One Piece’s final battle is something that fans are looking forward to because it will cement Luffy’s position in the series, allowing fans to witness the true peak of his powers. Presently, the most ideal final antagonist of the series is Marshal D. Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard – a man who paved his way to success through acts of betrayal & pure villainy. This pirate will definitely clash with Luffy, and it may be the protagonist’s toughest & final battle in the series for some reason. So, what are these reasons?
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Blackbeard’s Villainous Acts
Marshal D. Teach, popularly revered as “Blackbeard,” is one of One Piece’s foremost villains that stands out from the story’s narrative so far. Throughout One Piece, fans have had a good idea of what most antagonists were after, but for Blackbeard, it’s different. The mysterious pirate’s motives are not foreseeable as he carried out a lot of traitorous acts that hint he is planning something big but elusive. Blackbeard was once a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, and his first major act of villainy was stealing & eating the Logia-type fruit, Yami Yami no Mi. This act came after killing Thatch of the Whitebeard pirates.
As the story progresses, it becomes evident that stealing the fruit was a sub-plan in Blackbeard’s grand plan. This was proven after Blackbeard stole the Gura Gura no Mi, an immensely powerful fruit once owned by Edward Newgate, popularly known as “Whitebeard.” This surprising fact made fans picture Blackbeard in a new light, different from the regular thuggish vibe he was once mistaken for. He killed his former captain emotionlessly, signifying that he was never really attached to the Whitebeard Pirates. The end goal of his actions brought him the powerful Whitebeard’s Devil Fruit & his territory, allowing him to become the first & only Twin Devil Fruit user in One Piece. It’s not yet clear why Blackbeard can use two Devil Fruits, but it is obvious that the character has a mysterious background that deserves proper demystification.
Blackbeard struck again at Impel Down, where he threw the prison into mayhem after trying to pick out the strongest inmates to become members of his crew. While this act may come off as base and violent, on a closer look, it is an intelligent plan because he obtained powerful crew members by preying on their desperation to escape from prison. However, out of all Blackbeard’s actions, his connection to Luffy was his orchestration of the Summit War after capturing Portgas D. Ace. So, he is one of Luffy’s archenemies, and the battle between these two characters has long been determined as Blackbeard also shares a desire to end Luffy. Consequently, the battle between both characters is one thing One Piece can’t overlook.
Luffy v. Blackbeard – One Piece’s Final battle?
Following the developments of One Piece, one can infer that Blackbeard is going to be Luffy’s next battle opposition. Over One Piece’s numerous episodes, Luffy has many achievements to his name. In Alabasta Arc, he defeated the Warlord, Crocodile. Similarly, Donquioxte Doflamingo lost to him after an intense battle that allowed fans to get a good look at Luffy’s Gear 4 capabilities. Finally, Luffy succeeded in beating the nearly-invincible Yonko, Kaido, by not just any ordinary means but through the true nature of his Devil Fruit: Hito Hito no Mi: Nika.
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The fruit’s debut played a crucial role in the intense Luffy-Kaido battle. Now that Luffy has defeated the Yonko, his path to the Pirate King title becomes clearer. However, Blackbeard is not going to let that happen anytime soon as he also shares the ambition of becoming the Pirate King. The clash between these two desire-driven pirates is inevitable as Blackbeard is the complete opposite of Luffy. As darkness and light cannot co-exist, Luffy and Blackbeard’s is a development marked by fate.
In the battle, Blackbeard may show a different aspect of his powers fans may never know existed. Worse, he could steal another Devil Fruit and grow his already boundless powers. It is not yet clear why Blackbeard can use two fruits, but since he can, there’s nothing to contradict the fact that he can’t steal and use more. One Piece fans aspire to see how Gear 5 Luffy holds up to the powerful & malevolent pirate. It is a battle that will shake the very foundation of the pirate world because the character that comes out triumphant will definitely alter the power scaling of the pirate world.
Why Shanks May Play A Role In The Final Battle
Red-haired Shanks has been an elusive character in the One Piece series. Time and again, the pirate has appeared at critical moments in the series. First, he saved Luffy from an early death. Second, he stopped the war at Marineford Arc, and surprisingly, he was revealed to have deep connections with the World Government, which no one has a clue as to what it really entails. Very little information has been shared about Shanks, except his powerful Conqueror’s Haki, affiliation with Mihawk & connection to the Whitebeard Pirates.
However, the Whitebeard connection is where Shanks comes in. Blackbeard was a member of the Whitebeard pirates, which Shanks had an affiliation with so it’s not far-fetched that he might show up to foil the treacherous pirate’s future evil plans. However, even if he doesn’t, Shanks definitely has a role to play in One Piece’s final arc.
The final battle in One Piece, featuring characters with over a billion bounties to their heads, will definitely be a sight to see as the victor will be one step closer to becoming the revered “Pirate King.” Fans can only wait and see how this awesome ‘final saga” unfolds.
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