I can clearly see Luffy 1 vs 1 Teach but given Xebec was tag teasing and Oda loves repeat Coby or Smoker can be in the party.
I do think of involving Smoker in that war myself, but it'd be related to facing Kuzan in my eyes rather than doing a 2vs1 against Teach with Luffy.
Teach is more important than Akainu in the antagonist ladder.
Teach is the main rival to reach and obtain the One piece. And that guy has two DF and the two most powerful in their category.
Teach power and ambition is hyped to be beyond others. Only Imu will be able to compare. Akainu will be weaker than Teach.
But I’m not sure Luffy will be stronger than Teaxh even after beating him. Luffy wasn’t stronger than Enel, wasn’t stronger than Moria, wasn’t stronger than Doffy, wasn’t stronger than Kata, Cracker or Kaido even at the end of the fight.
Luffy won’t fight Akainu. It’s not his fight.
- I don't believe you're equating the antagonist ladder properly here.
Pirates & Marines (Yonko & Admirals) are at the start of post-TS established as akin when it comes to obstacle in becoming the PK, by Chinjao.
Akainu stands at the top of the Marine ladder, Blackbeard stands at the top of the Pirate ladder.
The Celestial Dragons (Imu & Gorosei) stand above both of those ladders, it's a completely different type of antagonist than the above to.
- Blackbeard's ambition is not anything special that we haven't seen. Xebec had it, Shiki had it, BM & Kaido had it.. which is the ambition to conquer the world/destroy the world. I also don't see what makes his ambition more special than Akainu's ambition to eliminate all evil. Let alone somebody like Dragon, who's fighting in the name of the main theme of One Piece, Freedom.
- Neither of his DFs have ever been called the strongest in their categories. One of the strongest? yea for sure, but never the strongest.
- I agree Luffy won't fight Akainu, but not fighting Akainu doesn't make him inferior, as the people who will fight Akainu will be on the same status as Luffy. (Especially if it's Sabo).
The problem is Akainu isn't the main villain and the main problem of his side : CD, Gorosei and obviously Imu are. Akainu can fall and the WG would still be here. Not saying Akainu isn’t important and powerful. He is both.
The World Government would still be there even if Gorosei, and Imu fall. The War isn't to destroy the World Government, it's to overthrow the CD, as made clear by Koala in her convo with Bello Betty. Since it's the ones who run the World Government that are the issue, not the World Government itself.
Akainu doesn't represent the CD. CD are a whole different side of antagonists. A class above both Akainu & Blackbeard.
But Teach is more important in his own plot line. He is the one who will block Luffy from reaching his goal.
Well yea just as Akainu is more important in his own plotline. But when it comes to the overall plotline of the story their relevance is no more special than the other's. They both represent two different types of antagonist that Luffy has to overcome to be the PK.
Dedicating these two panels at MF for them:
Dedicating a whole chapter dedicated to their progression:
Chapter that focused on how both got higher in power and are upgrading their organizations to be more strong. Akainu's got a whole division dedicated to replacing a top tier + multiple YC level inidividuals. Blackbeard is stacking up his fleet & collecting powerful DFs.
Oda's presentation of them doesn't give any the edge over the other. Even if Luffy doesn't fight one (Akainu) it doesn't mean the other is of greater importance as an antagonist in the overall story of OP. Just simply greater within Luffy's storyline, and by now we already know being an antagonist in directly Luffy's storyline doesn't equate to being superior to others, as his antagonists have been some of the weakest individuals in the world of OP.
Dragon can witness Luffy power during the final war against imu.
True, but witnessing his power imo isn't really the same as witnessing your son surpass you in front of your eyes. Which is something I believe will be happening from Sabo (as Luffy's still treated as his lil bro, IE, marines treating the Flame emperor as a bigger ordeal than Luffy being an emperor), and with Dragon himself near the end.