Straw Hat Pirates’ Ultimate Test: Battling Holy Knights for Yonko Status

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This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf arc.

Summary

  • The Straw Hat Pirates are not quite a Yonko crew yet.
  • The crew members need to improve strength and gain Haki.
  • Fighting the Holy Knights will be a major growth opportunity.

The Elbaf saga of One Piece has shown an overwhelmingly large scale thus far, and it promises to grow even more substantial as the narrative progresses. At present, the Holy Knights are stationed in Elbaf with the intent of annihilating the nation and subjugating it under their domain.

Given their current location in the nation, it’s only expected that the Straw Hat crew won’t allow the Holy Knights to take control, and they’ve already allied with the Giants for this purpose. However, the Straw Hat crew finds itself in a peculiar situation at the moment, as their main combatants – Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji – are currently unavailable. Consequently, the rest of the crew must handle the Holy Knights without the help of these key fighters.

The Straw Hat Pirates Are Not A Proper Yonko Crew Just Yet

  • The Top Officers Are Strong
  • The Lower Officers Are Weak

The Straw Hat Pirates undeniably possess great strength, yet at this moment, they aren’t quite powerful enough as a team. Fans are well aware that the Straw Hat Pirates boast incredibly potent top commanders such as Zoro and Sanji, who outmatch commanders like King and any other Yonko Commander of equal rank. Luffy alone has the strength to confront and conquer Kaido, and can stand his ground against opponents like Kizaru and Saturn simultaneously. Without a doubt, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji are formidable forces that rival a Yonko crew. However, even Jinbei and the rest of the crew still have room for growth in terms of strength.

We won’t let them take the kids, no matter what! — Scopper Gaban and Robin

Leaving out the top three fighters from the team, the remaining Straw Hat Pirates still have room for improvement at present. Jinbe, despite his strength, hasn’t demonstrated enough capability to match opponents like Jack, Cracker, and others. In a similar vein, Robin has only managed to defeat Black Maria with significant struggles and is yet to master Haki. Nami and Usopp are not deserving of their bounties and are generally weaker, while Brook and Chopper aren’t particularly impressive either.

The Holy Knights Pose A Big Challenge To The Straw Hats

The Holy Knights Will Allow The Straw Hats To Grow

As a die-hard fan, let me tell you, there’s no denying the formidable strength of the Holy Knights. They outclass our beloved Straw Hats by leaps and bounds, as even the mighty Gunko managed to defeat four Straw Hat members in chapter 1145 – a feat that was a real low point for the Yonko crew. But fear not, dear readers! Eiichiro Oda has masterfully orchestrated this situation for a reason. Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji are temporarily absent because Oda wants to leverage their absence to boost the powers of the remaining Straw Hat members. This means some massive power-ups are on the horizon for our beloved pirates in the upcoming chapters, empowering them enough to face off against the Holy Knights!

Elbaf will bow down to the World Government, no matter what! — Shamrock Figarland

Why The Straw Hats Will Come Out Of This Stronger

The Straw Hats Will Be Worthy Of Being Called Yonko Officers

The fight against the Holy Knights won’t be a walk in the park. The Straw Hat Pirates might not conquer them alone, but they have Gaban and the Giants backing them up. This implies that they have valuable allies who can guide them during combat. If the Straw Hats manage to overpower the Holy Knights, it would be a monumental achievement for them. Moreover, if they acquire Haki, the Straw Hat Pirates would become an unquestionably powerful Yonko crew, a development that fans have been eagerly anticipating.

The next chapter of One Piece, number 1147, will be published soon, specifically this coming Sunday in most regions. In Japan, it will be released at midnight on Monday, but for the majority of international readers, they can expect to read the chapter on April 27th. The official release date for One Piece Chapter 1147 is indeed April 27, 2025. If you’re a fan, you can enjoy reading it for free on Manga Plus.

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2025-04-24 22:44