Warning: Contains spoilers for One Piece chapters #1179-#1180.One Piece has given the Straw Hat Pirates their fair share of losses over the years, both as individuals and as a group, but no loss was more devastating than their utter defeat at the hands of Kizaru and Kuma at Sabaody Archipelago 16 years ago. Not only did the two of them completely outclass the Straw Hats, but they were even scattered to the wind by Kuma to add insult to injury, and it completely exposed just how unprepared to continue their journey unless they made some major changes.
The Straw Hat Pirates’ loss at Sabaody Archipelago was one of the biggest events in One Piece that helped completely change the series’ trajectory, and to this day, no other incident has affected them as a group to such a degree. That’s finally set to change with the latest shocking development of One Piece’s Elbaph arc, however, and if the series fully commits to that idea, then it could truly establish Elbaph as a generational arc and a perfect showing of what the final saga has in store.
Why One Piece’s Biggest Fight Needs To End With The Straw Hats Losing
One-Piece-Imu-Full-Spread
In one of the biggest developments in all of One Piece, Imu left Mary Geoise to personally deal with everything on Elbaph, and One Piece chapter #1180 illustrated just how big a deal that is. Not only did Imu free all of the Holy Knights of God and seemingly empower them even further with his magic, but he singlehandedly defeated the giants and even Zoro and Sanji without so much as breaking a sweat, and even Loki, with all of his power, is bound to suffer a major loss in the next chapter.
Realistically speaking, there’s no way for the Straw Hat Pirates to defeat Imu, and even with the implication that he can’t spend too much time outside of Mary Geoise, he’s likely to destroy the crew before he has to go back, if not at least Luffy. If that does happen, then it would make the Elbaph arc a clear parallel to the Sabaody Archipelago arc in that the Straw Hats reach a major milestone in their journey, only to suffer a cruel reminder of just how much the biggest villains outclass them.
Recent arcs have included stunning One Piece revelations that fans have waited decades to see, but the manga’s presentation of the story has changed.
All of that, of course, would be an incredible turn for One Piece to take; not only would the Straw Hats suffering a huge loss to Imu perfectly establish Imu’s power, but it would also do a great job of establishing just how big the stakes are in the final saga and how much work they still have to do to match them. The Sabaody Archipelago arc is loved for how much its dramatic turn changed the manga for the better, and if that effect can be replicated with Imu, it’s something everyone should want to see.
One Piece’s Elbaph Arc Has Never Felt More Exciting
Imu’s official character design revealed in One Piece Chapter 1179.
For well over a year now, it’s been easy to make the case that One Piece‘s Elbaph arc is one of the best arcs in One Piece, if not the best. Not only was Harald and Rocks’ flashback arc a masterclass in writing, but the main events of the story have continually pushed the boundaries of what One Piece’s storytelling is capable of with its amazing lore drops, intense action, and emotional highs, all while boasting some of the best art pieces in all of modern One Piece.
Grand Line · Pirate Adventure Edition The One Piece Anime Quiz
⚓CrewNakama
⚡PowersDevil Fruit
🌊ArcsAdventure
☠VillainsEnemies
🌎WorldBlue Sea
01
Monkey D. Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and dreams of becoming King of the Pirates. He gained his signature stretching abilities by eating a Devil Fruit as a child. What was this fruit originally believed to be called?
✓ Correct! The Gomu Gomu no Mi (Gum-Gum Fruit) was what Luffy’s Devil Fruit was believed to be — a Paramecia-type fruit that turned his body into rubber. Luffy accidentally ate it from the treasure chest of the Red Hair Pirates when he was a child in Foosha Village.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Gomu Gomu no Mi. The Mera Mera no Mi is the Flame-Flame Fruit eaten by Ace, the Bara Bara no Mi is Buggy’s Chop-Chop Fruit, and the Hana Hana no Mi is Robin’s Flower-Flower Fruit.
02
The One Piece world is divided by a massive geological formation that runs around the entire globe, separating the oceans. What is this continent-like structure called?
✓ Correct! The Red Line is a massive continent that circles the globe vertically, dividing the world’s oceans into four seas: North Blue, South Blue, East Blue, and West Blue. It intersects with the Grand Line at two points, including the holy land of Mary Geoise.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Red Line. The Grand Line is the ocean route where pirates compete, the Calm Belt is a windless sea surrounding it full of Sea Kings, and Reverse Mountain is the entry point to the Grand Line. The Red Line is the massive continent dividing the world.
03
In the One Piece world, there is a spiritual power that allows users to sense others’ presence, predict attacks, and even exert their willpower over others. What is this power called?
✓ Correct! Haki is a mysterious power that exists in every living being in the One Piece world. It comes in three types: Observation Haki (sensing), Armament Haki (invisible armor), and the rare Conqueror’s Haki (dominating willpower), which only one in a million people possess.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Haki. Chakra is the energy system from Naruto, Nen is from Hunter x Hunter, and Ki is from Dragon Ball. Haki is One Piece’s unique power system with three distinct forms: Observation, Armament, and Conqueror’s.
04
The Seven Warlords of the Sea (Shichibukai) were powerful pirates who worked for the World Government in exchange for pardons. Which of these characters was NOT one of the original Seven Warlords?
✓ Correct! Kaido was never a Warlord — he was one of the Four Emperors (Yonko), the most powerful pirates ruling the New World. Known as “the Strongest Creature in the World,” Kaido ruled over Wano Country with the Beast Pirates. Mihawk, Crocodile, and Doflamingo were all Warlords.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Kaido. Mihawk (the world’s greatest swordsman), Crocodile (the desert king of Alabasta), and Doflamingo (the Heavenly Demon) were all Warlords. Kaido was a Yonko — an Emperor of the Sea — a rank above the Warlords entirely.
05
The Marineford War arc is considered one of the most emotional and pivotal arcs in One Piece. Luffy desperately fought to save someone important to him from execution. Who was Luffy trying to save?
✓ Correct! Portgas D. Ace, Luffy’s sworn older brother, was captured by the Marines and sentenced to public execution at Marineford. Luffy broke into Impel Down prison and then stormed Marineford itself in a desperate attempt to save Ace, leading to one of the most heartbreaking moments in anime history.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Portgas D. Ace. Nico Robin was rescued during the Enies Lobby arc, Zoro is rarely in that kind of danger, and Sabo was believed dead at the time. Ace’s execution at Marineford triggered an all-out war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines.
06
Roronoa Zoro is the first member to join Luffy’s crew and serves as the Straw Hats’ swordsman. He has a unique fighting style. How many swords does Zoro wield in his signature technique?
✓ Correct! Zoro is famous for his Santoryu (Three Sword Style), wielding one sword in each hand and a third in his mouth. This unique fighting style makes him one of the most distinctive swordsmen in all of anime. His dream is to become the world’s greatest swordsman by defeating Dracule Mihawk.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is three. Zoro’s signature Santoryu (Three Sword Style) involves wielding one sword in each hand and gripping the third in his mouth. While he can fight with one or two swords, his three-sword technique is his most iconic and powerful combat form.
07
The World Government in One Piece is controlled by a mysterious group of individuals who sit at the very top of its power structure, above even the Admirals and the Fleet Admiral. What are they called?
✓ Correct! The Five Elders (Gorosei) are the highest-ranking leaders of the World Government, residing in the holy land of Mary Geoise. They command all military and political power, including the authority to order a Buster Call. Their true nature and abilities have only recently been revealed in the series.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Five Elders (Gorosei). The Celestial Dragons are descendants of the founding kings but don’t rule directly, the Revolutionary Army opposes the government, and the Yonko are pirate emperors outside government control. The Gorosei sit at the absolute top.
08
It was revealed that Luffy’s Devil Fruit is not actually the Gomu Gomu no Mi, but a mythical Zoan-type fruit with a much more significant true name. What is the fruit’s real identity?
✓ Correct! The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika is a Mythical Zoan-type fruit that the World Government had been hunting for 800 years. When Luffy awakened it during the Wano arc, he unlocked Gear 5 — gaining the power of “the most ridiculous ability in the world” with limitless imagination-based combat.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika. The Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix belongs to Marco, the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu was Kaido’s dragon fruit, and the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami was Yamato’s fruit. Luffy’s true fruit is the legendary Sun God Nika.
Voyage Complete Your Pirate Bounty
/ 8
Are you King of the Pirates — or still swabbing the deck?
There’s already plenty to love about the Elbaph arc, and if Imu delivers the biggest loss the Straw Hat Pirates have suffered since the Sabaody Archipelago arc, it would go down as a legendary arc for being the major turning point of the final saga in the biggest of ways. That’s the kind of massive development One Piece’s final saga needs right now, and hopefully, the Elbaph arc will follow through on it in every regard.
