So far, the Final Saga of One Piece has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride, with new revelations, increasing stakes, and high intensity action packed into each and every chapter that has followed the Wano Country Arc. There are quite a few characters from among the series' ever-expanding cast who will likely play a major role in the events to come, as Luffy and the Straw Hats are set to finally head towards Elbaf, the land of the giants.

Among this diverse set of incredibly powerful players, Luffy's sworn brother Sabo, has been in the thick of the action, having played a major role in the events of the Levely in Mary Geoise. It is certain that he will have a large part to play in the grand climax of One Piece's storyline owing to his fame as the "Flame Emperor" and Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army. His strength is without question, as he has gone up against Admirals and Yonko Commanders while emerging unscathed. That being said, how strong is Sabo exactly, and where does fit amid the series' power scaling hierarchy?

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Dragon's Second In Command

Even before he ascended into the public eye for his involvement in the death of Nefertari Cobra, the king of Arabasta — a murder that Imu and the Five Elders were actually responsible for — Sabo was already known as Monkey D. Dragons' second in command. He had a bounty of 602,000,000 berries on his head, which cemented his public image as a major player in the Revolutionary Army who posed a great threat to the authority of the World Government.

Sabo was a naturally gifted fighter even in his youth, as he was able to keep up with Portgas D. Ace and even defeat Luffy despite the latter possessing Devil Fruit powers, although he could not control them yet. He could take on opponents much larger than him and was more than capable of holding his own while using his trusty metal pipe which he continued to wield even in adulthood. Sabo excelled at the Revolutionary Army's grueling combat training regime and even earned praise from the organization's Fish-Man Karate Instructor Hack.

The Secrets Of Ryusoken

In addition to his natural strength and combat prowess, Sabo also developed a unique martial art which serves as the foundation of his fighting style known as Ryusoken or "Dragon Claw Fist." This approach to combat primarily revolves around shaping his fingers in the stye of talons, to perform powerful grip-based attacks and strikes. Sabo has described the grips as "claws," and he has even used his fists to perform attacks which deal more brute force rather than the concentrated damage dealt by his fingers.

At the foundation of Ryusoken is a focus on striking the core of a target. For this, Sabo visualizes an opponents core to exert more force upon this point which also allows him to deal more damage and end fights quickly. He often enhances the destructive force of his strikes with Armament Haki. The attacks under this fighting style can range from three-fingered strikes to more traditional punches used to destroy individual targets or devastate a large area.

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With Ryusoken alone, Sabo was able to defeat both the Marine Vice-Admiral Bastille and Jesus Burgess, one of Blackbeard's Ten Titanic Captains, with only a single blow. These feats are a testament to his base strength, which was further augmented by his unique fighting style and Armament Haki, as well as the Devil Fruit powers he would gain on emerging victorious in the tournament at the Corrida Colosseum in Dressrosa. Hence, going off these triumphs, it may be safe to say that Sabo is above the level of most Yonko Commanders and Vice-Admirals.

In The Fire Fist's Footsteps

Once he acquired the Mera Mera no Mi, Sabo's powers reached even greater heights, as he also inherited the will of his sworn brother, the late Fire Fist Portgas D. Ace. From his initial usage of the Devil Fruit's powers, Sabo seemed to have some difficulty acclimatizing to his new abilities, as he still continued to dodge attacks that passed through his body which can now turn into flames like other Logia type users. However, he was able to execute Ace's signature move without too much trouble meaning that he could soon have a good handle on his flame powers if given enough time.

Furthermore, Sabo also displayed a means to combine Ryusoken and his Devil Fruit abilities in his fight against Burgess after the conclusion of the Corrida Colosseum tournament. This was more than enough to soundly defeat Burgess, indicating that there was a considerable gap in their strength even before he mastered the Mera Mera no Mi. Sabo was also able to hold his own against Admiral Fujitora, although it is not certain whether the latter was fighting at full capacity.

Considering all this, it could be surmised that Sabo's power is near the level of a Marine Admiral of Fujitora's standing, as neither of them really went all out during their match up. That being said, he might have a hard time facing off against more powerful Admiral level fighters such as Sakazuki, Ryokugyu, or even Kuzan, since he has now defected to the Blackbeard Pirates.

It would be interesting to see the Mera Mera no Mi go up against Kuzan's ice powers for sure, especially since the former Admiral seems to have far more experience with his Devil Fruit powers. It might also not be fair to compare Sabo to Emperor level combatants such as Big Mom, Shanks, or Kaido, as he has not shown any signs of manifesting Conqueror's Haki till now. This would put him at a great disadvantage against any of these adversaries for sure. That being said, Sabo is certainly among the cream of the crop when it comes to combat ability in One Piece, and it is certain that he will only grow stronger as the story progresses.

One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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