One Piece: Oda Reveals A New Character Even Stronger Than The Holy Knights

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This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series.

The island of Elbaf in *One Piece* has been a source of major story revelations. These discoveries have shed light on both the ancient Void Century and the First World, as well as key figures like the Rocks Pirates and the events at God Valley, which dramatically altered the world of *One Piece*. Recently, the author, Oda, has formally introduced the Holy Knights, a powerful new group of villains to the series.

This group works with the World Government and includes some of the most powerful characters in the series. Although we’ve seen many strong members, Gunko – who wasn’t one of the Holy Knights at God Valley – has recently been shown to be even more powerful than they were.

The Holy Knights Are Among The Strongest Of The World Government

  • They Possess Immortality and Infinite Regeneration
  • They Also Have Powerful Devil Fruits

The Holy Knights will be key players in the final arc of *One Piece*, serving as a major force for the World Government. They’re a group of incredibly strong individuals with extraordinary powers given to them by Saint Imu Nerona. Like the Five Elders, they seem to be immortal and can fully heal from any injury. This means defeating them would likely require a rare and powerful ability – advanced Conqueror’s Haki. Currently, their strongest member is Saint Garling Figarland, who has been promoted to the Gorosei.

Garling is remarkably strong, even without abilities like immortality that some of his fellow Holy Knights possess. This makes his power even more noteworthy. Other exceptionally powerful members include Saint Sommers and Saint Killingham, as well as several other skilled, but unnamed, knights.

Saint Gunko Wasn’t A Holy Knight During The God Valley Flashback

  • Gunko is Far Stronger than The Average Holy Knight
  • Possibly On The Level Of Shamrock And Garling

The latest One Piece chapter revealed that Gunko works for the Holy Knights, though it’s unclear exactly when she joined them. We know she became a member sometime between the events at God Valley and the journey to Elbaf. Even before joining the Holy Knights, Gunko was incredibly strong – so much so that the Celestial Dragons were placing bets on her winning one-on-one fights, even against someone as powerful as Garling. She was called “God’s Blade,” hinting at a possible connection to Imu, but what that title means is still a mystery.

Gunko is a remarkably important character. She shares a close bond with Imu and frequently accompanies them. When Imu can’t be present, Gunko can serve as a conduit for their power. As the only one known to be able to channel Imu’s abilities, Gunko is incredibly unique and powerful – even surpassing the Holy Knights and the Five Elders in strength.

As a child, I dreamed of creating a manga with an incredibly exciting climax. I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off! Now, after 25 years, we’re nearing the end of the Wano arc and everything is set. You can jump in now if you’re new, because things are about to get wild… this is where we reveal the ONE PIECE! I’m going to draw all the secrets of this world, and it’s going to be amazing! Get ready, and please stick with me a little longer! – Eiichiro Oda, Author of One Piece, 2022

I’m looking forward to the next One Piece chapter – chapter 1161 will be released in about two weeks. Like always, it comes out on Sundays, which means it will be available in Japan at midnight on Monday, September 28, 2025. And good news for everyone – you can read it for free on Manga Plus!

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2025-09-19 23:43