A Fragment: The Geography of Elbaf, Explained

This article contains spoilers from the Elbaf arc of One Piece.

Key takeaways

• Oda fully unveils Elbaf, displaying a giant tree called Yggdrasil.
• Elbaf has three levels inspired by Norse mythology – Niflheim, Midgard and Asgard.
• The different levels of Elbaf are inhabited by different people with unique cultures, hinting at rich world building.

a piece It finally marked the start of the Elbaf arc, and fans couldn't be more excited, especially since the arc has now been 25 years in the making. By far, it is a piece The most anticipated arc was first teased in the Little Garden section of the story. Now, the Straw Hat Pirates have finally set foot in Elbaf's land, and fans get to explore it thoroughly in One Piece chapter 1130, with Luffy and his Eastern Blue recruits, along with a helicopter.

Towards the end of the chapter, fans also got to see a proper glimpse of what Elbaf actually looks like, and it's safe to say that this Warland has surpassed all of fans' expectations. Finally, the complete geography of Elbaf is explained by Oda, and it certainly seems to be just as interesting.

Elbaf is finally revealed in a fragment chapter 1130

• Warland Elbaf was fully unveiled by Oda
• Above it the giant tree Yggdrasil towers

a piece Chapter 1130 introduced fans to Elbaf's designs. Technically, Elbaf didn't debut a piece With Chapter 1130. The first glimpse of Elbaf was given to fans throughout the Cake Island arc, most notably in Big Mom's flashback. This flashback takes fans back to Elbaf many years ago, when Big Mom was still a baby. There, a village in Elbaf was revealed to fans, however, Oda made sure to keep large parts of the country under silhouette, and at the same time, made sure not to reveal major details from the land.

Everything here is so huge! – Nami

The only thing fans discovered in Big Mom's flashbacks was that there was a village in Elbaf where the giants lived and that the village also housed two of the country's elders, Zarul and Zorul. Elbaf is seen again in the story, especially in the final saga, when the child reaches its shores. There, his entire ship was sunk by Shanks and his allies. Once again, fans only got a small glimpse of what Elbaf really looked like, and Oda quickly moved on from the scene. Now, finally, Oda has decided to fully reveal what Elbaf really is, and a piece Chapter 1130 gave fans a proper look at this country on the final page.

Oda revealed to Elbaf that there was a huge mountainous piece of land with a large tree running straight up. Above this tree is another tree, with waterfalls cascading down from above, and a large sword stuck directly inside. Obviously, design-wise, the Elbaf is absolutely fantastic. It might be one of the most incredible-looking countries in the world of One Piece, but it's not the country's appearance that amazes fans. The fact is that Elbaf's geography plays a huge role in how this arc will be structured, and fans can't wait to see more of it.

The giant tree of Elbaf – Yggdrasil

A giant tree shapes the entire Elbaf

Quite simply, the most important thing in the land of Elbaf is the great tree, possibly called Yggdrasil. This is the World Tree that flows through Elbaf. In fact, it covers almost 90% of the entire country, that's how vast it is. The World Tree houses life in Elbaf. It was confirmed in a piece Chapter 1130, after the Straw Hat Pirates appeared on the second level of Elbaf, and began to move towards the third level. This essentially explains the fact that different levels of Elbaf inhabit different people, and they have a specific purpose. The World Tree Yggdrasil holds all life together on Elbaf, and its importance to humans and their culture is probably paramount. So far, fans have seen three different levels in Elbaf. All three of them may have been inspired by the Norse mythical tree Yggdrasil, which has many levels.

If something happens to the World Tree, it's the end of the world!

Level 1: Probably based on Niflheim

The base of Elbaf, which essentially consists of rocky mountains, snowy regions and plains, is probably based on Niflheim. It is known as a very cold, dark and gloomy place ruled by the goddess Hel. Of course, one fragment does not clearly confirm this place name for Niflheim. However, it is clearly inspired. When Luffy jumped down the hill from the castle a piece Chapter 1130, it was shown the snow-covered and jagged mountains, the living conditions there seemed very extreme. Loki, Prince of Elbaf, also known as the Cursed Prince, was locked in this level. It was revealed to fans there that Loki, once freed, would go on to destroy the entire world. It's not clear how things will progress at this level, but fans know for a fact that Oda will expand on this a lot.

At the same time, fans also know that there are parts of this level of Elbaf that are not covered in snow and possibly even more villages. For example, a village that is a big mother, probably resides on this level, so it can be believed that there are different regions with different climates and slightly different cultures on this level as well.

Level 2: Probably based in Midgard

The second level is essentially at the top of the first tree, and there, fans haven't seen much yet. But, through the scene, it is clear that there is a huge city above, and it seems to be where many Elbaf residents live. After Luffy and the Straw Hats were freed from the detention center, they continued across the huge bridge that connected to the second level above. Right now, fans don't know much about this level of Elbaf. It's obviously incredibly vast, and like the first level, it's probably several areas that, although connected to each other, have completely different climates.

Many different people probably inhabit these areas. Interestingly, in Norse mythology, this area is called Midgard, and it is where men live, there are also some settlements of Gods. Interestingly, fans know that some people also live in Elbaf that are not monsters. This was confirmed when Shanks was seen running out to save Elbaf and a bunch of people surrounded him. Perhaps, they live somewhere in Midgard. At the very least, fans know that different people exist in the land of Elbaf.

Level 3: Probably based on Asgard

There is another one on top of the first tree, and it almost seems to be a continuation of the same tree. This tree spreads over the entire country, and its top is actually hidden in the clouds. It is very likely that the top of the tree is where Elbaf's royalty resides. The castle of King Harald, who was murdered by his own son, Loki, is probably up in the clouds. There are also many waterfalls that flow from the upper level to the lower level, and then directly to the sea or different parts of the mountain area to the first level.

In Norse mythology, the top level, also known as Asgard, is where the gods reside. This means that characters like Loki are technically from this region, and since Hazruddin is his brother, he is also from there. King Harald and the rest of his family may also be located there. If Elbaf has other characters inspired by divine figures, they are also there. The most important part of Elbaf is going to be the top, and fans can't wait to see what's in there. Hopefully, the next few chapters a piece This will be made clear to fans, and Elbaf, along with its world-building, will be explored further.

A piece is available to read through Viz Media. Series fans can officially read it for free on the Shonen Jump and Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1131 is set for November 11, 2024.