Cover Page: Oni Child Yamato's Golden Harvest Surrogate Pilgrimage, Vol. 22: "A mysterious base deep in Udon"

As the Straw Hat Pirates converse with the Giants, they learn more about Nika and Loki, including that Shanks was the one who caught Loki. Luffy, Zoro and Nami have Road take them to Loki's location to determine if he knows where Shanks is. Meanwhile, the two strangers approach Loki, and are revealed they are there to recruit him to the God's Knights. When Loki refuses, the woman Gunko fights a giant wolf easily, as Loki states he will take all the negative emotions and use it to destroy the world.

Luffy loves the meat Hajrudin got for him as Jarul comments how formidable the moose he hunted is, but Harjrudin states he will gladly risk his life for him. Jarul then tells Luffy that humans do not normally visit the Sun World of Elbaph; they usually think the Underworld is all the country really is and flee in fear of the ferocious animals. Meanwhile, Usopp is telling the Giants how he defeated Oars, who is a legend among the Giants for his viciousness. Other giants are amazed by Jinbe's skin color, though he states there are even more diversely-colored Fish-Men on Fish-Man Island. Some Giants say they want to see a mermaid one day, and Sanji gushes over how beautiful they are, but being surrounded by giant ladies is already setting his heart a flutter, prompting the various women to call him a cutie. Brook is also considered mystery to them since he is a living skeleton.

Nami is surprised that not many Giants have gone out to sea because she thought they were all pirates, just as Road is forced by Gerd to apologize for his earlier rudeness, even though Road seems to have developed masochistic tendencies in the process. Zoro waives it off, but makes it clear had it not been for Usopp, then Road would have died, causing him to fall over in fear while the other Giants laugh at him for not checking the Straw Hats' bounties prior. Even Gerd gives Zoro full permission to kill Road if he pulls a stunt like that again. However, Road does seem to mind seeing Gerd being so cold to him.

Road tries to defend himself saying that he was merely trying to follow the dreams of everyone in Elbaph: to be the Sun God and rule the world. Some Giants retort that the Sun God is not a ruler, but the God of Liberation, but others say he is the God of Destruction, and some the God of Laughter. Eventually a fight breaks out and Jarul explains to Luffy that Elbaph has a religious text called "Harley", and there have been many interpretations of it over the years as no one can properly translate it anymore. According to Harley, the world has actually been destroyed twice in the past, and in each case, Nika has been associated with it. Jarul tells Luffy that regardless of what Nika stands for, one thing they know for sure is that his presence indicates a great change in the world, and that is why those in power fear his arrival and try to erase his existence. Luffy realizes that this is the person Bonney was referring to on Egghead and Jarul describes him, which makes him realize everyone called him Nika when he changes into Gear Fifth, though he still has not connected the dots between Nika and his Devil Fruit.

The Giants tell Luffy that everyone idolized Nika growing up, and Jarul says Loki and Harald attempted to be like him in a sense. Luffy then asks if Loki is a good guy, but the Giants vehemently deny this. They tell him that even before he was born, Harald prophesized he would be killed by his own son, and shortly after Loki was born, he killed the family's lucky horse. The Giants also reveal that was the year Big Mom accidently killed Jorul and since then, Elbaph had been plagued with natural disasters and the loss of their queen. In addition, Loki made the Underworld his personal playground, killing and taming the ferocious animals that live there and then unleashing them onto the village, all when he was ten years old. The worst of Loki's actions was ultimately killing Harald, and Jarul's injury was a result of his attempt to stop him. The Giants then say this all happened about six years ago, and it was Shanks himself to stopped his rampage, which amazes Luffy, even more so when they tell him he was here just not too long ago.

On the outskirts of town, Zoro pulls Luffy off to the side after realizing he had been acting strange and is told of his meeting with Loki. Zoro tells Luffy that everything Loki told him had to have been a lie since everyone in Elbaph hates him, but Luffy really wants to see Shanks again and if Loki can tell him where, he wants to find out, but if he was lying he promises to beat him up. Zoro is not sure himself since he did not meet Loki in person, and ultimately, they decide to check out if what he says is true. Nami joins them so she can guide them as they take a Svarr to the castle to get the keys, but Luffy asks why Road is with them. Nami gleefully tells them that Road is her new servant now as she zapped him again, not that he seemed to mind, though she made it clear that even though they are navigators, he is to not get close to her again. Nami then asks Road if it would be okay if all of the treasure in the castle just "disappeared", and Zoro quickly realizes Nami's true intentions for joining them.

Meanwhile, in the Underworld, the two hooded figures are revealed to be members of the God's Knights, find Loki and try to recruit him to join their ranks. Loki refuses, saying he will not waste the only life he has to be garbage like the World Nobles. The woman, whose name is Gunko, tells her partner that all of the agents they sent to Elbaph to get information on him all disappeared after reporting a giant crow, but now that she has seen him in person, she considers him insolent and deserving to be killed. Gunko's partner, however, warns her not to be hasty, as a giant wolf appears behind them, and Loki commands the wolf to eat them.

To Loki's shock, Gunko easily subdues the wolf by using her clothes, which she unraveled like bandages, to wrap around the wolf's neck and dangling it in the air. Gunko asks Loki if he would reconsider his decision if she spared the wolf, but Loki tells the wolf to die in peace, and though he will be sad and angry, he will not quibble about his way of death, and instead he will channel these negative emotions to destroy the world.

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