After wrapping up the Kuma flashback, One Piece‘s Egghead Arc is finally picking up the pace, starting out strong with the Buster Call and the arrival of the Blackbeard Pirates on Egghead. While the latest episode was unfortunately yet another recap, the last few episodes have already dropped many interesting revelations that are still worth looking further into. The biggest of these is no doubt the tease about Blackbeard’s lineage and more shockingly, the revelation of his true goal, which has taken fans completely by surprise.
In Episode 1141 of One Piece, Van Augur ominously reveals that Blackbeard’s goal is “the world,” sending fans for a complete spin. While neither Van Augur nor Catarine Devon expand on this revelation, it is clear that Blackbeard has his sights set far beyond just becoming the King of the Pirates, though this doesn’t mean that he’s completely off the list of Luffy’s competitors for the title. In fact, if anything, the revelation of Blackbeard’s true goal just confirmed he could be Luffy’s biggest rival going forward, as it draws a crucial parallel to Roger and Rocks, while also recontextualizing many little details about Blackbeard and his crew.
One Piece Reveals Blackbeard’s Goal is the World
Ever since meeting him at Mock Town, Blackbeard has been set up as the antithesis to Luffy, and as the series has progressed, the two have made their way to the top almost simultaneously. Naturally, Blackbeard has been considered as the potential final antagonist of One Piece as well as Luffy’s biggest competition when it comes to claiming the One Piece. However, the Egghead Arc has now revealed that his goal is a bit different and a bit more ambitious than the title of the Pirate King.
Right off the bat, Blackbeard’s goal is reminiscent of Rocks’ supposed dream of becoming the “king of the world.” It is very much possible that Blackbeard has inherited the will of Rocks D. Xebec, with whom he shares a very special bond as the latest chapters of the Elbaf Arc have revealed. As such, it seems like Luffy and Blackbeard could develop a rivalry just as heated and infamous as Roger and Rocks, who they each respectively embody. Moreover, the parallels with Rocks also explain why Blackbeard’s ship is named the Saber of Xebec as well as Blackbeard’s curious desire to make Fullalead, a territory previously ruled over by the Rocks Pirates and subsequently a former crew member Ochoku, a formally recognized nation with himself as its leader.
All that said, though his goal may be different than Luffy’s, it still puts Blackbeard at odds with Luffy, whose real dream involves becoming the freest man on the seas through becoming the Pirate King. Becoming the king of the world, much like Imu is at present, would effectively deny Luffy of that freedom even if he were to become the Pirate King, which means that Blackbeard is still Luffy’s biggest obstacle in One Piece.
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How do you think Blackbeard will go about achieving this goal? Tell us in the comments below!
