Chapter 58: All-Father
Alfanheim- the Forest Realm
Robin, Chopper, and Mime took a moment to look at the newly arrived Giant as information came into their minds- as did everyone across the world.
Mary Geoise
The Elders narrowed their gaze in varying degrees of disgust as they came to a realization that Odin was returning.
"Outside of a select few, they'd recognize the intentions of the message from Nico Robin as something to argue for a while on the validity of the statement...but damnit, the boy was too unguarded compared to his predecessor.," complained Byakuo. "Allowing a name to be retrieved by its rightful owner. And HIM out of all people."
"Out of everyone to get their name back in a remote possibility, it had to be him.," noted Darwin.
"He and his father were the sole kings not to fall for our deceptions having a higher degree of wit. Which will be used to inspire the Giants to be less obedient towards us.," Abraham observed.
"And he's not like Whitebeard, Kaido, Shiki, or Big Mom where you can buy them off with promises. He's much more keen of what the detail underneath the obvious statements.," noted Peter.
"You guys have gotten way too much to speaking thoughts in unison.," complained Miser.
"Hmm...Alister seems to be gone...to...," observed Howard before Forza interjected-
"Shouldn't you be concerned as well since he can negate your charms and managed to get all that intel out?"
Howard revealed himself to be a very odd figure- having an elongated cylindrical head, bulging eyes, a round dull-colored nose, and a mouth that opened like a drawbridge in a nigh-perpetual scowl. His body was top-heavy with long arms and stubby legs. And on top of that, he was comparatively shorter than the other Elders. He had a grey goatee with his grey hair styled in the tail pattern of other World Nobles. He wore a black suit.
Tudor Howard- Godhead of Information.
"Howawawawa. You know exactly why as bad things get why the World Government hasn't fallen despite information leaks...because the price of breaking taboos is lethal...," explained the long-headed Elder.
He then added, "Besides, I have my own...insurance policies," Howard said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. His eyes twinkled with a hint of malice. He was the puppet master behind the curtain, ensuring that the grand illusion of the World Government's infallibility remained intact.
Alfanheim- the Forest Realm
Robin noticed that she somehow generated a cut that caused blood to ebb out of her hand, violently much to Mime's surprise, already turning the despairing situation even worse.
"Robin, I'll come and-," Chopper said as he suddenly tried over his feet and his ankle spontaneously ebbed out a fountain of blood.
"I'm not that clumsy! What's going on?!," asked the reindeer.
"This has to be a Devil Fruit power...but it can't be any of them.," explained the archaeologist.
Like any of us would be dumb enough to-, thought Takaiko before Abelard- a member of the 5th group of the Oracion Seis blurted out the truth.
"Abebebeebebebebe. You've caused the Taboo Breaker to happen.," explained a young man with short blond hair in curls, a gilded crown on his head, sky-blue iris eyes, and an insufferable grin.
"Subtlety. Agents are supposed to have subtlety.," Tew muttered.
"Anyway, Sir Howard ate the Taboo-Taboo Fruit. It's a special Paramecia that lets him force punishments on people to break the rules he sets for the populace, even if it's something as crazy as studying the forbidden history of the world," Abelard explained, his grin growing wider as he watched the confusion spread across Robin and Chopper's faces.
"Reminds me of Fukuro or Kumadori...no, they'd do out of their quirks. This kid's a fool and he'll only get worse as an adult from what I'm seeing.," Blueno said in response.
"Where is he? Your so-called Howard?," asked Chopper.
"All the way back in the Holy Land. His range is massive.," explained Abelard.
"Why doesn't he use more often and you rely on Buster Calls? It must have limits.," Robin pondered openly, her voice filled with curiosity as she studied the crimson liquid trickling down her hand.
"It's amazing you're calm...especially since you're truly all alone now.," Takaiko remarked as he positioned his sword to stab her.
"It's because I have people that managed to pull me out of that despair...and...I feel like he's someone to not tolerate what you did.," replied Robin as Takaiko saw Odin walk past him and lay down Saul. He gave a sorrowful look before glaring at Takaiko.
Realizing how screwed he was, he attempted to flee via Geppou, but he was grabbed in a nanosecond and hit with the back of the spear, rendering him instantaneously pummeled with a bulge-eyed expression on his face.
He attempted his Awakening to bend him into an unrecognizable mess and used Rokuogun, but he was swatted into the crowds of agents as they were sent flying. Blueno and Tom quickly generated holes and doors as they retreated.
Goldberg then saw a saddening sight of Saul's lifeless body surrounded by Robin, Mime, Chopper, and Odin. Suddenly, glimmering lights appeared as Saul's body was covered in lights, with Saul now encased in a clear casket with special Poneglyph runes around the edges.
"What the?," asked the Giant as the lights solidified into small beings that resembled Tontatta, but were more robust and had more insect-like features such as wings and antennae.
The leader was a short, pudgy, old Tontatta-like male with long insectoid wings, a green pumpkin-shaped crown with a pair of leaves on the side of the crown, a jade regal robe over a meadow green tunic with green pants connected by a golden belt with the Sun symbol, but the center was split into two sections. He wore murky grey-green shoes and light green armbands, and his left hand was covered in a white glove while the other was normal as if to draw attention to how the hand was more special. His eyes were wide and he had green irises.
Apnudd Gwynn- King of the Alfheim
"So Saul died. At the very least, he lived a life worth living.," acknowledged the winged king as the other winged beings knelt before him, mourning the fallen giant.
"What he fought for, I'll inherit it.," Robin said as she saw Mime crying.
"W-watch, me, father. I'll become the greatest blacksmith to make weapons to save people.," Mime, the bespectacled giant-dwarf hybrid told herself with inelegant blubbering as she cried into Saul's chest.
Mime then saw Robin use her Gigante Fleur in a non-combative mode to pat the hybrid on the shoulder.
"That sounds like an amusing dream...I'm so happy you were born.," explained Robin.
Tama appeared out of the thicket with tears in her eyes as she felt overwhelming joy.
"T-That's so beautiful!," shouted the kunoichi in training.
"Tama...I'm sorry that you saw such a-," Robin said before noticing that she was surrounded by strange folk-
A modest group of small, stout figures with round noses, blue tunics, and brown pants with beige shoes. The males, especially the older ones had long beards and wore red pointed hats.
"What're whose?," asked Leo as he came out of the library, deciding to stay to protect Mansherry during the battle.
"Oh they're Gnomes...you must be from the tribe that went to Green Bit. Still easy to manipulate I see.," observed Gwynn as he flew towards the Straw Hat Grand Fleet Commander.
"How wo wou wnow w-about what?," asked Leo before Gwynn briefly bonked him on the head with ease.
"Enunciate. You'll never be taken seriously if you don't.," said the king after bonking him on the head.
"I think the bigger question is-," Chopper said before noticing how Goldberg's eyes widened upon seeing Odin.
Robin noticed that unlike most Giants that were top-heavy, Odin was well-proportioned similar to Whitebeard.
Goldberg then points his mace whose length rivals his height; it has a very long handle that balloons closer to the end towards Odin.
"T-this bastard used the opportunity to have Linlin kill Lord Jorul in order to get back at Harald- wait, it was Lord Farbuit! Who was revealed to be some fraud we couldn't recognize? Then King Harald died! Anyway, We banished this old geezer and he allied with Linlin for who knows what. Then he vanished!," he said as he clenched his head with his eyes scrambling as if being fed too much information that contradicted each other.
The black Giant then managed to wrestle off both Lokis as it lunged at Odin, and the remaining Namae attempted to attack him.
Odin muttered something as Robin and Chopper's wounds were instantly healed to their surprise. Robin then used her Demonio Fleur to knock Namae away as he spat a familiar name and Chopper entered Monster Point to pin the black being down.
Gwynn then tossed Odin an odd-shaped Fruit and said, "This should cure his madness."
The armored Giant nodded as he muttered something. A jagged maw appeared in the black being's mouth as Odin shoved into him. He cried as the black being generated spiral patterns of purple on his body before he reverted to his natural form.
A towering, red-haired, well-proportioned Giant male wearing ram-skull-shaped shoulder guards, bronze armor, a belt with a symbol of the ten spheres of the Yggdrasil tree, brown pants, brown boots, brown gloves, and wielding a massive hammer with a lightning symbol. He had his hair tied back in a braid with a ponytail behind his shoulder-length hair. He had a scar on the right side of his face. His green eyes looked saddened.
Odinson Aesir D. Thor- One of the Ten Tree Guardians/Guardian of Asgard Realm/Son of Thor/And Father Of...
Utgard-Loki tried to act tough as he talked to the brown-haired Giant and looked to the side-
"Lolololololo. How amusing you appear after all these years. My mind believed a lie that I was more than a second-place heir of an arranged love between a King and a preferred heiress. And not HIS preferred choice of integrating peace between tribes. And always assumed to be the evil kingslayer from birth no matter what I did. And having to...," he said before Thor hugged him.
"This world strives too much into extremes- viewing lineages as extensions of oneself to control or finding outside family out of shame of one's origins. Is it not ok to just accept both? I'm sure on some level he managed to give you what I wasn't in my ignorance leading to madness exploited by others and leaving you all alone. Without Sif or anyone to truly get you.," Thor said as gentle tears went down his face.
"Don't you dare pity me," Loki spat, pushing away from Thor's embrace. His eyes burned with anger as he stepped back. "I've never asked for your sympathy, nor do I need it."
Thor then did an arm chop to the back of the head as he said, "Then hopefully, you'll learn the hard way."
"What'd you do that?," asked Chopper.
"He's got my temper- a violent temper and often charges into conflict without planning without an idea of the bigger picture.," Thor said as he looked at Odin.
"So you've managed to finally come to grips with it.," said the elder Giant.
"Hold on. Y-you're the legendary hero! T-Thor! How could anyone forget about you?," asked Goldberg.
"It's good to see you, Uncle.," said the other Loki as he knelt before him.
"Likely, Sleipnir has already called forth all of the tribes to gather here.," explained the red-haired Giant.
"What you mean he has your temper?" asked Goldberg before coming to the familial revelation that was obvious from the subtle similarities of their builds and demeanor.
Namae attempted to get up again, but Odin then sighed as he said-
"You don't even have the free will of self-preservation. How pitiful."
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew from Odin, sending Namae away several kilometers.
From the shadows, emerged odd metallic beings- which on a closer examination, had people inside them. they had oval shaped bodies with indications of horns, fin-like protrusions on the side, elongated serpentine tails emerging from their back sides, and hooved feet. They had in red letters- Abyzou with respective numbers for each model. They had top-heavy bodies with knuckled large arms and much shorter legs- giving them an inherent primal look despite how advanced they appeared.
"Wha? Weird Monsters with people in them? Did they eat them?," asked Chopper.
"No, they seem to be like armor, but not like any armor of this era.," explained Robin.
Their apparent leader was an extremely tall man, so much so that he covered nearly the whole ceiling of the interior he was in with his upper body. His head is roughly twice as big as the chef, Sanji's. His legs are extremely long, and their exact length is practically the height of the interior he was in. His puffy hair, mustache, and beard are white. Like other World Government agents, he wears a suit, and he has a yellow pin of the World Government symbol on the right side of his chest. He personally wears red gloves that he uses for boxing.
Jerry- Commander of Cipher Pol 6.
"We have to thank the noble sacrifices of the late Dr. Vegapunk for these wonderful inventions in the name of Justice.," said the man as he fixed the gloved hands of the leading Abyzou model.
"Justice is about humility, impartiality, and putting the welfare of others beyond one's ambitions. So much destruction has come of selfish ambition.," Odin said, which surprised the group outside of Thor.
"What the?," asked Jerry.
"You seem to lack discipline and spirituality and no integrity. Always following the temptation of power beyond what you should settle with and end in minor positions in life as a result of your hubris.," observed Odin.
"Heh, that's really smart coming from a Giant. Uh...It's weird...it seems like you were somebody important, but since you're not relevant to today, you're not a real threat.," Jerry retorted.
Jerry glanced at one of his subordinates as they galloped in a primal stance.
"Training with fighting arts is to resist warmongering with primitive desires to develop a warrior moral code of ethics.," Odin said as he blocked the first punch with his spear.
"All beings should be developed not just those who are conventionally accepted by societal norms.," he added.
"Who gives a shit. You Giants are meant to be soldiers and weapons.," said the soldier. "Um...Odin...wonder what that means?"
Odin then stabbed the robot through the yellow glass case. The lucky soldier used Kami-E just in time to avoid the strike.
"W-What the? You just went on a spiel about honor and all that crap!," argued Jerry.
"That's for more peaceful times. In war, you have to be more pragmatic.,," Odin explained while cutting down more of the Abyzous.
"T-to cut them all down like that? Pinnacles of technology of the current era?," Jerry said before he leaped out of the cockpit as the glass lowered. "I am the Karate King! of the South King and the Boxing Champion! Take this! Shigan: Jerry Aurora Flicker-"
Jerry was stabbed straight through his mouth and then stabbed again from head to bottom. His eyes went cross-eyed while he collapsed in a pool of blood.
"Jerry was killed! And in a moment!" cried one of the agents.
"D-Diligence.," Jerry said with his body rising despite his injuries.
"One of the Virtue Techniques of Justice Haki.," Odin noted. "It allows one to become a zombie of holy delusion."
Jerry threw a punch, but Odin sliced off the arm, the arm generating white sparks of crosses with it reattaching in an uncanny manner.
"C-Compassion.," Jerry said before Odin then generated runes while he muttered something.
"Go back to your homes, pups. This is a fight for the real dog of war.," Odin explained with the ground rumbling with skeletal hands emerging, revealing skeleton Giant Warriors.
The Agents freaked out, with one yelling, "Mr. Tew! We need to go back! The enemy is too strong!"
As if answering him, a dot appeared in the air with the agents retreating with Jerry being pulled back.
Odin then muttered something again as the skeletons went back to the earth. Robin looked at him, her eyes filled with questions.
"That language...that's Poneglyph language. So the Ancient Kingdom could...I can't believe...they were...they were...," the archaeologist realized.
"Anything can become a weapon in the wrong hands- even the most mundane of things. And it all comes down to fear- fear of losing everything, fear of change, fear of the unknown, etc. All races will resort to desperate means to protect things without thinking things through," Odin explained while he sat down.
He then looked at Chopper and Robin and asked, "Are you sure you ate the Flower-Flower and Human-Human Fruits?"
Both looked especially puzzled at the statement as Tama and Leo looked at each other with confusion.
"Wha? Wheir Wagic is Womething welse?," asked Leo before Gwynn thwacked him in the back fo the head.
"Who are you, Mr? You seemed to be something else before.," inquired the future kunochi.
"That will take some time to answer...Time you can afford with the Fair Folk.," Odin explained much to Robin and Chopper's confusion.
Next Chapter: God Tree Incident
Author Notes: This chapter serves as a teaser of Odin's abilities.