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One Piecehas always made a point of defining how powerful the most important characters in the series are and how much of a gap this power grants them to everyone else. The strongest characters tend to be the greatest figures in the entire setting, as can be seen by the few whose names stand at the top of all others, namely Rocks, Roger, Whitebeard, and Garp.
For many years, these titans were cemented as the most powerful characters of the previous era of piracy, as no one could compete with their mastery of Haki. However, it seems that Chapter 1155 of theOne Piecemanga has finally confirmed another character who isjust as powerful as these legends, which is to say that he exists on the greatest tier of power in history. So, let’s take a look at why Harald was such a strong warrior.
Story Arc
Elbaf
In general, the Giants, specifically those from Elbaf, are considered the most powerful race in the entire world, which is quite plain to see with their gargantuan size and unparalleled physical prowess. They are so strong that Imu realized their value in the Final War, where they are prophesied to help Luffy defeatthe forces of the Celestial Dragons, prompting the villain to try to convert the race to join the opposite side.
These Giants were said to have terrorized the New World for centuries, where they went completely unchallenged due to their vastly superior strength. Even the most average Giants can deal with a lot more than the average person. However, even among them, there exist Ancient Giants, who are larger and stronger than the regular Giants from across the world, and further among these, there was only ever one man to boast the title of Elbaf’s strongest king; Harald.
That’s a portrait of King Harald! The man who tried to form peaceful bonds with the outside world. Said to be Elbaf’s strongest king.
The Elbaf arc, from its start, teased Harald as being exceptionally powerful and as a man of great resolve. However, it was only in Chapter 1155 that confirmation was given, when Loki’s flashback went many decades into the series' past, to the Reverie from 56 years ago which Harald attended under disguise to gauge whether Elbaf should come intothe fold of the World Government. However, much to his bad luck, this was also the Reverie where the legendary pirate, Rocks D. Xebec, would make his existence known to the world by killing an Admiral.
Rocks' power is well documented withinOne Piece, as he has always been defined as Roger’s first and greatest rival who was so powerful that Roger and Garp had to team up to defeat him during the God Valley Incident. Moreover, he is also the only person to ever kill an Admiral and destroy the Gates of Justice. While Oda has definitely shown his strength in the series, he has also implied the power of Harald.
During this Reverie, both Harald and Rocks were being chased around the Holy Land, where they would finally come face to face, opting to attack each other on sight. This led to a legendary Conqueror’s Haki clash so destructive that it created a shockwave 5km across, blowing away any and all who were in its vicinity. In the middle of this, Rocks and Harald stood alone and seemingly equal, with black lightning emanating from the clash that confirmed both these legendsas users of Conqueror’s Haki.
The single panel that showed Harald to be a user of this rare power, on top of being the strongest descendant of the Ancient Giants that we have ever seen, confirms that he is on the same level as the most legendary characters inOne Piece. So great was his strength that, for years, Rocks sent him invitations to join his crew, showing that Xebec recognized and valued his strength greatly.
So, How Did Harald Die If He Was Such A Powerful Character?
A Tragic Twist
The Elbaf flashback showed that Harald earned the title of best monarch in Elbaf’s history, and it wasn’t just something that people called him for no reason. Harald valued diplomacy with Elbaf’s neighbors above all else, devoting his life to changing the image of his country as a bloodthirsty nation of savages, which ended up with him gaining fame around the world. However, this also likely caughtthe attention of Imu and the World Government.
Although it’s still unconfirmed, many believe that Imu proposed the option for Elbaf to be brought into the fold of the World Government, which Harald may have initially accepted. However, as the previous chapters of this arc have shown, there seems to have been an underlying clause, which many have taken to mean that Imu wanted to use this partnership to ensure the allegiance of the Giants for the Final War, which Harald eventually caught on to. Because of this, Imu assassinated the king by turning his guard into their personal puppets.
