The Prince of Giants and the Berserker's Cage
Kai flew beside Toki high above the raging waters of the New World, the wind roaring in their ears as clouds split before their path. Below them, a borrowed ship sailed steadily—its crew unaware that their "captain" had temporarily acquired their vessel.
Toki glanced down at the ship and then at Kai. "So this is the art of 'borrowing ships'?"
Kai smirked beneath his Oni mask. "Well, that's quite the art, isn't it?"
She folded her arms mid-air, wings of bats briefly forming and dissolving as she stabilized herself. "You intimidate pirates, take control, sail until you're bored, and then leave?"
"Exactly," Kai replied casually. "Get used to it."
Toki shook her head, though a faint smile tugged at her lips. "You are shameless."
"And efficient," Kai corrected.
---
They reached Elbaf within a week, guided by the Eternal Log Pose and the towering silhouette of the island rising from the sea like a continent. Massive trees pierced the sky, their trunks wider than castles, and the air itself felt ancient.
Kai landed near the coast and shrank briefly to avoid unnecessary attention before returning to normal size. Toki followed, her presence calm but powerful.
They had barely taken a few steps inland when a booming voice shook the earth.
"Well, what are you humans doing here in Elbaf?!"
Kai looked up slowly, golden eyes gleaming behind his mask. Before him stood Loki, Prince of Elbaf—an ancient giant, far larger than the average giant warrior. His massive hammer rested on his shoulder, crackling faintly with Haki.
"Hmmm," Kai chuckled. "Well, quite the coincidence meeting you here, Loki. The Prince of Elbaf."
Loki narrowed his eyes. "You know my name?"
Kai spread his arms dramatically. "Hey, Loki! Join my crew!"
For a second there was silence.
Then Loki burst into thunderous laughter, the sound shaking the nearby forest. "Who do you think you are, kid?"
Kai didn't reply immediately. Instead, he drew Akatsuki from his back, the blade humming faintly as it was wrapped in Armament and Conqueror's infusion.
He glanced toward Toki. "Look and learn. Stay some distance away."
Toki nodded and flew backward, watching carefully.
Loki grinned, excitement flashing in his eyes. "Ready to test the human who came to recruit me."
They locked eyes.
Kai charged first, golden wings blazing behind him. Akatsuki glowed darkly, black lightning crackling along its edge.
Loki swung his hammer downward, Armament and Conqueror's roaring around it.
In front of him, Kai looked like an ant.
Their weapons never touched.
The sky split.
Wind howled outward in a violent shockwave that rippled across Elbaf's coast. Trees bent, the sea trembled, and giants across the island paused mid-task.
Far inland, Gaban felt it and laughed loudly. "Looks like the brat Rayleigh talked about is here."
His giant wife stepped beside him, amused. "He came and directly challenged Loki? That bold. Are you really sure he is nine?"
"Ten, I think," Gaban replied, scratching his beard. "But it's the same. Damn monster. At ten, what was I even doing?"
She chuckled. "Still, he's not strong enough to make Loki serious."
Gaban's grin widened. "The boy is getting Loki warmed up."
"Oh, the giants are going to love him."
"You bet they would."
Other strong giants felt the clash and laughed as well.
"A lively one has come to Elbaf."
"It's going to be fun."
---
Back on the coast, Loki grinned wildly. "What is this? Is this all you got? Then you don't have the qualification to be my captain!"
Kai laughed even as he was pushed backward by the sheer force. "Hahahaha! Just you wait, Loki. Before I go, I will be kicking your ass."
"We will see who kicks whose ass!" Loki roared.
He swung again, this time faster. Kai twisted mid-air, deflecting the shockwave but still being sent flying backward through several trees.
He landed lightly, grinning.
"Now that's more like it," Kai muttered.
---
After the clash, Kai flew deeper into Elbaf and eventually met Gaban face to face.
"So you are the kid Rayleigh talked about," Gaban said, folding his arms.
"Yooooo, Mr. Gaban!" Kai raised his hand cheerfully.
Toki descended beside him. "Well, if it isn't Gaban."
Gaban blinked, surprised. "Lady Toki?"
His smile faded slightly. "We didn't know what happened in Wano. If I had known Oden needed help, I would have come."
Kai shook his head calmly. "Oden never needed help to fight Kaido. He needed a brain to think."
Toki sighed softly. "That's the past now. No need to worry about it."
Gaban nodded slowly.
Kai stretched dramatically. "Yaaah. Let's eat and start the damn training. My hands are itching to fight."
Gaban laughed loudly. "Let's go then!"
---
The days turned into weeks, and weeks into months.
Kai and Toki washed in the rivers of Elbaf, ate alongside giants, and began a village-to-village battle journey. Kai sparred constantly—sometimes with ordinary warriors, sometimes with elite veterans, and occasionally with Loki himself.
Each clash with Loki pushed him further.
"Too slow, human!" Loki would roar.
"Too wide, giant!" Kai would snap back mid-combat.
They fought with Conqueror's clashing high above the trees, their blows shaking the island.
Time passed quickly.
Four years slipped by.
Kai's presence alone began to crack the ground when he leaked Conqueror's Haki. Wood splintered, stone fractured, and younger giants fainted under the pressure.
Toki evolved as well.
She mastered Internal Destruction, sending Haki through her blade to rupture targets from within. She learned Conqueror's infusion, black lightning dancing across her sword during serious battles.
Yet one thing eluded her.
"I still can't grasp Future Sight," she muttered after another spar.
Kai circled her calmly. "You're thinking too much. It's not about seeing. It's about feeling."
She exhaled slowly. "Easy for you to say."
---
Then everything changed.
Kai had briefly left Elbaf to meet Yamato.
During his absence, a tragedy unfolded.
Loki had massacred a village.
The reason? Ida—someone precious—had been poisoned. Loki had gone berserk.
By the time Kai returned, Loki was imprisoned inside a colossal iron cell. The bars alone were thicker than castle towers.
It had been fourteen years since Kai arrived in this world. His memories of the manga had blurred with time, and he had forgotten this incident.
He stood before the cell.
"Yoo," Kai called casually.
Inside, Loki sat against the far wall, head lowered.
"Not in the mood to fight, Kai."
Kai leaned back against the iron bars, which were bigger than him. "Sorry, man. I wasn't here."
"That wasn't your problem," Loki replied flatly.
"Tsk. Stop acting all cool, you bastard," Kai muttered.
Loki's eye twitched. "You should stop acting cool, you shameless guy. You came, sat back against my cell, and apologized. Who's acting cool here, you shameless guy?"
Kai scratched the back of his head, tongue sticking out as he gave Loki an innocent smile.
A vein twitched on Loki's forehead.
"Don't make that face," Loki growled.
"What face?" Kai asked innocently.
"That stupid face!"
"Ohhh, this face?" Kai exaggerated it further.
Loki slammed his fist into the ground inside the cell, shaking the surrounding area. "I'm in prison, and you're teasing me?!"
"You massacred a village," Kai replied more seriously.
"They poisoned Ida," Loki snapped. "They thought I wouldn't notice."
Kai's gaze hardened. "So you destroyed everything."
"They touched what was mine."
"And now?" Kai asked quietly.
Silence filled the space.
"Now I'm here," Loki said bitterly.
Kai leaned forward slightly. "You let your rage control you."
Loki glared. "Easy for you to say."
"I've been there," Kai replied softly. "Difference is—I learned to aim it."
Loki stared at him.
"You want to be king?" Kai continued. "Then control your berserk. Don't let others pull your strings."
"Shut up," Loki muttered.
"Make me," Kai shot back.
For a moment, their Conqueror's flared instinctively—even through iron bars.
Then, strangely, both started laughing.
"You idiot human," Loki said.
"You oversized crybaby," Kai replied.
And thus began their verbal war—insults flying harder than any hammer strike.
Despite the cage between them, the bond of warriors remained unbroken.
Elbaf was not done shaping them yet.