Predictions Straw Hat Pirates Final Power-Ups!

[McNuss]

We have entered the final Saga! Soon the Straw Hat Pirates will face their strongest enemies, and rather sooner then later we will witness their final power-ups, because this is a Shonen there have to be power ups! But what are those going to be?

Something interesting:

Straw Hat Power-Ups:

1. Luffy: Gear 2+3, Timeskip, Advanced CoO, Advanced CoA, Advanced CoC, Awakening
2. Zoro: Sandai Kitetsu+Yubashili, Iron Cutting, Flying Sword Slashes, Ashura, Shusui, Timeskip, Enma, Advanced CoC
3. Nami: Climate Tact, Dial Climate Tact, Timeskip, Stretching Climate Tact, Zeus, Zeus Climate Tact
4. Usopp: Dials, Kabuto, Kuwagata, Timeskip, Kuro Kabuto, CoO
5. Sanji: Diable Jambe, Timeskip, Raid Suit, Lineage Awakening
6. Chopper: Timeskip, Rumble Ball Upgrade
7. Robin: Timeskip
8. Franky: Heavy Nunchaku, Timeskip, Shogun Upgrade
9. Brook: Timeskip
10. Jinbe: -

Oda is loading the East Blue Straw Hats with power-ups, especially recently he sped up dramatically on all of them but Usopp.

The other five don't get nearly as much spotlight. In fact, both the Rumble Ball Upgrade and the Shogun Upgrade didn't even make a difference in visuals. But the Shogun broke anyways, so Franky is at least guaranteed one.

Here are my predictions:

Luffy: Gear R - don't wan't to tell my own prediction for it yet. But I think Luffy will eat a Rumble Ball to achieve it.
Zoro: He is going to fly.
Nami: CoO, CoC
Usopp: CoA, CoC, new weapon?
Sanji: Laser beam legs, CoC

Chopper: ??? (there is going to be one)
Robin: - (not a fighter and can show more moves from existing kit)
Franky: new Shogun
Brook: ??? (uncertain wether there will be one. If so, Awakening seems most likely but no idea what that is going to be)
Jinbe: - (can show more moves from existing kit)

What are yours? ^^

 

[Nie Li]

Zoro: He is going to fly.

I am curious. How do you see that happening? Actual flying or spamming what he did at the end of the King fight?

 

[McNuss]

I am curious. How do you see that happening? Actual flying or spamming what he did at the end of the King fight?

He seems to be lined up against Fujitora, whose power is gravity. Oda could go a traditional route and have him overcome gravity in a strenght struggle, but that sounds generic and lame.

With Sanji, Oda completely annihilated the weakness of a frail body, and now he is basically Superman. He will likely also give him large scale attacks for the finale because these look very epic on doublespreads, like Shonen endings are supposed to be.

So I think he will go the same route with Zoro, who's weakness is being not very mobile, always dodging with barrel rolls...
The Dressrosa gliding technique, Blade Wolf Glding or what was it called, he already used during Thriller Bark, so we have multiple instances of him gliding through the air with his swords. Also, his name means Fox like...Fox McCloud. Among the two wings of the Pirate King, Zoro is certainly the Arwing. Airborne, slashes just look way more impressive, like in the Pica fight's climax, that was a very nice doublespread, could well be recycled, just bigger.

So I think Zoro will fly by cutting gravity, of course! First he cut through hell, next he is going to cut through the heavens!

What I forgot is that he will get the black blades, though a new sword seems rather unlikely at this point. But black blades aren't cool enough for Shonen finale.

 

[Uriel]

I don't see Usopp NOT having CoO. He's a sniper, for sure HE WILL HAVE IT.

 

[Nie Li]

I don't see Usopp NOT having CoO. He's a sniper, for sure HE WILL HAVE IT.

Doesn't he already have it? Since Dressrosa?

 

[Uriel]

Doesn't he already have it? Since Dressrosa?

Oh, you're right. I overlooked it on the OP list of already having it.

 

[HereNThere]

Luffy: Awakened Mastery. Gear 5 is likely his last form, so he needs to get that up to snuff. I see him getting alternative modes at the most. I especially think his Gigant form is going to be expanded on further

Zoro: Black Blades. Pretty obvious.

Nami: Full Zeus/Clima-Tact Assimilation. I forgot what chapter, but her new clima-tact was implied to have functions she couldn't activate for some reason. I think Zeus will be the missing piece and give her expanded range. Haki is iffy for her.

Usopp: CoO Mastery, CoC, and Kuro Kabuto/Pop Green upgrades. He doesn't have much direction, but he lacks offensive capabilities as seen with Page One. CoC to follow the theory about his lies.

Sanji: CoO Mastery, maybe CoC. Don't really know where else he can go. Literally every other base is covered. Maybe he's related to Lunarians? But what would be the point when he wouldn't benefit from their durability as his Birthright awakening gives him that. Guess Oda could finally go into detail about his "passion=flames".

Chopper: Perfect Rumble. During his scuffle with Queen, Chopper remembered speaking to Ceasar who mocked him for being scared of actually becoming a monster or staying a monster. They boosted Monster's time, but I imagine Chopper is going to push the formula to turn him into a "perfect" Monster. Stronger with no time limit, potentially at a cost.

Robin: Demonia Variants and CoA. Nothing else she needs.

Franky: Laser Upgrades, General Franky 2.0, and Thousand Sunny Mech. Sanji implied Franky would be interested in Queen's laser tech. Makes sense as Queen had a rather impressive power source and could rapid fire shoot his lasers. Thousand Sunny Mech must happen.

Brook: Soul King Mastery and CoA. I imagine it's going to be revealed that Brook learned a thing or two from observing Big Mom and can use his soul more freely. Other than that, CoA is good enough. Maybe he can create music without an instrument, putting his songs directly into your soul, I don't know.

Jinbe: More Fishmen Secret Techs. Fishman Karate/Jiu Jitsu is ripe for exploration. Jinbe is already an experienced pirate and likely in his prime. He can sit back and show off.

 

[kkck]

Welp, I would guess..

1.- Luffy: Being able to manage the stamina drain of awakening better and mastery over CoC cladding. I wonder if there is something like observation conqueror haki.

2.- Zoro Basically master haki. He advanced a lot during the wano arc rather quickly, getting to the point where he can use cladding. Ideally he gets foresight as well.

3.- Sanji: Basically... haki? He hasn't really evidenced hardening and during wano he relied on his mutations. CoC would be neat as well.

4.- Jinbe... Probably has already peaked?

5.- Franky is presumably at a good place strength wise. Overcoming sasaki probably means he is in the ballpark of other relevant yonko commanders at least. Haki would be neat but it seems different from his current direction. I suppose we will see improvements to shogun franky. Ideally he will incorporate germa/queen stuff into his arsenal. Maybe giving him more transformations would be specially fun. Mecha sunny sounds like it would make the sunny something too different from a ship. Gaon canon shogun franky would be amazing.

6.- Brook: Brook is a swordsman, he should get the standard haki abilities for swordsmen. Brook is so unfairly underdeveloped it's hard to see where, if anywhere, oda is taking him.

7.- Robin: Probably more haki? Her fruit is already infinitely versatile. If her haki was decent by NW standards she'd be even more absurd.

8.- Ussop... Haki? Massively underdeveloped though. As a sniper he actually needs to excel at least at armor haki and observation haki. Without imbuing haki into his projectiles he shouldn't be a threat to most people with strong haki, let alone at the executive level.

9.- Nami... With zeus she might be able to punch way outside her weight class.

10.- Chopper is a surprisingly generic martial artist. He basically needs every type of haki.

 

[grey matter]

1. Luffy:
Mastery of DF awakening. Getting to even more advanced versions of conqueror's haki, if what Shanks showed us is that

2. Zoro:
Black blades. Mastery of Asura (which I think is physical manifestation of conqueror's haki)

3. Sanji:
Future sight. Magma legs (since magma is kinda being treated the highest form of flame in the series)

4. Jinbe:
Further Fishhman karate

5. Franky:
Some pluton related stuff. Maybe even incorporating actual nukes into his body/shogun?

6. Robin:
Devil fruit awakening. Expansion upon whatever devil form she showed us.

7. Brook
Awakening of his devil fruit, giving him power of actual demons from hell. Ice + his soul detachment is merely the surface of what we have seen. His DF has insane potential.
But then again, Oda probably don't consider him that special, sadly. Seems like he's getting treated as an afterthought

8. Ussop
Future sight, clairvoyance, far sight, ability to see things in slow motion, ability to see through things.
Basically, gonna be the best observation haki user in the verse

9. Nami
Control of hurricanes. (Right now it's just thunder clouds)

10. Chopper
Master doctor, being able to cure any disease (might play a role in preventing a Roger 2.0 with Luffy, considering how much Luffy is pushing himself).
Combat wise, I honestly don't know

 

[kkck]

1. Luffy:
Mastery of DF awakening. Getting to even more advanced versions of conqueror's haki, if what Shanks showed us is that

2. Zoro:
Black blades. Mastery of Asura (which I think is physical manifestation of conqueror's haki)

3. Sanji:
Future sight. Magma legs (since magma is kinda being treated the highest form of flame in the series)

4. Jinbe:
Further Fishhman karate

5. Franky:
Some pluton related stuff. Maybe even incorporating actual nukes into his body/shogun?

6. Robin:
Devil fruit awakening. Expansion upon whatever devil form she showed us.

7. Brook
Awakening of his devil fruit, giving him power of actual demons from hell. Ice + his soul detachment is merely the surface of what we have seen. His DF has insane potential.
But then again, Oda probably don't consider him that special, sadly. Seems like he's getting treated as an afterthought

8. Ussop
Future sight, clairvoyance, far sight, ability to see things in slow motion, ability to see through things.
Basically, gonna be the best observation haki user in the verse

9. Nami
Control of hurricanes. (Right now it's just thunder clouds)

10. Chopper
Master doctor, being able to cure any disease (might play a role in preventing a Roger 2.0 with Luffy, considering how much Luffy is pushing himself).
Combat wise, I honestly don't know

Hmmm, I wonder if brook is already using his awakening. As in, his chill of the underworld is how he manifests his ability beyond his body. He's been using his fruit far longer than most current pirates and it would fit pretty well with how kaido described awakenings (your mind catching up to your body).

 

[grey matter]

Hmmm, I wonder if brook is already using his awakening. As in, his chill of the underworld is how he manifests his ability beyond his body. He's been using his fruit far longer than most current pirates and it would fit pretty well with how kaido described awakenings (your mind catching up to your body).

IMO Brook was completely stagnant for 50+ years, cause he was depressed. Being alone in his ship filled with dead comrades.
He actually started growing only after joining strawhats

I think ice + soul detachment is the basic usage of his DF post revival, just need a bit of DF mastery. Similar to blast breath for Kaido/Momo, we wouldn't call that awakening. We might have something better to see.
Maybe just copium from me lol

 

[kkck]

IMO Brook was completely stagnant for 50+ years, cause he was depressed. Being alone in his ship filled with dead comrades.
He actually started growing only after joining strawhats

I think ice + soul detachment is the basic usage of his DF post revival, just need a bit of DF mastery. Similar to blast breath for Kaido/Momo, we wouldn't call that awakening. We might have something better to see.
Maybe just copium from me lol

Welp, another way to look at it... Awakening is described by kaido as your body and mind catching up to your power. Which has different implications from how doflamingo framed awakenings as specifically mastery. It's basically about fully adjusting to your ability. Which of course could be sped up by using your ability more. Within kaido's definition merely having the ability at all could steadily lead to awakening. Which would account for a presumably stale brook who didn't even know how to use his ability before dying getting his awakening less than two years after becoming active again. IIRC brook explains something along the lines of the chill energy he produces being the actual mechanism by which he remains alive and functions. With this in mind it fits almost neatly into how paramecia awakenings work according to kaido.

 

[McNuss]

Zoro: Black Blades. Pretty obvious.

The thing is, I just don't think that's enough. This here also heavily involves the monetarized aspects of the series, there are a lot of fans that care for flashy fighting moves, then there is the video game sector which is entirely reliant on them for new games...

Zoro's blades emit black lighting and green flames! They also are already black whenever he is using Haki, so there definitely has to be something more!

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 27, 2022, Original Post Date: Aug 26, 2022 ---

Something else interesting:

The Kuwagata was a strip slingshot Usopp placed between rocks to create a makeshift catapult during Thriller Bark Ark. The Kuro Kabuto essentially combines both the Kabuto and Kuwagata into one weapon with its "Grow Up" feature.

Franky also got a power-up during Thriller Bark, the Heavy Nunchaku, which he never used again but granted, the crew got ambushed in Sabaody so there also was no chance. Thriller Bark also premiered the "Docking" feature, which would later become the basis of the Shogun. Interestingly the Shogun uses his sword, the Franken, for pretty much the same purpose as the Heavy Nunchaku, which is increased range and weight behind the strikes. Maybe Oda changed his mind and the Shogun was originally going to use nunchakus or even have nunchaku arms.

 

[HereNThere]

The thing is, I just don't think that's enough. This here also heavily involves the monetarized aspects of the series, there are a lot of fans that care for flashy fighting moves, then there is the video game sector which is entirely reliant on them for new games...

Zoro's blades emit black lighting and green flames! They also are already black whenever he is using Haki, so there definitely has to be something more!

I'm sure it'll be enough.

It's already been set up that Black Blades are the implied pinnacle for swordsmen, so it's likely the final goal for Zoro aside from CoC Mastery.

Zoro's techniques are always flashy, so there's nothing to worry about there. I trust Oda to make Zoro's black blades special. Plus, he's likely going to incorporate the green flames/aura even more going forward.

 

[Vanshrimp]

nami, usopp and chopper should have more pirate mindset which will opens doors for haki ... (enjoy fighting strong opponents, no escapes...)

 

[McNuss]

The final final power up for Zoro is docking. He will dock with Denjiro, who loved Oden so much his hair turned blue from grief. Zoro is the closest he can get.

Since the taller Denjiro's arms will appear above the smaller Zoro's shoulders, this creates the strongest warrior, Zorjiro the Gotoryu user. Not even the Pirate King stands a chance!

 

[Zmsp]

I'm genuinely inclined to think both Usopp and Nami will get overpowered devil fruits in the short/middle term.

 

[McNuss]

I'm genuinely inclined to think both Usopp and Nami will get overpowered devil fruits in the short/middle term.

I don't think so...

Nami is a bikini icon, she isn't going to wear swimming rings when going into the water.

Usopp it would undermine his sniping ability.

There no longer is any middle term. They are going to miss their marks for sure but there is just this one final saga remaining and this is it.

 

[Zmsp]

I don't think so...

Nami is a bikini icon, she isn't going to wear swimming rings when going into the water.

Usopp it would undermine his sniping ability.

There no longer is any middle term. They are going to miss their marks for sure but there is just this one final saga remaining and this is it.

Well, I wouldn't base this on anything other than my subjective interpretation of the metaphoric/cycling nature of events in One Piece, so I certainly wouldn't bet on it, but I have this feeling that the "weakling trio" will graduate soon enough (well, I think Chopper will go down a different route), and we probably have a visit to Elbaf on the horizon, where Usopp might get his catharsis, and most surely a visit to Fishman Island, that's been intertwined with Nami and her backstory (she's even been compared to Shirahoshi). I have no doubt that butchering Nami's bikini segments is not a sensible business decision, but we'll eventually reach a point where the plot moves at a pace that leaves those behind anyway.

When it comes to Usopp, I don't know man... Joyboy/Sun God and it's relationship to Elbaf seems to run deep, and I can't argue against the fact that Nika/Joyboy resides in Luffy's fruit, but the white theme, the lack of fire/sun related powers and the moon association makes me believe that there'll be more to it than just that. There's a famous sun god who certainly could be compared to a "sniper": Apollo and his famous bow.

These are just some wild and random thoughts, and a poorly thought out conjecture, but I'm sure you share some of this inklings.

 

[kkck]

Nami is a bikini icon, she isn't going to wear swimming rings when going into the water.

FACTS!

I don't think so...

Usopp it would undermine his sniping ability.

There no longer is any middle term. They are going to miss their marks for sure but there is just this one final saga remaining and this is it.

After thinking about it... I think the issue here is that oda doesn't have any fucks to give. He will rush the story so hard you'd think it's running on pounds of cocaine and meth per second. Consider the wano arc.

- First we see G4 luffy get speedblitz and one shot by first form kaido. Then a training montage later we see base luffy surviving kaido. Then several pounds of cocaine later we see CoC cladding luffy holding his ground against hybrid kaido. And of course G5 luffy eventually overcame kaido.

- Zoro went from wherever the fuck he was to being able to sustain nigh yonko level combat for a time due to emma shenanigans.

- Sanji has zero feats and shit development to speak of during the new world. Shit enemies during fishman island, no feats during punk hazard iirc, no enemies during dressrosa other than a tiny confrontation with doflamingo, spent 900 volumes baking a fucking cake during FI, and then didn't do shit in wano until he fought queen. Whom he defeated due to convenient mutations.

- Franky has no meaningful feats during the NW just in general. His only fight before sasaki was sr pink. I don't think much of the topo robi in general but even that was unearned for franky.

- Robin defeated black maria...

So this isn't an issue of time. Oda could as easily pull ussop using CoA and CoO out of his ass as easily as he did for sanji, franky and robin. It's too late for any of the characters to have any meaningful, systematic progression and the fact is that the story will soon need ussop to hold a candle to actual yonko executives. So he will.

--- Double Post Merged, Sep 2, 2022, Original Post Date: Sep 1, 2022 ---

Sanji wise... I wonder if he will perhaps get a new element added to his arsenal. Oda simply hasn't really focused on sanji's haki. Which is weird and nonsensical but there's no option but to go with it. So a way to lean on sanji being a mutant rather than on his overall skill would be to give him something like lightning to dual wield with fire (I assume his fire is related to his mutation at least).