The Holy Knights Are Coming — And Straw Hats Are Ready
The Elbaf arc of One Piece has escalated from a whimsical adventure into an all-out war zone. With the Holy Knights of God stepping off their celestial high ground and onto the battlefield, fans are finally getting the matchups they’ve been dreaming about for years. Chapter 1184 dropped massive revelations about Brook’s past, Queen Candel’s Gorosei connections, and the terrifying scope of the Holy Knights’ power. But the real question on everyone’s mind: who fights who when the final showdown begins?
Based on the latest manga developments, Oda has been laying breadcrumb trails for some of the most anticipated fights in One Piece history. Here’s our complete breakdown of every Holy Knight matchup — and the three that will absolutely shatter the internet when they happen.
The Holy Knight Roster: Who We Know So Far
Before diving into matchups, let’s map the battlefield. The confirmed and suspected Holy Knights include:
- Figarland Garling — The Supreme Commander, possessor of Conqueror’s Haki, and the man who executed a Celestial Dragon at the Reverie. A monster in his own right.
- Figarland Shamrock — Garling’s son, introduced during the God Valley flashback. Carries the family’s terrifying combat legacy.
- Manmayar Gunko — A Holy Knight whose abilities remain largely mysterious, but whose mere presence makes Yonko commanders nervous.
- Satchels Maffey — Survived an attack from Whitebeard and lived to tell the tale. That alone puts her in elite territory.
- Rimoshifu Killingham — Perhaps the most intriguing Knight, with subtle hints pointing toward a Devil Fruit that manipulates life force itself.
- Unnamed Holy Knights — Multiple unidentified members who represent the World Government’s military ceiling.
Six named Knights (at minimum), plus unknowns. That’s a formidable roster — and Oda has been meticulously pairing them with their ideal opponents.
Confirmed Matchup: Sanji vs. Rimoshifu Killingham
The most obvious pairing Oda has been telegraphing is Sanji versus Rimoshifu Killingham. Recent chapters showed Sanji dominating a Holy Knight in combat, silencing anyone who doubted his post-Wano power leap. The Germa modifications, Ifrit Jambe, and his exoskeleton make Sanji a legitimate Yonko-level fighter now.
Killingham’s suspected life-force manipulation Devil Fruit creates a fascinating dynamic: Sanji’s body was literally engineered to transcend human limits. Can Killingham’s abilities override Judge’s modifications? This fight would force Sanji to confront his family’s scientific legacy in the most visceral way possible — by having it tested against a weapon of the Celestial Dragons.
Why it breaks the internet: Sanji finally getting a 1v1 against a top-tier opponent without Zoro stealing the spotlight? The Sanji fandom will explode. The power scaling debates alone will fuel YouTube for months.
Predicted Matchup: Zoro vs. Figarland Garling
This is the fight everyone expects — and for good reason. Garling is the Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights with confirmed Conqueror’s Haki. Zoro is the man who scarred an Emperor and wields Enma, a blade that channels Conqueror’s Haki itself. The symmetry is too perfect to ignore.
Oda has been building Garling as the ultimate “sword antagonist” since the Reverie. His execution of the Celestial Dragon wasn’t just cruelty — it was a display of absolute authority and combat prowess. Zoro, who dreams of becoming the World’s Strongest Swordsman, confronting the Supreme Commander of the World Government’s most elite fighting force? That’s not just a fight. That’s a statement about what the Straw Hats represent versus the world order.
Why it breaks the internet: Zoro vs. a confirmed Conqueror’s Haki swordsman who isn’t Mihawk. This fight answers whether Zoro is truly ready for the top — or if there’s another mountain to climb before Mihawk.
Predicted Matchup: Luffy vs. Multiple Holy Knights (Gear 6 Reveal)
The biggest wildcard in the Elbaf arc is Luffy. After the God Ring system was hinted at in chapters 1183-1185, fans are practically certain that Gear 6 is coming. And what better stage than Elbaf — the land of giants — for Luffy to unveil a form that transcends the Sun God Nika awakening?
The theory: Luffy won’t fight just one Holy Knight. He’ll take on multiple Knights simultaneously, demonstrating that the true Pirate King doesn’t pick 1v1s — he overwhelms the world’s strongest army. This mirrors Whitebeard at Marineford and elevates Luffy beyond even that legendary benchmark.
Why it breaks the internet: Gear 6 reveal alone would crash Twitter. But Luffy fighting multiple Yonko-level opponents at once? That’s not just hype — that’s a redefinition of what the protagonist is capable of. Every power scaling tier list becomes obsolete overnight.
Supporting Matchups: The Rest of the Crew
Jinbe vs. Figarland Shamrock
Shamrock carries the Figarland legacy and represents the Fishman Island oppression at its source — the Celestial Dragons. Jinbe, former Warlord and the Straw Hats’ helmsman, fighting the son of the Supreme Commander carries enormous narrative weight. It’s Fisher Tiger’s dream realized through combat.
Brook vs. Satchels Maffey
Chapter 1184 revealed Brook’s devastating past. Maffey survived Whitebeard’s attack. Both have supernatural durability — Brook through his Devil Fruit, Maffey through unknown means. A battle between the undead and the unkillable? That’s peak One Piece weirdness, and it would give Brook the serious fight he deserves.
Robin vs. Manmayar Gunko
Robin has spent her entire life running from the World Government. Gunko represents that authority weaponized. This fight isn’t about power levels — it’s about Robin finally standing her ground against the organization that destroyed Ohara. The emotional payoff would be extraordinary.
Revolutionary Army vs. Unnamed Holy Knights
The unnamed Knights give Oda the perfect opportunity to showcase the Revolutionary Army’s upper echelon. Belo Betty, Karasu, Morley, and Lindbergh desperately need combat highlights. This is their stage.
The Bigger Picture: Why Elbaf Changes Everything
The introduction of two new Yonko-level characters in recent chapters confirms what fans suspected: Elbaf isn’t an intermediate arc — it’s a final saga centerpiece. The Holy Knights aren’t sub-bosses. They’re the World Government’s answer to the Yonko, and their defeats will destabilize the celestial order itself.
Oda is setting up the Elbaf arc as the moment the Straw Hats prove they can dismantle the World Government’s military apparatus. Not through a single dramatic clash, but through systematic, crew-wide victories that demonstrate the next Pirate King doesn’t fight alone — he leads an army that can match the world’s strongest.
When the Holy Knights fall, the Gorosei lose their sword arm. When the Gorosei lose their sword arm, Imu stands alone. And when Imu stands alone… the final war begins.
What Do You Think?
Are these the matchups you want to see, or does Oda have something completely unexpected planned? Will Zoro vs. Garling live up to the hype? Is Gear 6 actually happening in Elbaf? Drop your wildest theories below — the Holy Knights are coming, and the debate is just getting started.
For more One Piece coverage, check out our breakdown of Chapter 1183’s God Ring system and Gear 6 predictions and our Chapter 1185 theory on the final war.
