Throughout the course of One Piece, the main character, Monkey D. Luffy, has been defined, in large part, by the many rivalries he has held. Whether it has been with villains or other heroes, Luffy has had quite a few characters who have challenged him in one way or another to the point where they can be considered his rivals, often because they have the same dream of finding the titular treasure as he does.

As One Piece has officially entered its Final Saga with the start of the Elbaf arc, it's clear to see that a lot is changing in the world. For one, the most notable of Luffy's rivals, Law and Kid, are missing, and many new and powerful enemies have entered the fray. So, in this article, let's go over the four characters who will likely fill a similar rival role for Luffy in the last few arcs of the series.

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Forget Zoan, Logia and Paramecia Are One Piece’s Most Powerful Devil Fruits

God Fruits are essentially fan terms for the strongest Devil Fruits in the series, so let's look at those from the Logia and Paramecia variety.

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By Haider Haroon Rasheed

Buggy Has Somehow Become One Of The Most Important Figures In The World

The Genius Jester

First Appearance	One Piece, Chapter 9, "Devilish Woman"
Story Arc	Orange Town

Buggy may be a rival to Luffy.

In one of the funniest and most surprising twists of fate, it was revealed that Buggy eventually became one of the Emperors of the Sea. When this happened, it took everyone by surprise. However, it was quite symbolic since it showed that, one way or another, Buggy had reached the same level as Luffy, to the point where many fans are convinced about him and Cross Guild being some of the most important players in the Final Saga.

I want to be King of the Pirates!

Buggy was Luffy's first major foe in the entire series, so the two of them have always shared a special connection. In the Final Saga, many fans have completely bought into the hype of the Genius Jester, claiming that he is a serious front-runner when it comes to finding the mythical One Piece treasure. Due to this and him being on the same level as Luffy, one wouldn't be mistaken to think that Buggy is one of Luffy's greatest rivals.

Koby Wants To Stop Luffy From Becoming The Future King Of The Pirates

Luffy's Marine Counterpart

First Appearance	One Piece, Chapter 1, "Romance Dawn - The Dawn of Adventure"
Story Arc	Romance Dawn

Koby is the Garp to Luffy's Roger.

In a rivalry that has been set up from the very first chapter of One Piece, Luffy and Koby stand as great opposites whose journeys mirror each other's. Although Koby got his start in the Navy purely due to Luffy's influence, his dream of becoming a Marine directly opposes Luffy's dream of becoming a pirate, which is a great way for Oda to have teased their inevitable rivalry since the very first chapter.

Luffy... I have to stop you from achieving your dream!

In the modern day, both are among the strongest and most notable figures in their respective factions, and many fans believe that they are destined to battle towards the end of the series. Also, the story has very clearly built Luffy up as the modern-day version of Roger and Koby as the modern-day version of Garp, and they have even inherited the wills of their respective influences. Seeing as how Roger and Garp were rivals in their day, the same will be true for Luffy and Koby.

Shamrock Represents The Evil Version Of Luffy's Greatest Inspiration; Shanks

An Evil Shanks

First Appearance	One Piece, Chapter 1134, "The Owl Library"
Story Arc	Elbaf

Shamrock serves the role of Shanks' dark counterpart.

Ever since the first chapter, one of the biggest reasons behind Luffy's whole journey on the Grand Line was to meet Shanks once again and return his precious Straw Hat to him. In the Elbaf arc, the longstanding theory of Shanks having an evil twin was finally confirmed, which directly puts this villainous Celestial Dragon in Luffy's path as the two are destined to cross at one point or another.

We could make a game out of this!

Very little can be said about this rivalry at the moment, but the truth of the matter is that Shamrock is one of the strongest characters in the world, at least on the same level as Shanks. Many fan theories state that Luffy will come across him before his idol, so the first time Luffy sees this familiar face since becoming a pirate, it will be on opposing sides, with the Supreme Commander of the Gods' Knights serving as Shanks' dark counterpart.

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Without this editor’s comments, Eiichiro Oda could have drawn his female characters differently in One Piece.

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By Cathlyn Melo

Imu And Luffy's Ancient Rivalry Has Been Ongoing Since The Void Century

An Ancient Feud

First Appearance	One Piece, Chapter 906, "The Holy Land Marijoa"
Story Arc	Reverie

Imu is the great evil of the world.

Ever since the end of the Void Century was marked by the fall of the legendary figure known as Joyboy, Imu became the singular ruler of the world. Though technically they aren't a 'new' rival, they are currently the greatest enemy that Luffy must face in the Final Saga, especially since this rivalry has persisted ever since the 100-year Void. Due to Luffy inheriting Joyboy's fruit and identity, he is Imu's greatest adversary.

Mu will show thee the dominion of God!

Though it hasn't been explicitly stated, it's pretty much confirmed that Imu and Joyboy were foes in the Void Century in a rivalry which ended with Imu's victory and Joyboy's death. For the next 800 years, the world fell under Imu's control, with no sign of Nika anywhere to be seen until the modern day, when the Sun God was reawakened through Luffy's Gear 5. At the end of the series, Luffy and Imu will fight for the fate of the world.

Blackbeard Is Luffy's Greatest Rival And The Mirror Opposite To Him In Every Way

Blackbeard Is Luffy's Parallel

First Appearance	One Piece, Chapter 223, "I Promise Never to Fight in This Town"
Story Arc	Jaya

Blackbeard is the antithesis of Luffy.

Blackbeard, just like Imu, is not a 'new' rival to Luffy, but is definitely his most important. Additionally, due to him still being active in the Final Saga and destined to battle Luffy at the end, he can still fall under this category, since the entire One Piece story has been building up to the clash between these two living legends. The common consensus in the fandom is that Blackbeard, not Imu, will be the final villain of the story.

Fate has chosen me to conquer this world!

The main reason for this is that, ever since his introduction in the Jaya arc, he and Luffy have been portrayed as mirror opposites who not only want different things, but also as those whose journeys are incredibly similar, to the point that if even a single aspect was different, they would have turned out like the other. Arguably, no relationship in the entirety of One Piece is as important as the one shared between Luffy and Blackbeard, causing many to believe that their battle will be the greatest and final one in the entire series.