I think people are really not appreciating Kaido's comment about Haki transcending all. And by haki all three are required. For any normal or I should say average human (since its OP and the most normal seem weird) in OP it is the only thing that helps them compete against the best at the very top with people who have innate or acquired hax abilities. For example there are people like Shanks, Garp and WB (he is not a mixed race but a human freak of nature) who can get cut/stabbed etc. with normal attacks for example Squard stab, sea monster bite, Morgan's axe etc. And then we have people like Kaido and BM, Giants, Fish-men, Lunarians and all the devil fruit users who have some sort of immunity or ability to not be effected by these simple attacks at all.
In the end the normal guys have to become physically strong enough and hone their haki to the max to compete with these freaks of nature and when they do they can become even stronger. Its like the freaks have better base/starting stats but haki sort of neutralizes them and equals the field in a battle. I mean Kaido/BM would not get cut like Garp was or their arm ripped off like Shanks from the attacks that those two faced even in their sleep.
These are the power sources for fighter in OP imho:
1. Raw Physical Strength
2. Devil Fruits
3. Haki
4. Technology
And haki in some way can counter or overpower all the other three power systems. It is how normal humans can compete against other races with innate physical strength like Giants and Fishmen, or Queen's comment about even masters of haki not being able to survive his python type crushing technique. It is how devil fruits are countered and has the ability to counter the most hax abilities with prime examples of Law being unable to move Kaido and BM and Vergo's comment about Law require stronger haki than Vergo to cut him even in the room. By technology I mean lasers, pacifistas, SSG and genetic modification.
For the normal human top tiers like Shanks, Mihawk, Roger, Garp, Rayleigh they have no choice but to become the best in all three types of haki (considering the unconfirmed ones also have it) as they have no innate hax to defend against or deal damage. And for people with no other base buff (raw physical strength, df or tech) I think ACoC is a must to compete with the top tiers. This is the reason why I believe Garp and Mihawk must have ACoC, we saw the huge power buff that ACoC gave to Luffy and Zoro. It seems impossible to compete with other top tiers with just ACoA and ACoO. Having other abilities give more versatility but in a clash the one with stronger haki will prevail. I hope Oda shows some hype Logia awakenings.
We first saw Zoan awakening, then paramecia awakening, then ACoO, then ACoA and ACoC (possible expansion later), then mythical zoan awakening and now we have to see Logia awakening (not entirely sure since Oda skipped Kaido and BM showing any awakening).
I think with M3 having very high base raw strength Oda is focusing on having them excel in the different power source types and that is how is going to differentiate them. Luffy already has gotten all three advanced haki forms and has awakened has df (which I think he will further improve on further). Zoro has only haki (no df, special race or tech mod) so his only road to become stronger is through haki, he has ACoC and ACoA (not sure about internal destruction but he most probably will since Ray had it) and he has to get ACoO and learn to blacken his blade (most probably haki feat). Sanji has not shown any advanced haki but his gene mod or whatever his passion power source is has been highlighted lately, I think his future powerups will be ACoA (he needs strong haki to withstand his own high temp flames and ID with IJ could be pretty serious damage) and ACoO (his CoO is already top notch but I don't think he is a confirmed FS user) and some sort of genetic mod that allows him to become even stronger. I think Sanji and Law are the guys who will compete with the top tiers without having ACoC but based on their hax abilities (DF and Genetic Mod) while having decent haki.
What do you think about the power systems in OP, what is your opinion on haki levelling the field and what powerups the M3 will get?
In the end the normal guys have to become physically strong enough and hone their haki to the max to compete with these freaks of nature and when they do they can become even stronger. Its like the freaks have better base/starting stats but haki sort of neutralizes them and equals the field in a battle. I mean Kaido/BM would not get cut like Garp was or their arm ripped off like Shanks from the attacks that those two faced even in their sleep.
These are the power sources for fighter in OP imho:
1. Raw Physical Strength
2. Devil Fruits
3. Haki
4. Technology
And haki in some way can counter or overpower all the other three power systems. It is how normal humans can compete against other races with innate physical strength like Giants and Fishmen, or Queen's comment about even masters of haki not being able to survive his python type crushing technique. It is how devil fruits are countered and has the ability to counter the most hax abilities with prime examples of Law being unable to move Kaido and BM and Vergo's comment about Law require stronger haki than Vergo to cut him even in the room. By technology I mean lasers, pacifistas, SSG and genetic modification.
For the normal human top tiers like Shanks, Mihawk, Roger, Garp, Rayleigh they have no choice but to become the best in all three types of haki (considering the unconfirmed ones also have it) as they have no innate hax to defend against or deal damage. And for people with no other base buff (raw physical strength, df or tech) I think ACoC is a must to compete with the top tiers. This is the reason why I believe Garp and Mihawk must have ACoC, we saw the huge power buff that ACoC gave to Luffy and Zoro. It seems impossible to compete with other top tiers with just ACoA and ACoO. Having other abilities give more versatility but in a clash the one with stronger haki will prevail. I hope Oda shows some hype Logia awakenings.
We first saw Zoan awakening, then paramecia awakening, then ACoO, then ACoA and ACoC (possible expansion later), then mythical zoan awakening and now we have to see Logia awakening (not entirely sure since Oda skipped Kaido and BM showing any awakening).
I think with M3 having very high base raw strength Oda is focusing on having them excel in the different power source types and that is how is going to differentiate them. Luffy already has gotten all three advanced haki forms and has awakened has df (which I think he will further improve on further). Zoro has only haki (no df, special race or tech mod) so his only road to become stronger is through haki, he has ACoC and ACoA (not sure about internal destruction but he most probably will since Ray had it) and he has to get ACoO and learn to blacken his blade (most probably haki feat). Sanji has not shown any advanced haki but his gene mod or whatever his passion power source is has been highlighted lately, I think his future powerups will be ACoA (he needs strong haki to withstand his own high temp flames and ID with IJ could be pretty serious damage) and ACoO (his CoO is already top notch but I don't think he is a confirmed FS user) and some sort of genetic mod that allows him to become even stronger. I think Sanji and Law are the guys who will compete with the top tiers without having ACoC but based on their hax abilities (DF and Genetic Mod) while having decent haki.
What do you think about the power systems in OP, what is your opinion on haki levelling the field and what powerups the M3 will get?
