One Piece: Who Was King Harald?

One Piece recently introduced fans to a very intriguing character named King Harald. Given that One Piece is in the Elbaf arc, it is no surprise that a character named Harald has been introduced in the story. Unfortunately, however, this character will not have an active role to play in the Elbaf arc. That said, his ideas, along with his philosophy, could go on to redefine Elbaf forever, given that this king of the country was opposed to many of its previous beliefs, and even butted heads with some of the most powerful people in the land.

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One Piece chapter 1134 gave fans a lot more information on King Harald than they previously had, and at the same time, there might even be a conspiracy brewing against the man believed to be his murderer.

The Previous King Of Elbaf And His Goal

• King Harald Ruled Elbaf For A Long Time
• King Harald Valued Trade Over All

It was revealed rather recently in One Piece that King Harald was the former king of Elbaf. The first mention of King Harald came when Loki was introduced to the fans. Loki was revealed to be the son of King Harald, and at the same time, fans were also told that Hajrudin was his other son. Essentially, Loki and Hajrudin are siblings, with King Harald having raised both of them together. What kind of relationship these brothers share is unknown, and fans also don’t know what kind of relationship they share with their father. That said, one thing that can be said for sure is that both brothers were opposed to King Harald’s views about trade.

Loki believes fighting and violence to be everything, and, at the same time, it has also been made clear in the story on many occasions that Hajrudin believes in the way of Elbaf Warriors as well as their pride. He prizes Dorry, Brogy, and the other warriors of Elbaf to be everything, and as has been cleared recently, this is certainly not in line with the beliefs of King Harald. Regardless, it is highly likely that neither of his children hated him, despite one of them being allegedly his killer.

One Piece chapter 1134 added further depth to the character of King Harald. Upon the introduction of the Owl’s Library, it was revealed that here, children seek knowledge in hopes of changing Elbaf. 100 years ago, Elbaf was known to have warriors who wage wars all over the world and they were openly said to be barbarians. However, the new Elbaf is rather different. At the very least, people are trying to make Elbaf different and the source of this change is none other than King Harald. It is believed that he fought for this change, and he was the one who was primarily responsible for opening Owl’s Library to educate children and promote peace, instead of fighting useless wars.

As was made here in the chapter, King Harald butted heads with the Giants, and his idea was certainly successful, at least partially. Unfortunately, King Harald was murdered in cold blood, and fans were told that the person who committed this murder was none other than Loki. For this crime, Loki was sentenced to crucifixion, and he has, since then, been in the Underworld of Elbaf ever since. It has been 6 years since the death of King Harald, and Elbaf has been without a King ever since.

King Harald’s Death Might Be Bigger Than Imagined

King Harald Could’ve Been Murdered By The Government

When it comes to the death of King Harald, fans were told that Loki was the one who killed him. The reason for Loki killing Harald was revealed to be the legendary Devil Fruit that was passed down the royal line of the country. This devil fruit was likely kept safe by King Harald, and it is highly likely that Loki had his eyes on the Devil Fruit. Of course, King Harald would not have allowed him to consume the Devil Fruit, knowing that Loki was not the one he was meant for, and one thing led to another and Loki eventually went on to kill his own father in an attempt to eat this devil fruit.

Once Loki ate this devil fruit, he was up against the entire nation, infuriated by the death of their King, and he was subdued successfully, having been imprisoned in the Underworld of Elbaf. At least this is the version of the story that was told to the fans at the beginning of One Piece’s Elbaf arc.

That said, it is highly likely that these events might not be accurate after all. The first thing that fans need to keep in mind here is that Loki is not a villain. He might be portrayed to be a barbarian, but he certainly has a kind heart. His conversation with Luffy was certainly an indication of the fact that he was not a villain and that he had a good heart, because otherwise, Luffy would have sensed it, since he has always been a great judge of character. If that wasn’t enough, then fans also need to keep in mind that Loki was also revealed to be a kind-hearted individual by Shaggy in One Piece chapter 1134. According to this individual, Loki might have a tough exterior, but on the inside, he is a kind person. For Loki to go ahead and kill King Harald doesn’t make sense when he has a soft heart. As such, there might be more to King Harald’s death than meets the eye.

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In fact, it is possible that the one who actually went on to kill King Harald was none other than Shanks’s brother. Clearly, Loki has a connection with Shanks, and what that is exactly isn’t known just yet. He clearly believes Shanks to be a cowardly pirate, as he revealed recently in One Piece. Perhaps, the reason why Loki believes Shanks to be a cowardly pirate is because he thinks Shanks was the one who killed King Harald, when in reality, he could have witnessed Shanks’s brother do the crime.

This would have served the World Government in one way or another, and it could be possible that they had their eyes on the legendary Devil Fruit itself. Loki could actually have protected the Devil Fruit by consuming it and not letting it fall into Shanks’s twin’s hands. But, of course, all this is conjecture. That said, King Harald’s legacy will most likely be shown to the fans in a flashback, and they surely cannot wait to see that.

The Legacy Of King Harald

King Harald’s Vision Is Still Being Carried Out

As far as the legacy of King Harald goes, what fans now know is that this person wanted peace for those living in Elbaf, and especially for future generations. His legacy is being carried out through the Owl’s Library, and it is possible that come the end of Elbaf, the person who ends up becoming the king of the country will carry on his majestic work.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1135, is set to be January 3, 2024.

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Release Date

October 20, 1999

Creator

Eiichiro Oda

Number of Episodes

1122