"Jie jie jie jie jie, I'm free, I'm free…"
Loki's arrogant laughter echoed across the entire Underworld, blending with the excited roars of the giant beasts.
"I truly never expected that the freedom I waited for would come this easily…"
After laughing for a long while, Loki slowly rose from the spot where he had been confined for years.
"Hahahahaha…"
Creak!
He twisted his neck with a sinister grin. The long period of stillness made his body feel stiff. His bandaged eyes lowered as he looked down at Shirogai, who stood there with a calm smile.
"What I didn't expect," Loki said mockingly, "is that your Devil Fruit, the so called God King power, looks no different from an ordinary Wax-Wax Fruit."
Within Elbaf, an ancient Devil Fruit encyclopedia had been preserved, recording nearly every known fruit in the world.
Despite his mischievous nature since childhood, Loki possessed knowledge far beyond what most scholars could grasp.
A dark aura began to seep out from his body as he tilted his head, his grin widening.
"Has the world become so weak that a Wax-Wax Fruit user can be called the strongest?"
"Oh?" Shirogai looked up at him, smiling faintly. "It seems Shanks didn't tell you much about me."
Loki's expression turned cold.
"Don't mention that coward's name," he said with irritation. "It's annoying just hearing it."
Behind him, the dense aura twisted into horrifying shapes, forming distorted, monstrous faces that stared at Shirogai with cold madness.
"So that's it," Loki continued, amused. "The reason you're called the strongest, the God King, must be your Haki. I can feel it, it's strong."
His grin sharpened.
"But it's still far inferior to mine!"
Boom!
A violent and overbearing wave of Conqueror's Haki burst from Loki without restraint, sweeping through the entire Underworld.
"Woof?"
The wolves whimpered like frightened dogs.
"Meow?"
The massive lion let out a startled cry.
The other beasts, including a giant Masira licking ancient trees like sweets, a colossal rattlesnake larger than the Great Serpent of Disaster, and a mountain sized Kuma, all trembled and clutched their heads instinctively.
Why is the Boss angry again?!
That overwhelming pressure, it was unmistakable.
Even as a child, Loki had dominated them all. Now, his presence was even more terrifying.
Boom!
The weaker creatures collapsed instantly, knocked unconscious by the sheer force.
"Th this is…"
Humans who barely survived in the Underworld also dropped one after another. Only a few managed to stay conscious, gasping as they looked toward Loki in terror.
"Conqueror's Haki… Has Loki gone mad?!"
Those still standing, wrapped in thick clothing, exchanged fearful glances.
Damn it… Loki has escaped!
We have to report this immediately, to the Five Elders of the World Government!
For centuries, the World Government had been secretly infiltrating Elbaf. If not for Loki's unpredictable existence, the island might have already been turned into a military production base under their control.
…
Loki's Conqueror's Haki continued to surge.
A power possessed by only one in several million.
As the cursed prince and son of the Giant King, Loki naturally wielded it.
"Hey, hey," Loki sneered, looking down at Shirogai. "Still smiling? Did I scare you, God King?"
His arrogance was completely unrestrained.
"You humans wouldn't seriously think you're the only ones worthy of this power, right? We Giants once conquered the world!"
"Your Haki is impressive," Shirogai replied casually.
It was a simple acknowledgment, nothing more.
From Shirogai's perspective, Loki's Haki had reached a high level, but it was still within the top tier, not beyond it.
In fact, Luffy's control was slightly better.
That difference likely came from the Giants' physique. Their massive bodies made precision harder, so what they considered refined control was different from humans.
As for Shirogai's level…
Loki had no idea.
And when he finally understood, it would bring nothing but despair.
"Impressive?" Loki laughed darkly. "Is that your last compliment before death?"
He raised his fist, his face twisting into something ferocious.
"The strongest human, dying by my hand, the Sun God of Annihilation, should be your greatest honor!"
Boom!
His fist came crashing down like a falling meteor, compressing the air and slamming toward Shirogai with overwhelming force.
"What God King? What strongest?!"
Loki stuck out his tongue, launching punch after punch into the same spot with manic laughter.
"All of it is meaningless before I destroy this world and rebuild it!"
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Each strike shook the ground violently, sending tremors through the roots of the Treasure Tree Adam. Even the giants above began to panic.
"An earthquake?!"
"What is going on?!"
"Why is the ground shaking like this?!"
…
Back in the Underworld, thick clouds of dust rose and spread across the massive area.
Slowly, the dust settled.
What remained was a gigantic crater where the ground had once been flat.
At the center stood Loki, stretching lazily, a sinister grin on his face.
"Not bad for a warm up," he muttered. "Feels good."
During his rampage, the bandages around his face had fallen away.
One eye was revealed.
===
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