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One Piece’sFinal Saga arc is going strong, having enjoyed what can be considered to be the best start to aOne Piecesaga. Elbaf, the second arc of the Final Saga, is no different in that regard and fans know that this arc has been absolutely fascinating. In fact, Elbaf has proven to be a big step up from Egghead in quality already, but there is still a missing factor here.
Fans are not sure whothe main antagonist of the Elbaf arcis, despite the Holy Knights being present in the country already. It is almost as if Oda is saving room for some bigger threat to show up at the end of the arc, and fans are eagerly waiting for it, as it might just be the strongest character in all of One Piece.
Why The Holy Knights Are Not The Main Villains Of Elbaf
Fans know thatthe Holy Knights are incredibly powerful, and Oda has done well to hammer him that feeling over the last few chapters. InOne Piecechapter 1146, fans saw the Holy Knights take on various enemies and they all seemed to be overwhelmingly stronger. Even against the Straw Hat Pirates, which included someone as strong as Jinbe, Gunko proved to be far too big of a challenge. Clearly, the Holy Knights aren’t weak enough for a mere Yonko Commander to take down and that’s precisely what makes them special. To make things worse, the Holy Knights are all in possession of a regeneration power, which simply means that even if they are hit by the strongest of attacks, they cannot be taken down at all, making beating them impossible, as things stand.
I won’t let you do that, no matter what! — Scopper Gaban
Yet, based on how Oda has written them, the Holy Knights don’t seem to be the final enemies of the Elbaf arc at all. At the moment, Shamrock Figarland, who could’ve been the main villain of the Elbaf arc, seems to have left the country already. In his stead, Saint Sommers and Saint Killingham were called to the country, and together, the three threats are deemed strong enough to bring the country to its knees. Yet, Oda is setting up a battle between the Straw Hats and the Holy Knights without Luffy even getting involved. Clearly, without Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, if this battle is won, that only means one thing — a bigger enemy is coming.
Imu Is The Final Villain Of Elbaf
The Sovereign Of The World Could Show Themself
Fans might be shocked to know that Imu themself could be the main villain of the Elbaf arc of One Piece. This is simply down to the fact that Oda usually introduces stronger villains with each progressive arc, and since the Five Elders showed up in Egghead, the only one stronger than them that could show up in Elbaf is none other than Imu.The Abyss is already in Elbaf, meaning that if Imu wants to, they can easily show up and fight the Straw Hats.
Elbaf will be brought to heel, no matter what! — Shamrock Figarland
The Straw Hats Might Lose The Battle Vs Imu
In this scenario,the Straw Hat Pirates will have to end Elbaf with a defeat, because it is too early for Imu to fall inOne Piece. This would also give Oda the perfect opportunity to flex Imu’s powers, since they are largely under the wraps at the moment. If Imu comes and fights Luffy and the crew, and goes on to defeat them, then the stakes in the final stretch ofOne Piecewill be higher than ever before and a rivalry between Luffy and Imu will be established, and fans would absolutely love that.
One Piece chapter 1146 will be out very soon, later this week. As usual, One Piece is going to drop on the upcoming Sunday. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday. However, the vast majority of international readers will see the chapter available on April 20. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1146 is June 12, 2025. Fans can read the chapter for free onManga Plus.
