Chapter 1169 Summary
Short Summary:
When Harald starts losing control over his body to Imu, he tells the guards to kill him, but his immortality prevents any damage. After Loki and Jarul show up, Harald tells Loki to take Elbaph's legendary Devil Fruit, kill him, and take over the throne. He soon loses control and attacks all of the guards, and stabs Jarul through his helmet, but Shanks and Gaban arrive and stop him from going after Loki. Loki finds the Devil Fruit but is suddenly attacked by Ragnir, which moves on its own.
Detailed Summary
At Gaban's house, Gaban tells Shanks that Roger had a son, having learned this from Garp the last time they met. Shanks happily calls Roger's son his little brother, a sentiment Gaban shares as he considers him and Buggy their sons too. Shanks wonders if Roger's son will become the next Pirate King of his generation, but Gaban informs Shanks that sometimes people with great expectations placed on them will be unable to live up to them, but that is what makes life so enjoyable.
In Aurust Castle, Harald kills the guard he ordered to chain him to the pillar, to the guards and even Harald's own confusion. Harald realizes that his body moved on its own because of the orders Imu gave him, and he begins to fear that whatever orders they give him will change his thoughts forever. As such, Harald comes to see himself as the biggest threat to Elbaph and orders his men to kill him as soon as possible and before he kills everyone else. The guards reluctantly try to and they stab Harald with their weapons, just as Loki and Jarul came into the throne room. To Harald's horror, he sees that he is indeed immortal as the injuries he sustains are healing. In his mind he begs his men to flee and for someone to stop him as he starts striking down everyone around him.
Shanks tells Gaban that he and Harald signed the Shallows Covenant with Imu, but with it, they can only control whoever has it within a certain range. Thanks to that both Shanks and Harald were able to converse freely once out of Mary Geoise, which allowed Harald to confirm his suspicions about Shanks. Shanks then tells Gaban about how Harald said if he were to become a Knight of God, then he would be able to get Elbaph added to the World Government, but Shanks knew that becoming one meant he would get a Depths Covenant, which, according to Shanks, is the source of the knights' incredible strength and immortality and the ability to traverse long distances via the Abyss, but in exchange, Imu will be able to control that person wherever and whenever they want, with the recipient unable to defy their orders. Shanks knew this would happen to Harald if he became a knight and he also knew the World Government would not keep their word because of how greedy they are, and as such, he did not want him to join. Just then, they sensed an incredible Haki from the castle.
Loki and Harald clash as both the former and Jarul demand to know what happened to him. The guards try to mobilize (with some thinking Loki was at fault) as Loki and Jarul restrain Harald. Harald tells Jarul that he made a terrible mistake and begs Loki to listen to him and do as he says, specifically what transpired in the castle and how he did the World Government's dirty bidding based on a lie they told him, and now because of that, he is about to hand Elbaph over to the World Government as slaves in battle. Loki is confused by his father's words as Harald orders Jarul to give their sacred Devil Fruit to Loki, believing it to be the only thing that can stop him. He begs Loki to kill him and tell everyone in Elbaph how he was the worst king they ever had because of what he did, and use it to become a hero in the eyes of their people and become the next king, while also saying he does not care what people think of them afterwards because Elbaph's future was more important.
After telling Loki he is the only one he can trust to do this, Imu's orders corrupt Harald completely and he massacres all of the guards surrounding him before ordering the guards standing outside to seal the gate as there are criminals inside. One guard stabs Harald in the neck and calls him an impostor, but Harald recovers and announces himself as a vassal for "The Great One", and no one will leave this room alive to tell what happened. Jarul tells Loki to get the fruit, and he reluctantly starts running for it as he did not want to lose his ability to swim. Harald, however, wants to eat it now, but Jarul stabs him and reminds Harald that if he were the one to eat it, the world would end. Unfortunately, Harald stabs Jarul in the head with a sword he gave the former long ago, claiming he can have it back now, but Jarul survives.
Harald chases after Loki declaring he will both eat the fruit and take Ragnir for himself, but he is intercepted by Shanks and Gaban. Jarul tells them to stop Harald and Gaban realizes Shanks' worst-case scenario has happened. Shanks tries to get through to Harald but he says he feels superior to all other life thanks to his immortal body, leaving Shanks to wonder how to break control over him. As for Loki, he successfully reaches the legendary Devil Fruit, but just before he can open the chest, Ragnir somehow attacks him on its own, to Loki's confusion.
