As the years went by in the country of Elbaf, Thor, Loki, Hajrudin, and the other young giants continued to grow closer.
They trained together, played together, and sometimes even argued, but their friendship only became stronger with time.
Their usual routine always involved sparring, with Thor standing out as the most prominent warrior among them.
Even when everyone teamed up against him, including Loki himself, Thor would always emerge victorious.
No matter how many times they tried, the gap between their strengths remained clear.
Despite being their opponent most of the time, Thor would also act as their teacher.
He taught them how to fight properly, how to use their strength wisely, and how to keep calm during battle.
Whenever he had free time, Thor would bring his friends out to the sea to hunt for food together.
It was a dangerous activity, especially for children, but Thor always made sure no harm came to any of them.
Protecting them became a point of pride for him. It showed not only his strength but also his sense of responsibility.
Even Loki, who once hated the water, eventually learned how to swim under Thor's patient teaching.
Because of Thor's influence, Loki's childhood became drastically different from his other possible fates.
In this life, his experiences were filled with warmth, rivalry, and purpose rather than bitterness and isolation.
Thor's existence changed more than just Loki's path—it changed Elbaf itself.
The country slowly began to grow stronger again. The younger generation became more united and more determined to live up to their warrior heritage.
Thor worked tirelessly to make sure that the giants would never fall into weakness or complacency.
He didn't want them to end up as a mere shadow of their former glory, like how Hajrudin, in another future, would one day be defeated by Luffy even without the use of Gear forms.
Thor bore no resentment toward Luffy. He respected strength and freedom, but within the culture of the giants, such a defeat was seen as humiliating, especially for someone carrying the blood of Harald.
Harald had once stood as an equal against an infamous figure whose name had been erased from the official records of history.
That figure was Rocks D. Xebec—the future father of Marshall D. Teach and the most dominant pirate of his generation.
Even though Roger was active in the same era, the age they lived in was known above all as the Era of Xebec.
Thor knew that one day, Xebec's shadow would reach Elbaf, and so he waited. He trained, he watched, and he prepared.
He made sure that everyone around him, from Loki to Hajrudin, would be ready for the time when they might have to fight for their homeland.
Their daily routine was filled with physical exercises that Thor had adapted from Garp's legendary training methods, but adjusted for giant bodies.
They would strike their fists against the massive trunks of adam trees, not to destroy them but to harden their own strength and discipline.
During one of their exhausting sessions, as the group lay sprawled on the ground breathing heavily, Thor looked at them with a serious expression. "This is our country," he said, his voice calm but firm.
"If invaders ever come, there will be no one else to protect us but ourselves. That's something you must always keep in your mind. Every defeat should remind you that there will always be someone stronger than us, and that should push you to train harder."
Loki, who had already recovered faster than the others, stood up and crossed his arms proudly. "There's no one stronger than the giants," he declared with confidence.
"If that were true," Thor replied evenly, "we would've ruled this world long ago." His words silenced Loki immediately.
The younger giant looked around and saw the tired but thoughtful faces of his friends.
The group grew quiet, their earlier pride replaced by reflection. After a short pause, Thor called them to stand and continue their training.
The rhythm of their routine resumed, steady and determined.
One quiet afternoon, while the others rested, Thor decided to walk along the shores of Elbaf.
He liked spending time near the sea, especially when he wanted to think or observe the changing tides.
His two goats were nearby, feasting on the remains of a massive bear they had hunted earlier.
The goats had grown stronger over the years. Their horns had become sharper, their muscles denser, and their instincts keener.
Thor often sparred with them to keep both himself and his companions in top shape.
He would lock horns with them in playful but fierce headbutts, always emerging the winner, but each match made the animals tougher.
Over time, they had grown capable of taking down beasts far larger than themselves.
As Thor stood by the edge of the water, watching the horizon, something unusual caught his attention.
A massive shadow began to rise from beneath the waves. It wasn't an ordinary sea king—this creature was even larger.
It looked like one of the mountain eaters that attacked the Little Garden when Luffy and the others were there. Its enormous body made the sea ripple violently as it approached the shore.
A smile appeared on Thor's face. Without hesitation, he gripped the Stormbreaker that hung at his side and planted his feet firmly into the ground.
He had seen the older giants of Elbaf perform a legendary move before, one that required absolute focus and control.
He had never tried it himself against a living target, but this was the perfect opportunity.
Drawing a deep breath, Thor channeled his strength into the axe and shouted, "HAKOKU!"
The weapon cut through the air with incredible force.
A massive wave of compressed wind shot outward, slicing straight through the giant fish before it even realized what had happened.
For a few seconds, the creature continued to swim as if nothing had occurred, but then its body split apart from the middle, spilling blood into the sea.
The accuracy and power of Thor's attack were undeniable.
The moment the beast fell, Thor commanded his goats to retrieve it. They immediately leaped into the water, swimming with great speed toward the floating halves of the mountain eater. Each goat bit into one half of the carcass and began dragging it back toward shore.
When Thor finally got a closer look, he noticed something strange—inside the creature's enormous stomach, there was a large empty space, and within that space rested an entire ship.
'How did the ship survive that cut?' Thor thought in surprise. Curious, he decided to shrink himself down using the Stormbreaker's ability so that he could explore the vessel inside the beast's belly.
Once inside, Thor immediately recognized the markings on the ship. It belonged to the World Government. The flag and symbols were still intact despite the journey inside the monster's gut.
The interior of the ship was filled with sealed crates and metal chests, all stamped with the insignia of heavenly tribute.
Thor began opening the boxes one by one. Each container was filled with treasure—gold coins, ornaments, and precious stones stacked to the brim.
The sheer amount of wealth made him pause for a moment in disbelief. It was easily enough to finance an entire kingdom.
When he finally reached the last chest, he opened it slowly, expecting more gold. Instead, what he found made his eyes widen.
Inside the final box was a single fruit, marked with intricate patterns across its surface. The texture and shape left no doubt in his mind—it was a Devil Fruit.