While Xebec remained in Elbaph for an extended period, continuously trying to persuade Harald to join his crew, Thor spent most of his time challenging Xebec to fights.
Thor's primary goal was to awaken his Armament Haki, something that should have come easier to him considering the immense potential he possessed, especially with the combined natural gifts of both himself and Big Mom's lineage mixed within his blood.
Xebec, seeing both amusement and promise in Thor's determination, would often accept these challenges, though Thor made it clear that he would not use his Devil Fruit powers during their spars.
He wanted his physical strength and endurance alone to bear the brunt of Xebec's overwhelming might.
As these matches continued day after day, Loki, Hajrudin, and some of the other young giants began to approach Xebec and Thor as well, seeking guidance and hoping to grow stronger in their own right. However, Xebec's attention was almost entirely centered on Thor.
He viewed Thor as the only one among them capable of enduring his brutal methods of mentorship — which mostly consisted of Xebec mercilessly beating his so-called student to the ground.
Every passing day, Thor would end up bloodied, bruised, and exhausted, yet he would never stop. Even when Harald himself expressed worry for his son's safety, Thor would only grin and wave it off.
"Don't worry, pops, this is nothing," Thor would often say, his voice full of conviction despite the visible injuries. Harald, though concerned, respected his son's choice and his unwavering desire to grow stronger.
Meanwhile, since Xebec largely ignored them, Loki and Hajrudin found themselves turning to Whitebeard, who surprisingly was more than willing to teach them.
Newgate, even in his younger years, possessed an innate gentleness that contrasted the rest of the Rocks crew.
He treated the young giants with respect and offered them the same lessons in combat that he had once learned through hardship.
Among his new students, he took a particular liking to Hajrudin, sensing a deep similarity between them — both being outcasts in their own ways.
Despite being a prince, Hajrudin was often looked down upon by the more traditional giants of Elbaph due to his mixed bloodline.
Many considered him impure, refusing to acknowledge him as a true heir because his mother was not born in Elbaph.
Loki, on the other hand, though mostly disregarded by Xebec, couldn't help but admire the pirate captain — not for his ambition or ideals as the original stories claimed, but for his sheer strength. Xebec's power fascinated him.
Despite being smaller in size compared to both Thor and himself, Xebec could easily overpower Thor in battle, knocking him around with attacks that Loki himself could not hope to replicate.
Even when Loki tried to land his strongest punch against his brother during practice, he often ended up hurting his own hand instead.
At one point, when Loki sought advice on how to close the gap between him and Thor, Xebec himself suggested he learn from Whitebeard.
He vouched for Newgate's strength, insisting that the man possessed power nearly equal to his own.
To prove it, Xebec briefly clashed with Whitebeard — their exchange lasting only a few seconds but strong enough to shake the ground beneath them.
That single moment was enough to convince Loki completely, and from that day forward, he began training under Whitebeard's guidance.
Now, the sound of metal colliding against metal echoed across the wide training grounds. Thor and Xebec were once again locked in a fierce clash.
Thor refused to rely on his Devil Fruit powers and instead wielded Stormbreaker, his weapon of choice.
Each swing Thor delivered was met by Xebec's strikes, the air itself vibrating with the force of their collisions.
Most of the time, Thor couldn't match the sheer intensity behind Xebec's blows, his arms trembling from the impact, but he never stopped attacking.
Then, in one particular exchange, something unusual happened. As Thor brought Stormbreaker down with all his strength, a faint black hue began to cover the weapon's head — just for a split second, but long enough for both of them to notice. The dark coating shimmered briefly before fading, yet it was unmistakable.
Both Thor and Xebec froze for a moment, their eyes widening before identical grins spread across their faces. Without a word, they resumed their fight, this time with renewed vigor.
Each successive clash became sharper, more precise, as Thor started to feel the rhythm of Armament Haki flowing naturally through his strikes.
The once fleeting black hue began to linger longer with every swing, slowly enveloping the weapon more completely each time, until it became clear that Thor was learning — and learning fast.
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"Forget about the World Government, Harald. Join me and become a pirate. Together, we'll take over the entire world," Xebec said once again, his tone full of conviction, as he raised his mug before taking a large drink.
They were seated inside the lively bar that Ida had built near the city square, one of the busiest and most popular places among the younger giants.
The room smelled of roasted meat and sweet bread, and the warm light from the massive torches reflected off the polished wood of the tables.
Around them, laughter and conversation filled the air, though in one corner, several young giants sat and ate quietly.
Loki, Hajrudin, Gerd, Stansen, and Goldberg were gathered together, eating in relative silence while another young giant moved between tables, serving the guests.
It was Mato, a cheerful child who worked under Ida's care. Mato was close to both Hajrudin and Loki, as the two would often visit this bar to rest after training or to sneak food that Thor hunted.
"Here's your juice, Loki," Mato said as he placed a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice in front of Loki.
"Thank you, Mato," Loki replied, taking a sip immediately before holding up the empty glass. The two exchanged a brief smile before Mato hurried away to serve another group of customers.
Meanwhile, Hajrudin and the others continued eating their meals — massive portions of roasted meat and vegetables that Thor had hunted earlier using the help of his two goats, who were now waiting outside the tavern.
The goats were forbidden from entering due to a certain past incident involving overturned tables and missing barrels of ale.
At the other end of the bar, Thor sat beside Xebec and the other Rocks Pirates, near where Harald was drinking.
Thor's presence among them was now understood by the crew as that of a temporary intern — an unofficial member, so to speak.
His impressive strength had already surpassed several of the existing Rocks members, and his royal status as the next heir to Elbaph gave him an air of both authority and curiosity among the pirates.
"Shut it, Rocks. You know I can't do that. I'm a king, and I must think of what benefits my people and my country the most. Joining the World Government is a way to build bridges and open diplomacy between the giants and other nations," Harald said, his expression serious yet still carrying a tone of idealistic hope. His words reflected not arrogance but inexperience — a ruler who still believed in the fairness of the world.
Xebec smirked, then leaned back in his chair. "Those dogs will never accept you, Harald. You and I both know they'll never see you giants as anything but slaves," he said coldly before tearing another piece of meat from the roasted leg he was eating.
"You don't know that!" Harald replied, slamming his mug onto the table, his voice echoing through the bar. The two men quickly fell into a heated shouting match, their words loud enough to make even the pirates nearby quiet down for a moment.
"Can't you eat in peace?" Newgate muttered, clearly irritated as he lifted a massive barrel of alcohol in one hand and a giant fruit in the other. He drank straight from the barrel before letting out a sigh of mild annoyance.
"You lot," Harald said, turning his glare toward the Rocks Pirates, "don't you realize that following someone like Rocks will lead you all to ruin?"
The pirates laughed in response.
"Follow Rocks? That idiot? Nobody would care if he dropped dead," Shiki replied first, smirking as he leaned back in his seat.
"But I won't lie," Buckingham Stussy added as she crossed her arms and smiled faintly, "there's something intriguing about his plan. It's hard not to be curious about what he's plotting."
"Have you heard of Hachinosu?" Don Marlon said as he leaned forward, lowering his voice slightly. "It's a place known as the Isle of Exiles — or, as some call it, Pirate Island. Nations from all over the world dump their worst criminals there."
"It used to be a barren island," Newgate added, chewing slowly. "No trees, no crops, nothing could grow there. It was supposed to be a place where people went to die."
"But last year," Ochoku continued, "the survivors started to unite. Why do you think that happened?"
Harald fell silent, sensing that the story wasn't over.
"Believe it or not," Ganzui interrupted while eating messily, bits of food falling from his mouth, "that island had a massive deposit of gold. Some shadowy organization found out about it and helped the prisoners gather a fortune. That really made the World Government angry."
"Everyone who tried to get close to that island got attacked," Xebec said proudly, grinning as he took another sip of his drink. "So we made a deal with them — we'd take the island back for them. But once we get the gold, we'll take the island for ourselves. We'll destroy what's left of it and rebuild it into something greater — a true Pirate's Paradise."
He then leaned closer to Harald, his grin widening. "This is only the prologue of my life, Harald. Join me, and I'll make that island my base when I crush the Navy and bring the Holy Land crashing down. Then, I'll become the King of the World."
Harald's eyes narrowed. "You're making too many enemies, Rocks. I won't fight your losing battles. I'm a king, and I have a kingdom to protect. I will not abandon it."
"That doesn't matter," Xebec said with a wild gleam in his eyes. "I'm going to claim the entire world, and I'll make you my right hand when I do."
Their shouting began again, echoing through the room. Harald refused to yield, and Xebec refused to stop. Their clash of ideals continued as the rest of the bar quietly watched — half amused, half tense.
Among the young giants, Xebec's words struck something within them. Loki, in particular, couldn't help but smile at the thought of a world where giants stood above all others, worshipped instead of feared.
Hajrudin, however, found a simpler dream forming in his heart — one of unity. He imagined a world where all giants, no matter where they were born, could return to Elbaph and be accepted without judgment.
He wanted to change how his people saw those of mixed blood, a view he himself had suffered under despite his royal lineage.
Thor, listening quietly, didn't speak. He remembered clearly how Xebec's story would end — how his life would be cut short after being struck down by the Domi Reversi.
Yet, even knowing that fate, he couldn't deny the strength of Xebec's conviction. That kind of will was something that couldn't simply disappear.
It would live on, just as he knew it would through Blackbeard in the future.
'There's no power that lasts forever,' Thor thought, recalling the very words Xebec had once said.