This post contains spoilers for One Piece.
Summary
One Pieceis in its Final Saga, which means all the characters are making their moves. Fans got a glimpse of the plans of Imu in the Egghead arc, and the Elbaf arc has continued to disclose more secrets related to the ruler of the world.
Luffy is also continuing his adventure of becoming the Pirate King. Currently,the hero is in Elbaf, the land of the Giants. So far, Luffy has not fought anyone in Elbaf, but that will change soon.
Who Will Be Monkey D. Luffy’s Next Opponent?
There is a strong possibility that Luffy will fight one of the Holy Knights who are still in Elbaf. Of course, that would require Luffy to leave the Underworld and go back up. Presently, Killingham is the onlymember of the Holy Knights who is not engagedin a fight, making him the most suitable opponent for Luffy.
However, fighting Killingham will prove to be a gargantuan task. He possesses the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Kirin, a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, which allows him to put people to sleep and materialize their dreams. These abilities may not seem like much on paper, but Killingham has shown how frightening they can actually be. He has used them to wreak havoc in Elbaf, and so far, nobody has managed to put an end to his army of nightmares.
Thankfully, Luffy is more than capable of handling someone like Killingham. The former has awakened his Devil Fruit, and he has already used it to defeat the likes of Kaido, Lucci, and Kizaru. The only drawback of using Gear 5th is that Luffy cannot maintain it for extended periods. Killingham, in comparison, seems to havebetter control over his Awakening ashe can maintain it without any problems. There is a small possibility that Luffy’s fight with Killingham will let him overcome this shortcoming, allowing him to reach a new level altogether.
Luffy Will Fight Figarland Shamrock
For ages, fans have debated whether Shanks will fight Luffy or Blackbeard. It was truly a tricky situation because Shanks fighting Luffy would have been painful to watch, especially since they are so close. With the appearance of Figarland Shamrock, the problem has been solved. Shamrock is Shanks' older twin brother andthe commander of the Holy Knights. Unlike Shanks, Shamrock is much more vindictive and cruel. He was happy with Sommers torturing kids if it meant achieving their goals.
You can make it into a game. —Figarland Shamrock to Sommers
Shamrock has a lot of powerful abilities at his disposal, making him a frightening opponent. He is immortal, meaning he can recover from any injury. Shamrock also possesses Cerberus, a sword that can transform into the mythical creature of the same name. Upon transformation, Cerberus can wound someone like Loki easily. Last but not least, Shamrock can also use Haki. He likely has monstrous Haki, with which he can hurt any Devil Fruit user.
Luffy vs. Shamrock Might Happen In The Next Arc
Shamrock is currently in Marijoa, but he can travel to Elbaf easily with the help of the Abyss. If he doesn’t return, then Luffy will likely fight him on the next island. It makes sense forthe fight to happen after Elbaf,as Luffy’s current power level is below that of Shamrock. In a 1v1, Shamrock will emerge triumphant. One might say that Luffy could team up with Loki to beat Shamrock, but this seems like a fight that would be better as a 1v1.
Fans have speculated that there might be another timeskip after the Holy Knights are beaten. It does make sense as the Straw Hats are still lacking in terms of strength, and what better way to get stronger than to train with the most dominant race in One Piece? The Giants of Elbaf are elite warriors, and they can help the Straw Hats unlock Haki. Hopefully, the next few chapters will shed more light on how Oda wants to proceed with the story.
