARALD!!" and "DADDY!!". In the present, Hajrudin clutches his head in despair as voices shout "THE KINGI!" and "BROTHERS!! YOU MUST NOT FIGHT AMONGST EACH OTHER!!" while Harald's silhouette looms.

Narration boxes detail the past: "SHE DENOUNCED HER SON WITH BITTER HATRED UNTIL HER FINAL ANGUISHED BREATH." and "...WERE BROUGHT ON BY THE 'ACCURSED PRINCE,' RIGHT UP UNTIL THE EVE OF HARALD'S RETURN." Queen Estrid stands in a grand hall declaring publicly that plagues suffered by Elbaf are part of the curse. Young Loki, bandaged and reaching out, cries "MY SON!!" as a woman holds him, with sound effects "しゅっ" and "くっ!!". Onlookers whisper "NATURALLY, THE PEOPLE BELIEVED HER PASSING WAS PART OF THE CURSE..." and "LOKI!!!". Further panels show Loki as a toddler with "YOU SURE HAVE A LOT OF SCRAPES... NO, THOSE ARE..." while Harald and others discuss "HE CAN'T EVEN SMILE FOR ME... I GUESS IT MAKES SENSE, HE DID JUST LOSE HIS MOTHER..." and "HE WAS BORN WITH A CONDITION THAT AFFECTS HIS EYES... WELL, HE COULD SEE, BUT...".

Narration continues: "RESTORING THE FRACTURED NATION AND VENTURING ACROSS THE SEAS CONTINUED TO BE PRIORITISED WHILE OTHER THINGS BECAME AN AFTERTHOUGHT." and "ESTRID'S OLDER BROTHER WAS APPOINTED AS LOKI'S PERSONAL STEWARD." A cloaked man reacts with "FREAK!". Young Loki points excitedly at a map, "THAT'S RIGHT! IT'LL HELP BUILD INTER-VILLAGE TRADE AND COMMUNICATION! BRANCH ROUTE ONEI!" as Harald notes his diplomacy bearing fruit and Elbaf's winter ending. Ida appears in a tavern wearing a "ROG" top, smiling and saying "YOU'RE SO CUUUTE WHEN YOU'RE WORRIED!!" while serving drinks. She adds "WITH ANY LUCK, I'LL BE OF HELP TO HARALD!" and "I'M READY FOR ANY AND ALL CUSTOMERS! THIS IS IDA'S TAVERN, YA HEAR! FISHERMEN, CASTAWAYS, EVEN PIRATES!" A helmeted patron warns "YOU SHOULD HEAD BACK. DON'T YOU HAVE TRAINING WITH ELBO FROM WEST VILLAGEI" amid "PINCH PINCH" gestures and a speech bubble about the dangerous Realm of the Dead.

Fifty-six years ago at Jarul's house, a bespectacled man with long dark hair recounts his infiltration. "I couldn't ask the questions I wanted to without blowing my cover. Yeah. My friend was one of the invited kings. He smuggled me in as one of his guards. You were at the scene of the Reverie incident, HaraldI! If that murder hadn't happened... I might've been exposed." The large bearded giant in a mushroom-shaped hat replies, "I thought they were just a mythI They're that Gruff troupe of giant shipwrights that arm themselves with warhammers, rightI Haven't you heard the tale of the Gale-ra Warhammer CompanyI If you were caught, all this would be the least of your worries!" The bespectacled man continues, "Can you believe itI Over a hundred warriors were taken prisoner, including ancient giants. I received the final letter myself. It said they'd all been captured. They really did travel far and wide, sending letters back to Elbaf... No, they existed."

The conversation deepens as the bearded giant notes, "To be blunt... However, they sank deep into the ocean at a certain point in history. There is no doubt that they once faced a great enemy... You think the World Government was responsibleI Lingering animosity, huh...I And it has nothing to do with you...!! There's probably a deeper reason why our ideals haven't worked out." The bespectacled man presses on about Prince Loki. "Prince Loki!! I know you cursed and killed my little sister!! It seems our people are regarded as enemies of the larger world. These are just rumors. But I've also heard a story about a frozen army of giants somewhere... Clearly, but I've already resolved to face any hurdle...!!"

Panic erupts in the village as giants shout, "Close the doors and get the children inside! They're coming! This is a disaster!! King Harald's... already left on his voyage!!" Young Loki appears with a blindfold, the narrator stating the steward's boy was in the realm of the dead. Forty-eight years before present day, Loki rampages with a massive spiked club, declaring, "We don't need weaklings here! This is Elbaf, the world's strongest country!! Beat 'em all up, guys!" The text box reads, "Loki, driven by scorn, unleashed chaos onto Elbaf." Young Hajrudin and other children react in fear. Later panels show King Harald's era with crowds cheering his dream of unity, while Loki is mocked as an illegitimate throw-away. "He's changed so much, he's gonna be a king who will go down in history! King Harald's so cool!!!"

Young Hajrudin confronts Loki, yelling, "He's dumb for trying to play nice with those human insects. I don't get why everyone respects him. HuhI! You think you get to call my father 'dad'I That's crap! Dad went through hell to rebuild this village! Don't you dare talk back to me, runt!! Being cocky is my right! I'm the prince! Don't get cocky just because you're big!! We should all try to see from each other's perspectives!!" Loki strikes Hajrudin with a powerful blow, sending him flying amid impact effects. Children cry out, "Hajrudin, are you okayI Hajrudin!! Hajrudin!! We are his friends, you dummy!! Stay back, Gerd, he'll think you're his friend!! Loki will hit you next." Gerd and other kids rush to help the injured Hajrudin.

A giant in a horned helmet snarls insults at Hajrudin: "IT'S 'CAUSE OF YOUR MOM'S FILTHY BLOOD! YOU'RE JUST A GROUP OF WEAKLINGS HUDDLING TOGETHER! YOU'RE SO PATHETIC, I COULD PUKE, HAJRUDIN!" Nearby figures laugh "HA HA HA!" while a massive character sticks out his tongue. Loki spreads his arms in agony as a framed caption reads "LOKI SPREAD PAIN..." Voices protest "DON'T CALL HIM A PRINCE!! YOUNG MASTER, THAT'S GOING TOO FAR!! HE'S STILL THE SON OF THE KING!! HE'S ALSO A PRIN--" The giant weeps with blood and tears, declaring "I CAN'T EVEN DIE..." while smaller panels show a woman cradling someone and text boxes stating "BUT NOTHING HE DID FILLED THE HOLE IN HIS OWN HEART......AND DESTRUCTION..." Explosions erupt with "SMASH!!" and "SNIGH... HIC..."

A wild-haired giant with a massive grin declares "SECOND, WE'LL FIND HARALD HERE, YEAHI! FIRST OFF, THIS IS ELBAF, LAND OF THE GIANTS, YEAHI!" Text boxes detail how Harald single-handedly killed a Navy HQ admiral eight years ago during the Reverie, earning a massive bounty. Rocks D. Xebec looms in the center with the caption "ROCKS D. XEBEC FUTURE CAPTAIN OF THE ROCKS PIRATES (FATHER OF EMPEROR BLACKBEARD)". A young giant is warned "ALRIGHT, KID! YOU BETTER SAY YES TO BOTH THESE QUESTIONS!! I AIN'T THE TYPE THAT TAKES NO FOR AN ANSWER!!" Onlookers react with shock and anger as sea kings roar and the giant crew debates the island. One figure laughs "JIHA HA HA!! THIS BRAT'S GOT ONE HELL OF A DEVIL FACE!"

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