Loki’s Devil Fruit Possibly Foreshadowed in Pre-Time-Skip One Piece

The latest installment of One Piece, chapter 1130, unveiled several intriguing aspects, including Loki’s new visual design and his self-bestowed title of Sun God. While Luffy is presently recognized as the Sun God due to his devil fruit powers, Loki’s assertions of divine status may hark back to a long-standing narrative thread established during the Little Garden arc, which marked the debut of the giants Dorry and Brogy.

The fierce duel between Dorry and Brogy, accompanied by their dialogue, quickly set the stage for their identities as formidable and honorable warriors embracing a death filled with valor. Additionally, references to “Elbaph”as a deity might hint at the underlying powers associated with Loki’s legendary devil fruit.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series and is largely speculative.

One Piece: The Possibility of Loki as the Next Deity After Nika

Dorry and Brogy depicted in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Throughout the One Piece narrative, giants have emerged as recurring yet underdeveloped characters, despite being among the series’ earliest races introduced. The giants featured thus far have mostly served in minor roles, often as marine personnel.

Their initial introduction occurred during the Little Garden arc, where Dorry and Brogy were prominently showcased as fierce, prideful warriors who hold fast to the traditions of Elbaph.

While Elbaph is generally referred to as the land of giants, early references made by Dorry intriguingly referred to their deity as “God Elbaf.”This terminology remained consistent in the anime, reinforcing the notion of a divine figure named Elbaf infused with deep cultural significance.

Two other deities named Nika and the Sun God of Elbaf, referenced during Big Mom’s flashbacks, carry similar epithets. Their identities were partially affirmed when Brogy identified Luffy’s Gear 5 form as a god recognized in Elbaf folklore, indicating that the entities referred to as Elbaf and Nika differ from one another.

Luffy, the current wielder of the Nika fruit (Image via Toei Animation)

Considering Elbaf’s warrior-centric tradition, which emphasizes a noble form of death, it seems plausible to consider Elbaf as a war deity, drawing inspiration from Norse mythology, akin to how Nika is influenced by various real-world religions.

Dorry and Brogy’s reverence towards Elbaf suggests a being akin to an Odin-like figure. Combined with themes of world-ending and cycles of rebirth in the storyline, these elements may connect to giants like Ymir and Surtr, who embody creation and destruction respectively.

The god of Elbaf may possess a variety of powers encompassing creation, transformation, illusions, and manipulation of size. These abilities could potentially be inherited by the giants through a legendary devil fruit, which is speculated to be the same fruit that Loki has obtained.

Theories suggesting that the Nika devil fruit might represent the true embodiment of Elbaf’s legendary powers have surfaced since chapter 1131’s release; however, it seems unlikely that this esteemed fruit could relate to a minor deity rather than God Elbaf, who embodies the essence of giant tradition.

Dorry and Brogy’s reaction to Luffy’s Gear 5 in chapter 1111 reinforces this idea. Their response would likely have been more pronounced had Luffy’s transformation mirrored that of God Elbaf rather than being associated with a lesser divinity tied to their legends.

Concluding Thoughts

The upcoming chapter 1131 of One Piece is set to premiere on November 10, 2024, diving deeper into the conversation between Luffy and Loki, who encountered one another in chapter 1130. Meanwhile, the anime has paused its airing and will return in April 2025. As for the true nature of Loki’s abilities, much remains elusive. Yet, with the character’s design inspirations and narrative position, he is anticipated to emerge as one of the series’ most significant antagonists, rivaling figures like Doflamingo.

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