When One Piece began its run on July 18, 1997, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #34, it was made immediately clear that the goal for the protagonist of the series, Monkey D. Luffy, was to become the Pirate King. Luffy set out on his journey from the East Blue and has now come very far, having established himself as one of the Four Emperors of the Sea in Chapter 1053 and pressing hard towards reaching the final island, Laugh Tale, before anyone else.
By the end of One Piece, Luffy is destined to become the King of the Pirates, and fans all over the world are eagerly waiting to see Eiichiro Oda crown him. However, the ongoing Elbaf arc of One Piece has officially set up a new Pirate King in Luffy’s stead, and this person is none other than Blackbeard. Before Luffy gets to claim the crown of the Pirate King, Blackbeard is likely to take this title for himself.
One Piece setting up a new Pirate King other than Luffy might come as a surprise to many fans. After all, Monkey D. Luffy is the protagonist of the series, and at the end of the day, he is the one who must liberate the world from the clutches of the World Government. The Elbaf arc’s climax, pitting Luffy against Nerona Imu, first in Chapter 1187 and then again in Chapter 1190 on August 9, 2026, is proof that, at the end of the day, Luffy is the one who will change the world for good. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Luffy is the one who will get to become the Pirate King first. This is something Eiichiro Oda set up himself in the story in One Piece Chapter 1160, titled “My Death Cannot Come Soon Enough,” which was officially released on December 22, 2025, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #4-5.
Shanks: Wow! So I have a little brother out there?
Gaban: True! You and Buggy were always like our sons.
Shanks: Who knows, with Captain Roger’s blood, he might really go on to become the Pirate King of the new era.
Gaban: You realize the title isn’t hereditary, right? The one everyone expects doesn’t always come out on top.
— Gaban foreshadowing Oda’s secret Pirate King pick, One Piece Chapter #1169
In this chapter, Scopper Gaban stated something very significant that will come to play at some point later down the line. When conversing with Shanks, Gaban stated that the one whom everyone expects to rise to the top doesn’t usually come out on top. In other words, Eiichiro Oda told the fans to be prepared to have their expectations subverted when it comes to the title of the Pirate King. As things stand, everyone believes that Monkey D. Luffy will become the Pirate King and come out on top in the race that has heated up in the Final Saga. However, it might not be Luffy who gets to claim the title of the Pirate King first.
In One Piece Chapter 576, which was officially released on March 8, 2010, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #14, Whitebeard officially stated that the man that Roger was waiting for wasn’t Blackbeard. In other words, Blackbeard is on the opposite end of the spectrum and least likely to become the Pirate King, in accordance with whom the people are waiting for. That is precisely what makes him the perfect Pirate King replacement for Luffy and the last obstacle for him to face in battle.
“You’re not him, Teach! The man whom Roger is waiting for isn’t you.” — Whitebeard puts down Blackbeard, One Piece Chapter #576
Why Luffy Vs Blackbeard Could Happen For The Pirate King’s Crown
Blackbeard becoming the Pirate King before Luffy would be massive for this series for a multitude of reasons. It would give fans a big shock and completely subvert their expectations by making someone other than Luffy sit on the throne after the Pirate King, Roger. At the same time, it would also play into the legacy of Rocks D. Xebec, putting his son on the Pirate King’s throne against all odds.
Most importantly, it will set up Luffy’s biggest battle of all time in the entire series. Luffy will then go head-to-head against Teach in an attempt to take the crown from him like a true pirate. Luffy will eventually become the Pirate King, and that is undeniable. However, he might not be the one who claims this crown first. Blackbeard is primed to be one of Luffy’s ultimate antagonists in the story of One Piece, and he might claim this crown first and then make himself the final obstacle for Luffy to surpass.
“The fate of this world depends on whoever finds it! It all depends on who will find the One Piece!” — Vegapunk, One Piece Chapter #1121
Luffy Will Only Become Pirate King After Beating Blackbeard
By making Blackbeard the Pirate King, Eiichiro Oda will further set up an exciting clash for all of us fans to follow in the last stretch of the story. It is here that Luffy vs. Blackbeard could take place in a battle for the title of the Pirate King, and we will get to see one of the greatest fights in the history of One Piece play out after being set up since the fall of Portgas D. Ace in One Piece Chapter 441. It will also set up a thematic light vs. darkness battle, as Luffy, the Sun God, goes up against the power of darkness of the Yami Yami no Mi. The winner of this battle will ultimately have to be Luffy, and it is this fight that could end up crowning him the true Pirate King. It would also make him the man that Roger, Whitebeard, Oden, and all the other members of the Roger Pirates were waiting for all these years.
“The Sun or darkness? There can only be one winner! Die by my darkness, Ace!” — Eiichiro Oda foreshadows Luffy Vs Blackbeard, One Piece Chapter #441
Undoubtedly, One Piece’s Final Saga is looking incredibly exciting. With Luffy’s powers set to grow in the final clash against Nerona Imu in the climax of the Elbaf arc, we are increasingly closer to seeing him clinch the title of Pirate King once and for all. For now, all we have to do is sit back patiently and watch Luffy progress further as he gets closer than ever to claiming the last Road Poneglyph. After Elbaf, Luffy will set sail to the island where only the Pirate King has set foot previously, as confirmed by Eiichiro Oda himself.
All the new One Piece manga chapters by creator Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
