Weren’t They Immortal?
Zoro cut down the Giant Warrior Pirates’ grunts, and Dorry and Broggy slashed at each other — and it looks like they were defeated. But weren’t they made immortal through the Devil’s Contract (Ah-Kuelle)? That would make attacks other than Conqueror’s Haki ineffective. Zoro was leaking a slight amount of Conqueror’s Haki, so maybe the grunts could still be taken down by that.
Brook and Gunko
- Gunko, whose memories were stolen, and Brook, who erased his own memories
- Could Gunko’s true identity be the princess of the kingdom whose royal escort force Brook once led?
- Did Princess Shuri kill the king that Brook was sworn to protect?
Could that incident have been what caused the kingdom’s guard force to collapse, pushing Brook to flee into piracy? Given how much Norse mythology homage has been woven throughout the Elbaf arc, the relationship between Brook and Gunko (Princess Shuri) is probably no exception. The Norse mythological story matching all the keywords — ‘a princess controlled by a god,’ ‘falsification of memories,’ ‘rescue by a hero,’ and ‘ill-fated love’ — is the tale of Sigurd (Siegfried) and Brynhildr.
Siegfried and Brynhildr
— The archetype of “vows and tragic fate” in Norse mythology
■ A Princess Controlled by a God
Brynhildr was originally a Valkyrie serving the god Odin. As punishment for defying divine orders, she was cast into an enchanted sleep surrounded by a wall of fire — not a free being, but a princess isolated and controlled by the will of a god.
■ Rescue by a Hero
The one who crossed the flames and awakened her was the hero Siegfried (Sigurd in Norse myth). Crossing the fire is not merely a rescue — it signifies a boundary breach that only the chosen hero can achieve. The two, having met after overcoming great hardship, made a vow and became bound to each other.
■ Falsification of Memories
But upon returning to his homeland, Siegfried’s memories of Brynhildr were erased by magic for political purposes, and he married another princess. His brother-in-law, a prince who desired the legendary Brynhildr as his wife, asked Siegfried to disguise himself and cross the flames on his behalf. And so, his memory gone, Siegfried crossed the flames for his brother-in-law — and unknowingly deceived the woman he had once loved into becoming another man’s wife.
■ Ill-Fated Love
When the truth came to light, Brynhildr — consumed by grief over the betrayal, the broken vow, and the loss of her pride — swore revenge on Siegfried and drove the hero to his death. But upon his death, her senses returned; in despair, she threw herself into the flames. The story ends there — though many versions add that the two were finally united in the afterlife.
Brook and Gunko
Framing the Siegfried and Brynhildr story through its core themes:
- A being who has crossed the boundary of death
- Carrying the weight of past vows and promises
- A relationship torn apart by memory and time
- A reunion that may bring not salvation, but tragedy and destiny
With those themes in mind, the relationship between Brook and Gunko (Princess Shuri) carries something that resonates deeply. In the myth, this love was fulfilled only in the world of the dead. Brook has died once — and in a sense, he is still living in “the realm after death” even now.
Gunko, on the other hand, was likely made ageless through Im’s ability. Given her actual age, she could be close to 80 years old. If she were freed from Im’s control and time caught up to her body all at once — what would begin is the love story of a skeleton and an old woman.
It may look absurd. But perhaps that is precisely the ending that only those who have transcended both time and death can reach.
That’s all for today. See you next week.