This article contains spoilers from One Piece's Elbaf Arc.
Summary
- Luffy is the Sun God Nika destined to fight Imu.
- Shanks is crucial in enabling Luffy's journey.
- Shanks is tied to Nika and Imu, with a larger plan.
Luffy is the protagonist of One Piece, and quite easily, the most important character in the story. Fans have followed Luffy's journey right from the beginning of the story and seen him transform from a child to a Yonko of the Sea with the ambition to aim even beyond Pirate King. Undoubtedly, fans will get to see a lot of incredible things from Luffy in the Final Saga, but what's clear in the story here is that Luffy isn't going to be the only character to whom Oda pays immense attention.
One Piece: Oda Has Already Revealed Why Imu Wants Vivi, And It Confirms Her Fate
Vivi and Imu have a vital connection in One Piece, and Oda has already revealed why.
There is another character whom Oda has already earmarked to be crucial in the grand scheme of things, especially when concerning the Final Saga of One Piece, and that is none other than the Yonko and the Captain of the Red Hair Pirates, Shanks.
Luffy Is The Most Important Character
- Luffy Is The Sun God Nika
- He's Destined To Fight Imu
When One Piece began, fans didn't know much about Luffy's eventual goal which would eventually see him go up against and topple the World Government. Luffy's goal was to simply be the Pirate King. While that is true even now, what fans know is that Luffy is also the Sun God Nika, and this god is known to be the Warrior of Liberation. Nika brings laughter and joy to people's faces wherever he goes, and he fights oppression, always coming to the scene from the prayers of the oppressed.
As long as the people wish for him, Nika will always return. — Vegapunk
As long as the powerful prey on the powerless, Nika will always exist, and fans know that very well. This single point that Oda hammered home on multiple occasions in One Piece changes Luffy's role in the Final Saga greatly, and fans know that very well.
As the Sun God Nika, Luffy is destined to fight Imu. He will, at some point, go up against Imu, and crush them, along with their army. But, if there's one character who fans know will play just as big a role here, it's Shanks.
Shanks Is Just As Important In The Final Saga
Shanks Is The One Who Enabled Everything
In many ways, Shanks is the one who set things in motion and enabled the return of Nika in One Piece. Fans know very well that Shanks was the one who set Luffy on the path to becoming the Pirate King, but more than that, he is the one who stole the Nika fruit from the World Government. He is the one who held it and eventually, he took it to Fushia Village, where Luffy ate it.
One Piece: Oda Might Have Already Revealed Who Luffy Will End Up With, And It Isn't Nami
Romance is not a huge focus in One Piece, but Oda has hinted at who Luffy will end up with.
Hey Beck, don't you think it's time? To claim the One Piece, that is! — Shanks
Shanks Is Tied To Nika And Imu
Shanks also knows all about Nika, as is clear from his reaction to Luffy's wanted poster. More than that, Shanks is well aware of the Holy Knights, and even Imu, and that specifically shows that he has a larger plan in the works that he's working towards.
Oda has specifically saved Shanks for the Final Saga, and the fact that even now, years after the beginning of the Final Saga, Shanks hasn't been focused upon much is simply because his role is that big. Shanks isn't just there for Blackbeard or as an obstacle for Luffy. He is going to be directly involved in the war against Imu and the Celestial Dragons. He is the child of destiny, and fans can't wait to see what Oda has in store for him.
One Piece Chapter 1152 will be out in one week. As usual, One Piece is going to drop on Sunday. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday. However, the vast majority of international readers will see the chapter available on June 22. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1152 is June 22, 2025. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus.
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Directors
- Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Cast
-
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice) -
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
