One Piece : Brotherhood

BOOM—!

The World Tree trembled. Not from wind. Not from the weight of armies. But from the violent shockwave of two monsters colliding in the heavens. The legendary beast that had once dominated the skies above Elbaf—Nidhöggr—suddenly lost its defiant flight.

The colossal dragon plummeted. Its massive body crashed into the titanic branches of the World Tree with a catastrophic impact that echoed across the entire island. Entire ridges of stone and ancient bark shattered beneath its weight as valleys collapsed and forests were swept away like dust beneath a falling mountain.

The ground gave way. Villages built along the massive branch were crushed instantly as the dragon’s titanic form tore through them, splintering the ancient wood and carving a colossal crater into the bark of the World Tree itself. But the attack did not end there.

A massive black lance of lightning tore down from the heavens. It ripped through the clouds like divine judgment and slammed directly into Nidhöggr’s spine. The force drove the dragon even deeper into the crater. The entire branch groaned under the pressure.

Dark crimson blood spilled outward, pooling like a lake beneath Harald’s monstrous body. The ancient bark of the World Tree drank greedily from the wound, its golden surface stained red by the blood of Elbaf’s king.

Even the regenerative power of Harald’s Mythical Zoan—stacked atop the unnatural immortality granted by the World Government—struggled to keep up. The damage was simply too great.

Too relentless. Harald’s original plan had been simple.

Turn the battle into a war of attrition. No matter how strong Rosinante was, he was still human. Eventually, exhaustion would claim him. Eventually, Harald would win. But that plan...was collapsing spectacularly. Hours had passed since the battle began. Yet Rosinante showed no signs of slowing down.

If anything, his attacks were becoming more ferocious. More precise. More lethal. Each clash sent waves of Haki ripping across Elbaf like invisible tidal waves. And those two blades... Those cursed blades... They tore through Harald’s immortality piece by piece. Even in his divine dragon form, Harald felt it.

A bone-deep agony. A soul-rending pain that felt as if his very existence was being carved apart every time Rosinante’s blades struck him.

****

"TO THE KING—!!" No one knew which giant warrior shouted it first. But the cry exploded across the battlefield like wildfire. The moment Harald’s Nidhoggr form crashed down upon the mountain range—crushing an entire settlement beneath his body—the stunned silence of Elbaf’s warriors shattered.

For hours they had stood frozen. Watching gods clash above their homeland, trusting that their king would emerge victorious. But now their king had fallen. And that single sight ignited something ancient within their blood. The warrior spirit of the giants.

With the threat of the dream beasts finally gone, the remaining warriors of Elbaf had gathered in massive numbers. Save for a few who remained behind to guard against another ambush, nearly the entire might of Elbaf’s elite now stood assembled upon the branch.

And they were moving. Thousands of towering figures surged forward like an avalanche. Their massive weapons gleamed in the pale light of the frozen battlefield. Fear gripped their hearts. The monster in the sky felt less like a man and more like a devil from the abyss.

But fear meant nothing to giants. Not when their king needed their help. Their blood boiled with the rage of war. And they charged. The branch where Aurust Castle had once stood trembled violently. But not from the shifting weight of the fallen dragon. It trembled from the thunderous stampede of giants rushing to Harald’s defense.

Amid the chaos, an old giant finally stirred. Jarul. He had been sitting motionless until now. But the moment he saw the warriors of Elbaf rushing headlong toward the battlefield, his face turned deathly pale. His battered helmet—still pierced by a broken blade—tilted toward the towering figure beside him.

Loki. The prince of Elbaf stood silently, staring at the distant battlefield. His expression was unreadable. Conflicted. Tormented. The death of Dora. The revelation that Harald himself had caused it. The truth had shattered something inside him. The hatred he held for his father had already passed the breaking point.

Now... He found himself praying for something a son should never pray for. The death of his own father. Or at least—the death of the man who had once been his father.

"Loki...! LOKI—!" Jarul’s voice cracked as he shouted. But the prince didn’t respond. He remained frozen. Lost somewhere in his thoughts. Jarul clenched his fists. He had no idea how the battle between Harald and Rosinante would end. But one thing was painfully clear.

If the giants rushed into that battlefield—it would become a massacre. Jarul had witnessed the rage in Rosinante’s eyes when Dora died. He had felt that suffocating killing intent from only a few steps away. Any giant who stepped between those two monsters... Would not receive mercy.

"STOP THEM, LOKI!" Jarul roared. "Stop them from interfering with the fight...! We cannot let the giants rush to their deaths!"

But his words fell on deaf ears. The warriors of Elbaf were already drunk on war. For decades Harald had suppressed their violent nature in the name of peace. But now—they had an enemy. An enemy worthy of their fury. Their long-suppressed bloodlust erupted all at once. They ignored the pleas of the wisest giant in Elbaf.

Jarul struggled desperately to stand, trying to block their path. But the old warrior’s body failed him. Many had already rushed past. Charging toward the distant battlefield. Toward certain death.

"LOKI—! DO SOMETHING!" Jarul shouted desperately. "STOP THEM, DAMN IT—!"

But before he could take another step—a distant explosion erupted in the sky. The massive dragon raised its bloodied head and unleashed a devastating breath attack toward the heavens. And a moment later—a single slash cut it in half. Cleanly. The shockwave of that strike traveled across the battlefield seconds later.

The pressure alone was enough to throw dozens of charging giants off their feet like rag dolls. Jarul lost his balance. His old legs finally gave out. He crashed into the snow—and Loki didn’t even try to catch him. The prince simply stood there. Watching. Watching as the dragon writhed beneath another devastating attack. Watching as the giants of Elbaf blindly ran toward destruction.

Then Loki finally spoke. "Why should I?"

His voice was low. Cold. Almost hollow. But when he lifted his head—the air itself trembled.

"Why should I help a country that cannot even see what their king has become?" His voice rose like distant thunder. "Why should I help a nation of hypocrites who drove Ida to her death?"

"Why should I help these bastards—" His eyes burned with fury. "—who are eagerly rushing to the aid of Dora’s killer?!"

The ground cracked. Loki’s Haoshoku Haki exploded outward. A violent surge of willpower ripped through the battlefield like a storm. The frozen terrain shattered. Frost tore from the ground. Snow was blasted away in a spiraling wave of pressure. Even the charging giants faltered for a moment beneath the prince’s overwhelming presence.

Loki’s voice boomed across the battlefield. "Tell me, Jarul!"

"Why should I save a man who would slaughter his own kin for power?!" His fists clenched. His body trembled with rage.

"Let him die...! For all I care—"

"If I had the chance..." His eyes darkened with hatred. "I would kill him with my own two hands."

The hatred Loki held for Harald now was immeasurable. He knew. Deep down, Harald was not fully in control of himself. But that knowledge didn’t matter anymore. Because Harald had chosen this path willingly or not. He had allied himself with the World Government.

He had allowed this nightmare to happen. And now Elbaf was paying the price. Loki looked at the giants charging toward the battlefield. His people. His kin. And yet— All he saw were fools marching blindly toward death.

"I hate all of this..." His voice dropped to a bitter whisper.

WHOOSH—!! The wind tore apart the frozen battlefield. Loki didn’t even have time to react. One moment he stood there, drowning in his own hatred... The next moment, his entire body was lifted off the ground as if struck by a falling mountain. The impact came like divine punishment.

BOOM—!!

The prince of Elbaf was sent flying across the branch, crashing through layers of frost and ancient bark before skidding violently across the snow. For a brief second, silence fell.

Then— THOOM.

A massive shadow descended. A colossal warhammer slammed into Loki’s ribs before he could even stand. The force buried him halfway into the ground.

"RAGNIR—?!" Jarul’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. Towering above Loki stood the guardian of Elbaf’s greatest treasure. The legendary warhammer Ragnir. The weapon was enormous even by giant standards. Its head was carved from ancient black metal etched with glowing runes that pulsed faintly like a heartbeat. Lightning crackled across its surface as if the storm itself obeyed the weapon’s will.

And right now— That ancient guardian was beating the absolute life out of Loki.

WHAM!

The hammer slammed into Loki’s shoulder.

THUD!

Another strike crushed into his stomach.

BAM!

The next one buried his head back into the snow. Jarul stared in disbelief. It looked less like a battle... And more like an old warrior disciplining a particularly stupid child. Each strike came with brutal precision, almost rhythmic in its timing, like a teacher delivering punishment to a reckless student. Loki barely had time to groan before another hit landed.

"Ghh—!"

WHAM!

"HEY—!"

THUD!

"CUT THAT—!"

BAM!

Jarul blinked slowly. "...Is the hammer... scolding him?"

It certainly looked that way. Every strike carried a strange sense of irritation—like the weapon itself was furious at Loki for wallowing in despair while the world burned around him. After the final strike, Loki lay completely flattened into the snow. Groaning. Half-buried. And thoroughly humiliated. The hammer hovered above him for a moment. Then something strange happened.

With a small "POOF!"

The massive warhammer shrank. The ancient metal twisted and reshaped itself in a swirl of faint golden smoke. And a moment later—a giant squirrel landed lightly on the snow. Jarul blinked again. He blinked very slowly.

"...What." Standing where the warhammer had been was a chubby squirrel nearly the size of a wolf, its fur dark brown streaked with faint lightning patterns. Its fluffy tail crackled faintly with static.

The creature crossed its tiny arms. Then it marched right up to Loki’s face. Loki lay there flat on the ground. Dazed. Covered in snow. And staring directly at a very angry squirrel. The squirrel began furiously gesturing. Pointing dramatically toward the distant battlefield. Then back at Loki. Then back at the battlefield. Then back at Loki again. Its tiny paws waved wildly in exaggerated motions as if delivering a furious lecture.

"Chik! Chik chik—!!"

Point... Battle. Point .... Loki. Wild arm flailing.

"Chik chik chik chik!!"

Jarul stared at the scene like his brain had stopped working. "...Am I... hallucinating?"

Because from where he stood, it looked like a squirrel was yelling at the Prince of Elbaf. The creature even stomped its little paws angrily in the snow. Pointing at the battle again. Then dramatically spreading its arms wide, like it was explaining the entire situation of Elbaf’s impending doom.

Then it pointed and poked directly at Loki’s chest. Hard. Several times. Like an angry teacher explaining a lesson to a particularly slow student.

Jarul rubbed his eyes. "...That’s..." His breath caught. "...Ratatoskr."

The ancient legend. A spirit said to dwell within the guardian weapon Ragnir since the age when the Warrior God himself still walked the world. Jarul had heard the story countless times as a child. Every giant had. But it was nothing more than a myth. A tale from thousands of years ago.

And yet—there it was. Standing right there. Scolding Loki like a furious little general. Jarul felt something ignite deep inside his chest. A small spark of hope. Maybe... Just maybe... Elbaf was not doomed yet.

Meanwhile, Loki sat up slowly. His face was bruised. His hair covered in snow. And he stared directly at the squirrel.

"...You done?" The squirrel puffed up angrily. Then launched into another furious set of gestures. Even more dramatic this time. Point. Battle. Point. Loki. Arms waving. Tail flicking. A tiny squeaking lecture that lasted what felt like several full minutes.

Jarul heard nothing but "chik chik chik."

But Loki... Loki understood. Perfectly. Because what the guardian was saying was painfully clear.

Stop sulking.

Stop whining.

Look at what’s happening.

Your people are about to die.

And you’re standing here crying about your feelings.

The squirrel jabbed a tiny paw into Loki’s chest again. Hard.

"Chik."

The message was obvious. Get up. After what felt like an eternity of scolding— the squirrel finally sighed dramatically.

Then— POOF.

It vanished in a puff of smoke. And the massive warhammer Ragnir returned, slamming into the ground beside Loki with a heavy metallic thud. Jarul stared in stunned silence. He hadn’t understood a word of that exchange. But one thing was painfully obvious. The ancient guardian had made its choice. It had chosen Loki.

Even though Harald had stolen the power of the legendary Devil Fruit... Fate had not abandoned Elbaf. Not yet. Loki sat there quietly for a moment. Then he let out a long sigh.

"...Tch." He wiped the snow from his face. "Just for Dora’s sake..." He muttered toward the hammer. "...Just this one last time."

Loki reached forward. His hand closed around the handle of Ragnir. For a brief moment—Nothing happened.

Then—CRACK—!!

Lightning erupted from the weapon. Bolts of white-blue electricity surged across Loki’s arm as the ancient guardian acknowledged his grip. It did not reject him. Jarul’s eyes widened. The prince stood slowly. Across the battlefield, a giant warrior came charging toward the distant clash between Harald and Rosinante.

He never saw Loki move. The prince vanished. And reappeared directly in front of him. The giant barely had time to blink— Before Ragnir came crashing down.

BOOM—!!

The hammer slammed into his chest. The warrior collapsed instantly, unconscious before he even hit the ground. Loki didn’t stop. Another giant rushed past. Loki flashed forward again.

THUD—!!

Another body dropped. One by one, he began hunting them down. Not killing. Never killing. But striking with brutal precision. Every swing shattered armor, knocked warriors senseless, or sent them crashing into the snow. Because Loki knew something they refused to accept.

They would not listen to reason. So he spoke to them in the only language giants truly understood. Violence. Lightning flashed across the battlefield as Loki moved like a storm among his own people. Stopping them. Breaking their charge. Preventing them from rushing toward certain death beneath the clash of two monsters tearing the sky apart above Elbaf.

****

Dawn Island, East Blue

"ACEEEEEEE...!!! SABOOOOO...!!!"

Little Luffy’s voice echoed helplessly through the thick forest. The dense canopy of trees swallowed the sound almost immediately, leaving only the rustling of leaves and the distant cry of birds in reply.

Luffy stumbled through the undergrowth, pushing aside giant ferns nearly as tall as he was. Twigs snapped under his tiny sandals while vines tugged at his arms as if the forest itself wanted to keep him from going further. His bear hat bounced with every step.

"Guys... this isn’t funny...!" He sniffed loudly, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand. Luffy had only meant to follow them for a little while. Just to see where they were going. Ever since Bogard had come back months ago, life had turned into absolute torture. Before that, Bogard had always been a quiet, kind uncle who would pat Luffy on the head and sometimes sneak him sweets when Garp wasn’t looking.

But now? Now he was a training demon. Every morning before sunrise the three boys were dragged out into the forest and forced through brutal exercises. Running through mountains. Carrying boulders. Punching trees until their fists went numb.

And Luffy—being only five years old— Hated every second of it. He had tried every excuse possible.

"My tummy hurts!"

"My leg hurts!"

"I think I caught a cold!"

"I think I’m dying!"

Bogard had simply stared at him with a blank face... and added extra laps. So when Bogard left the island that morning to report to the Marine base at Loguetown, Ace and Sabo had immediately declared the day an adventure day. And Luffy had insisted on coming along. Very loudly. Very stubbornly. And now— He was lost.

High above the forest floor, hidden behind thick leaves, two boys watched the scene unfold.

Ace leaned comfortably against the trunk of a branch, barely holding back his laughter.

Beside him, Sabo covered his mouth to stop himself from giggling. Down below, Luffy was stomping around the forest like a confused little monkey.

"Oye... Ace..." Sabo whispered.

"I kinda feel bad for him... maybe we should go down." He was already shifting forward, ready to drop from the branch—but Ace grabbed his shoulder. The freckled boy’s face twisted into a devilish grin.

"Have you already forgotten?" Sabo paused. Ace leaned closer, lowering his voice dramatically.

"Have you forgotten how that little glutton keeps getting us into trouble?" Sabo blinked. Ace continued, clearly enjoying himself.

"Every time he causes chaos, who gets blamed?"

"...Us."

"Exactly." Ace jabbed a finger downward toward Luffy. "That little rascal eats all the food, breaks something, and when Mother shows up—" Ace mimicked Luffy’s voice perfectly.

"’It was Ace! It was Sabo!’"

Sabo winced. "...Okay yeah... that happens a lot."

"And what happens next?" Ace continued darkly.

"Agatha-san shows up with that stick..." Sabo shuddered. They both remembered those beatings very clearly. Luffy would hide behind Agatha’s legs crying dramatically while Ace and Sabo were chased across the house. Ace folded his arms smugly.

"So today..." He grinned. "...we teach our little brother some discipline." Sabo hesitated. For a moment. Then he remembered the last time Luffy had eaten all the meat they had stolen from the kitchen and blamed it on them.

Sabo nodded firmly. "...Okay."

Below them, Luffy’s stomach growled loudly. "Grrrroooaaaarrr."

Luffy froze. "...Huh?" He slowly looked down at his belly. "Oh... it’s just you." He rubbed his stomach sadly. "Man... I’m hungry... I wonder what Agatha-san has prepared for lunch. Maybe I should have grabbed something to eat on the way."

Then suddenly the wind shifted. The forest creaked softly. Luffy’s head snapped upward. For a split second he thought he saw something move in the canopy. But when he looked carefully nothing was there. Ace and Sabo had ducked behind the leaves just in time. Luffy squinted suspiciously.

"...Ace?"

"...Sabo?"

Silence. Luffy puffed his cheeks.

"Hmph... my brothers are idiots." He crossed his arms dramatically. "I bet they got eaten by a tiger," then he paused. "...Or maybe..." His voice lowered slightly. "...a ghost."

Immediately his eyes widened. Because the moment he said that word, he remembered something. Dadan’s stories. Every time Luffy caused trouble, Dadan had a special method of punishment. She would sit him down at night... lean in close... and whisper about the ghosts of the mountain forest.

Spirits that wandered between the trees. Headless warriors. Floating shadows. Ghosts that loved to eat naughty children who ran away into the woods alone. Luffy had spent many nights hiding under his blanket after hearing those stories.

And now—he was alone. In the forest. Exactly where those ghosts supposedly lived. Luffy swallowed.

"Pfft." He puffed out his chest bravely. "I’m not scared!"

High above—Ace grinned. He picked up a small pebble. Then he tossed it.

Tap. It hit a branch. Luffy froze. "...Hello?"

Another pebble. Tap... tap...

Leaves rustled softly. Luffy slowly turned around. "...A-Ace...?"

Sabo bit his lip trying not to laugh. Ace made a low "woooooo" sound under his breath.

Just loud enough. Luffy’s entire body stiffened.

"...What... was... that..." Another rustle. Another faint "wooooo." Luffy’s face turned pale. "...Ghost..."

Ace nearly fell off the branch trying to hold in his laughter. Sabo grabbed his mouth to stop himself from bursting out. Below them, Luffy was spinning in circles now.

"ACE—!!...SABO—!!"

"STOP PLAYING AROUND—!!"

The forest suddenly creaked loudly. A branch snapped somewhere deeper in the woods. Luffy screamed.

"AHHHHHHH—!!!"

He ran in a frantic circle before tripping over a root and falling face-first into the dirt. Up in the tree—Ace and Sabo collapsed against each other, laughing silently. Ace was shaking so hard the branch nearly rattled. Sabo had tears streaming down his face.

Down below, Luffy slowly lifted his head from the dirt. His bear hat crooked. His face covered in mud.

"...This forest is evil," he sniffed loudly. "I hate ghosts." Just as Luffy finally stopped running in circles and stood there panting, he bent over and began dusting himself off.

"Stupid forest... stupid ghosts... stupid Ace... stupid Sabo..." he grumbled, brushing dirt from his shorts and fixing his crooked bear hat. His heart was still pounding from the scare. "See?" he puffed his chest out bravely, talking to absolutely no one. "I’m not even scared."

Just then—a hand grabbed his shoulder. Luffy froze. Slowly... very slowly... he turned his head.

"...Ace?" Nothing. No one was there. The forest stood completely still. The wind had died. The leaves didn’t move. Even the birds had gone quiet. Luffy blinked.

"...Sabo?" Still nothing.

Then his brain finally caught up with what had just happened. The color drained from his face. His eyes bulged out of his skull.

"...G-G-G-GHOOOOOST—!!!"

Luffy sprinted. Not just ran. Not jogged. He ran like his soul had been personally summoned to the afterlife. His tiny legs pumped so fast they blurred as he tore through the forest screaming at the top of his lungs.

"AAAAAAACEEEEEEE—!!! SABOOOOOO—!!! SAVE MEEEEEEE—!!!"

Branches whipped behind him. Leaves exploded into the air as he crashed through the underbrush. From his perspective, a ghost had just tried to grab him. There was no stopping now. Survival mode had activated.

A few seconds later, Ace casually stepped out from behind the tree he had been hiding behind. Sabo dropped down from the branch above. Both boys watched as Luffy disappeared into the distance like a panicking rocket. For a moment, there was silence. Then both of them completely lost it.

"PFFFFT—!!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA—!!!" Ace bent over clutching his stomach, his freckled face red from laughing too hard.

"Did you see his face?!" Sabo collapsed against the tree, tears streaming from his eyes.

"I thought his eyes were going to pop out!!" Ace grabbed his sides, wheezing as a cramp began forming. "Ghh—! I can’t breathe—!!"

They laughed. And laughed. And laughed. A full minute passed before they finally started calming down. Luffy’s terrified screaming had already faded into the distant forest. Ace wiped tears from his eyes.

"Man... that was worth it."

But suddenly Sabo froze. His expression changed instantly. His hand shot out and grabbed Ace’s shoulder. "Ace."

Ace was still chuckling. "What?"

Sabo’s voice turned serious. "...Luffy ran toward Gray Terminal."

Ace blinked. For a second the words didn’t register. Then it clicked. The laughter died immediately. Both boys straightened. Earlier that morning, before leaving the island, Bogard had given them a very specific warning. Avoid Gray Terminal.

Apparently some dangerous people had been lurking around there recently. With Bogard around it wasn’t a problem. Anyone causing trouble usually vanished after a short "conversation" with the quiet Marine officer.

But now—Bogard wasn’t here. And Luffy—Luffy was a walking disaster magnet.

Ace groaned. "Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me..."

Sabo rubbed his forehead. "Our idiot brother ..."

Ace clenched his fists. "...is about to cause chaos again." For half a second the two boys stared at each other. Then Ace suddenly launched forward.

"LET’S GO!"

He took off through the forest like a bullet. Sabo followed right behind him. Branches snapped under their feet as they raced after their runaway brother. Because if there was one universal truth about Luffy... It was this: If Luffy reached Gray Terminal alone, something very stupid was absolutely going to happen.