The Elbaph arc of One Piece has revealed quite a lot of information about the history of the world, including the Void Century and some powerful Devil Fruit users from it. Thanks to the Harley, Oda has dove deep into history, but more than that, the lore of this country also sheds some light on entities that existed long ago in the past, such as the Nidhoggr. Thanks to the existence of Nidhoggr, as well as Imu's deep connection to the beast, it has now been established that the Void Century saw this dragon soar in the skies hundreds of years ago.
How Imu's Nidhoggr Connection Shows Its Appearance In The 100-Year Void
One Piece Chapter 1175 established a deep connection between Imu and the Nidhoggr dragon. When Loki emerged from the Underworld of Elbaph, he started wreaking havoc in the Sun World almost immediately. Loki was able to crush Saint Sommers and, at the same time, destroy the vast majority of the MMA that were running amok in Elbaph. However, Imu was clearly not fazed by Loki's abilities. Imu even faced up to the Nidhoggr, stating that it was about time they found out where the Nidhoggr was.
The way Imu spoke about the Nidhoggr felt as if they had a deep history. In fact, it can be said without a shadow of a doubt that Imu and Nidhoggr have some history. Ever since the conclusion of the war, the sovereign of the world has been searching for this ability, which means that the Nidhoggr was active at some point during the Void Century.
"To think that I would see you again in this world, Nidhoggr, you traitor. And snow, ah, indeed. Lightning, caused by impact with ice. Your affinity for one another was always great, Ragnir!" - Nerona Imu highlights the synergy between Loki and Ragnir, One Piece Chapter #1182
Who Held The Nidhoggr Ability In The Void Century?
Imu having a history with the Nidhoggr means that this ability must have been active in the Void Century. If the God of War of Elbaph died thousands of years ago, then Imu would not have known the Nidhoggr at all. This is simply down to the fact that immediately after the Nidhoggr died, the Ratatoskr’s soul resided in Ragnir and started defending the legendary Devil Fruit of the country ever since.
Loki is only the second user of the Nidhoggr Devil Fruit, meaning that the God of War must have been alive up until the Void Century. As such, Imu and the former God of War of Elbaph must have had some history and could even have clashed long ago.
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Why Elbaph Hid The Lightning Dragon From The World's Ruler
After the death of the God of War, the Devil Fruit wielding the powers of the Nidhoggr was hidden by the Elbaph Giants. As to why that is the case, the reason is rather simple: allowing this power to fall into the hands of the World Government would bring forth catastrophic consequences. In fact, Imu already tried to do that once with King Harald, and again, later on, with Loki. Clearly, Imu has been after this Devil Fruit just as much as he's been after the power of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika.
And now, Ragnir, after an eternity of standing guard over the fruit, has finally chosen Loki! — Jarul, One Piece 1175
As such, he either wants to ally with the Nidhoggr or prevent its resurgence into the world. In either case, Imu failed at doing that because Elbaph protected this Devil Fruit incredibly well over the years. By guarding it for centuries, Elbaph essentially ensured the return of the God of War 14 years ago, when Loki went on to consume this Devil Fruit. Now, he has taken up arms against Imu.
How Loki Will Fulfill The Will Of The God of War
Clearly, the God of War of Elbaph was not able to create a new world order, just as Sun God Nika and Joy Boy previously failed to establish a free world. That is precisely why the concept of inherited will exists in the world of One Piece. Their will was passed down through their abilities and has now been inherited by the next generation, currently being led by Luffy and Loki. Luffy is the current Sun God Nika of the world, while Loki is the current Nidhoggr.
Just as Luffy will fulfill the will of D., Loki will fulfill the will of the God of War and bring forth a new era, not just for Elbaph but for the whole world. Loki will destroy the current world order and, along with Luffy, create a free world where the powerful don't prey on the powerless.
