Chapter 1604 Uta and Loki on their journey

In the latter half of the Grand Line, in a dangerous sea area far from the main shipping lanes, where storms are frequent.

A translucent flying carpet made of distorted musical notes is speeding through the churning clouds and damp, cold air currents in a certain direction at an astonishing speed far exceeding that of ordinary seabirds.

On this strange flying carpet sat two figures, one large and one small.

The larger one was a giant, his body wrapped in blood-stained bandages, clearly having been through a fierce battle.

His attention seemed completely off his injuries; instead, he was holding a large piece of unidentified beast leg in each hand, almost half the size of a small boat, and was stuffing raw meat into the giant mouth without stopping.

Prince Loki successfully escaped from Elbaf, the land of giants, and perched on his shoulder was a red-haired girl who appeared incredibly tiny in comparison.

Uta was intently fiddling with a small image receiving device in his hand. The light screen projected by the camera bug onto the sky was broadcasting the battle situation in Marineford.

Loki was frantically eating while glancing at the images out of the corner of his eye. When he saw Blackbeard Teach riding the Purple Scaled Dragon, arrogantly declaring himself the son of Rocks and making that insane deal to Whitebeard, he was stunned.

His huge eyes, mostly covered by bandages, suddenly lit up, and his chewing movements slowed down a beat.

"Lox..."

Loki was imprisoned deep in Elbaf. During those dark and hopeless years, the only thing that sustained his will and prevented him from completely breaking down was his yearning for freedom and his fanatical worship of the man who once made the world tremble—Lox D. Giebeck.

It is a symbol of power, the ultimate rebellion that breaks all shackles.

Now, seeing a son who claims to inherit the bloodline and will of Rocks, although his fat face and demeanor make him frown, the title of son of Rocks alone is enough to ignite a certain flame in his heart.

"I didn't have the chance to defeat Rocks back then, so I hope his son won't disappoint me too much." The idea of ​​challenging Rocks' own son grew wildly in Loki's mind like a poisonous weed.

Uta's attention, however, was more focused on searching for another figure on the screen. She pouted, her childish voice filled with obvious worry: "Where did Luffy go after being kicked by Kizaru?"

Loki swallowed the last large mouthful of raw meat, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked away from the image, casting his gaze upon the vast sea behind him.

"That Shanks guy is really relentless, he's been chasing us the whole time, we can't shake him off!"

He could sense that domineering Observation Haki, like a persistent affliction, locking onto their direction from afar. Shanks' determination to get back his daughter was even more urgent than Loki had imagined.

Upon hearing this, Uta turned to look behind her, a complex expression flashing across her face, a hint of being touched by her father's unwavering devotion.

Remembering a funny incident, Uta nudged Loki's neck with her elbow, "It seems we're about to pass by Whole Cake Island~"

Loki's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Uta deliberately dragged out his words, his voice filled with gossipy excitement, "Aren't you going to meet your fiancée who called off the engagement?"

During her time in Elbaf, the red-haired girl spent a lot of time playing with the giant children.

Children, especially in the relatively closed giant society, spread rumors about the prince very quickly and widely.

The story of Prince Loki and Big Mom's daughter, who were once engaged but the bride ran away early, is a sensational and enduring topic of conversation.

For a girl like Uta, such dramatic stories involving broken engagements and elopements are incredibly appealing.

Loki's face, hidden beneath the bandages, instantly darkened. The meat he hadn't finished chewing in his cheeks no longer tasted appetizing; it felt like chewing wax.

Over the years, he has encountered all sorts of humiliations in Elbaf: being ostracized, questioned, and placed under house arrest. But being jilted at marriage, especially having his fiancée run away, is an extremely rare and humiliating experience, even at sea.

No, it's absolutely unique!

This incident not only caused the already tense relationship between the Giants Kingdom and Whole Cake Island to deteriorate completely, but also made Prince Loki the subject of ridicule throughout the entire sea.

Although outsiders don't know exactly what Loki went through inside the Giant Kingdom, the label of "giant prince dumped by Big Mom's daughter" is firmly attached to him.

Even though Loki is still nominally the heir to Elbaf.

"If I can't find that damned bride, I'll reason with her mother. I'll personally reclaim my tarnished reputation."

Loki suddenly turned his head, his huge eyes burning with an almost obsessive fighting spirit. "I want to test just how strong Big Mom is!"

Uta had only been joking, but upon hearing Loki's murderous declaration, his eyes widened in shock. "You, you're serious?"

Her little face was filled with disbelief.

Loki didn't answer, but the anger in his eyes said it all.

He had seen Charlotte Linlin when she was young in Elbaf when he was a child.

At that time, she was still a member of the Rocks Pirates, and together with that terrifying man, she set foot in the land of giants.

Loki took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to immediately turn around and head towards Whole Cake Island.

He knew that his priority now was to shake off Shanks' pursuit. "I'll talk about that when I get back. I'll definitely go to Whole Cake Island."

Charlotte Linlin's Soul-Soul Fruit ability is a terrifying legend known to almost everyone in the latter half of the Grand Line.

There are countless pirates and civilians who have had their lifespans taken away by that old woman out of fear. To be able to stand in front of one of the Four Emperors without the slightest fear is itself a testament to one's qualifications and the minimum threshold for confronting one of the Four Emperors.

"I'll give you a ride once I've finished getting things done."

“Okay,” Loki agreed almost without hesitation.

Giants are not to be enslaved or bullied. Loki will not surrender like his father. He would rather die standing than live on his knees!

The desire to regain his honor and wash away the shame on Whole Cake Island grew stronger in Loki's mind, while a more pragmatic idea also emerged.

As the headquarters of Whole Cake Island, Big Mom must have accumulated a lot of treasure over the years, and Loki knows that the new venture will require a lot of money.

Building up power, recruiting soldiers, purchasing ships, or carrying out some larger plan?

No matter what it is, money is essential, and stealing the Four Emperors' capital is undoubtedly one of the fastest sources of start-up funds.

Big Mom killed an elder in the land of giants, so even if Loki didn't get along with the elders, using that as a reason to deal with Big Mom was a legitimate cause.

So what if he destroys Whole Cake Island? It's not like Loki is smashing his own house.