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One of the main roles present in almost every singleOne Piecestory arc is that of the ‘good’ monarch. This story has always dealt with the abuse of power and the difference between a good ruler and a bad one, the former of which has been evidenced by some of the greatest side characters in the entire story. Oftentimes, these characters are among the most important in the world.
The most notable examples of this are King Cobra, Riku, and Neptune, as the rulers of powerful nations who want nothing more than for their people to prosper. However, as good as these characters are, it seems thatOne Piece’sElbaf arc has just introduced another character to fit into this archetype who may bethe greatest king of them all. So, let’s take a look at why this is.
Story Arc
Elbaf
Especially during the showings of the Reverie, fans reinforced their belief in the best rulers in all ofOne Piece. King Cobra and King Riku were at the forefront of this meeting, pushing legislation to dissolve the Warlord system of the World Government due to both of them suffering greatly at thehands of Crocodile and Doflamingorespectively. It has always been explained that these two were kind and benevolent sovereigns.
They aren’t the only examples, since Dalton and King Neptune also come to mind as good rulers over a land who tend to prioritize the needs of the many before their own desires. Even a passing comment from Brook revealed that the Nefeltari line, in general, has always been said to be benevolent rulers of Alabasta, and that the people of that country never complained about them. Although all of these characters have deliberately been set up by Oda as the best rulers of today, King Harald takes the win as the best overall.
That’s a portrait of King Harald! The man who tried to form peaveful bonds with the outside world. Said to be Elbaf’s strongest king.
Born into the Royal Line of Elbaf, Harald actually started his journey as an impetuous and ill-tempered man who simply didn’t care for the weak. However, his chance meeting with a Giant from a different land named Ida changed his perspective, since she revealed to him that those who seemed weak to him actually had a lot more to show and provide than just strength. This opened a new perspective in Harald’s mind, since he found out that the strength he boasted was simply granted to him by birth, and that the lack of it doesn’t equate to someone’s value.
From here, Harald would devote his entire life to changing the image of Elbaf, the residents of which were of the same mindset as he used to be due to their inherent strength over the other races of the world. He encouraged trade and forming alliances with other nations so that Elbaf would not only be a peaceful place, but also so that Elbaf itself would be helped in times of desperation.
Eventually, his efforts would pay off. A few years after Loki’s birth, the country was hit by an especially cruel winter which stayed for a very long time and devastated much of Elbaf’s crops and social fabric. Because of this, a sort of civil war broke out on the island, with everyone fighting tooth and nail to get resources for themselves, leading to a lot of unrest, violence, and superstition.Some even wanted to kill Hajrudinas a sacrifice for what had been happening, saying that it was all his brother Loki’s fault.
However, after decades of learning from others and helping out the residents of outside countries, Harald’s diplomacy bore fruit, as all of his allies sent many ships full of all kinds of provisions to help out Elbaf in the time of its greatest need, showing just how great of a ruler Harald truly was. He has always been portrayed as someone who wanted to change Elbaf into a nation of peace and cooperation with its neighbors, devoting his entire life and success purely to his country instead of hoarding power for himself, as far too many rulers have.
The Tragic End Of The Greatest Monarch That Elbaf Ever Had
Imu’s Influence Was Too Great
King Harald’s death was largely a mystery. It has been confirmed that he was the greatest ruler that Elbaf ever had, but the most popular theory regarding him is that, at one point, he came into contact with Imu. With Chapter 1155, it has more or less been confirmed that Imu likely brought Harald and Elbaf into the fold of the World Government, but alwayswanted control of the Giantsdue to how great of an asset they would be in the Final War.
However, Harald likely caught onto this, leading to him breaking Elbaf off from this control to ensure the safety of his people. Of course, Imu didn’t like that and probably sent the Gods' Knights to deal with him. Currently, the truth behind Harald’s death remains a mystery, but the brief showing of it implies that Imu may have used Domi Reversi on the royal guards, which made them stab and kill Elbaf’s greatest king.
