Luffy and Zoro vs. the Knights of God, explained

This article contains spoilers for the Elbaf story arc of One Piece.

Summary

• Elbaf's story arc intensifies as Luffy and Zoro head towards Aurust Castle.

• Luffy aims to free Loki, while Zoro remains cautious.

• A massive battle looms involving Luffy, Zoro and the Holy Knights.

The Elbaf arch of One piece continues with great intensity and fans can't wait to see what lies ahead for the Straw Hat Pirates. Since the first few chapters of the Elbaf arc have focused heavily on revelation and exploration of lore, it's almost time for some action to begin in this incredibly fascinating story arc, which is something fans are waiting desperately.

Given the current situation, it seems that the ones who will probably lead the fans in this upcoming fight will probably be Luffy and Zoro, two of the most important characters of One pieceand certainly the two strongest of the Straw Hat Pirates. All this focuses on the character of Loki and, obviously, on the two members of the Holy Knights who have just appeared in the land of the Giants, Elbaf. Fans are eagerly waiting to see a huge showdown in the Underworld and it seems to be incredibly close now.

Luffy and Zoro's arrival at Aurust Castle

• Luffy and Zoro want to free Loki

• The underworld is the final destination

In the previous chapter of One piecefans were able to see Luffy and Zoro heading to Elbaf's Aurust castle. This is largely due to the fact that Luffy wants to free Loki so he can find out where Red Hair and his pirate crew are. Loki promised Luffy that he will tell him where he is, but on the condition that he is freed from his chains. Zoro is skeptical of Loki's comments, especially since he is portrayed as a kin-killer. As a result, Zoro is now heading to the Underworld with Luffy, just to make sure he isn't tricked. Likewise, Nami has her own goals at hand and wants to plunder the castle of Aurust, where the treasure of the Elbaf royals is located.

Naturally, to secure the treasure, she joined them. Things are looking more and more exciting in Elbaf, and fans will soon see Luffy and Zoro arrive at Aurust Castle, where they will find the key to Loki's chains and, at the same time, realize that something horrible has happened in the castle. One way or another, the Straw Hat Pirates will be led to the country's Underworld, where Loki is bound, and at the same time, Elbaf's infiltrators will be as well.

Listen Luffy, we'll get the key, but we'll decide if he's telling the truth or not. — Zoro

Undoubtedly, things will get incredibly intense here as soon as the Straw Hat trio get there and realize what's going on. Evidently, all of this serves as major setup for a huge upcoming fight in One Piece that fans absolutely can't wait for, and it's just a matter of chapters. With Luffy getting the opportunity to give it his all and Zoro showing his growth since his time in Wano, this is the perfect opportunity for these characters to show what they're capable of and shock the world.

Luffy and Zoro fight for the first time on Elbaf against the Holy Knights

• Luffy will probably fight Shanks' twin

• Zoro will clash with Gunko

A massive battle is about to erupt in the underworld of Elbaf, and this battle will definitely see heavy involvement from Luffy and Zoro. Both Luffy and Zoro are incredibly powerful and there's absolutely no denying that, but what they have in front of them is a huge challenge, and quite easily the biggest since Wano. For Luffy, the fight against Shanks' Lookalike will be extremely special, and this is because this individual is Shanks' brother and, at the same time, looks just like him. Luffy might even mistake him for Shanks at first, which would only leave him open to a powerful attack. Meanwhile, Zoro will most likely go into action against Gunko, whose arrow abilities are incredibly difficult to deal with in combat, especially since they are an abstract power. While fans might want Zoro to fight Shanks or Loki's lookalike, that's unlikely to happen here.

Zoro is strong and would certainly relish the opportunity to fight these individuals, but the existence of a Shanks lookalike in itself links the figure to Luffy, and more importantly, he is the main antagonist, meaning he is already reserved for Luffy.

Don't breathe near me, you filthy wolf. —Gunko

Meanwhile, Loki will be a spectator in the battle at first, but not for long. Loki will likely be freed by none other than Nami and Road, which will excite fans even more. Perhaps Loki being freed from his chains will give the pirates a huge advantage, forcing them to retreat, or they may simply be so strong that cooperation in battle is necessary to take them down.

What this battle means for the Straw Hats

For Luffy, this battle will be huge. It will see him rise to the challenge, facing someone as strong as Shanks who is certainly on the same level as Yonko. It could be that Shanks' brother is even stronger than Yonko and fans can't wait to see what he has in store for fans. For Luffy, this could also be an opportunity to level up his Haki. Fans have already seen how Joy Boy's Haki is superior to Luffy's. If Luffy needs to beat Imu, he needs to greatly improve his Haki, and this is where the Shanks twin comes into play.

As for Zoro, fans expect him to use the opportunity to improve his control over Enma. This sword has finally started to listen to Zoro, but his control over it still needs improvement. Zoro must improve the efficiency of his Haki and, at the same time, last longer in battle. A fight against someone as strong as the Admirals would definitely be very good for him and readers can't wait to see how he fares here.

How will the battle of the Holy Knights end?

At present, the numbers of the Holy Knights are not sufficient. They are just two members who clash not only with Luffy, but with the entire Straw Hat Pirate, Loki and the land of Giants. Winning already seems very difficult for them, but if Loki were to be freed, it would be practically impossible for them to achieve a victory. If so, they would need to summon more powerful fighters from the ranks of the Knights of the Gods or retreat temporarily. At this moment, both options seem feasible and only Oda can decide which path to take after the final saga approaches its end, as well as that of the entire series.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1137, is set for January 26, 2025.