Hard disagree.
Just look at the most powerful from North Blue besides Sanji:
- Akainu
- Basil Hawkins
- Benn Beckman
- Karasu
- Kizaru
- Law
- Oars
- Pizzaro
- Tsuru
- Vergo
- Vista
- Who's Who
- X Drake
As far as we know, none of these individuals have powerful lineages or the benefit of training under a top tier.
You could count Doflamingo too, since his parents weren't fighters.
Again, that's just North Blue. There's plenty more.
Akainu is from the trenches. It's probably a central component to his being a slave to fascist ideology.
"Akainu is from the trenches" my man, everybody and their mom is "from the trenches" in One Piece okay?
Like legit, people keep posting that Kid Akainu picture as if it means he is some sort of anomaly for having a difficulty childhood or some shit and that it guarantees he 100% worked for everything he got and he has no "lineage" factor or other buffs.
Like, to go through you list?
- Akainu
- Benn Beckman
- Karasu
- Kizaru
- Law
- Oars
- Pizzaro
- Tsuru
- Vergo
- Vista
- Who's Who
- X Drake
The people you highlighted are arguably the only ones from that damn sea you could even describe as "strong" this late in the game.
Not every character under the sun is gonna be somebody important enough for a destiny/lineage buff sure, but those who ARE even CLOSE to being powerful enough for the end game? You bet your ass they are gonna have one of these three at least:
Incredibly strong Teacher
Incredibly Strong Lineage
Direct reincarnation/parallel to the Void Century and the First World
Law? 100% has a Void Century parallel of some kind. Somebody used his fruit before him. He is a D. for fucks sake, the way Oda be hyping that up anybody with a D in their name? I guarantee will have a parallel/ancestor of some kind they descend from.
Vista? Probably descended from some Flower sword style user in the Void Century
Akainu? Trained in all likelihood by Tsuru, who was the HER of her generation and portrayed alongside Sengoku and Garp. Odas "fuck the females" debuff might not allow her to have a much grander role, but chances are she too had somebody who she either descneds from or was trained by in return.
Like, I can do this all day. One Piece fans for some reason have this weird idea that in between the Void Century and Rogers era literally everybody was fodder. There were roughly 40 goddamn generations in 800 years minimum. Everybody on that list? Can EASILY have a Top Tier ancestor they descnd from if Oda wants them to pop-up.
Benn Beckman? Joyboy probably had Balthasar Beckman, foudner of the Beckman dynasty in his crew as his sniper etc
My main point was not even that EVERYBODY has some sort of connection, just that if you are at the VERY top of the verse? I think Oda has made it pretty clear you will NOT reach that position without nepotism / destiny backing you up.
I do not mean everybody under the sun will get this treatment, I do not expect Momonga or some guy like freaking Vergo to have an ancestor/OP trainer or anything, but people like Akainu?
0% chance he wont have anybody who helped him become who he is be it a strong ancestor, Tsuru / some others training him etc. The tippy top of the verse in One Piece? Is not something you reach on your own. Just "being from the trenches" does not mean shit. Training "real hard" on its own doesn't either.
If you dont got OP trainers, OP genetics, or destiny? Your ass is NOT breaking that glass ceiling of the Top of Top tiers. It aint happening.