A Giant the Size of Oars
Yamato cover story Vol.36: “Otama’s woven hat delivered to Shimotsuki Daimyo Kawamatsu!” Last chapter’s “Yamato throws Yokozuna Sukune” = Nightmare Luffy throwing Oars (Thriller Bark homage). This chapter’s “delivering the woven hat gift” = Little Oars Jr. and Ace (Marineford homage). The associative chain connecting both via the keyword “Oars” signals: a flashback about an extraordinarily large ancient giant is about to begin.
Conqueror’s Haki is the God’s Knights’ Weakness
It appears that dealing real damage to God’s Knights requires attacks imbued with Conqueror’s Haki — confirming Gaban as a Conqueror’s Haki user. Which means Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban — the Roger Pirates’ top three — were all Conqueror’s users. And Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, and almost certainly Rocks himself means the Rocks Pirates had at least four Conqueror’s users simultaneously. That crew was absurd.
For the Straw Hats to surpass both Roger and Rocks, they probably need around five Conqueror’s users. Nami is confirmed — Jinbe recognized it and there’s no reason he’d be wrong or lie. Usopp is also confirmed in a structural sense: his lies always come true. Sanji will awaken through sheer stubbornness eventually.
That Ability Could Bring Loki Aboard
Luffy invited Loki to join the crew, but Zoro and Sanji’s objection stands: the size difference makes sailing together seem physically impossible. However, if the mysterious owl (Mosa-kou) turns out to be Biblo — now a Iku-Iku no Mi user capable of enlarging inorganic objects — the problem is solved. Biblo can enlarge the Sunny itself. He could enlarge Sanji’s food too. With Biblo, Loki can travel with the crew.
There’s also a thematic payoff: a bird embodying knowledge accompanying Loki turns him into Odin himself. Odin’s ravens, Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory), serve as his all-seeing messengers. Biblo is the master of the library — literally the bird of thought and memory. The fit is perfect.
Loki is Odin — and Lord’s Superior Form
If Mosa-kou is Biblo and becomes Loki’s trusted companion:
- Loki claims to be a sun deity → Lord claimed to be a sun god
- Loki likely has the Snake-Snake Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Jormungandr → Lord named his snake “Hil-Mungand” (Day-Mungand), a daytime contrast to Loki’s “Yoru-Mungand” (Night-Mungand)
- Loki with Huginn/Muninn-type bird companion → Lord named his crow “Mugin” — a combination of both Huginn and Muninn
In every dimension, Loki is the superior version of Lord from Skypiea. The design echo is intentional.
Too Long in Elbaf
Gaban experienced their 10-year reunion with Shanks as feeling like only one-third of that time. Giants live roughly three times as long as humans, and spending extended time on Elbaf apparently shifts your time perception toward the giant scale — three years feels like one. Like Urashima Taro at the Dragon Palace. That’s why Fishman Island keeps getting referenced. And Shirahoshi will probably fall for Loki: the parallels between Fishman Island and Elbaf are almost too perfect — Adam Tree and Eve Tree, a giant prince and a giant princess, mermaid and half-snake/half-human (both lower-body wiggly), a sun-god-claiming prince and a sun-longing princess, a prince saved by an axe-wielder and a princess forever targeted by axes.
The Slippery King
The ancient giant king glimpsed this chapter has a very Wapol-esque energy — slippery, undignified, contemptible. A Drum Kingdom homage may be cycling back in. Also noted: Shanks’ left-arm tattoo matches neither the World Government flag nor Kuma’s church cross. That one’s on the back-burner for now.