Every One Piece fan agrees that the Final War is going to see some of the most incredible match-ups that will ever be shown in the series. The biggest reason for this is because of how character-rich the franchise is, with Oda having introduced some of the greatest heroes and villains in the entire anime industry, and when the time comes, they will clash in one of the most memorable story arcs ever.

One possible match-up pits the leader of the Revolutionary Army against the man who controls the entire Navy. Due to the few connections that both of these characters have been hinted to have, many believe that Dragon vs. Akainu will be one of the most notable battles in the entire Final War of One Piece. So, in this article, let's go over this possible match-up and see why this would be the perfect fight to make, as well as why it possibly wouldn't be.

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Dragon Vs. Akainu Would Be The Perfect Fight For The Final War

Leaders Of The Strongest Organizations

Dragon's First Appearance	One Piece, Chapter 100, "The Legend Has Begun"
Akainu's First Appearance	One Piece, Chapter 397, "In Hopes of Reaching the Future"

Ever since the Marineford arc, fans had guessed that there was some sort of connection between Dragon and Akainu. After all, both are around the same age, and it was later confirmed that, before he became a revolutionary and the world's worst criminal, Dragon joined the Navy as an aspiring Marine who wanted to find true justice in the world, so he followed in his legendary father's footsteps. However, he eventually left.

During the Marineford War, fans made note of the fact that Akainu repeatedly referred to Luffy as 'son of Dragon', which made many think that they likely knew each other on a personal level, which checks out due to their close ages and the fact that they both joined the Marines at around the same time. They may have even once been close friends, but Dragon's departure from the Navy and the start of both the Freedom Fighters and Revolutionary Army would have insulted Akainu personally.

The world may hate me, but I will uphold justice, even if I have to bear the weight of that hatred alone.

This would force him to harbor a deep resentment against someone he once considered a close friend. Eventually, both of them would become the leaders of two of the world's most influential organizations that opposed one another completely. This gives yet another narrative impact to why a battle between the two of them in the Final War would be perfect to see, since each of them not only represents their own worldviews, but also the worldviews of their respective organizations.

Ultimately, the Final War is set to be the greatest conflict in the history of not only One Piece, but one of the greatest in the entire anime genre. Dragon and Akainu will obviously both be major players within it, so many believe that their fight would be the best one to make when this massive battle eventually does come around. If the previous connections between them do get confirmed, then this fight will end up being even better.

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Why Dragon Vs. Akainu Shouldn't Happen In The Final War

There Are Better Alternatives

Dragon and Akainu may already have their endgame match-ups.

While these two powerhouses fighting against one another would be very cool to see, most fans are convinced that they already have their opponents set in the Final War. The main argument going for Dragon vs. Akainu is the thematic connections and the narrative impact, but their other theorized opponents are better in both regards, not only offering better fights, but also better implications of those fights.

For Akainu, most fans believe that he will fight and be defeated by Dragon's second-in-command, 'Flame Emperor' Sabo. Obviously, the thematic parallels are very clear to see, since Sabo has inherited the will of Ace, his and Luffy's brother, who met his end at the edge of Akainu's fist in the Marineford arc. So, to have his brother, with the same Devil Fruit power, be the one to defeat the man who killed him would not only be the perfect send-off for Akainu, but it would be the best way to close Sabo's character journey as well.

On the other hand, many believe that Dragon's eventual opponent should be one of the Five Elders, St. Marcus Mars to be exact. This is because it's obvious that Luffy will be fighting against Imu in the Final War, so he will need five incredibly powerful and capable allies to take on the Gorosei in the meantime, which is something that the story has always been building towards. Due to Dragon's strength still being kept hidden from fans, the common consensus is that it will be so great that it will allow him to fight one of the Five Elders.

The reason why people think it should be St. Marcus Mars is admittedly a bit vague, but only because we don't have many details about the Gorosei. However, Mars and Dragon both seem to be calm and collected, and both represent the highest level of authority within their organizations, prompting many to think that they will inevitably be foes when the Final War eventually rolls around.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.