This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf Arc.
Summary
One Piecehas finally started its Elbaf Arc, and it is safe to say that this story arc is going to be phenomenal, given that it is likely going to be on the same scale as the likes of Arabasta, Enies Lobby, the Summit War, and potentially even the likes of Wano. Fans have high expectations from Elbaf, especially since this is a story arc around two decades in the making. This arc is going to be absolutely massive for many characters, such as Usopp, Nami, and of course, Luffy along with them.
It seems that Oda specifically wants to give shine to the East Blue Five in this Arc,which also includes Zoro and Sanji, the two Wings of the Pirates King. Fans know for a fact that Elbaf is going to be absolutely massive for these two characters for many reasons, and surely, there are many exciting things to look forward to in regards to what the wings are going to do next.
Zoro and Sanji’s Previous Enemies And Current Levels
Zoro and Sanji have consistently grown in the post timeskip ofOne Piece. It can be said that the most significant growth that they showed came in the Wano Arc. Both of them received major powers in this arc. For Zoro, the power was the sword named Enma. This was Oden’s sword with the ability to drain Haki from the user’s body, essentially, training them to build Ryuo better and awakening their latent powers. It took Zoro quite some time to master this sword, but, eventually, this blade certainly allowed him to channel his Haki to the utmost best, and, by mastering it, improving the control over his Haki, and allowing it to tap into the latent Haki power that he had inside his body.
When Zoro managed to master Enma completely, this sword brought out his hidden Conqueror’s Haki, and allowed him to use the advanced version of it, thanks to its incredible ability. Now, Zoro is stronger than ever before, and it is all thanks to Enma, which he trained rigorouslyin the Wano Country Arc. Right now, it is safe to say that Zoro is strong enough to face off against any Yonko Commander and defeat them in battle. He might even be able to fight an Admiral, but he is still not ready to take them down.
The same can be said for Sanji. Wano was Sanji’s biggest arc in terms of power-ups inOne Piece, after Enies Lobby. In Wano, Sanji leveled up greatly, but his most significant power-up came when he finally fought against Queen. In this fight, Sanji’s body started showcasing the scientific mutation and essentially gave him an exoskeleton, along with many other interesting things, such as increased muscle mass, and a massive boost to all his physical attributes. On top of that, when Sanji combined this power with his incredibly refined Color of Armament, he was actually able to sustain even hotter flames, which gave rise to Ifrit Jambe.
Now fly, you scum! – Sanji
These abilities made Sanji an incredibly difficult opponent for anyone to take on in battle, and fans saw a glimpse of that against Queen, where, after awakening his new powers, he simply took him down in a single attack. Sanji was incredibly impressive in Egghead as well, fighting against an Admiral, and even delivering damage to Nusjuro, being the only one to do so.
Why Elbaf Will Be Big For Zoro And Sanji
Zoro and Sanji Have To Reach A Higher Level Of Power
Clearly,Elbaf is going to be massive for Zoro and Sanji, especially if Luffy is to become the Pirate King soon. For Zoro, as explained above, he should be strong enough to hold his own against an Admiral. The same can be said for Sanji. In fact, fans got to see Sanji hold his own against Kizaru and even make him sweat out of disbelief. The truth is, Sanji has not even gone all out in One Piece, yet, he has incredible feats to his name already. The same can be said for Zoro as well, and these two simply have a lot more to offer. But, growth is always constant with these characters, and Elbaf will not be any different for them.
Clearly, given that Elbaf is likely to be a bigger arc, and, based on what Oda has drawn in the first chapter of One Piece’s Elbaf arc, one can come to the conclusion that the Wings are likely going to be very important moving forward.
He’s one of the wings of the pirate king that will help Luffy soar! – Robin
When Luffy fights some of the strongest giants of Elbaf eventually, Zoro and Sanji likely going to take the number two and number three respectively. When that happens, their power levels will ascend even further, because they will have newer challenges to take down.
If they don’t fight Giants, then, fans can surely expect them to take on foes such as the Red Hair Pirates. There, fans will finally see them tap into even higher levels of power, and finally get close to a point where they will be major pirates in the world of One Piece.
How Strong Will Zoro And Sanji Be At The End Of Elbaf?
Zoro and Sanji Need To Be Able To Fight Admirals Soon
At the end of Elbaf, Zoro and Sanji are going to be at an incredibly high level. They are likely going to be very close to their peaks, but, still not quite there. For Zoro, fans know that he is likely going to have mastered his King of Hell mode even more.Zoro is a great user of Conqueror’s Haki, but he cannot tap into his power for more than a few minutes without risking his life. Essentially, if Zoro is in an extended battle, he cannot stand for more than a few minutes. This is a big aspect that brings his current level below that of an Admiral, and he needs to work on that in Elbaf. If Zoro strengthens himself even further in Elbaf, then, he can certainly take on an Admiral and be a threat worthy of an Admiral level opponent.
In the case of Sanji, the same holds true. Sanji will most likely develop even further in terms of his scientific powers. He has constantly shown growth, and in Egghead, he showcased enough powers to surprise even Kizaru. But, Sanji has not explored his scientific abilities fully, given that he did not get the chance to do so properly. In the future,Sanji will grow significantly in this regard, and perhaps show even more genetic mutations which go against his core beliefs.
Then, after winning over the internal struggle, Sanji can get even stronger, and perhaps sustain even hotter flames, and fuse his powers with even better Haki. Sanji could even improve his Observation Haki, his Armament Haki, and potentially gain Conqueror’s Haki later down the line.
For now,at the end of Elbaf, fans should at the very least expect both Zoro and Sanji to be at a level where they can hold their own against an Admiral and potentially go on to win. This Arc is pivotal, because Zoro and Sanji now need to be at a point where they can support Luffy in the biggest of battles and take on foes such as Admirals.
One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and theManga Plusapp. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1128, is set to be July 15, 2025.
