I think this warning of Louis arnote is the key cause if you stay in Elbaf too long it will annoy heaven world folk or you might just meet one of them accidently which will cause problems no doubt. Those Giants in Elbaf doesn't seem worlds strongest country no matter how you look at it and if they were that strong Shanks wouldn't protect them since we know Shanks is the protector of the weaklings.
Speculations 20 Chapters In: We Still Haven’t Met The Main Villain Of Elbaf Or Luffy’s Fight
- Thread starter EmperorKinyagi
- Start date
I forgot about BB but he was not the arc villain.
I personally split on the subject. On one hand we had the usual shonen jump cover where Luffy and Zoro are with Loki, which is (based on previous arcs) an indicative that Loki is the arc vilain but in the other hand Luffy freed him and ate with him which is more akin to what Luffy does with arc allies.
Now maybe it is where Loki’s wickedness will play a role.
I personally split on the subject. On one hand we had the usual shonen jump cover where Luffy and Zoro are with Loki, which is (based on previous arcs) an indicative that Loki is the arc vilain but in the other hand Luffy freed him and ate with him which is more akin to what Luffy does with arc allies.
Now maybe it is where Loki’s wickedness will play a role.
The Red Hair Pirates will never be villains. That's why Shamrock was introduced in the first place.
You keep putting "villains" in air-quotes because you actually mean to say "antagonists". And no, I don't expect the RHPs to be antagonists either, not even down the line when the Luffy vs Shanks small clash is bound to happen for Luffy to prove to be Shanks' equal.
The RHPs already left Elbaf; they're not playing a role now. Shamrock already left Elbaf; he isn't playing a role now, either.
The Barto storyline is set up to lead to Shanks questioning Luffy and his allies at a later stage, but it'll be a friendly confrontation.
Shamrock's introduction serves a role for the Mariejois hierarchy and the God Valley backstory. Either Sham will be dealt with in the Final War, or he will be utilized as a stepping stone for BB while also preserving Shanks for another EOS use.
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As for this arc, we already have proper villains and antagonistic forces that may veer more on the protagonists' side.
The former are the HKs. They are in everything "villains", though we're yet to see to what extent of competency. Personally, I don't think more HKs will be summoned to Elbaf. Either Gunko & Co. fall here, and we move on to more interesting local threats in the Heaven Realm; or, after Sommers and Kiringuy go down, Gunko is revealed to be more than just another HK, potentially a host for IMU.
As for the antagonists who might get in the SHs' way, though they are all on the same side, that's Loki for you (and maybe Mosa). We've gotten glimpses already of Loki being a "good guy". His means, however, are questionable--see threatening the Adam Tree and the wellbeing of the giant villages just to be freed. He and Luffy have the same ultimate goal, but the way Loki goes at it might put him once more in Luffy's way, and this time for more than just a two-punch combo.
It could be the first instance where Luffy turns a Rocks admirer into a Nika follower.
That is, if Loki recovers by Act 3 of this arc.
You keep putting "villains" in air-quotes because you actually mean to say "antagonists". And no, I don't expect the RHPs to be antagonists either, not even down the line when the Luffy vs Shanks small clash is bound to happen for Luffy to prove to be Shanks' equal.
The RHPs already left Elbaf; they're not playing a role now. Shamrock already left Elbaf; he isn't playing a role now, either.
The Barto storyline is set up to lead to Shanks questioning Luffy and his allies at a later stage, but it'll be a friendly confrontation.
Shamrock's introduction serves a role for the Mariejois hierarchy and the God Valley backstory. Either Sham will be dealt with in the Final War, or he will be utilized as a stepping stone for BB while also preserving Shanks for another EOS use.
---
As for this arc, we already have proper villains and antagonistic forces that may veer more on the protagonists' side.
The former are the HKs. They are in everything "villains", though we're yet to see to what extent of competency. Personally, I don't think more HKs will be summoned to Elbaf. Either Gunko & Co. fall here, and we move on to more interesting local threats in the Heaven Realm; or, after Sommers and Kiringuy go down, Gunko is revealed to be more than just another HK, potentially a host for IMU.
As for the antagonists who might get in the SHs' way, though they are all on the same side, that's Loki for you (and maybe Mosa). We've gotten glimpses already of Loki being a "good guy". His means, however, are questionable--see threatening the Adam Tree and the wellbeing of the giant villages just to be freed. He and Luffy have the same ultimate goal, but the way Loki goes at it might put him once more in Luffy's way, and this time for more than just a two-punch combo.
It could be the first instance where Luffy turns a Rocks admirer into a Nika follower.
That is, if Loki recovers by Act 3 of this arc.
I think it's part of the trap Oda is setting up for the readers, as well as part of Loki's tragic character.
First Oda introduces the dual concept of Nika the destructor and Nika the liberator.
Then he has Loki believe to be himself the Sun God, and gives him a power able to destroy Elbaf.
But nobody understands Loki, even among his kind. Loki is seen as scheming, evil, and flat. While we as readers have already seen, through Mosa and through Loki's words to Hajrudin, that there's a lot of complexity to his character, and he may have done extreme things for selfless reasons.
It'd be the apex of tragedy if Loki had everything necessary to destroy Elbaf, but he only uses it to liberate it (from HK/the WG at large). All the makings for a perfect villain, in the hands of a good guy. It further reinforces Oda's themes of "living is not a crime" (Robin, Franky, Tom) and of "nurture > nature" (Chopper, Sanji, Yamato).
It'd be like Oda winking at us. "See this? This perfect Negative Nika fruit. Such a strong fruit. Thank goodness it landed in the hands of a good fellow like Loki. In the worst timeline, this could have been a terrifying power for Luffy to fight against."
All of this, to then have BB swoop in and murder Loki--the ultimate sacrifice for the misunderstood giant prince--thus gaining for himself a Nika-like DF to counter Luffy with on Laugh Tale.
First Oda introduces the dual concept of Nika the destructor and Nika the liberator.
Then he has Loki believe to be himself the Sun God, and gives him a power able to destroy Elbaf.
But nobody understands Loki, even among his kind. Loki is seen as scheming, evil, and flat. While we as readers have already seen, through Mosa and through Loki's words to Hajrudin, that there's a lot of complexity to his character, and he may have done extreme things for selfless reasons.
It'd be the apex of tragedy if Loki had everything necessary to destroy Elbaf, but he only uses it to liberate it (from HK/the WG at large). All the makings for a perfect villain, in the hands of a good guy. It further reinforces Oda's themes of "living is not a crime" (Robin, Franky, Tom) and of "nurture > nature" (Chopper, Sanji, Yamato).
It'd be like Oda winking at us. "See this? This perfect Negative Nika fruit. Such a strong fruit. Thank goodness it landed in the hands of a good fellow like Loki. In the worst timeline, this could have been a terrifying power for Luffy to fight against."
All of this, to then have BB swoop in and murder Loki--the ultimate sacrifice for the misunderstood giant prince--thus gaining for himself a Nika-like DF to counter Luffy with on Laugh Tale.
