The Giants would know…

[ketwaroo]

well, here's an old theory of mine.

dunno if you've heard of it before.

Giants can live about 3 times the lifetime of a normal human. And the Void Century occured roughly 800 years before current events in One Piece.

but there are out of the norm humans who can live well past 140 years old. eg Dr. Kureha(and she's quite young) so it's not too unreasonable to assume that there are giants who can live well past their normal expiry date.

why not a 900 year old giant, saavy?

so I theorise that there is a giant on Elbaf, probably a patriarch or a matriarch(who knows, there may be female giants too) who actually lived through the Void Century. An actual living eye witness to the events of the time.

that would probably give Nico Robin an orgasm.

And even if there are no giants that old, The Void Century is only a minimum of 3 generations back. so it's very likely that there are some of written or oral record of the events.

And since its very unlikely that a great warrior country like Elbalf would waste their time with the likes of the World Government, their records if any would be independent and most likely unaltered…

[FireFistAce 0]

You know, I had an idea relating to this a long time ago. You actually may be on to something.

Considering how easy it is to fool the Giants, however, I doubt they really care much about history. I also think they're being suppressed.

Ever hear the old story of Momotaro? It was about a Boy born from a Peach. With a Red Dog, Yellow Monkey, and Blue Pheasant he defeated the Ogres of Ogre Island and became a hero.

This is similar to what I think happened to the giants. They're being suppressed. While the Gyojin have Jimbei's protection, the Giants aren't so lucky.

[ketwaroo]

yeah. giants are honest. but not necessarily gullible.

and while mangaka may inspire themselves out of folklore and mythology, it's not very prudent to assume they will follow a story to the letter.

damn, i actually know of that story. but from a long long time ago. I had almost forgotten.

but yeah, i'd like to think that the great warriors of Elbaf can't be tamed by WG. I mean, it might be easy for the WG to trick or trap a couple of lone giants. but a entire nation of them?

It's true that Saul did not know about the poneglyphs or the Void Century. But it might be that there are some more sholarly giants on Elbaf.

[Sigalovski]

Surpressed by who? I doubt it is the Marine, since we've seen that they have had giants at high ranks. The former Vice Admiral Giant that saved Robbin ( can't remember his name) as one example, but they may have changed their view because of that incident.

20 years have passed since the incident, and tons of stuff happens in 20 years.

[Cr4zy]

It could also just be in a History text book.

[Impel Down]

The only "History textbooks" of the blank Century are the poneglyphs, which, as you may remember, are banned by the WG. They are quite obviously covering something up about the Blank Century. But I don't think the giants either care about the BC or can live long enough. Three times a human lifespan is no where near 800 years.

[ketwaroo]

maybe for an exceptionally old giant.

or at least there may be some kind of record in the giant's culture.

lets do the math:

1 human = approx 80 years

so a giant =240 yrs

a healthy human == 100 years
giant==300years

so there's an average of 280 years in a lifespan of a giant

so worst case, giants have an oral tradition.

average generation of giants for story to travel == 140 yrs (parent giant tells child giant)
max == 280 yrs (grand parent tells tale to grand child giant)

so we have a between 3 to 6 generations from Void Century to current events.
which is very little.

even if there are only rumors or legends left in the giant's folklore, to an archaeologist like Nico Robin that may be enough to figure out much of the puzzle.

best case scenario: Giants have a written system of keeping history and are systematic about recording the events about happening in and around their country.

during the war back in that lost century, with weapons like pluton and poseidon being used, the giants must have tried to keep records of what was happening around them.

[Angel emfrbl]

Considering the cultural influences on the Giant of Elbaf come from viking origin… Vikings had written text... But beyond stories and events of their day, their is little to say they had a history intereast. Very few people in OP appear intereasted in history, few know of the name void century. Fewer know any stuff from it.

Beyond folklore and stories, you'll probaberly find the giants will have no history beyodn a few generations, ending just before 800 years.

Remeber Tree of knowledge = had books of histories from around the world and yet nothing on Void Century outside one lump of solid rock they found.

[Kranimal]

@Fire Fist:

You know, I had an idea relating to this a long time ago. You actually may be on to something.

Considering how easy it is to fool the Giants, however, I doubt they really care much about history. I also think they're being suppressed.

Ever hear the old story of Momotaro? It was about a Boy born from a Peach. With a Red Dog, Yellow Monkey, and Blue Pheasant he defeated the Ogres of Ogre Island and became a hero.

This is similar to what I think happened to the giants. They're being suppressed. While the Gyojin have Jimbei's protection, the Giants aren't so lucky.

Oh my…. That story was new to me, this could imply that the three admirals have probably done something to elbaf, because... the 4 giants we have seen, its been a while since they went back to elbaf right??

Like when they finally return, they dont find a warrior country, but something else, that is quite the opposite....

[onemoment]

This idea may be why Robin made friends with a giant so early in her life. Near the end of the series, maybe one scholarly giant friend may give her advice or answers for her goal.

[Kranimal]

Speaking of giants, we haven't seen one with a DF-ability!! Wonder what that would be like

[Chlodwig Shillingsfürst]

When it comes to the cultural inspiration, I'm beginning to wonder exactly how inspired Oda was of vikings, and how inspired Oda was of the popular cultural deception of vikings. First of all, thw vikings did NOT have horn on their helmets. Of course, that's nothing new to, anyone at all…
Secondly, non of the giants's names that have appeard so far sounds even remotely Scandinavian.

But anyway, if you're still interested in going with this whole Norse Mythology thing when forming your Elbaf-theories, then you might want to know that in the stories of the Norse gods, the Gods were not immortal, and relied upon eating magical apples in order to remain in their youths. The Goddess who provided the Gods with these divine apples was a girl named Idun. One day, however, Idun was tricked by the evil God Loke into leaving Asgård, and came into the hostility of the Giant Tjatse, who stole her apples.

Of course, I doubt Oda knows this any better then I knows of old Japanese Mythology. And if you want further reliance on why that story gives you nothing, then it should be said that afterwords the Gods got their apples back and the giants's eyes were thrown up into the sky, creating the stars.

But who knows? Maybe there exists some magic apples on Elbaf, reserved for their King or somebody...

This Robin-Giant-Friend-thing, by the way. I would say that it sounds a bit improbable. Saul looked down upon the "barbarians of Elbaf", and claimed that he was different. I would guess that the Elbaf-giants are a bit more brutal, and viking-ish in style.

[Angel emfrbl]

Saul was also a D… We can't forget that. He wasn't no ordinary giant.

[ketwaroo]

maybe there is some giant blood in all the Ds. hat would explain their great strength.

well. the giants of Elbaf may be barbaric. but they are a warrior nation. and warrior just loove to brag about their exploits. some even become legend.

The Elbafians would simply cherish the tales of their great(pun intented) ancestors as they battled against their great foes during the void century.

100 years is nothing in the live of 1 giant. what's 800 years in the lives of a whole island of them?

but i'm still holding to my 800+ year old giant. that would be a very odaish sort of thing to happen…..

[Praxis]

Something we are forgetting that there are other giants then the ones from elbaf. As said by saul. So it isnt unthinkable that there are giants who do science or other persuits. For all we know the guy inventing/studying DF atributes and uses could be a giant.

[Refii]

Actually now that you bring up Saul.. he isn't a giant of Elbaf, so we don't know how long those type of giants live to be.

After all, the reason for Elbaf giants living only to 300 could be due to their warlike culture, in ancient time the average lifespan of a warrior was 30 years.

[gallowsx]

yeah saul is not from elbaf

[ketwaroo]

@Refii:

After all, the reason for Elbaf giants living only to 300 could be due to their warlike culture, in ancient time the average lifespan of a warrior was 30 years.

hmm… that would be the reverse you see...

if you war a lot, you have greater chance of dying. so your life expectency is actually decreased.

so a peaceful giant could probably live longer since he is not getting beaten up by battles all the time.

[Falcon]

The World Government must have done something extreme to wipe out all record of the viod century because one would expect numerous records of such a war torn era to pass down, even amongst humans. Soldiers tend to keep diaries, oral history passed down in secret, etc… Perhaps at that time the World Government possessed a power that is no longer accessible to them, such as a Devil's Fruit user that could blank out people's memories.

[Greg]

Actually now that you bring up Saul.. he isn't a giant of Elbaf, so we don't know how long those type of giants live to be.

Took 16 posts but someone picked up the Idea Torch.

I'm very interested in learning more about what his race of giants might know or what kind of stories they may have passed down.

[Falcon]

Saulo didn't seem to be physologically different from Elbalf giants, just philosophically different.

[Greg]

That's like saying Brits and Caucasian Americans are the share the exact same culture and history.

Go back a few hundred years and maybe some are the same with some others coming from all walks of Europe, but by no means do they share the exact same modern culture.

In this same way, we may find Robin's friend to know some things the others don't…or perhaps...the other way around.

[Falcon]

My point was that the giants all probably have the same lifespan, but merely differ in terms of culture. Just to be clear in case I wasn't.

[Greg]

I totally agree with that. We may find out!