One Piece: Why Smoker Needs A Power Up

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Key Takeaways

  • Despite being enemies, Smoker has helped the Straw Hats due to his values.
  • Despite being a Vice Admiral who uses a Logia Devil Fruit, Smoker is not as strong as other top-tier characters.
  • Smoker needs a power-up through mastering Haki to stay relevant in the final saga of One Piece.

As a lifelong One Piece enthusiast and someone who has been following this magnificent saga for over two decades, I can’t help but feel a deep affection for certain characters that have graced us with their presence throughout these years. Among them is Vice Admiral Smoker, a man whose loyalty to justice often finds him at odds with the Straw Hats, yet he has never failed to lend a helping hand when necessary.

In “One Piece,” numerous factions vie for worldwide dominance, with pirates, who are the central figures in the narrative, being one such group. The World Government, on the other hand, is their direct adversary and consistently thwarts the pirates’ objectives. However, within their ranks, there are certain characters who have allied with the Straw Hat Pirates, not because they share their cause, but due to their personal values and sense of justice.

One notable character similar to this is Vice Admiral Smoker. Smoker first appeared in the early Loguetown arc of One Piece, and he had to release Luffy because Dragon suddenly showed up. Throughout the story, Smoker has crossed paths with the Straw Hats several times, often finding himself helping them instead. Although Smoker plays a significant role in the grand narrative, his power doesn’t match the top-tier characters within the series.

Smoker’s Current Powers And Abilities

Just How Strong Is Smoker Right Now?

First Appearance One Piece, Chapter 97, “Sandai Kitetsu”
Debut Date July 19, 1999
Story Arc Loguetown Arc

From his debut as a Marine Captain at Loguetown, Smoker has consistently been a beloved character, frequently reappearing in the narrative. At that point in the story, he posed a much greater danger to the Straw Hats due to his Devil Fruit ability, the Moku Moku no Mi, which grants him the power to transform into and command smoke.

Just like other Logia Fruits, it provides the user with invulnerability against non-Haki-empowered attacks, making them immune to anyone lacking Haki abilities altogether. Initially in One Piece, Logia fruit users were formidable opponents due to the fact that Haki was not fully developed yet, which made Smoker one of the strongest characters for quite some time during the series’ early stages.

As long as humanity divides itself into factions, no organization in this world can be perfect.

In Loguetown, Luffy couldn’t touch or harm Smoker during his getaway due to his Devil Fruit abilities. But with Dragon’s help, Luffy was finally able to reach Smoker. Later on, in the Alabasta arc, Smoker chased after the Straw Hats, aiming to capture them as they ventured into the desert kingdom. However, events led him into a fight against Crocodile. In this battle, Smoker found himself working alongside Luffy. Recognizing that the Straw Hats were potentially the key to defeating Crocodile and saving Alabasta, Smoker decided to let them go free.

Beyond this, Smoker regularly carries a tool known as a jitte, which is essentially a weapon. This jitte’s tip is infused with Seastone, making it particularly effective against users of Devil Fruits, particularly those wielding Logia powers. Post the Marineford War and timeskip, Smoker has been elevated to the rank of Vice Admiral within the Marines, allowing him to utilize at least Armament Haki now.

Why Smoker Needs A Power-Up

Smoker’s Current Power is Not Enough

Although Smoker is a beloved character, his strength and achievements aren’t particularly renowned. While he does possess a Logia Devil Fruit, it’s considered one of the less potent ones since its elemental abilities don’t compare to those of the Admirals or other powerful characters like Blackbeard. Despite fully utilizing the Moku Moku no Mi, smoke powers have their limits.

As we’ve reached the Final Saga in this incredible series, it’s high time Smoker receives a substantial power-up to match up against both allies and enemies alike. Since he’s no longer eligible for any Devil Fruit powers, mastering Haki seems like his only path to growth. Just look at Koby – he suddenly gained immense strength thanks to his Haki training, managing to demolish Avalo Pizzaro’s entire arm! Given that impressive display of power, it feels right to believe that Smoker can achieve similar feats too.

Even if our enemies are criminals, this isn’t justice. Their wrongs don’t make us right.

The absence of Smoker from recent events could indicate that he’s been training intensely since Punk Hazard, where he was close to death at Doflamingo’s hands but was rescued by Kuzan. This extensive training might have significantly enhanced his Haki abilities. With the impending final battles looming ever closer, Smoker’s allegiance with the Straw Hats within the World Government and against Blackbeard’s forces becomes increasingly crucial.

As a dedicated One Piece gamer, I can’t help but ponder if Smoker’s background mirrors Kuzan’s, given that he was mentored by the latter, much like how Garp took Kuzan under his wing. It’s plausible that Smoker might have gone through similar rigorous training during this time.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

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2024-11-01 23:34