There are plenty of villains in One Piece but nothing comes close to Blackbeard’s notoriety. His feats and his menacing aura make him a perfect antagonist along with his Devil Fruit powers. The darkness and earthquake abilities are formidable which is why Luffy needs to use a different tact.
According to a fan theory, the Gear 5 wouldn’t help the straw hat secure a win against the notorious pirate but a trump card. His mastery of this ability would be the ultimate move against the foe. This also ties in well with the significance of this powerup in the final saga.
Luffy’s trump card against Blackbeard
By now we all know that Blackbeard is a powerful pirate in the series. He possesses two Devil Fruits namely Yami Yami No Mi (dark-dark fruit) and Gura Gura no Mi ( quake-quake fruit). But his method of obtaining it was anything but noble.
He murders Thatch to obtain the Dark-Dark fruit and eventually kills his mentor Whitebeard to obtain the Quake-Quake fruit. But his real villainy lies in his manipulating and maneuvering the course of action in the series. He isn’t simply ruthless but a scheming pirate who lives up to his infamy.
In particular, his actions led to Ace’s death during the Marineford Arc. It is also one of the most gut-wrenching moments in the series that catalyzed Luffy’s growth and development. We witness his iconic Gear 5 move in Wano and Egghead arc but it would be futile in his duel against Marshall Teach.
A fan theory by @writingpanini on X suggests that the straw hat won’t use his DF against Teach. This is mainly because of the latter’s darkness which can absorb devil fruit abilities. To counter it, the Straw Hat has a trump card which can be the ultimate KO against his foe.
During the time skip, he trained relentlessly with Rayleigh and worked on his Haki. He can effortlessly use Conqueror, Armament, and Observation Haki which will be effective in his showdown. The final saga proves that his Haki abilities would prove overwhelming during the battles.
Haki and its overwhelming power in One Piece
We were first introduced to Haki in Episode 4 of the One Piece anime. Here, Shanks uses his Conqueror’s Haki against the Sea King to protect the Straw Hat. He ends up losing an arm but it was a pivotal moment that showcased the intimidating nature of this power.
It is an overwhelming strength in every sense that magnifies the user’s aura. Let us not forget how Blackbeard almost cowered in fear when Rayleigh stepped in to protect Boa Hancock. He used the conqueror’s haki to intimidate Teach but there is more to this ability than meets the eye.
Haki has to do with both an individual’s aura as well as their willpower. Precisely why the Marines were affected by Luffy’s will and resolve in the Marineford Arc. It is the intentions that count and both Roger and Joyboy were able to carry out their goals through this strength.
The will coupled with physical strength and spiritual power is a force to be reckoned with. Time and time again, we witnessed characters honing and harnessing Haki as they grew. Usopp is another example where he awakens the Observation Haki which makes one thing certain.
The final battle would be nothing short of exhilarating considering Luffy’s mastery of skills and combat. Haki, in this case, would be the ultimate key to defeating Blackbeard.
One Piece is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Shueisha’s Manga Plus.
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