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The balance of power in the world ofOne Piecehas always been an interesting concept that lends itself naturally to the Battle Shonen genre. Having three large forces, each with its own powerful figures that keep the world in a state of equilibrium, is a unique idea that provides an easy way to classify the strongest characters in the series. With this system, between the Marines, Warlords, and Emperors, it made perfect sense how the Grand Line and the four seas beyond them remained relatively peaceful, even in the Great Era of Pirates.
However, as the series progresses, more and more high-level threats outside of the Three Great Powers have started to introduce themselves to the story ofOne Piece. Mainly, fans have been introduced to some of the stronger members of the World Government in the Final Saga. Between the extreme power of the Five Elders, as well as the entire forces of the God’s Knights and Marines under their command, many fans are starting to question just how balanced the universe ofOne Pieceactually is, with some even wondering why the World Government hasn’t just eliminated the Emperors already.
The World Government Are Incredibly Strong In The Final Saga
Too Many New Characters Have Heavily Increased Their Strength
Sincethe beginning of the Final Saga, the World Government has revealed some hidden powers that may make them the strongest force in the entire series. In the Egghead Arc, fans were officially introduced to the Five Elders, who revealed themselves to be horrific and nearly immortal monsters. Although their showing on Egghead wasn’t the best, with their near immortality, many fans have considered them to be around the level of an Admiral, or at the very most, a relatively weak Emperor.
Every single one of them is useless… - Shamrock
Additionally, although the audience hasn’t seen them in extended combat,theOne PieceGod’s Knightsare an extremely powerful force, strong enough to give the entire country of Elbaf trouble. On top of this, the God’s Knights were shown trying to recruit Loki into their group as well, and although this isn’t certain, it would stand to reason that they wouldn’t recruit someone stronger than themselves that they couldn’t keep in check. With this in mind, with weapons like the weapon Imu used on Lulusia, the World Government should be able to systematically eliminate each of the Emperor’s and their crews individually.
The World Government Intentionally Lets The Emperors Live
They May Be Acting As Gatekeepers For The One Piece
However, there are some reasons why, despite holding an overwhelming amount of power,One Piece’sWorld Governmenthasn’t directly waged war on the Emperors. Firstly, although they could likely defeat any of the Emperors individually, in a full-scale war, like the battle at Marineford, it is likely that the World Government would suffer heavy casualties. Trying to defeat all four Emperors, as well as any other powerful crew, may weaken the World Government enough to give a force like the Revolutionary Army a chance to strike.
Additionally, while the Emperors are technically the enemies of the World Government, as they are specifically searching forthe secrets of the One Piece, the Emperors as a system may actually benefit the government. Mainly, with four Emperors, and with each Emperor struggling to get the One Piece treasure first, these major forces dissuade any pirates from searching for the legendary treasure, acting as gatekeepers for Laughtale. As long as the Emperors continue to butt heads, it seems impossible for any single Emperor, save for potentially Luffy, to collect all the Road Poneglyphs and travel to the final island of the Grand Line.
This Strategy May Not Last Forever
As A United Front The Emperors Could Defeat The World Government
Still, ifthe fourOne PieceEmperorschose to work together and form a unified force against the World Government, it would be a much closer fight overall. With the combined power of all four Emperors, it may be enough to defeat the power of the Five Elders, God’s Knights, and Admirals, if they continue to fight by the World Government’s side at this point in the series. However, a clash of this scale may produce the largest battle that fans of the series have ever seen, trumping both Wano and the Paramount War.
It’s imperative that we snuff out something this problematic. - St. Saturn
This balance of power scaling, with the World Government and Marines being nearly as strong as the Emperors combined, may be a hint at how the Final War ofOne Piecewill play out. It seems likely that Luffy may need to team up with other Emperors and former Emperors in order to stand a chance against these powerful characters. In the end, it makes sense why the forces of the World Government have never decided to attack the Emperors preemptively.
One Piece
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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, 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.
