One Piece: Loki's flashback proves how strong Kaido truly was

Within creator, author, and illustrator Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga series, there are several characters who clearly stand out as some of the story’s most powerful. Two names that should quickly come to mind for manga readers weekly with the series are the ex-Yonko Kaido, the Beast Pirates’ captain, and the Accursed Prince of Elbaph, Loki.

While fans haven’t seen the two characters directly interact in the series, chapter 1145 recently confirmed that they each crossed paths with a legendary pirate. This is of course Rocks D. Xebec, whom Loki met as a child and wanted to join the crew of. However, Xebec rejected this offer, and even brutally beat Loki in a fight. The young Giant requested to gain entry to the crew.

What’s significant about this One Piece flashback is that Loki would’ve been at a similar age to Kaido when the latter was personally invited to join Rocks' pirate crew. While Loki was considered a child and Kaido a teenager given differences in race, it’s nonetheless confusing why one would be scouted and the other brutally rejected.

Although the manga has yet to provide an official answer as of this article’s writing, there’s one logical conclusion that many fans have understandably come to. Even with how impressive Loki was, is, and will continue to be as a warrior, he may still fall short relative to Kaido considering this key difference in their stories.

Loki’s flashback with Rocks D. Xebec teases Kaido as still being One Piece’s benchmark of strength

Obviously, the above One Piece flashback and how differently Xebec treated young Loki and young Kaido is the biggest piece of evidence in this conclusion. It would also explain why Xebec was so violent in his fight with Loki, potentially wanting to prove a point. This may also explain Whitebeard’s reprehension of Xebec for being so cruel with Loki, possibly unusually so.

Also supporting the idea that Kaido is stronger than Loki is the fact that Shanks, also a Yonko, was the one to actually defeat and imprison Loki for Elbaph. As someone on a comparable level of strength to Kaido, his victory over Loki further suggests a gap between the Accursed Prince and Kaido, an ex-Yonko himself.

Kaido’s own words from One Piece’s Wano Arc about Haki transcending all also support this theory. Throughout Loki’s introduction, much of the emphasis of his strength was placed on the “legendary Devil Fruit” he allegedly m*rdered his father, King Harald, for. Yet what hasn’t been mentioned or shown in the series as of this article’s writing is Loki’s Haki abilities.

Should Loki not be able to use Conqueror’s Haki specifically, this would further widen the gap between him and Kaido. Likewise, Kaido’s claim that Haki transcends all would add a further gap between the pair; regardless of how strong Loki’s Devil Fruit is, Kaido’s own words suggest that as a skilled general Haki user and Conqueror’s Haki wielder, he remains the stronger one.

Final thoughts

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While there is legitimate evidence for this theory, it is nevertheless speculative given that Loki and Kaido have yet to be confirmed as having clashed thus far. Likewise, all fans can do to compare them is contrast their feats and abilities shown as of this article’s writing. However, doing so clearly suggests Kaido to be the stronger of the two One Piece characters, and by a sizable margin.

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