One Piece is in the midst of its climax for the Elbaph Arc, and the newest chapter of the series has explained to Luffy what it will really mean for him to become the new King of the Pirates in the future. One Piece has been exploding with each new chapter of the series the more that the Elbaph Arc continues through its fight between Luffy and King Imu. The long awaited fight has revealed just how outmatched Luffy is when compared to some of the strongest final forces he’ll have to face.
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As One Piececontinues to explore the Elbaph Arc, it has truly kicked off the beginning of the end for the series as a whole. The Final Saga is only set to get more intense as Luffy fights Imu and other opponents, and the newest chapter really cemented the kind of weight he’s going to carry on his shoulders if he wants to be the King of the Pirates. He’s going to have an entire world against him at all times, and needs to be strong enough to bear it all.
One Piece Explains What the King of the Pirates Really Means
Courtesy of Toei Animation
Luffy has been proclaiming his dream of becoming the King of the Pirates ever since the very first chapter of the series, but it’s not until the Elbaph Arc that Luffy has really felt how worldwide of a goal that really is going to be. One Piece Chapter 1190 sees him reeling in the fight against Imu, and Scopper Gaban swoops in to save him. As a member of Gol D. Roger’s crew, no one else truly understands what the King of the Pirates role actually is more than him as he explains to Luffy that it’s a “title for those whose death brings celebration.”
The higher you rise in position, the more enemies you’ll have in this world. The King of the Pirates is the enemy of everyone else out in the seas as they all want the title and seat for themselves. Luffy needs to be strong enough to not only defeat all of the opponents standing in front of him, but he also needs to be ready for any future threat that would come his way. It’s not a role that can be so easily taken, and it’s why Gol D. Roger is still considered the King of the Pirates this long after his own death too. No one else has risen to the occasion.
What Does This Mean for One Piece’s Future?
Courtesy of Shueisha
Ultimately this is One Piece saying out loud what many fans had suspected from the beginning. The King of the Pirates is not a role that’s just going to come to Luffy when he reaches Laugh Tale and finds the treasure, but it’s a role that he’s going to have to take with an overwhelming strength. It’s a strength that is going to be needed to take on all comers, and it’s a power that he’s going to need in his crew to survive what’s ahead.
As the series heads into its final phase, it’s also clear that Luffy is still not strong enough to really take on the big wigs left to face off against like Imu, the Five Elders, and all of the other Emperors. Last time this happened there was a huge time skip as Luffy and the others trained to get strong enough to be able to face off against what’s next, and that might be what’s getting set up here before the true final battles to come.
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