As One Piece enters the exciting Elbaf arc, the story is moving quickly toward its final chapters. Eiichiro Oda, the creator, is giving clearer hints about the future of the pirate world and who will take the place of the old legends. The most important of these legends is the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
But if there’s one thing fans have learned from Oda, it’s that the new generation isn’t just trying to follow in the footsteps of the old, they’re meant to go beyond them and there are new generation Pirates who will surpass Roger, known as the Pirate King.
With a massive war coming, some characters are already being shown as the next great powers of the sea. From Luffy to the dangerous Blackbeard, Oda is building up a group of pirates who may one day become even greater than The Pirate King, Roger himself.
Roger’s Era of Power
Gol D. Roger is known as the strongest and mightiest pirate of his time, and for good reason. He was the first and only person to sail all the way through the Grand Line and discover the secrets hidden at Laugh Tale island.
Even though we haven’t seen many of his fights, it’s clear that his power was unmatched, with only Whitebeard and Garp coming close. His battles with Whitebeard were so intense that their weapons, powered by Haki, split the sky. While Whitebeard was called the “Strongest Man in the World,” Roger was the Pirate King.
In Oda’s story, he wasn’t just strong, he was meant to change the world. But every great era ends, and now, his place at the top can be reached by someone new.
Pirates Who Will Surpass Roger The Pirate King
Roger and Whitebeard were the strongest pirates of their time, but a few others were just as powerful. Garp, for example, was just as strong, and so were Scopper Gaban and Rayleigh. However, these legendary figures will soon be passed by the new generation of pirates in the One Piece world.
Luffy and Blackbeard: Rising Powers of the New Era
In the new generation of pirates, two names stand out as the ones who will change the world, Monkey D. Luffy and Marshall D. Teach, also known as Blackbeard. Luffy, who represents freedom and hope, is seen as the return of Joy Boy. Every fight he wins brings him closer to becoming someone truly powerful.
After unlocking Gear 5 and awakening the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, Luffy now has a godlike form that even the World Government fears. His Haki is also getting stronger after every battle he fights, and as the Elbaf arc continues, Luffy is being set up to face huge threats like Imu and 5 Elders.
On the other hand, Blackbeard represents the darker side of power. He is already a Yonko and has the powers of two very dangerous Devil Fruits: the Yami Yami no Mi and the Gura Gura no Mi. Some say he’s even searching for a third Devil Fruit.
Even though he doesn’t follow Roger’s ways to become a well known Pirate, his dreams are just as big. The final Battle between Luffy and Blackbeard will likely decide who truly carries on Pirate King’s will, and who changes it into something new that will change the world.
The Final Saga’s Strongest: Shanks and Imu
While Luffy and Blackbeard are the main focus, there are other important characters on the horizon. One of the biggest is Red-Haired Shanks, who was once Roger’s student and is now one of the strongest Haki users in the world of One piece. Shanks has always been a mysterious figure, but recent shows of his powerful Conqueror’s Haki suggest he may be saving his full strength for a big and final fight.
If he uses all his power, he might prove that he has quietly become stronger and wiser than his old captain, though it’s not clear if he will live long enough to show this.
Then there is Imu, the hidden ruler of the world. Imu’s existence goes against everything Roger tried to reveal. Even though we don’t know much about Imu’s powers, the fact that they control the world’s greatest weapon known as Ancient Weapons and stand above the Gorosei shows they are more powerful than Roger.
Imu is like a god, someone even Joy Boy couldn’t defeat. If Imu shows their true strength during the Elbaf arc or the Final War, fans will finally understand how strong the top level in One Piece really is, and see the true challenge that Luffy and his friends must face.