The Role Of The Yonko In Elbaf, Explained 

This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf Arc.

Key Takeaways

• The Yonko have the fate of the world in their hands and will be pivotal in the Final Saga, especially in the Elbaf Arc.
• Luffy’s role in Elbaf is crucial as the newest Emperor and will bring him one step closer to the One Piece.
• Shanks aims to stop Blackbeard, potentially leading to a significant battle, while Buggy’s dark horse role involves seeking the Road Poneglyphs.

The Yonko, also known as the Four Emperors of the Sea, are some of the most influential people in the world of One Piece. Fans know them to be incredibly important to the story, given that they are the most powerful pirates in the entirety of One Piece. They have tremendous power up their sleeve, and they use it in influential ways in the New World, such that it alters the entire story.

The Yonko, as recently announced by Vegapunk, have the fate of the entire world in their grasp. It is one of these pirates who will go on to claim the One Piece, which essentially means that they will turn the balance of the world upside down. In the Final Saga, Elbaf is going to be a pivotal arc, similar to the likes of big arcs such as Dressrosa and Wano Country. Their involvement in this segment of the story will shift the balance of power forever. Each of the Yonko is going to be involved in the Elbaf Arc in one way or another, and that is precisely what makes this story more exciting.

Luffy’s Role In The Elbaf Arc of One Piece

Luffy Is The Newest Of The Four Emperors

Out of the Four Emperors of the Sea, Luffy is certainly going to be one of the most important ones in Elbaf, especially because he’s the protagonist of the series. As always, Luffy is going to be in the center of things in Elbaf, and even more so here because the legend of Nika directly stems from this country. Fans to know that Luffy will shake the world in this arc in one way or another, and most importantly, he will take one more step closer to the One Piece. Given that Luffy is at the center of things here, he will most likely dive deep into Elbaf culture, and deal with the problems that this country faces. Right now, Elbaf is safe and sound, which isn’t really the case in One Piece arcs usually.

These are the pirates that they’re calling the new Emperors of the Sea! – Apoo

Most of the time, there are major villains on every island, such as Crocodile in Arabasta, the World Government in Enies Lobby, Doflamingo in Dressrosa, Big Mom in Whole Cake Island, and Kaido in Wano Country. Elbaf is different, because there is no major enemy for Luffy to defeat on Elbaf. But, that is precisely why Oda must create an obstacle for Luffy to overcome. There certainly is Loki, who has been built up to be a very powerful and dangerous individual, but, as things stand, Luffy and Loki don’t strike the fans as enemies. They might even go on to fight, but in the grand scheme of things, Loki might not turn out to be half as bad as people believe him to be.

As far as villains go, Luffy’s role in Elbaf is most likely going to be related to opposing a bigger enemy, which fans know to be the World Government. This is the arc where the target of the Government is going to be revealed to be Elbaf, and Imu might even make a major move in order to destroy this island, which could be termed as its Ragnarok in many ways. As such, Luffy, Loki, and the other giants must band together to oppose the disaster the country faces, which certainly makes for a very interesting plotline. By doing all this, Luffy will eventually take another step closer to the One Piece, and perhaps even find the location of the last Road Poneglyph.

Shanks’s Role In Elbaf

Shanks Wants To Stop Blackbeard

Shanks is another one of the Four Emperors in One Piece, and after Luffy, he might just be the most important one in this arc. This is simply because Shanks is directly tied to Elbaf, and fans know this because this country is technically under his protection. Shanks is not on Elbaf right now, and this is because he set out on an important mission rather recently. Shanks dealt with Bartolomeo, and, as things stand, he might be on the lookout for Blackbeard. Elbaf is going to be massive for Shanks for more than one reason. For one, fans know that he might intercept Blackbeard and engage in battle with him.

If this fight happens, Shanks will most likely not fall, given that his reunion with Luffy is still pending. On the flip side, if Shanks is not able to intercept Blackbeard, then he will likely return to Elbaf, where Luffy will be waiting for him, and a battle with him will ensue.

Tell him to leave his Poneglyphs and surrender, or be destroyed! – Shanks

Regardless of what happens, Shanks will have a major role to play here, and depending on which way the plot of Elbaf goes, Shanks could potentially even involve himself in the battle against the Government.

Blackbeard’s Role In Elbaf

Blackbeard Could Try to Infiltrate Marijoa

Blackbeard is one of the most important characters in One Piece, and in the Final Saga, Oda will definitely pay more attention to him. Blackbeard wasn’t heavily involved and the Egghead Island arc, even though he had bits to do here and there. But Elbaf is most definitely going to be different, and fans know that Blackbeard is already on the move after finding out about Dragon’s siege of Marijoa. He plans to do something there, and might even attempt to infiltrate the Holy Land. Whether or not he succeeds in his sinister plan, Blackbeard will take one more step towards the One Piece, which will put him ever closer to battling Luffy.

Blackbeard could also fight Shanks in this Arc, provided the Yonko manages to intercept him. If this interception is successful, fans will see Blackbeard versus Shanks, which is a much-awaited battle in One Piece, and it is certainly going to elevate the Elbaf Arc to new levels. Naturally, fans might believe that it is too early for a Shanks versus Blackbeard battle. However, One Piece is in the final Saga and Elbaf is certainly one of the last big arcs in the story. This battle needs to happen sooner rather than later, and it need not see either of these characters fall if Oda plays his cards right.

Buggy’s Role In Elbaf

Buggy Will Be The Dark Horse

Finally, there is Buggy. When it comes to the Four Emperors, buggy is the one that the fans know least about when it comes to predicting his next move. As seen in the previous arc, Buggy declared his intention to go directly for the One Piece, which means that he needs to get his hands on a few Poneglyphs one way or another. This also means that Buggy intends to challenge the other Emperors, and he needs to do something major, regardless of which way things go.

For Buggy to claim the One Piece, he needs to get his hands on the Road Poneglyphs, which is not easy. Buggy needs to secure the Road Poneglyphs either from the other Yonko, which is impossibly hard for him, despite him having Mihawk and Crocodile at his side, or he needs to seek out the Poneglyphs by himself. He is left with his cunning tactics, which means that he might manage to face off against some other Emperors and somehow trick them and steal their rubbings.

Buggy might also come face to face against the World Government in this arc, given that he is actively hunting down Marines by placing bounties on their heads. This means a clash with the Government is inevitable, and it will be incredibly exciting for the fans to see this battle unfold.

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 the Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1132, is set to be December 1, 2024.