Why Elbaf will be Luffy's biggest test yet

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

Summary

• Luffy hasn't really been tested as a Yonko yet

• Shanks' counterpart is ready to attack Luffy in Elbaf

• Luffy upgrades his Haki in Elbaf

One Piece's The Elbaf arc is in full swing and fans can't wait to see where the story goes next. The Elbaf Arc has only just begun and things are already incredibly intense. With new villains, while the author revealed a lot of exciting bits of lore, fans know that Elbaf might just be one of the most significant arcs in the entire series, and certainly the most significant in the entire series. The last saga for now.

This arc will be important to almost every straw hat in one way or another, but it will be more important to some of them. Luffy, as the main character, is one of them, and fans know that this arc could prove to be his biggest test yet in the New World.

Luffy hasn't really been tested as a Yonko yet

• Luffy became a Yonk after Kaido's defeat

• Egghead didn't test Luffy like he should have

The Wano Arc was absolutely massive for Luffy for more than one reason. Not only was he helping his friend reclaim their land after 20 years of misery, but at the same time Luffy was trying to take a step closer to claiming One piece also given that he was up against two powerful pirates in Big Mom and Kaido. Here, Luffy reached another level of power and took Kaido's Poneglyph from him. He took a step closer to One Piece and did something that no pirate since Roger had been able to do. Luffy was now only one Poneglyph away from obtaining the One Piece, making him the closest the man had been to the treasure in many years.

Above all, Luffy was able to learn the Supreme King Haki Infusion and especially the Awakening of his Devil Fruit. Those were the two biggest things Luffy took away from the Wano Country arc and with these abilities he was basically on par with the emperors themselves. It is because of these powers that Luffy eventually defeats Kaid and frees Wano, taking these powers with him to Egghead. At this time in the story, Luffy was officially declared emperor and given a reward of 3 billion berries. Luffy was undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with and someone that even the marines couldn't stand against without specific orders from higher ups.

The Straw Hat is now called the Emperor of the Sea. – CP0

While Luffy definitely had immense power at this point, he still hadn't been tested as a Yonko. Lucci tried to really test him and even though he caused some problems for him, Luffy was able to walk past him. Luffy then fought against Kizaru and the Elders during the Egghead Arc. However, neither of these battles turned out to be an all-out showdown. Luffy versus Kizaru, while incredibly impressive, was a way for both of these characters to stop time. Luffy just wanted to waste as much time as possible so that his friends, and more specifically Vegapunk, would have enough time to escape, while Kizaru just wanted to kill himself and avoid a battle with Luffy. Similarly, when Luffy fought the Elders, he already realized that they were immortal and that he shouldn't find them right there.

All he was trying to do was buy enough time for everyone to escape the island safely. As such, even though Luffy gave fans glimpses of his incredible power here and there during this arc, he didn't go all out and knew he had certain goals to accomplish. As such, Luffy still remains untested as a Yonko, meaning there are many opportunities for him to show his true power, and Elbaf will.

Luffy vs Shanks's Look Alike Is Set To Happen

Shanks Lookalike burst onto the scene in Elbaf

Fans might be wondering how Luffy will fare as a Yonko in the Elbaf arc, and the answer couldn't be simpler. One piece Chapter 1134 introduced fans to two powerful personalities — one of them being Shanks, who looked similar.

First introduced in One Piece chapter 907 and mistaken for Shanks himself, this Shanks lookalike is the main antagonist of this arc and will play a significant role in the story. In fact, Oda has been mysteriously promoting his introduction to the story for a while now, and the fact that he's now been involved in the main plot means it's only a matter of time before he meets Luffy. These characters will no doubt become vicious foes in the Elbaf arc, and once they come face to face with Luffy, fans know he'll be in for his biggest test yet.

I want to talk about a certain pirate! – Shanks' lookalike

Of course, this character is not Shanks, but it is highly likely that he will be as strong as him. This is due to the fact that they are most definitely brothers and at the same time have the same potential.

It should also be noted that this character is considered incredibly powerful even by the Five Elders, and at the same time strong enough to head to Elbaf, despite the Yonko's presence there along with Loki being widely known. Additionally, this character is most likely the leader of the God Knights after Garling's ascension to the Five Elders, and someone even the Dragon is wary of. It's clear that all these things taken into account suggest that Shanks' twin is almost as strong as him and will most likely give Luffy a challenge like no other. It goes without saying that he's on par with the emperors and will be Luffy's first proper as a yonko level character considering he definitely had some help against Kaido and it took quite a bit of effort to go ahead and defeat him.

Will Luffy grow in Elbaf?

Luffy upgrades his Haki in Elbaf

Luffy will no doubt get stronger in the Elbaf arc and achieve this by defeating Shanks' form. The most important thing he takes away from this battle is probably an upgrade to his Supreme King Haki. Oda emphasized that Luffy needs to work on this skill significantly, and maybe it's a battle for him to learn how to do it right and take his skills to the next level. Luffy has to defeat the look-alike Shanks if he wants to save Elbaf, and that's what makes everything incredibly exciting.

One Piece is available to read through Viz Media. Fans can officially read the series for free on the Shonen Jump and Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next One Piece chapter, One Piece 1136, is set for January 19, 2025.