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The Elbaf arc ofOne Pieceis truly heating up as action unfolds on the Sun World. Fans are eagerly waiting to see more exciting battles take place, especially with the Holy Knights in action now. Previously, the Holy Knights were on the sidelines, letting their traps do their work for them.
Now, however, they’re in the thick of it, which means things can only heat up more from her on. That said, the Holy Knights, regardless of their strength, don’t feel like the final villain of the arc to many, and there may be a big reason for that.Elbaf’s true villain might be someone else entirely.
How Oda Introduces Villains in Big One Piece Arcs
When it comes to the big villains of aOne Piecearc, Oda usually does well to build them up before time. For instance, the Arabasta arc, where Luffy fought Crocodile, had tremendous buildup for Mr. 0 as the main villain. Skypiea installed Enel as the main villain rather quickly, Water 7 did the same with Lucci, Gecko Moria was established for Thriller Bark, and the list goes on.
Let’s destroy this boring world! — Kaido
Even in the post-timeskip, Doflamingo was set up in Punk Hazard,and Kaido was actually set up as the main villainat the end of Dressrosa. But, in Elbaf, it is impossible to predict who the main villain is. The Holy Knights are strong and there is no denying that. But, none of them can be called Luffy’s opponent with 100% assurance. Fans simply do not know who will fight whom, and that’s what’s strange.
Why The Holy Knights Alone Aren’t Enough For Luffy
To add to that, new villains usually pose a bigger threat to Luffy in One Piece. For example, Kuro was stronger than Buggy, Krieg was stronger than Kuro, Arlong was stronger than Krieg, Crocodile was stronger than Arlong, Enel had an invincible fruit with far more destructive power than Crocodile, and Lucci absolutely demolished Luffy. Similarly, Moria forced Luffy to get even stronger and the crew was then destroyed on Sabaody. In the New World, Host barely did anything for Luffy, but Caesar was stronger, Doflamingo was even stronger, Cracker was a level higher,and Katakuri was at the top. Finally, Kaido overshadowed them all as the strongest.
That Harald! He’s gone and messed it all up now! — Sommers
Following Kaido, Oda revealed the Five Elders, who are known to be monsters that even Luffy had to run from. Yet, after the Five Elders, Luffy has to face the Holy Knights, who are weaker. Oda usually doesn’t write this way. The biggest takeaway from this is the fact that the main villain of the Elbaf arc hasn’t shown up just yet.
The Main Villain Of Elbaf Could Be Imu
Imu Is The Strongest In One Piece
If Elbaf truly doesn’t have the main villain reveal yet, then, perhaps, fans will see someone pop up right after the fights vs the Holy Knights. It must be remembered that the main villain for Luffy to beat should be someone around the same level as the Elders, and possibly stronger than the Yonko. This is because Luffy needs a stronger enemy and more difficult battles, because otherwise, the story would be too boring. It is unlikely that an Elder will show up here, at least for now. However, what can very well happen is the arrival of Imu themselves. This might seem too farfetched but, Imu can show up, possibly through someone else like Gunko. Think of it as Gunko being used as a vessel for Imu temporarily, and this would be perfect.Imu vs Joy Boy would be on the horizon, and of course, since this would be way too early for Imu to fall, Luffy could lose the battle, which would only make the plot of Elbaf more complicated than ever before and fans would relish it as well.
Whether Oda will have Imu make a move here or not remains to be seen, but it goes without sayingthat the Holy Knights need more support. Going up against Gaban, Luffy, Loki, Sanji, Zoro, Dorry and Brogy isn’t a job for just 3 knights, no matter how strong they are. Even the 3 Admirals would lose to this lineup. The Holy Knights are no different and for extra tension and intensity, Oda needs to introduce someone even stronger.
One Piece chapter 1146 will be out very soon, later this week. As usual, One Piece is going to drop on the upcoming Sunday. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday. However, the vast majority of international readers will see the chapter available on April 20. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1146 is July 25, 2025. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus.
