One Piece chapter 1153: King Harald's past unveils Elbaph's history and Loki's struggles

One Piece chapter 1153, titled The Birth of Loki, delves into the tumultuous history of Elbaph and its king, Harald. The installment details the changes Harald undergoes during his adventures at sea, highlighting his meetings with his romantic partners and the birth of his sons.

In the previous chapter, Conqueror’s Haki was revealed to be the key ability to defeat the God’s Knights, while Zoro was confirmed to possess it. Additionally, two separate flashbacks were showcased. The first took place 14 years ago, on the day when Harald died after being killed by his own soldiers, and a mysterious Devil Fruit was stolen from Elbaph.

The focus then shifted to 109 years in the past, when a young and wild King Harald went on a rampage across the human kingdom, causing widespread destruction and devastation without a care for those around him.

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One Piece chapter 1153 highlights Harald’s relationships and the tragic birth of Loki

Ida’s influence on Harald

One Piece chapter 1153 starts with a brief glimpse into Harald’s childhood with Dorry and Brogy, where he was born with a much stronger body and status than others due to being from the bloodline of the Ancient Giants. As a result, Harald was always arrogant and brutish.

In the story 109 years before the present timeline, the king saw a Giant from Elbaph named Ida being paraded across a human town as a circus act. Angered, he destroyed the town and rescued the girl, after which he told her she didn’t need to thank him.

Surprisingly, Ida slapped Harald and explained how she was willingly cooperating with the humans to pay them back after they saved her from the brink of death. She scolded Harald for thinking himself better than others due to his physical superiority and returned to help the humans rebuild their town.

Ida’s words struck Harald deep in his heart, and then he realized he just happened to be born big. Harald then told his subordinates to help undo the damage they caused. As the king spent time with Ida and the humans, he realized every culture is unique and that cooperation was far more beneficial than destruction.

He continued traveling the seas and eventually convinced Ida to return to Elbaph. Back in the land of Giants, Harald officially announced his new approach to ruling, declaring they would learn from the outside world and become more prosperous.

Eighty-one years in the past, Harald and Ida finally had their son, Hajrudin. While the king wished to marry his partner, the council of elders objected since she wasn’t of pure Elbaph blood. Nevertheless, Ida did not fret since she could live in a nearby village where Harald frequently visited.

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Estrid’s introduction

Soon after, the elders arranged for Harald’s marriage to Estrid, a beautiful woman with the noble blood of the Ancient Giants. Estrid, born in Alcohol Village, believed in omens and was a student of the Earth-Wind Arts. She tried convincing Harald to forget Ida and that she was fated to love him.

Estrid immediately got to work, ordering the windows to be shut and changing the positioning of the mirrors to strengthen Harald’s spirit. She also gifted Harald an eight-legged horse named Asura for good fortune.

Estrid then commanded all the jewelry to be taken to her room and meals served on silver platters to help focus their energies, though the guards suspected it was merely an indulgence. Following this, Harald continued exploring the world, forming ties with the Fish-Men and earning renown for Elbaph’s navigation techniques.

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Loki’s curse

63 years ago, when Harald was at sea, Loki was born. Unfortunately, as soon as Estrid saw her son, she was terrified by his slit eyes and demonic appearance. As a result, Estrid threw Loki into the Underworld and told the soldiers that the child was a stillbirth.

Just as she was preparing to return to her village, never wishing to give birth again, a guard approached and informed her of the status of her child. Loki had survived the fall and into the Underworld and had begun crawling up the Treasure Tree Adam.

Loki as seen in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

A short while after, Estrid fell sick, though she continued telling those around her to kill Loki, prophesying that Harald would be killed by his son otherwise. Meanwhile, Harald struggled to face the World Government’s restrictions, denying nations their right to self-governance.

Finally, Ida asked Hajrudin whether he wished to see his brother, though the young Giant angrily refused, expressing how Loki wasn’t Ida’s son. One Piece chapter 1153 ends with the narrator stating that every misfortune that befell Elbaph from that point onward was part of Loki’s Curse.

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Final thoughts

One Piece chapter 1153 is an exciting installment that finally provides major revelations about the enigmatic land of Elbaph and its key players. While Harald’s development into a benevolent ruler takes center stage in the chapter, it sets up Loki’s eventual position as the Accursed Prince.

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