The world of One Piece is already quite well known for its wacky character designs and complete disdain for any sense of scale. Some of the franchise's most recognizable characters such as the likes of Whitebeard, Bartholomew Kuma, Kaido, or Big Mom are several times the size of a normal human. However, there is a race of beings whose immense proportions dwarf even dwarf those of the aforementioned individuals — the giants of Elbaf. After the initial reveal of the Marine vice admiral John Giant during the Arlong Park Arc, they were first properly introduced in the Little Garden arc of the Alabasta Saga in the form of the two monstrous warriors Dorry and Brogy, who were engaged in an unending battle to the death over an argument that had taken place nearly a century prior to the events of the main story.
Over time, the prominence of this race of oversized humanoid individuals began to grow, with many more among their number playing a major part as the story progressed. With One Piece entering its final saga after the conclusion of the Yonko Saga with the Wano Country Arc, there are strong hints that the Straw Hat's next destination will be giants' homeland Elbaf following their time on Egghead Island. Shanks' recent reintroduction to the story further serves to reinforce this, where fans have now been given an indication of his stature on the island. As all roads now point toward the home of the giants, here is a look at what this proud and honorable race of individuals are all about.
Origins And Inspiration
As in the case of most of the other islands the Straw Hats have paid visits to, Elbaf also has its roots in an actual region in the world and its associated culture. Where Arabasta was based on the Middle East, Dressrosa on Spain and the Mediterranean, and finally, Wano on Japan, Elbaf has some fairly obvious nods to Norse mythology and Scandinavia. From the Viking-inspired character designs of the giants to the massive longships they use to traverse the seas in the world of One Piece, there is no shortage of references to the culture of medieval Scandinavia. Another particularly relevant point in this regard revolves around the culture of the giants who reside on Elbaf.
Despite being a fairly peaceful society who seldom interfere in matters related to the World Government, the giants have a strong sense of honor and dream of meeting death on the battlefield that is marked by an act of valor. They also believe that any other end is shameful, which is the source of the island's hatred for Charlotte Linlin now known as Big Mom, who killed the elder giant hero by thrashing him with his own beard. Dueling is also the primary method to settle any quarrel between two giants, and it is almost inevitably a battle to the death that determines who is innocent or guilty in the conflict. The island even had its own pirate crew dubbed the Giant Warrior Pirates, formerly led by Jorul and Jarul who passed on their mantles to Dorry and Brogy until the latter duo's longstanding feud was ignited which led to the crew's disbandment.
However, certain giants that reside in parts outside Elbaf do not subscribe to this warmongering way of life, as in the case of Jaguar D. Saul, who described the country's culture as "barbaric." Giants also engage in a celebration titled the Winter Solstice Festival marked by 12 days of fasting followed by a period of feasting. Aside from the Giants of Elbaf, two other tribes of giants, the Ancient Giant Tribe that Oars and Little Oars Jr. belong to, and the Yeti Cool Brothers have been shown in the story, but there is little information about their history or true nature.
Towering Above The Rest
Large humans are quite common in One Piece, with many prominent figures such as Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido rising to nearly 4 or 5 times the size of a regular human. However, giants eclipse even these individuals with their sheer size and strength, reaching heights that range from 12 meters to 23 meters. The only exception to this might be Sanjuan Wolf, who reaches a colossal 180 meters in height, on par with many of the largest buildings yet seen in the series, even though this might have more to do with his Devil Fruit than his lineage and genetics.
Giants live far longer than humans, with the average lifespan extending to almost three times that of a normal human. This also significantly exceeds the lifetime of any other race, which has many ramifications on a giant's own perception of time. Whereas a normal human would balk at the thought of devoting decades to a single endeavor or task, this period of time would be but a fleeting moment to a giant. Although the rate at which they age is only moderately slower than that of a human during the initial years of their lives, this decelerates even further on reaching maturity.
For instance, Hajrudin, a giant from Elbaf introduced during the Dressrosa Arc is said to be in his early 80s and yet, he is still in his physical prime with no signs of graying hair or wrinkles. The oldest giants yet seen in the story are Jorul and Jarul who resemble elderly men, having reached ages that exceed 300 years. Much like in humans, giants to tend to become more frail and prone to injury in the twilight years of their lives, as seen in the case of Jorul, who died from the injuries he sustained at the hands of a young Charlotte Linlin. Interestingly, this longevity could also play a part in how the giants could help the Straw Hats piece together the true history and find out more about the Void Century.
A Force To Be Reckoned With
Both due to their fearsome size and strength as well as their fierce fighting spirit and prowess in combat, giants are formidable warriors. The World Government both exploits and lives in fear of their combined might. The former scenario can be seen in instances such as when Oimo and Kashii were used to guard the gates of Enies Lobby, or through the giants who have become high-ranking officers in the Marines. On the other hand, the government is wary of the pitfalls of picking a fight with the warriors of Elbaf, with many among their number who are more than capable of taking down entire fleets of battleships almost single-handedly. This is plain to see during the Ohara Incident, where Jaguar D. Saul took down a number of battleships responding to the Marines' Buster Call all on his own.
Members of the giants can easily withstand cannon fire and strong explosive attacks, suffering only minor injuries. Even when knocked down by such attacks, they seldom stay down for very long, and possess immense durability in every sphere. This is also one of the main reasons why the World Government has been conducting experiments into gigantification over the years, as a means to create their own army of nigh-on invincible warriors. Alternatively, if Luffy and his crew are able to ally with the giants over the course of One Piece's final saga, there is no doubt that they will play an integral role in turning the tide of the battle against the World Government, and restore balance to the seas.
The only drawback to their size and strength comes in the form of them being easy targets and requiring considerable space to move. Hence, even if the advantages of fighting alongside giants far outnumber the disadvantages, there are still a few areas and situations where they are more susceptible to defeat than other races. With the Straw Hats soon to be on their way to the homeland of this proud and immensely powerful tribe of warriors, the stage is set for Luffy to take what could be one of the most important steps in his journey to becoming the next Pirate King.