The island of Elbaf has been hinted at since before the Arabasta Arc as one of the most intriguing locations in the One Piece world. It was briefly shown in a flashback of Big Mom’s past, then appeared again more recently during a confrontation between Eustass Kid’s crew and the Red Hair Pirates led by Shanks.
Kid tried unsuccessfully to attack Elbaf, but was decisively defeated by Shanks. The giant warriors Dorry and Brogy, defenders of Elbaf, were angered by the attempted invasion of their homeland and destroyed Kid’s ship.
In the latest chapter, it was revealed that Dorry and Brogy have now come to the island of Egghead along with the entire crew of Giant Warrior Pirates. Having befriended the Straw Hats long ago, they intend to help Luffy’s crew against their current foes.
The Straw Hats have already stated their plan to travel to Elbaf next, meaning Dorry and Brogy will likely accompany them back to their home island. There, the crew may meet the mysterious leader Prince Loki who rules over Elbaf.
More of the island’s secrets will presumably be explored when the Straw Hats finally reach it after their adventures on Egghead.
Arrival of Elbaf’s Formidable Warrior Prince Loki
While Prince Loki of Elbaf has yet to fully appear in the One Piece story, there are strong indications he is an extremely formidable fighter. As Giants are renowned universe for their massive size and tremendous strength, making Elbaf the reputed mightiest country, its leader Loki likely possesses incredible power.
As the prince and chief warrior of Elbaf’s army of giants, Loki almost certainly surpasses warriors like Dorry and Brogy, who are beasts even by New World standards.
Furthermore, Big Mom believed integrating Elbaf’s forces could allow her crew to find One Piece first, emphasizing Loki and the Giants’ sheer power. She even tried arranging a political marriage between Loki and her daughter Lola to gain military access to Elbaf.
Though the extent of Loki’s fighting prowess remains to be fully unveiled, his status, along with Elbaf’s fearsome reputation and Big Mom’s past interest in him, implies Loki is a mighty warrior suited to lead the island of giants.
With Dorry and Brogy now appearing in the story to help the Straw Hats, fans eagerly await finally meeting Prince Loki when the crew reaches Elbaf.
Big Mom’s Failed Scheme
Big Mom intended for her daughter Lola to marry Prince Loki to gain military access to Elbaf’s powerful army of giants. However, Lola fled before the wedding could occur.
Undeterred, Big Mom tried replacing Lola with her twin sister Chiffon to trick the giants, but her deception was exposed and Loki rejected the proposal.
This event only further stoked the existing hatred and resentment the giants harbored towards Big Mom for previously devastating their homeland of Elbaf.
So far in the manga Loki has only briefly appeared as a large shadowed silhouette. Given giants minimally stand 12 meters tall, the Prince of Elbaf Loki is likely even larger.
When kneeling, he still towered over the over 2-meter-tall Lola, implying an imposing stature suiting the leader of the giants.
After Big Mom’s past failed plot and with Elbaf allies like Dorry and Brogy now reappearing, fans await the inevitable meeting between the Straw Hats and Prince Loki when the crew finally reaches Elbaf in the future.
The full reveal of his size and fighting abilities should showcase why he rules the mighty giant warriors.
The island of Elbaf and its race of Giants in One Piece draw heavily from Viking Age Scandinavia and Norse mythology for their designs and themes. The stereotypical horned helmets, weapons, and architecture of the Giants mirror those of Vikings, while Elbaf’s central tree is likened to the mythical Yggdrasil tree.
Likewise, the name of Prince Loki directly references the Norse god of the same name known for shapeshifting and dual roles either aiding or tricking other deities in different legends.
This connects to Loki’s mysterious portrayal so far in One Piece, leaving fans unsure whether he will ally with or oppose the Straw Hats when they eventually meet.
With Elbaf and elements like Prince Loki shaping up to be the manga’s take on Norse mythology, readers are highly intrigued to see that part of the world fully fleshed out with the Straw Hats’ upcoming voyage.
There are likely more nods to Viking and Norse culture still to be revealed in Elbaf’s first full appearance whenever the Norse-inspired plotline returns.
