One Piece’s Elbaf Arc: Who Are the Final Villains?

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Summary

  • The Gods Knights are powerful Celestial Dragons in One Piece’s Elbaf arc with formidable abilities.
  • They are the strongest test for the Straw Hats, setting up tough battles for Zoro, Sanji, and Jimbei.
  • Besides the Gods Knights, fans speculate that the Blackbeard Pirates or Cross Guild may emerge as final villains.

In the fictional universe of “One Piece”, the heroes view the World Government as their chief adversary. Comprised of 20 ancient kingdoms with immense power, this governing body has maintained a stranglehold over the world for approximately 800 years. They propagate xenophobic beliefs and keep most people in subservience to the Celestial Dragons, a racist and superior group. Their reach is vast, allowing them to exert their will freely across the globe.

From my perspective, it’s hardly unexpected that among their formidable military units, the enigmatic Gods Knights stand as the most formidable adversaries the heroes encounter in the Elbaf arc of One Piece. In this piece, we delve into the chilling persona of these Celestial Dragons, uncovering why they hold such might, and speculate whether they could be merely pawns in a larger game, despite the strong indications suggesting them as the final antagonists of this arc.

The Terrifying Power Of The Gods Knights

How Strong Are They?

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

In the narrative, the God’s Knights were scarcely mentioned at first but made their appearance during the Elbaf storyline. Once they entered the scene, their impact on the world of One Piece was significant due to the immense power demonstrated by Shamrock and Gunko, even though much of their abilities remained undisplayed. Given their entrance, many fans now believe that these characters will likely serve as the antagonists for this arc’s conclusion.

After Shamrock departed for the Holy Land, Gunko was subsequently accompanied by Sommers and Qillingham – two other powerful members of their group who can hold their own in a fight. The specifics of Shamrock’s innate powers remain undisclosed, but it’s strongly suggested that he, similar to his brother Shanks, lacks the power of a Devil Fruit and instead solely relies on his remarkable Haki. Nevertheless, there’s near consensus that his sword has been imbued with the abilities of the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit – the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Cerberus.

Instead of Gunko, let me tell you about another character who possesses unique abilities. Unlike others, she wields the Aro Aro no Mi, a Devil Fruit that enables her to generate arrows from her body or even her shadows. The trajectory of these arrows forms an unavoidable arc, making it seem like her attacks adhere to this path. What’s more, the damage she inflicts is significantly increased along this course. To add to this, she can control and manipulate these arrows at will. This power complements Sommer exceptionally well, as he possesses a Devil Fruit that allows him to create invisible thorns on whatever he selects. These thorns are potent enough to pierce even the strongest armors.

So far, none of the demonstrated Devil Fruit abilities in Elbaf seem to match the power level of Qillingham’s Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Qilin. This is an Awakened Mythical Zoan Fruit that gives Qilingham the ability to manifest the dreams or nightmares of his target. This is crucial for the Gods Knight’s scheme to abduct children on Elbaf. What makes this unique is that it allows the user to manipulate reality in a way, something fans have been eagerly waiting to witness for quite some time.

That’s the ability you used to pull those dream demons out of the brat’s heads, right?

In this series, these formidable adversaries pose the toughest challenges yet for the Straw Hats crew. Even though Luffy’s Nika Fruit abilities greatly surpass these foes, each character presents an ideal match for Zoro, Sanji, and Jimbei. By the end of this storyline, it seems that Zoro will face off against Sommers, Sanji against Qillingham, and possibly Jimbei against Gunko. However, as is often the case in this series, Oda might surprise us by altering these expected pairings.

While the other Straw Hats assist the Giants in combating Qillingham’s nightmares, Luffy may encounter his final trial in this arc – a confrontation with Loki, given they both possess Sun God Devil Fruits, which are exceptionally powerful among those present here. It seems fitting for these two to engage in battle, potentially culminating in Loki aligning himself with the heroes.

Other Possible Final Villains For The Elbaf Arc

Who Else Could Be The Final Villains?

On the flip side, certain fans speculate that the Elbaf arc could be where the Blackbeard Pirates will take action, given its strong association with the final Road Poneglyph. Popular fan theories suggest Scopper as the Man Marked by Flames, which might lead them to this island in search of the rubbings. This could potentially bring them face-to-face with the Straw Hats.

Based on similar circumstances, some think Cross Guild might join in too, suggesting that following the Gods Knights’ downfall, the ultimate showdown of this storyline could be all Yonko crews clashing with each other. While this is just speculation for now, if such an event were to occur, One Piece fans would undoubtedly be thrilled to witness it.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

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2025-03-30 02:37