The defeat of Eustass Kid along with his crew by Shanks, and Blackbeard's ambush of Trafalgar Law and the Heart Pirates has blown the race towards Laugh Tale wide open, as the final saga of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece reaches new heights of intensity. The action is occurring at a pace never seen before, with earth-shattering developments engendering consequences that stretch far beyond what fans have been used to till date. As the balance of power on the seas undergoes a grand readjustment, the question of who will become the next Pirate King is now more pertinent than ever.
Left behind by the late Pirate King Gol D. Roger on the mythical island of Laugh Tale at the end of the Grand Line, the One Piece is said to be a treasure beyond the likes of which the world has ever seen. Reportedly consisting of the treasure left behind by the original Joy Boy from the Void Century, as well as the riches amassed by Roger during his time on the seas, the One Piece is also supposed to hold the key to the true history of the world, the Ancient Weapons, and the secrets that will bring down the World Government. At the moment, only the remaining members of Roger's crew who sailed to the island are aware of its true nature. Furthermore, during his last moments in the Marineford War, the great pirate Edward Newgate, often known as Whitebeard, proclaimed the veracity of claims behind the existence of the One Piece, having been one of the last few people Roger confided in about its whereabouts and true meaning. He also noted the world would be brought to its feet if anyone discovered the treasure's contents, predicting a great battle of gargantuan proportions between those laying claim to it. With this in mind, here are some of the major players engaged in the race to Laugh Tale.
The Obvious Favorite
It is no stretch to say that the Straw Hat Pirates are by far the favorites to find and claim the treasure for their own. Beyond the simple fact of the crew's captain, Monkey D. Luffy being the story's main protagonist, the cast of characters that constitute this band of motley seafarers have all grown immensely in the past few arcs. Each character has shined in his or her own way following the time skip, showcasing how they are no longer small fries to be trifled. While the weaker members of the crew such as Nami, Usopp, and Chopper have found ways to hold their own, others such as Robin and Franky have taken their abilities to new levels, confronting some of the most fearsome fighters on the seas.
Sanji, Zoro, and Jinbe, the crew's strongest fighters, are now in a class of their own, with each exhibiting devastating escalation in power over the course of the Wano arc, as they battled the most powerful members of the crew of the Emperor Kaido. Last but not least, Luffy himself has transcended his limits, unlocking a legendary Devil Fruit awakening that has cast him as the second coming of the mythical figure Joy Boy — said to be the one responsible for leaving the One Piece on Laugh Tale. He is also one of the few elite pirates capable of coating himself in Conqueror's Haki, boosting his strength to an unimaginable degree. The balance between the crew's fighting ability, their efficiency in traversing the Grand Line, the numbers of the diverse Straw Hat Grand Fleet, and the intense bonds they share with one another have firmly put them at the top of the pack. That being said, it is nigh on inevitable that Luffy will lay claim to the One Piece as the next Pirate King, although the road towards this conclusion can take a number of different turns.
The Main Contender
Cast as the polar opposite of Luffy, as the darkness to the Straw Hat captain's light, Marshall D. Teach or Blackbeard, has been pitted as the main rival to Luffy's ascension to the throne of Pirate King. Even from his first appearance in Mock Town on the island of Jaya, Blackbeard and Luffy are portrayed as two sides of the same coin, where one contradicts the other at every instance possible. Notwithstanding all of this, the two are also extremely similar in many respects. Both carry the Will of the D through their initials, holding a strong sense of reverence for dreams and adventure. The pair are both determined to seek out Roger's treasure at any cost, even if their methods and principles may differ.
Blackbeard has one of the strongest pirate crews in the story, featuring a combination of some of the most hardened criminals cherry-picked from the breakout at Impel Down prior to the Marineford War, as well as major figures in the world of One Piece. This includes seasoned, extremely powerful individuals such as Kuzan —the former Admiral Aokiji — Shiryu of the Rain, Avalo Pizarro, Jesus Burgess, Van Augur, and Sanjuan Wolf, among the Ten Titanic Captains he commands. Furthermore, Blackbeard is also the only individual known to possess two Devil Fruits: the Yami Yami no Mi, and the Gura Gura no Mi, stolen from Whitebeard after his death. This sets him a class apart from most of the other supernovas, setting the stage for him to act as Luffy's final adversary to close out this epic saga.
A Wildcard Outsider
His true intentions remain unclear, but there is no doubt that Shanks and his crew, the Red Hair Pirates will have a major part to play in the remainder of the story to come. The recent release of Chapter 1079 provided but a taste of the unfathomable power Shanks and his allies on Elbaf wield. His destruction of a powerful supernova crew with just a single attack cemented his status as an Emperor of the Sea, and perhaps the most powerful character shown in the story so far. Shanks' crew is also renowned for the balance in their strength, as well as the respect they command among pirates, the Navy, the Admirals, and the World Government as a whole. If not for the Straw Hats, the Red Hair Pirates might just have been the favorites to claim Roger's treasure.
Full of surprises at every turn, Shanks' clever use of diplomacy, his ability to read scenarios and resolve them without minimal conflict, his overwhelming strength, along with his mastery of Haki have been hinted at during each of the brief appearances he has made. More recently, Shanks has himself been shown declaring his intentions to claim the One Piece, signaling how he might still have a dog in this fight. His ability to go toe to toe with figures such as Whitebeard and Kaido, and capacity to gain audiences with the Admirals and the Five Elders firmly places him among the upper echelons of the world order. Regardless, fans can expect a roaring finale to this epic tale, where all roads now lead straight towards Laugh Tale.