Through the fight with Akoiji and Akainu we know that Devil Fruits can change the climate as they did on Punk Hazard
Haredas of Weatheria is from Birka, in his youth he worked on creating Weatheria.
Weatheria developed the Weather Ball and their unique Umbrellas.
Nami asked about weaponizing the Weather Ball and Haredas was mortified. Nami has also been using small Weather Balls to create lightning.
Enel, from Birka, created a giant Weather Ball using the Gora Gora no Mi to destroy Skypeia, presumably he used one to destroy Birka too.
Nobody on Skypeia (that we know of has Devil Fruits EXCEPT for Birkans and Gan Fallβs steed)
The people of Skypeia donβt even seem to know what Devil Fruits are.
Weatheria regularly makes trips to the Grand Line
Weatheria extensively studied Lightning Island
THEORY
I think that thereβs some family connection between Haredas, Enel and Gan Fall which explains why neither of them have wings.
I think in Weatheriaβs exploration of the Grand Line they came into possession of various Devil Fruits and the Gora Gora no Mi and through studying the Gora Gora no Mi, they developed the Weather Ball.
They brought these Devil Fruits back to their homeland of Birka, hence the Birka connection to Devil Fruits.
Urogue is also suspected to be of Birka, he too has a Devil Fruit ability.
At some point either through replicating the Gora Gora no Mi or someone using it, they created the situation of Raijin Island
Raijin Island might be some Island on the Grand Line that was destroyed by Enel which lead to his God Complex but I think differently.
I think Raijin Island is Birka from the Sky.
If Raijin Island is Birka it also gives additional weight to why Weatheria is extensively studying its climate, not only to develop things like the Weather Ball but also how to revert it back to the former Birka.
It also explains why Enel destroyed Birka, for the same reason he wanted to destroy Jaya, to return it back to Earth where it belongs.
It also explains his obsession with going to the Moon, I think Enel saw the Birka of the Sky as a fake Birka and the Birka of the Moon (itβs established that thereβs City of Birka on the Moon) as his rightful home.
This sets up a lot of interesting parallels:
A. When the Strawhats are trying to figure out how to get to Skypeia they meet an old lady named Amazon who shows them the way of passage. B. When Urouge spots Raijin Island he wonders how heβll get on the island and heβs met by an elder
... keep reading on reddit β‘
I've been researching and planning a viking costume/kit recently. Initially, it's for my own enjoyment/learning, but I have tentative plans to look into some local reenacting in the future, after Covid.
One issue I'm coming across is that there seems to be two main types of viking kit: One has short sleeve layered tunics, lamellar armor, and all kinds of cool stuff that is, at best, historically plausible, but not terribly authentic from our current knowledge.
The other is the standard long sleeve tunic, basic hauberk, and helmet with nothing else. This is more authentic (the chainmail and helmet arguably being too common in reenacting, but that's not my point here), but ends up lacking a little bit in visual distinctiveness.
What are some relatively authentic additions that can be made to a viking kit (particularly soft kit) to add some aesthetic flash? Interesting materials, authentic layering, different furs, etc., that might be worn by, let's say, a decently economically successful Viking Age Norse? Not a poor farmer going off viking with his family axe and a homemade shield, but also not someone like the Mammen Prince?
If a Birkan or Gotlander came back from a few years in Byzantium, or a successful merchant sailor came back from trading up and down the river routes down to the Black Sea, and wanted to stand out a bit without looking absurd, what might they wear for some visual panache?
