Luffy's First Meeting With The Five Elders Shows The Straw Hats' True Power

Warning: Spoilers for One Piece chapter #1089

Luffy and his crew have finally come face to face with the leaders of One Piece's world, the Five Elders, and by instantly getting the better of them, the Straw Hats have proven how powerful and dangerous they are. The World Government has sent the largest fleet that any pirate has had to face to shut down Luffy's newly awakened Gear 5th powers and Dr.Vegapunk's research, but right when the Five Elders believed they had already won thanks to their spy on Egghead Island, it was revealed that they have been fooled by the formidable Straw Hat Pirates.

The last time the Straw Hats were shown in the manga, they had a lot of trouble to deal with. Vegapunk's nearly invincible Seraphim, the return of the Rob Lucci along with other World Government assassins, and the betrayal of Dr. Vegapunk's Satellite of Greed, York, all created a dire situation for Luffy and his crew. However, in chapter #1089 of One Piece, series creator Eiichiro Oda decided to show how far the Straw Hats have grown by showing them having already conquered York and even getting the upper hand on the Five Elders.

Luffy And The Straw Hats Finally Face The Five Elders

York was willing to betray and destroy all of Dr. Vegapunk to become a Celestial Dragon. Her plan almost worked with her gaining control of the mighty Seraphim on the island, but she underestimated the Straw Hats. It is notable that, even if it happens via Den Den Mushi (snail phone), this is the first meeting between Luffy's crew and the Five Elders, the group of Celestial Dragons who apparently run the One Piece world (but actually answer to Imu). Considering how powerful and untouchable the Five Elders are, the fact that not only their plans involving York have been foiled, but they have also been tricked into revealing the truth, is a humiliation they won't forget soon.

The fearsome reach and devastation the Five Elders are capable of were recently displayed with the erasure of the Lulusia Kingdom and the murder of Alabasta's King Cobra during the Reverie. It is significant, however, that Oda decided to skip showing how the Straw Hats beat the Seraphim and got control of the Labophase. This was likely meant to create a strong and effective contrast between the dire situations the Straw Hats were in and their cool, triumphant attitude in the final panel of the chapter, further reinforced by the use of an epic double-page spread, showing the Straw Hats in control of Egghead Island with Vegapunk safe while showing zero fear or worry.

Even Usopp And Nami Look Ready To Fight 30,000 Marines

This is a significant sign of the whole crew's newfound confidence and shows have far Luffy's crew has grown. With one hundred battleships surrounding Egghead Island, led by Elder Jay Garcia Saturn and Admiral Kizaru, the current arc was setting up the possibility of ending like Thriller Bark with the arrival of a powerful enemy that outclasses Luffy's crew as Kuma did back then. However, a lot of things have changed since then. Chapter #1089 of One Piece proves how much Luffy and the Straw Hats have grown by showing them confident and in complete control of the perilous situation they were left in, starting their inevitable clash against the Five Elders on the right foot.

The latest chapter of One Piece is available on the Shonen Jump App and from Viz Media.

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