One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 563: Loki's Taunt!

Laughter echoed from the depths of darkness.

Laughter pierced the darkness and reached the ears of everyone present.

Luffy stopped moving.

Haldin's giant warhammer hovered in mid-air.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and froze in place.

The passageway fell into dead silence.

Loki stopped laughing.

He sensed the current situation through his Observation Haki!

His eyes were fixed on Halding outside, his gaze filled with disdain. It was a condescending look down upon him.

Loki opened his mouth randomly.

He mocked his brother outside.

"My foolish brother, you're still so foolish."

Loki's tone was full of disdain. He sized up Haldin from a distance.

"Look at yourself now."

"Are you so scared that you can't even hold your weapon steady?"

Your hands are shaking.

Loki continued to mock him.

Haildin's thick arms were indeed trembling.

Loki continued his verbal attack, mocking Halding's weakness.

"Who are you trying to scare by holding up that piece of scrap metal?"

"You don't even have the courage to look me in the eye anymore?"

This statement completely ignited Haildin's passion.

Haildin's sanity collapsed.

I was instantly enraged!

Thick, blue veins throbbed wildly down his neck. He suddenly took a step forward.

He roared in Loki's direction.

"Shut up!"

Hailding's voice was piercing his throat.

He gripped the handle of the warhammer tightly.

"You heartless bastard!"

"You murdered your father with your own hands!"

"You slaughtered hundreds of your people!"

Hajrudin hurled accusations at Loki, each word dripping with deep-seated hatred.

His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was standing on end. He cursed Loki as a demon.

"You have absolutely no right to speak here!"

"You don't even deserve to breathe the air of Elbaf!"

"You only deserve to rot in this dark, godforsaken place!"

Hajrudin was so enraged he almost killed Loki. Three heavily wounded warriors glared at him from behind.

They raised their tattered, heavy black iron shields. The shields slammed violently into the ground.

The roar mingled with Hajrudin's furious cry. This was the rage of the entire giant race. The killing intent materialized and crashed towards Loki.

An angry sonic wave erupted within the passage.

It cannot withstand narrow, enclosed spaces.

Usopp let out a pitiful scream. He covered his ears in agony, pressing his hands tightly against them.

His legs buckled and he collapsed to the ground. Tears streamed down his face. His eardrums felt like they were about to burst.

Chopper was in an even worse situation. He was shaken so badly that he rolled around on the ground in pain.

It clutched its head tightly with its two little hooves. Its tiny body curled up into a tight ball. Chopper let out a terrified whimper.

Franky extended his thick mechanical arm. He stood in front of Usopp and Chopper.

The robotic arm swiftly deployed a small energy shield. Sound waves struck the shield, producing a piercing scraping sound. The shield's surface flickered with an unstable blue light.

Nami closed her eyes in pain.

Only Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji remained standing ramrod straight. He gripped the black key tightly in his hand. The brim of his hat obscured his eyes.

Loki heard the angry curses coming from inside the gate. He was not intimidated by the overwhelming rage at all.

He burst out laughing. The laughter grew louder and louder.

The laughter was extremely unrestrained, revealing utter madness.

He violently shook his massive body, which was bound by chains.

The dark metal chains were being pulled violently. Dozens of thick chains collided wildly.

Loki laughed maniacally. He was completely oblivious to the excruciating pain.

The chains were deeply embedded in his body. Blood dripped continuously from the cold chains, pooling into dark red puddles on the floor.

But he still laughed wildly.

He laughed at Haildin's ignorance. He laughed at the stupidity of all Elbaf.

The maniacal laughter forcefully drowned out the roars of Halding and the others.

Suddenly! Loki abruptly stopped shaking violently.

He suddenly stretched out his enormous hand and gripped the thickest main chain tightly.

A terrifying force erupted instantly. The chains taut and straightened.

The unrestrained laughter abruptly stopped.

The entire underworld instantly fell into absolute silence.

Loki's tone turned icy cold. The temperature in the entire Underworld plummeted instantly.

He stared intently into Halding's eyes.

"That's just one side of the story from that old man, Yaruru."

"You really believe that much?"

Loki coldly retorted.

He ruthlessly questioned Haldin's judgment. He questioned the rulings that the entire tribe regarded as ironclad laws.

There was no anger in his voice. Only endless mockery and sorrow.

Loki gave Halding no chance to breathe, continuing to exert pressure with words.

"You are the prince of Elbaf."

"You should have led this country to glory."

"But you can't even think with your own brain."

Loki ruthlessly tore apart Haldin's dignity, mocking his brother's pathetic blind obedience.

"Believe whatever Aruru says."

"Don't take an answer given to you as the truth."

"You don't even bother to verify the truth behind it."

"You're like a blind puppet."

"If someone pulls the string, you obediently move it."

Loki's words were sharp, belittling Haldin to nothing.

They accused Halding of completely abandoning his ability to think and handing over the fate of the nation to absurd lies.

Loki chuckled coldly and shook his head in the darkness. The taut chains clanged again.

His eyes were filled with pity as he looked at Hajrudin. That condescending pity was more hurtful than any harsh rebuke; it shattered the warrior's pride.

Haildin was struck where it hurt by the sharp question. His heart clenched.

The massive arm holding the warhammer aloft froze in mid-air. The warhammer's enormous shadow hovered above Luffy's head.

Halding's breathing was erratic. He stared intently at the crack in the dark bronze door. Struggle and hesitation flickered in his eyes.

The bloody night ten years ago replayed wildly in my mind.

He recalled his father's contorted face on his deathbed. He recalled Elder Aruru's evasive judgment.

The verdict does indeed contain too many unexplained doubts.

Loki possessed overwhelming power at the time.

Although he was captured by Shanks and the entire Giant race!

Why did he so strongly and willingly choose to be chained and nailed to the deepest part of the underworld?

Why didn't he say a word in his own defense?

Haildin's conviction began to crack. His strong body swayed slightly in place.

The doubt was real. His fingers, gripping the warhammer, unconsciously loosened their hold by an inch.

Was I wrong?

Did she really misunderstand her younger brother?

The giant warrior behind Haldin noticed something amiss.

I saw that Haildin was falling into self-doubt.

A look of terror flashed in the soldier's eyes. He immediately raised his voice and shouted a warning.

"Prince Halding!"

"Never listen to Loki's lies!"

"He's a complete madman!"

"He's deliberately trying to confuse you!"

"Think of your dead king and brothers!"

The warrior's fierce roar pulled Haldin back to reality.

Halding shivered violently.

He forcefully suppressed the dangerous doubts in his heart, completely eradicating the fatal wavering.

We must not back down at this time.

There are still enemies outside who are frantically slaughtering their people.

He must hold the last line of defense at all costs.

Hajrudin stared wide-eyed, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the Straw Hats and the others, maintaining their defensive stance.

The black lightning bolts on the warhammer leaped wildly once more. He made his stance clear to Loki with the most forceful gesture.

Loki completely ignored all reactions from the outside world.

He didn't care that Halding would pick up the broken metal again. Nor did he care that the nameless warrior was shouting madly.

He stood in the deepest darkness.

The faint light from the darkness illuminated half of his face.

He grinned, revealing a cruel, cold smile.

Loki watched through the darkness as his foolish kin stood ready for battle outside.

His gaze pierced through Halding's massive frame. He uttered a cold, detached sentence.

"Want to know how the old man died?"