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TheElbaf Arc of theOne Piecemangahas been picking up steam with the portrayal of God’s Knights, Loki, and even Shamrock, Shanks’ twin brother. With the portrayal of these legendaryOne Piececharacters alongside the Straw Hat pirates, Elbaf at the moment is in turmoil and facing destruction.
With the land of the giants set on an island with a plethora of trees and forests, lightning and fire have proven to be Elbaf’s greatest weakness, and it’s a weakness that God’s Knights intend to exploit. Luckily, with the helmsman of the Straw Hats on the scene, Jinbe proves to be a worthy asset for Elbaf. And with his fishman martial arts, he proves to be the most suitable individual to save Elbaf, if not the only one.
The following contains manga spoilers on the Elbaf arc; proceed with caution.
The Crisis Facing Elbaf
A Plethora Of Problems Spring Up
As a country notaffiliated with the World Government, Elbaf is responsible for its security and the way it governs itself. However, as a country of giants, Elbaf holds considerable power, with some individuals holding even more. With his considerable strength, God’s Knights were dispatched to recruit the accursed prince, Loki, with promises of granting even divine status.
Do you finally understand? We are offering you a chance at divinity!! Most die squirming in vain..just for the slightest chance to attain such an honor—Gunko
Unfortunately for God’s Knights,Loki rejects their offerand would rather end up dead. But God’s Knights have something else up their sleeves; they intend to take the children hostage prior to the total subjugation of the island. Aside from them, the possibility of Loki being freed poses a significant threat, causing Luffy, Zoro, and giants like Hajrudin to watch over him.
With Loki on the verge of being freed and then subsequently killed, the hypnotized wandering children, the children’s nightmares coming to life, and Elbaf being on the verge of turning into a blazing inferno, Elbaf has truly found itself in a crisis.
A Giant Nation’s Hidden Weakness
Elbaf Burns
Most countries have hidden weaknesses here and there, but what could possibly be enough to overwhelm a country of giants considered to be the strongest—one where even the children possess physical strength beyond that of even average marines and pirates? Fire and lightning.
That’s Elbaf’s Biggest Weakness…FIRE AND LIGHTNING!!—Ripley
As a forest-rich island with a towering treasure tree, Adam, right in the center, Elbaf is a massive island perfect for giants. However, having a treasure tree, Adam, as its backbone also means that it’s an islandhighly impervious to lightning and flames. Moreover, with old, decrepit branches, the flames are immensely difficult to put out, and the branches, most of the time, require decapitation to stop the spread of fire. Loki started the current fire on Elbaf in an attempt to force Luffy and Hajrudin to completely free him and back off; however, Luffy was ready for a fight, and Loki ultimately passed out. But that didn’t do anything to the fire he had already started. Moreover, with the children’s nightmares on the run, the fire continues to spread.
More Chaos Ensues
Jinbe Remains The Strongest Straw Hat On the Scene
As of chapter 1142, Gunko and the rest of the God Knights on the scene put their plan of taking the children hostage in motion. At the time, Colon wasn’t with the other schoolchildren and so wasn’t taken captive. However, as seen in the last panel of chapter 1145, Gunko and some members of the Straw Hats finally meet. Interestingly, she has her sights set on Colon, and the Straw Hats on the scene aren’t popularly known for their battle capabilities. Facing characters like Usopp, Nami, Brook, and Jinbe, only the latter two may be able to cause Gunko any kind of trouble,particularly Jinbe, as his bountyof 1,100,000,000 berries shows how capable he is.
With Colon being the son of the former left hand of the pirate king and Ripley, a member of the last generation of Elbaf warriors, it’s interesting to see how things will play out, as that makes Colon’s life very valuable. Hopefully, Jinbe will be able to serve as an available line of defense.
The Calm In The Chaos
Jinbe’s Role Amid Elbaf’s Destruction
As a nation that has fire as its major weakness, Elbaf has a swift fire rescue squad. But putting out fires raging and spreadingon a treasure tree, Adam, is easier said than done. Despite their best efforts, the fire continues to spread, and the wandering giant children are about to enter them in their hypnotized state. Thankfully, the calm in the various forms of chaos spreading on the island, Jinbe, is quick to act. With a sea cloud current shoulder throw, Jinbe puts out the fire about to engulf the children, giving a brief respite. While the other Straw Hats each have things they’re good at, putting out the fires that are about to engulf Elbaf is Jinbe’s specialty.
Elbaf’s current threat is a mix of political manipulation, natural disasters, and the weaponization of children’s nightmares. It’s not something that can be easily solved with brute strength alone. And so, while Jinbemay not be the strongest Straw Hat, he currently serves as the most important. While Luffy, Zoro, and Hajrudin deal with Loki and his trickery, Jinbe remains the best equipped to take out the moral and metaphorical fires that threaten to consume Elbaf.
One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
