Why “Blackbeard vs. Shanks” is coming soon, explained

This article contains spoilers for One Piece's Elbaf arc.

Key insights

• Shanks and Blackbeard's roles in the final saga are revealed.
• The Elbaf arc sets the stage for the inevitable fight between Shanks and Blackbeard.
• Blackbeard vs. Shanks meet to shake up the One Piece world soon.

The final saga of One piece has brought a lot of attention to people like Blackbeard and Shanks. These are two powerful figures that fans know will play a big role in this part of the story, and for good reason. Both Blackbeard and Shanks have a deep rivalry, the extent of which even fans don't know. They know each other very well and Shanks truly understands the threat that Blackbeard actually poses.

There was a confrontation between these two in the Paramount War arc, and fans have been waiting for it to happen ever since. Now, in the final saga of One piecebut possibly even in Elbaf, this fight could finally happen and fans can't wait to see it.

Shanks and Blackbeard's roles in the final saga

• Shanks and Blackbeard have so far been sidelined
• Oda finally reveals the main players of the Final Saga

Shanks and Blackbeard are both key characters in the final saga of One Piece. These are both characters that Oda used sparingly in the early parts of the series as they had larger roles to play in the Final Saga. At the moment, both Shanks and Blackbeard are part of the Four Emperors, and while Shanks is certainly the one with the highest bounty, Blackbeard is right behind him. These are two immensely powerful individuals and characters whose strength is almost unmatched. Before the events of the Wano Country arc, Shanks, the red-haired emperor, stood on the sidelines and didn't do much. It was almost as if Shanks was waiting for something to happen before he made his move. After Luffy defeated Kaido, Shanks declared his goal to conquer the One Piece and beat everyone else. Now he is an active player in the battle for the One Piece and fans can't wait to see him take part in the battle.

It's not time for us to fight yet! – Blackbeard

Likewise, Blackbeard is more active today than ever before. He became emperor about a year ago and has only gotten stronger since then. Blackbeard has amassed more infamy and simultaneously more power for himself and his crew, and he doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. At the moment, Blackbeard is an enormously powerful opponent that anyone can face in battle, and he is only getting stronger with the goal of becoming the king of the entire world.

Curiously, Shanks has been on the lookout for Blackbeard for some time, and this confrontation could very well happen soon. Readers can't wait to see it and it will be incredible to watch them go head-to-head, especially if it happens in the Elbaf arc.

Why Elbaf will star for Shanks and Blackbeard

The winner takes all in a battle of emperors

Of course, fans believe that Blackbeard and Shanks will continue to fight at some point. However, not many would believe that this battle between these two powerful individuals will take place in One Piece's Elbaf arc. But that's exactly where the story is going right now. As fans know, Shanks has been after Blackbeard since the events of Wano. When Shanks was on the coast of Wano Country, he was there to stop Blackbeard from attacking the Next Generation, fearing he would be nearby. When Shanks left Elbaf again, he sought out Blackbeard because he wanted to confront him before he caused enough damage. At the moment, Shanks is sailing somewhere across the seas and his destination is unknown. He's already dealt with Bartolomeo, which means he'll most likely go to Blackbeard now.

Was Shanks here? What did he have to do with you? – Luffy

Of course, Blackbeard himself has his own goals. As fans know, he recently left with his crew and everything he's up to has to do with the siege of Marijoa. Fans don't know exactly what Blackbeard plans to do, but it's very likely that he will be intercepted by Shanks when he sets out on this mission.

These two are on track to collide at some point, and this might just be the point where they really collide.

Of course, fans may think it's too early for these two monsters to clash, but One Piece is already in the endgame and Luffy is incredibly close to conquering the One Piece. Elbaf could be the story arc where he finds out where the final Road Poneglyph is, meaning major battles need to happen now.

The inevitable fight between Shanks and Blackbeard

Shanks vs. Blackbeard is happening soon

The fight between Shanks and Blackbeard is inevitable and will be one of the biggest in One Piece. However, this fight might not turn out the way many fans expected. As things stand, most fans believe that Shanks will fall from the fight between Shanks and Blackbeard and Blackbeard will emerge victorious. However, that probably won't happen. This is because Shanks also has to fight Luffy and this reunion, which was already set up in the first story arc, definitely has to happen. Luffy cannot meet Blackbeard before fighting Shanks, because if that were the case, a fight between Shanks and Blackbeard would make little sense since Luffy certainly wouldn't lose to his colleague Yonko.

Likewise, Blackbeard cannot fight Luffy before fighting Shanks because Luffy will defeat him, and if he wants to achieve victory against Shanks, he must fight him beforehand. At the same time, fans also know that Luffy and Shanks will meet in Elbaf, because this is the territory that the Shanks protect, and Oda has been hinting at their reunion in this land for some time. Essentially, this means that Blackbeard and Shanks will meet in battle very soon and completely shake up the entire world One piece.

As for how the fight between Shanks and Blackbeard will turn out, no one can say for sure what Oda has in mind. But the fact that Blackbeard can't fall through Shanks means that at least he won't die. At the same time, Shanks also cannot fall into the hands of Blackbeard before meeting with Luffy, meaning their fight could stall or Blackbeard might be rescued by someone or something and lose track of Shanks. However, this fight will be absolutely incredible from start to finish as both monsters show their full strength from the start. Here Oda will also illustrate the past of these characters and in doing so, fans will learn a lot about Blackbeard's strange body, his ability to hold two devil fruits, and at the same time his past.

Shanks' goal and pretty much everything else about his character will also be revealed to fans for the very first time. Additionally, fans will witness an exciting fight that could be the best ever One piece has had to deliver to date, and it's safe to say this fight won't just shake the world One piecebut also the fandom.

One Piece Chapter 1132 New Release Date

One Piece can be read via Viz Media. The series is officially available for fans to read for free on the Shonen Jump and Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1132, is November 17, 2024.