Loki's special bounty may have a simpler explanation than One Piece fans realize

Modified Nov 22, 2024 16:11 GMT

With mangaka Eiichiro Oda taking a two-week break in order to prioritize recovery from ongoing health issues, One Piece is looking back on the Elbaph Arc so far. Unsurprisingly, the formal introduction of Prince Loki of Elbaph is one such moment which is being heavily discussed and scrutinized for any and all information.

One of the most curious aspects of Loki’s first formal introduction in One Piece is his special bounty issued by the World Government. The 2.6 billion Beri valuation is comparable to the Yonko’s bounties, but his “special” variation is unique in the series overall. At the same time, there are many theories about why Loki has this special clause. A very simple explanation will likely offer yet another pre-time-skip inversion.

One Piece’s valuation of Loki may come from his role in the creation of Gol D. Roger’s Oro Jackson

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An early established aspect of One Piece’s worldbuilding since the pre-time-skip has been the World Government’s vilification and persecution of anyone associated with Gol D. Roger. The ultimate fates of Portgas D. Ace and Tom serve as the best examples of this, with each being punished by death for associating with Roger (albeit with different degrees of association). The World Government’s attitude towards Shanks also further demonstrates this.

In turn, it’s possible that Loki’s “special” bounty comes from being the last of Roger’s known associates whom the World Government can target and wants to. The key to this connection is the reveal of the Yggdrasil tree being Treasure Tree Adam, the wood of which Roger’s Oro Jackson is made. While it’s confirmed that Tom built the Oro Jackson using Treasure Tree Adam wood, the series has never explicitly elaborated how Tom or Roger got the wood.

It likewise seems plausible that Loki may have given Roger the wood for the Oro Jackson prior to his imprisonment. Firstly, Giants live extremely long lives, making it plausible that Loki had the faculties and support necessary to do something like this during Roger’s rise to fame. There’s also the fact that the Oro Jackson was only built for Roger’s final Grand Line voyage, meaning he may have gotten the wood from Loki at Elbaph on his first trip.

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This would also provide additional context to Loki’s history with Elbaph’s people, possibly revealing their hatred for him as going beyond his murder of King Harald. Likewise, it also gives his relationship with Shanks more depth by the nature of Shanks’ status as an ex-Roger Pirate who sailed on the Oro Jackson. This would also add another layer to Loki's imprisonment, specifically with the help of the Treasure Tree Adam.

This would also provide yet another pre-time-skip inversion, which the last few arcs have been rife with (as well as parallels). Tom was a good man punished for a crime he shouldn’t have been charged with, but Loki is an evil prince who did something that may be a crime in Elbaphian culture.

Final thoughts

Loki could be one light of the Great Pirate Era whom Imu and the Gorosei have struggled to extinguish (Image via Toei Animation)

While the above is purely speculative, there’s nothing fans know as of this article’s writing that inherently discredits the theory. However, the evidence is also largely circumstantial, even if it fits with Oda’s writing style, as seen in recent arcs. Hopefully, fans will learn more about Loki’s special bounty when the manga returns on Monday, December 2, 2024 at 12 am Japanese Standard Time.