On the Great Eirik, Franky tells the Giants to call off the search for Luffy’s group. He’s confident they’re still alive even if they’re not here. Robin backs him up, saying they’ve done everything they can for now and should head to Elbaph and wait. Jinbe agrees, noting his shark network is worn out from searching, and Brook reminds everyone they’re out of food. With no better options, the Giants agree and set course for Elbaph.
Meanwhile, Luffy and the others finally escape the room. Outside, they’re met with a massive tree, towering snowy mountains, and a huge rope bridge stretching from the castle to a higher point. As they take it in, two giants cross the bridge. They’re revealed to be Gerd and Goldberg, the doctor and cook of the New Giant Warrior Pirates.
Gerd questions why Hajrudin let Road join the crew. Goldberg says it’s because he’s a skilled navigator, but Gerd isn’t buying it. She says Loki may be called the “Shame of Elbaph,” but Road deserves that title more. Goldberg agrees.
The Strawhat’s hide
Gerd then asks her owl, Piper, if she saw Road’s crow carrying a ship to the castle, and Piper confirms it. Goldberg explains they’re supposed to arrest intruders, but Road keeps sneaking them in anyway. If they find anyone, they’ll report it to Jarul.
Close by, Luffy’s group hides and listens in. From the conversation, Usopp realizes they’ve made it to Elbaph. Luffy gets ready to call out to them, but Nami stops him, worried they’ll be seen as intruders. Gerd and Goldberg hear something and turn toward them, but don’t spot anything. After a moment, they continue on toward the castle while Luffy’s group stays hidden.
The Straw Hats crossing a rope bridge with giant wolves waiting below. They move carefully, but Luffy suddenly gets a bad feeling. He says he heard something earlier in the diorama and decides to go on ahead to check it out on his own.
The Giant Warrior Pirates
Out at sea, the focus shifts to the Giant Warrior Pirates. They are shocked to see the news blaming them for the attack on Egghead. Dorry and Brogy’s bounties have both jumped to 1,800,000,000 Beli, though neither of them see this as a comeback. The paper also claims that Luffy killed Dr. Vegapunk and shows a picture of him in Gear Fifth. Robin notices an “X” mark on his arm that she did not see before when he transforms. Even though the image is blurry, the mark is clear. It feels familiar to her, but the group decides not to dwell on it.
Dorry and Brogy comment on how Luffy is now on the same level as Shanks and express pride that Hajrudin has sworn loyalty to him. They reveal that Hajrudin is the son of Elbaph’s king and that he wanted to come save the Straw Hats himself, but they stepped in because of seniority. Before the scene ends, the giants admit that there is trouble in Elbaph, catching the crew off guard.
The Accursed Prince
The Giants explain that long ago Elbaph had a prince they called the “Accursed Prince.” They say he devoted himself to darkness and was eventually crucified. When he tried to escape, all of Elbaph had to come together to subdue him. As the story goes on, Jinbe starts to piece it together. The Giants reveal the prince killed his own father, King Harald, to obtain a Devil Fruit passed down through the royal family. They warn that if he ever breaks free, it will be the end of Elbaph.
Meanwhile, Luffy separates from the group and ends up finding the prince himself—Loki. It turns out the overwhelming Haki Luffy sensed was coming from him. Even with a blindfold, Loki picks up on Luffy’s presence and has him introduce himself. Luffy does, then asks where they are and who Loki is. Loki tells him they’re in Elbaph, calling it the land where wars come from. He then introduces himself as the Sun God who will bring about the end of the world.
