Say Hello To Zoro And Sanji’s Next Official Elbaf Power Up

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This article contains spoilers from the Final Saga of One Piece.

Zoro and Sanji are key members of the One Piece crew, often called the ‘Wings of the Pirate King.’ They’re Luffy’s most trusted and powerful allies, and essential to his journey to become the Pirate King.

For a long time, fans have argued about who is stronger, Zoro or Sanji. However, their individual strength isn’t the most important thing. Both are vital to Luffy’s dream of becoming the Pirate King, acting as his key supports. We’ll see how crucial they are in the upcoming Elbaf arc. In fact, the author, Oda, has already planned significant power increases for both of them. These upgrades will establish Zoro and Sanji as formidable fighters who can represent Luffy in battle, and One Piece fans are sure to be excited to see them reach a new level of strength.

Zoro and Sanji Are The Wings Of The Pirate King in One Piece

  • The Two Strongest Straw Hats In One Piece
  • The Next Generation Rayleigh And Gaban

Fans frequently argue about who is stronger, Zoro or Sanji, but they often miss the bigger point: these two are a team. Despite being very different and often fighting, Zoro and Sanji aren’t enemies. Their rivalry actually pushes them to improve and they have a deep respect for one another. This mutual motivation is exactly why they’re known as the “Wings of the Pirate King.” If that title hadn’t been reserved for the strongest members, Sanji wouldn’t have been a likely candidate.

Everyone possesses a hidden power called Haki – the ability to sense spiritual energy and dominate opponents. While everyone has it to some extent, most people never awaken it. True strength comes from unwavering confidence. Now, pay attention! Haki generally manifests in two different forms, or ‘colors.’ – Silvers Rayleigh to Luffy in Ruskaina

The fact that Oda designated Sanji as one of Luffy’s core supporters, a ‘Wing’ of the Pirate King, highlights his dependability and crucial role in helping Luffy achieve his goal. Similar to how Roger had Rayleigh and Gaban as key allies before becoming Pirate King, Luffy has Zoro and Sanji. Just as Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban were all considered equals in strength, with Roger being slightly more powerful, this same dynamic will likely apply to the Straw Hat Pirates as well.

Zoro and Sanji are equally strong, even though fans often debate this. What really matters now is how well they work together in the final arc of the story, as Luffy and his crew will be facing incredibly powerful enemies. For them to succeed, Zoro and Sanji need to prove themselves as Luffy’s key protectors and earn the respect of giants like Scopper Gaban when they reach Elbaf.

Zoro And Sanji’s Next Power Up Is Supreme King Haki Control

  • Supreme King Haki Is The Only Way To Beat Immortals
  • Zoro And Sanji Have To Fight Imu’s Army

I’m expecting the Elbaf arc to be huge for both Zoro and Sanji. It feels like they’re at a similar point as Luffy, needing to seriously level up their strength. And the story already seems to be hinting at how they’ll do that. With Zoro, Oda made it pretty clear through Gaban that he needs to fully control his Conqueror’s Haki. Zoro actually awakened it during the Wano arc, but honestly, he’s sometimes a bit clueless and didn’t even realize he had it!

Conqueror’s Haki, sometimes called the Color of the Supreme King, is a powerful ability possessed by many strong individuals. Unlike other Haki, you can’t directly train it to become more potent. Instead, it reflects the user’s inner strength and will grow stronger as they become stronger. — Silvers Rayleigh explaining to Luffy

Up until now, Enma had been responsible for unlocking Zoro’s full power by bringing out his Haki during fights. But things are changing – Zoro will now learn to activate his Haki on his own. Gaban explains that you can only truly master Haki when you understand and control every aspect of it. This means Zoro hasn’t been fighting to his full potential so far.

Zoro’s Haki isn’t refined yet, and he likely isn’t using it to its full potential. That’s why he needs to go to Elbaf – it’s where he’ll master his Haki and learn to use it effectively in fights. This training will allow him to become much stronger.

Sanji Will Awaken Supreme King Haki

Fans have noticed that Sanji, like Zoro, is being prepared for a significant power increase – and that increase will be Supreme King Haki. This power is crucial in the final arc of the story because the biggest threats, like the immortal Holy Knights, Imu’s demon slaves, and Imu themselves, can only be defeated with it. Supreme King Haki will be essential for any of the strongest fighters.

It’s becoming increasingly obvious that Eiichiro Oda is intentionally mirroring the dynamic between the Roger Pirates’ strongest fighters (the ‘Monster Trio’) and Luffy’s crew. Just like Roger and his top commanders all possessed Conqueror’s Haki, the same will be true for Luffy’s key allies. Sanji has already sensed this power within himself, but hasn’t yet fully unlocked it. We can expect to see him awaken Conqueror’s Haki in Elbaf, significantly boosting his strength.

Sanji can become significantly more resilient by covering his body in Supreme King Haki. This increased durability will allow him to generate even more intense flames with his Ifrit Jambe technique. Ultimately, this enhanced power will enable him to defeat the immortals, deliver incredibly powerful attacks, and potentially become the next fighter worthy of the title once held by Scopper Gaban.

Zoro And Sanji Must Defeat The Holy Knights In Elbaf

  • Elbaf Will Give Zoro And Sanji The Biggest Battle Yet
  • New Haki Users Will Emerge

Regarding the upcoming battles for Zoro and Sanji in Elbaf, it’s becoming evident that Oda is planning for them to fight both the Holy Knights and the demon army controlled by Imu. Essentially, Oda has two main options for how these battles will unfold.

Zoro and Sanji could be sent to fight the Holy Knights, which would give both of them challenging battles. If that happens, Zoro is likely to face St. Sommers, as he’s a skilled swordsman, and Sanji will probably fight Killingham. However, an even more intriguing fight is brewing for them – a battle against the giant warriors Dorry and Brogy.

As many fans are aware, Imu has transformed Dorry and Brogy into demonic slaves. This creates a strong parallel with Zoro and Sanji, and sets the stage for exciting battles for them. Many believe Zoro and Sanji will face significant challenges in Elbaf, providing a great opportunity to showcase their newly developed Haki, and fans are eagerly anticipating these fights.

Eiichiro Oda’s popular manga, One Piece, follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as they search for the legendary treasure called the One Piece. The story is currently in its final arc. A new chapter, number 1171, will be released in this week’s Weekly Shonen Jump. It will be available on January 18, 2026, at 12 AM Japan Standard Time (11:00 AM Eastern Time / 8:00 AM Pacific Time). Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump app, which directly supports the author.

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2026-01-12 15:35