Loki's interaction with "Shanks" and Gunko in latest One Piece spoilers may be based on a fairytale

Modified Jan 20, 2025 03:30 GMT

One Piece chapter 1136 was released on January 19, 2025. The chapter featured the first face-off between Loki and the Holy Knights, who, ironically, wanted to recruit him. While this encounter marked a turning point in the series, it also evoked an old fairy tale that may hint at Loki's trickster nature.

Little Red Riding Hood is a well-known fairy tale about a little girl deceived by a wolf. Given the Norse inspiration, Loki might fit the image of the world, as he is famous for being a trickster. The Holy Knights, being the Little Red Riding Hood, could be in for a surprise twist in the upcoming chapter, as Loki's refusal to join their side might have some interesting reasons.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the One Piece manga series and has the author's opinion.

One Piece: Exploring the inspiration behind the meeting of Loki and the Holy Knights

Loki and the wolf as seen in the manga (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha)

One Piece chapter 1136 delved into Loki's past, including his connection with Shanks. However, an even bigger detail was Loki's meeting with the Holy Knights. The Holy Knights (Gunko and Shanks' lookalike) very timidly approached the accursed prince, offering him the opportunity to join their side.

However, Loki utterly refused their offer, claiming that joining them would be equivalent to joining the scum of the world. Moreover, a giant wolf arrived to help Loki as he ordered his pet friend to eat the Holy Knights. Gunko then pulled out her bandages and threatened to kill the wolf unless Loki agreed to join them. However, Loki was adamant and again rejected their offer.

Loki as seen in the manga (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha)

This meeting might be a turning point in the entire storyline, as the next chapter might continue their conversation. However, the conclusion of this conversation might already be foreshadowed, drawing inspiration from a classic fairy tale.

Little Red Riding Hood is a popular fairytale every fan might have heard of. The story takes place in a fantasy world where a little girl named Little Red Riding Hood visits her sick grandmother to offer her food. However, a wolf swallows her grandmother and takes her place, to eat the granddaughter and the food she is bringing.

This fairytale has inspired various works in the anime and otaku industries, such as Akizukin Chacha (loosely inspired by the fairytale). It might also be the inspiration behind the meeting in One Piece chapter 1136.

The Holy Knights as seen in the manga (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha)

In this context, Loki represents the sly wolf, while the Holy Knights, with their unknown identities, parallel Little Red Riding Hood (whose real identity is also unknown). This might hint that Loki could be hiding something from the Holy Knights that they are not aware of.

This could be because Loki's ally Mosa (teased in chapter 1134) might be hiding somewhere and would attack the Holy Knights without any warning. This might explore Mosa's true potential (and also reveal if he has some devil fruit powers). Moreover, Loki might be hiding his trump card, so he might be deceiving the Holy Knights into lowering their guards.

Final thoughts

The appearance of a wolf in the chapter suggests that the meeting between Loki and the Holy Knights was inspired by the fairy tale. However, this interpretation should be taken with a grain of salt, as it is not typical for the author to draw inspiration from a fairy tale outside of Japan.

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Edited by Shubham Soni