Hey friend! I‘m sure you‘re curious to know who holds the title of the Pirate King in One Piece and who has the best chance of claiming that throne. Let me walk you through the significance of this role in the One Piece world and analyze the top candidates who could potentially obtain everything the world has to offer.
What does it mean to be the Pirate King?
As a refresher, being the Pirate King represents the pinnacle of freedom and power as a pirate. According to Silvers Rayleigh, the Pirate King rules over all the seas and is the strongest pirate alive. They‘ve obtained wealth, fame and glory beyond measure. It‘s the ultimate dream for any pirate sailing the Grand Line!
The previous Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was the only person to conquer the Grand Line and discover the legendary One Piece treasure. But we‘ll talk more about Roger later. First, let‘s discuss the current state of affairs in the New World.
examining the current landscape
With Gol D. Roger‘s death, the title has been vacant for over 20 years. But we are certainly in the midst of the Great Pirate Era he inspired. Four great pirates known as the Yonko rule over the New World, but the mighty Navy remains a constant threat. Our protagonist Monkey D. Luffy has boldly declared he will become the King of the Pirates!
After taking down Big Mom and Kaido, two of the Yonko, Luffy is now considered an Emperor himself with an intimidating 1.5 billion berry bounty on his head! He‘s gained several powerful allies and defeated enemies like Doflamingo. It‘s clear Luffy has come very far in his journey across the seas. But does he have what it takes to become the next Pirate King?
analyzing luffy‘s chances
Luffy has shown incredible tenacity and growth on his quest to be Pirate King. But he likely still has some major battles ahead of him! Here is a quick rundown of some of Luffy‘s impressive feats so far:
- Defeated 2 Warlords of the Sea (Crocodile & Doflamingo)
- Escaped Impel Down with over 240 prisoners in support
- Survived Marineford and rang the Ox Bell 16 times
- Trained with Silvers Rayleigh for 2 years on Ruskaina Island
- Defeated Charlotte Katakuri and unlocked future sight
- Formed the Straw Hat Grand Fleet with 5640 members
- Defeated Kaido, a Yonko, in Wano Country
- Awakened his Devil Fruit to Gear Fifth form
As you can see, Luffy has defeated several incredibly strong pirates and Navy opponents over the course of his journey. He‘s grown exponentially in strength and seems to keep getting back up no matter how many times he gets knocked down! After conquering the New World‘s strongest creature Kaido, I believe Luffy has demonstrated he has the power to take down anyone who stands in his way.
The next logical place for him to head towards is Raftel, the final island at the end of the Grand Line where Gol D. Roger left the One Piece treasure. If Luffy can reach Raftel and obtain the One Piece, he could cement his status as the Pirate King! The final roadblock would be proving himself above the Yonko.
blackbeard – luffy‘s chief rival
However, Luffy isn‘t the only tenacious pirate competing to become the Pirate King. His chief rival is unquestionably Marshall D. Teach, better known as Blackbeard!
After Whitebeard‘s death at Marineford, Blackbeard took Whitebeard‘s Tremor-Tremor Fruit power for himself and has been gaining strength rapidly. He aims to usurp Whitebeard‘s territory in the New World. Known for his knowledge and cunning plans, Blackbeard has the tenacity to achieve his ambitions.
Some key feats include:
- Was a Warlord who infiltrated Impel Down
- Absorbed Whitebeard‘s Tremor-Tremor Fruit power
- Defeated Marco and Whitebeard Pirates for territory
- Is considered one of the Yonko now
- Hunts for Devil Fruits to strengthen his crew
Blackbeard could certainly put up an epic battle against Luffy for the title of Pirate King! But I believe Luffy‘s conqeuror‘s haki and mastery of advanced haki techniques give him the edge in any battle between them.
yonko & other contenders##
Though Luffy and Blackbeard seem to be frontrunners, we can‘t count out the other major powerhouses. The Yonko especially have potential chances:
- Shanks – A former Roger pirate who once rivaled Mihawk. His power level remains a mystery.
- Big Mom – immense physical strength and an army of children. Her resilience is insane!
- Kaido – Formerly thought to be indestructible. A true monster in terms of endurance and strength.
Other strong candidates include Trafalgar Law, Eustass Kid, Buggy (?) and perhaps even the enigmatic Navy Admiral Akainu! But in my opinion, they still fall just short of Luffy and Blackbeard‘s potential at this stage.
Of course, we can‘t forget the previous Pirate King Gol D. Roger. Let‘s take a quick look at his story!
the legend of gol d. roger
Gol D. Roger was the previous Pirate King who conquered the Grand Line. His accomplishments truly cemented his status as a legend:
- Was captain of the Rumbar Pirates
- Fought many major battles like Edd War against Shiki
- Reached final island Raftel and learned the True History
- Left behind the great treasure One Piece at Raftel
- Turned himself in to be executed, smiled at his death
Roger set the stage for this Great Pirate Era before his death. He attained wealth, fame and power beyond measure as Pirate King. But what exactly IS the One Piece treasure he left behind? Let‘s go over some interesting theories!
one piece theories
The nature of One Piece remains the biggest mystery in the series. Here are some captivating theories on what it could be:
- Ancient weapon Uranus stored on Raftel
- All Blue – Endpoint where all seas intersect
- Roger‘s fortune valued over $1 billion
- Poneglyph detailing True History of the Void Century
- Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge offering eternal life
Whatever One Piece ends up being, finding it could shake up the world! Now back to Luffy‘s journey…
will luffy have to defeat shanks?
Luffy looks up to the Yonko Shanks who was on Roger‘s ship. Shanks inspired Luffy to become a pirate and entrusted him with Roger‘s straw hat.
Based on their last interaction, I believe Luffy WILL have to best Shanks in combat before he can become the next Pirate King. Shanks will likely want to test if Luffy is truly ready to inherit the title. Their epic battle will probably happen near the end of the series when Luffy locates Raftel and the One Piece treasure.
By defeating the man who motivated him at the start of his journey, Luffy can demonstrate that he has the strength and spirit to surpass even his idol. What a moment that will be!
final thoughts
Well my friend, I hope this overview helped explain the significance of the Pirate King title and who the top candidates are right now. In my opinion, Luffy has the best shot given his tremendous growth and determination over the course of his adventure. If Luffy can reach Raftel before Blackbeard and overcome an Emperor like Shanks, I believe he‘ll emerge as the next great Pirate King!
But the story is still unfolding, so anything could happen in the coming seas. One thing is for sure though – Luffy‘s journey to become Pirate King will be an absolutely epic tale for the ages! Let me know if you have any other theories or thoughts on who could end up finding One Piece and claiming the throne. Enjoy the adventure!
