 Shanks vs Zoro, Sanji vs Crocodile, Kuzan vs Katakuri and who will be Luffy's opponent? These are just a few out of the many dream matchups that we could potentially see as a part of One Piece's upcoming highly anticipated battle royale that will lead to the crowning of the Pirate King. Now, if you don't know exactly what that means, back in December 2022, the author of One Piece, Etchido Order, released the message for Jump Festa, in which he addresses the final saga and the new One Piece Odyssey game, but what really caught everyone's attention is the mention of a free-for-all battle royale that will happen in the series. And the recent events in One Piece might just have put the wheels in motion and heightened the possibility of us seeing these epic clashes. And it seems we now have all the necessary pieces we need for a war that will make Marineford look cute in comparison. And in this video, we're going to talk about all the potential matchups we could witness, but also battles that make sense from a storytelling standpoint. Plenty of names that are set up to be involved in this battle royale already have prior history with one another. So a lot of these potential matchups will involve a number of intriguing interactions, since most of them have already had seeds planted for a clash, and it may just be the right time to harvest. So even if the upcoming battles don't have a proper, long, in-arc setup, most of the backstory we need have already been given from prior arcs. This is one of those plug-and-play scenario ready to go. And since we are expecting a full-scale war, we need to set some parameters on what type of matchups we're going to be discussing today. Each of the Yonko crew alone that are participants in the chase of the One Piece have a number of combatants, not to mention the possibility of Marines or revolutionary army members interfering or any of the other players that could pop up during the battle royale. Meaning this would be an extremely long video, so you and I don't have to go through all the possible fights. And just for the purposes of this video, we will only be focusing on solely big-name 1v1 battles between well-known combatants of the Yonko crews that we expect to face off in this coming battle. So if you're someone who would like to see Chopper and Frankie have a 2 on 2 matchup with Monster and Bonkface, then I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you won't be seeing such a matchup discussed here. Similarly, a face-off like Robin vs Katarina Devon, which I know we all want to see, but we can't discuss it if they haven't had previous interactions or if there is nothing that links them together. I mean apart from the fact that they are both women and both being considered the worst of their kind with Robin being the devil child of O'Hara and Katarina Devon who is now perhaps the most dangerous female pirate. Do you know what? That's enough reason. Alright, let's pit them against each other. Robin vs Katarina Devon because of reasons stated. But please keep watching this video and if there are any matchups you think I missed or some that you would just personally like to see, then please comment below. And if you would like to provide your own fun reason as to why you would like such and such to face off, then let me know. Now I hope all of that was enough to hype you up because we are starting with our first big matchup. Drumroll please. And the first matchup is between you and the subscribe button. And the way to defeat the subscribe button is to hit it so hard that your attack ricochets and even clicks the notification bell. And now with that ultimate battle out of the way, we can focus on our real big first matchup. Sanji vs Crocodile. I have to start with this pair because although never meeting face to face, Sanji and Crocodile had one of the best and most memorable interactions back in Atta Buster. If it wasn't for Sanji successfully tricking Crocodile and saving his friends who would eventually go on to topple Baroque works, then Crocodile's life might have turned out a whole lot differently than being sent to impale down. Sanji was an unaccounted factor that ended up leading to the downfall of Crocodile's plan. Had Sanji not freed Luffy, Operation Utopia would have been achieved earlier and quietly, instead of Crocodile still chasing his dream but now in a much harder situation with the Marines crosshair on his back. So surely Crocodile would love to get his hands on the man who was partly responsible for getting him locked up and making his life difficult. As he said, no one makes the fool of him and lives with it, and perhaps he would like to settle Sanji's comment about Crocodile being able to kill the straw hat cook being debatable. Personally, this is a fight I'm really excited for, not only because it is the perfect recipe to be an epic clash, but also absolutely hilarious should another mystery idea play out as a part of this conflict. And that concerns Crocodile's big secret that Ivankov knows about. And as someone who spent two years in the Kamabaka Kingdom, albeit running for his life most of the time, is there a chance that Ivankov told Sanji about Crocodile's secret? Perhaps in an attempt to make him feel better about a certain activity he partook in. Let's make an assumption since we don't actually know what this big secret is, but what if, like Sanji, Crocodile was also defeated into wearing a dress by Ivankov and Yokama? Maybe the big secret Crocodile is so afraid of, it's the fact that he wants crossdressed in his rookie days. And maybe this embarrassing experience they have in common would either make them, a, want to kill the other to make them shut up so as not to tell the tale, or b, sympathize with each other, knowing someone out there suffered the same hell that they did. And based on that answer, we could have a winner or a new bromance. What do you think? But Sanji isn't the only possible match up for Crocodile because we could also have Robin vs Crocodile. Okay, this is one of those reunions I've always expected and really want to see happen. But I've always thought about it happening in a way where Robin would be in a predicament and Crocodile would come out of nowhere to help her and will get a badass shot of the reuniting Mr. Zero and Miss All Sunday. I imagine Crocodile helping Robin instead of the other way around because it could be seen as a character redemption arc for Crocodile and to be a reverse of how he left Robin to die back in Arrabasta to now prevent her from harm. But if that scenario is not to happen, then perhaps a quick skirmish between the two would suffice. After all, Robin herself has going to be a lot more formidable now since her Baroque works days and why not test her new abilities against her former boss. Next up, Kuzan vs Katakuri. Wait, but this is a battle between the current Yonko crew. Why would someone from a defeated crew show up? One word, family. The Blackbeard Pirates took Pudding and that is enough reason for Big Mom's strongest child and commander to join the fray. Van Orger was also with Kuzan, but since the former admiral was the one who was shown to have done the most damage freezing the chocolate town, his ability would be the easiest for Katakuri to recognize should he enter the battlefield and I could see Big Mom's strongest child trying to take the man responsible down. And if getting his sister back isn't enough, let's increase the stakes and say that Katakuri's favorite chocolate donut filling is produced at Kakao Island for some extra motivation. And while I can see other Big Mom kids trying to help, Katakuri is the only one I can really see putting up somewhat of a fight. Although against Kuzan's overwhelming devil fruit, it makes you wonder how long Katakuri would actually last before eventually being defeated of course. Moving on, Brooke vs Gekko Morio. Now Morio isn't really a part of the story just yet, but with the reveal that he is alive and imprisoned at Hachinosu, then a little prison break might be in the works. And it just so happens that there is a faction currently looking to increase their military forces. A cross guild could find Gekko Morio's zombie creating abilities quite useful. Not to mention the funny reactions Buggy and his crew would have having to work with the undead. So let's assume Cross Guild's need opens up the door for a Gekko Morio to return. And as he joins his fellow former warlords in the war, he's confronted by the man whose shadow he once stole. Next, Usopp vs Yasopp vs Van Ogre. A triple threat match. Alright, this is just super wishful thinking that Usopp and Yasopp won't take sides and fight common enemy, but I just think it would also be so entertaining to see three of the best snipers in the series have a three-way shootout while on the move. They don't even need to shoot at each other. It could just be one of those scenarios where they each try to one up the other by shooting a target that gets increasingly difficult. Sorry, random Marines. Straight up, Yasopp vs Van Ogre shootfest would also be welcome, of course, since we know that their crews are destined to war at some point due to their captain's beef with one another. And this interaction could serve as a learning moment for Usopp, who will learn from his father first-hand and use that knowledge to eventually defeat Van Ogre one-on-one himself. Now, Shanks vs Zorro. Who doesn't want to see this at least once? They don't even need to have a full fight. A quick skirmish would be enough. For Shanks, it's seeing the ability of Luffy's right-hand man and his old rival's most prominent challenger for the title of the world's strongest swordsman. And for Zorro, he would get to challenge Mihawk's old rival and the man that his captain idolizes, experiencing first-hand why he is Luffy's hero. It could even lead to Mihawk telling Zorro that he's not ready to face someone as strong as Shanks yet, and Mihawk himself having a quick skirmish with Shanks just because, since he's already fighting, might as well do it against someone he considers to be the strongest in the battlefield. But since it's not really in Mihawk's interest to have an all-out fight against the one-armed man, then perhaps this will be nothing more than just a quick clash of swords. Also, there is another swordsman in the battlefield that he might find more interesting than Shanks. Zorro vs Mihawk. This fight is going to happen one way or another, and now that Mihawk is part of a crew also after the one piece, that fight might just be happening sooner than expected. Perhaps this fight may even play a more important role beyond someone just claiming or keeping the title of the world's strongest swordsman, because it could present an opportunity for these men to fight for their captain's dream. As I've mentioned before, one thing I would personally love to see is Mihawk and Crocodile eventually acknowledging Buggy as a pirate and genuinely trying to help him achieve his dream. So imagine a scenario where a race to Laugh Tale is happening with Luffy and Buggy as the front runners. Mihawk then tries to stop Luffy to help Buggy move forward, but then Zorro enters the scene and tells Luffy to go ahead and leave Mihawk to him. Now we have Zorro once again challenging Mihawk for the title of the world's strongest swordsman, but this time with also his captain's dream on the line. And whoever wins this duel will create a path for their captain to claim the one piece and become the pirate king. Now, everything ties up with their first match at Baratier because this was also when Zorro promised Luffy that he will never lose again and for the sake of his captain's dream, this is one fight that he must win. But when it comes to Zorro, another heavily anticipated match up is Zorro versus Shiryu. Zorro fights the swordsman, that's the rule. So say this is the same arc, Zorro finally defeats Mihawk and becomes the world's strongest swordsman, but before he even has time to rest, a new challenger appears in the form of Shiryu. Now if Mihawk isn't Zorro's final opponent, who I'd like to think is stronger than Shiryu, then Zorro being in a weakened state is one way that Zorro fights Shiryu while still keeping the tension and danger that Zorro might actually lose a battle. Top it off with Shiryu's devil fruit, which is very difficult to deal with since it allows him to attack Zorro from anywhere without Zorro seeing him. This also presents a scenario where Zorro must master his observation haki to defeat Shiryu and maybe that will spill out enough to also fix his sense of direction. Sanji versus Lucky Ruu. Now there's a rumor going around that one Lucky Ruu is one of the fastest characters in the series. His name is likely a reference to Lucky Luke, the man who shoots faster than his shadow. And the fact that it was revealed that Lucky Ruu is the one who obtained the Gomu Gomu no Mi in the first place, perhaps using his speed, the ideal matchup to showcase this arsenal would be a fight against Sanji. As the fastest straw hat that can move faster than the eye can perceive, Sanji and Lucky Ruu share this same characteristic apart from also being the cooks of their respective crews. But should Shanks's crew refuse to fight the straw hat pirates, then we'll settle for a cook-off. Ben Beckman versus Kizaru. I know I said that this video is just about the Yonko crews, but this just needs to happen alright. Continue that Marineford confrontation and settle which is faster, Beckman's bullet or Kizaru's kicks. Speaking of kicks, Sanji versus Kizaru. Now unlike Beckman's bullets and Lucky Ruu's speed, we know that these two are fast. Like really fast. And being one of the most highly anticipated matchups because of their shared love for kicking, it would be good to see how Sanji matches up against an admiral. And while this is an interesting end of series fight for Sanji, I could also see this as a learning curve for him and maybe start a new goal on his way to eventually defeating Kizaru in a rematch later on in the story. Also Kuzan versus Kizaru. This one's simple. Former comrades who are now on opposing sides with their own brand of justice. Plus it's time to see two admiral's fight without it being off-screen. And next up, the emperors themselves. Luffy versus Buggy. This rematch needs to happen now that they are both Yonko. It could even be that the winner of this fight faces the winner between Shanks versus Blackbeard. As Luffy's first menacing threat and as someone who rivals Luffy when it comes to luck and being at the right place at the right time, Buggy manages to maintain a surprising longevity in the series and this hype just keeps on increasing the more we see him. And now that he's declared his dream of becoming the pirate king, Luffy and Buggy now have something bigger at stake to face off and defeat the other. The conflict that first started back in Orange Town will now turn into what will possibly be known as one of the most legendary battles that happened en route to the One Piece. And Buggy has the potential to forever be known as the Whitebeard to Luffy's Roger. A legendary eternal rivalry known to all people across the sea. And speaking of reunions, let's go to Shanks versus Buggy. The more information is revealed about these two's history, the more I fall in love with their relationship, which is why it would be an incredible moment to see these two former crewmates face off. For Buggy's sake, it doesn't have to be a proper fight but to witness these two interact knowing the misunderstanding between these two opponents who could have continued to be a part of the same crew is exactly the sort of layers and drama I want in a battle. And if we're looking at prior history, then there's also Buggy versus Blackbeard. Also just for the sheer fact that this will be a very fun interaction. After all, Buggy was the one who initially noticed that there was something odd about Blackbeard. And wouldn't you just like to see each Yonko have a one-on-one against each other at least once even for the briefest of moments, which brings me to Luffy versus Shanks. Oh come on, you knew this was coming. Luffy will need to surpass Shanks's greatness as a pirate and why not see where he stacks up in terms of battle prowess while we're at it? I'm sure Shanks would also like to see how much he can push Luffy and witness the true power behind the Nika Devil Fruit, which we can all agree he knows the truth about. But I'm not one for the evil Shanks theory, so I think it would be nothing but a quick test of strength before it would promptly lead to Shanks versus Blackbeard. Finally, the battle is here. Decades in the making. Two pirates whose destinies are intricately intertwined. Both were once apprentices to two of the most legendary pirates in history. No one knows better the danger that the other one presents. A score that must be settled. Shanks versus Blackbeard has all the potential to be the most epic clash in the history of the series and no amount of speculation will ever top that. And now we have the main event, Luffy versus Blackbeard. Plenty of discussion has been had about when these two will eventually clash and now that they are inching closer and closer to the same goal, we might be seeing this fight sooner than we expected. A match up I always expected to be one of, if not Luffy's final battle. This is a long time coming and there is a lot at stake here. Blackbeard is the man responsible for Ace being at Marineford. Now at our assumption that Blackbeard defeats Shanks at this point, that gives Luffy two huge personal reasons to take Blackbeard down. And then at the fact that this might be one of, if not his final challenge, to become the pirate king. This is a battle that will shape history. Two men who both desire their own completely different idea of freedom. Two sides of the same coin. The winner rules the seas. What do you think? Are there any matchups you would like to add? I really enjoy these so make sure to drop a comment below and make sure to make it fun. Thanks for listening to another one of my ramblings. Remember to smash and hit that subscribe button. This is your girl and I'll see you again soon.