One day, while Thor was out fishing with his two goats beside him, the calm air of the underworld's shoreline carried the familiar scent of salt and cold mist.
The two goats, who had long become accustomed to Thor's intense and demanding daily routine, watched their master closely.
Thor had made a habit of diving into the deep waters beneath the shores of Elbaf ever since he was strong enough to walk on his own.
It was one of the few moments in his life when he could feel what he considered "normal," because beneath the surface, surrounded by sea creatures of enormous size, he no longer seemed out of place.
The giants of the ocean were as large or even larger than him, making the world underwater the only place where Thor could feel small.
On this particular day, Thor wanted to fish like a normal person would, rather than hunt with his usual overwhelming strength.
He had crafted a sturdy fishing hook and tied it to a rope made of tightly woven hemp, reinforced many times over so it could endure even the sudden pull of a sea king.
Thor gave the rope a few testing tugs, ensuring that it was strong enough to withstand both the weight of a colossal fish and his own strength when reeling it in.
After settling himself on a large rock near the shore, Thor cast the hook into the ocean and waited patiently.
The goats stood nearby, their eyes following the line as it disappeared into the water.
They already knew the unspoken rule Thor had made long ago—his first catch would always belong to them.
It was a simple promise that Thor had kept ever since the day he found and adopted them.
Thor sat quietly for several minutes, his mind relaxed and his focus steady. Then, he felt a subtle tug on the rope.
Without hesitation, he planted his feet firmly and pulled with his entire strength.
The surface of the ocean exploded with movement as an enormous sea king burst upward, its scales reflecting the dim light. The creature was hooked cleanly through the mouth, thrashing and roaring until Thor yanked it toward the shore with one final pull.
"Looks like we're eating well today," Thor said with satisfaction, glancing toward the goats, who bleated excitedly in response.
"Alright, let's start a fire." Thor grasped the trunk of a massive tree and uprooted it with ease.
He rubbed two enormous logs together at such speed that sparks formed instantly, and soon flames began to grow.
With practiced motions, Thor stacked more trees together, creating a campfire large enough to roast the sea king.
"You know the rules," Thor said, looking at his goats. "Wait here. I'll go find food for myself and bring Loki back."
The goats bleated once again, nodding as if they understood perfectly. Thor then turned toward the ocean and dove in with a loud splash, his body cutting through the water effortlessly.
The real reason Thor had made a simple fishing hook earlier was not because he needed it—he could easily catch sea kings barehanded—but because he wanted to teach his two goats patience.
He had begun to notice that the more meat he fed them, the more aggressive and restless they became.
They were starting to attack anything that moved, especially animals that could be eaten. Thor wanted to remind them that not every hunt had to be taken by force.
As he dove deeper into the ocean, the water grew darker and colder. Thor's eyes adjusted quickly, and he continued his search for a sea king large enough to satisfy his own hunger.
His body moved easily through the currents, his massive frame unbothered by the pressure.
The deeper he went, the larger the sea creatures became, yet Thor kept searching for something truly worthy of his appetite.
After some time, he noticed a strange silhouette in the distance.
At first glance, it seemed like the tail of a trapped sea beast, wedged between the gigantic roots of the World Tree that reached down into Elbaf's ocean floor.
The shape was long and rigid, sticking out like it had been caught there for centuries. Curious, Thor swam closer, his heartbeat steady but his mind alert.
When he reached the object, he realized it wasn't a tail at all. It was the handle of a weapon—long and carved from dark wood, half-buried between the roots.
One end of it had the broad head of a hammer, while the other side formed a sharp blade.
The longer Thor looked at it, the more it reminded him of the mythical Stormbreaker from the stories he remembered from the Marvel Universe, a weapon said to rival even Mjolnir.
Thor's curiosity turned into fascination. He gripped the handle tightly and tried to pull it free, but the weapon didn't budge.
Its weight felt impossible, far heavier than anything he had ever lifted.
That surprised him, because since the day he was born in this world, nothing had ever truly challenged his strength.
Even with the blood of ancient giants and the natural might of Big Mom flowing through his body, Thor felt resistance like never before.
Determined, Thor adjusted his footing and pulled again, this time using every muscle in his body.
The roots around the weapon began to crack and splinter, small bubbles rising as the ocean floor trembled.
The effort felt like trying to lift the entire island of Elbaf itself. For the first time, Thor's arms began to strain, his shoulders trembling as he roared silently underwater.
After more than thirty exhausting minutes, the weapon finally began to loosen.
With one final heave, Thor tore it free from the roots—but the moment it was released, the weapon's true weight pulled him downward.
The current surged violently, and Thor found himself being dragged into the depths. He held onto the weapon with both hands, refusing to let it go.
The deeper he sank, the heavier it felt, pressing against his body like an anchor. For the first time in his life, Thor was losing a contest of strength, and that reality stung his pride.
'I'm not letting go,' he thought fiercely. 'I'll die before I leave you behind.'
Thor kicked his legs as hard as he could, trying to swim upward, but the pull was relentless.
The pressure increased as he reached the bottom of the sea, where the cold darkness seemed endless.
Planting his feet on the rocky seabed, Thor tried a different tactic—he lifted the weapon onto his shoulder to push off with his legs.
The moment he did, the full weight of the weapon crushed down on him, forcing him to grit his teeth as his knees buckled.
His lungs burned. His chest felt tight—the immense pressure of the water and the weight of the weapon combined into something almost unbearable.
For a brief moment, the thought crossed his mind—Am I going to die here?
Then his resolve hardened. "No," he muttered through clenched teeth. "I'm not dying here."
With a desperate burst of strength, Thor shifted his stance, crouching low like a frog preparing to leap.
He gripped the weapon firmly with both hands and thrust his legs upward, propelling himself off the ocean floor.
His entire body surged through the water, the force of his jump pushing him toward the surface.
The upward momentum gave him a start, and soon he was halfway to the surface.
He managed to grab onto one of the massive roots of the World Tree with one hand, still holding the weapon tightly with the other.
Every movement felt like a struggle against the weapon's overwhelming weight, which seemed to grow heavier the closer he got to the surface.
Thor climbed, step by step, using the roots as support. An hour passed before his head finally broke through the surface of the water.
He gasped loudly, filling his lungs with fresh air. Even then, it took him another thirty minutes to drag the weapon completely out of the sea.
By the time he stood on the shore, his entire body trembled with fatigue.
As the last of the water dripped from the weapon, a surge of electricity suddenly sparked from its surface, coursing up through Thor's arms and spreading throughout his body.
His eyes glowed faintly, charged with light, and his exhaustion seemed to vanish. The energy felt both powerful and overwhelming, as if the weapon was alive.
Then, something strange began to happen. Thor noticed that the trees, the cliffs, and even the distant mountains appeared to grow larger before his eyes.
But it wasn't the world that was growing—it was him who was shrinking.
'What in the world is happening?' Thor thought in disbelief as his body continued to decrease in size, the weapon still glowing in his hands.