One Piece is currently in the climax of the Elbaf Arc, where the battle of the Gods is officially unfolding. With One Piece chapter 1187, released officially on July 5, 2026, tackling an exciting clash of the Gods between the Sun God Nika and the Devil God Nerona Imu, the story finds itself in a position where Godly entities existing don’t come as a surprise to the fans anymore.
In the very same final segment of the story, One Piece is now set to officially add two more Gods to the Straw Hat Pirates after years of setup. These two gods are none other than the Sword and Shield of Luffy, Zoro and Sanji, also known as the Wings of the Pirate King. Zoro is set up to reach the same heights as his ancestor, the ‘Sword God’ Ryuma — a godly title already earmarked by Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece. Meanwhile, Sanji has tapped into the power of ‘Demon God’ Ifrit, which is only going to grow further in the climax of the Elbaf Arc as he fights against Saint Killingham and awakens his Conqueror’s Haki.
One Piece Is Set To Add Two Gods To The Straw Hats Through Sword God And Ifrit
The Straw Hat Pirates are an incredibly powerful crew, and their strength continues to grow in the last stretch of One Piece. In One Piece Chapter 1044, which was officially released on March 28, 2022, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17, Eiichiro Oda officially gave the Straw Hat Pirates their first God in the form of Sun God Nika by Luffy Awakening the power of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, a powerful Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit. With it, Luffy turned into the Warrior of Liberation, a strong deity who stands in opposition to oppression and slavery.
“Possessing a body with the powers of rubber, and fighting in whatever way he fancies, bringing smiles to the faces of people, the Warrior of Liberation…also known as the Sun God, Nika!” — Elders explaining Sun God Nika, One Piece Chapter #1044
Since then, the concept of Gods has only been expanding in One Piece. Just in Elbaf itself, One Piece has introduced the Warrior God, whose powers are currently wielded by Loki, in One Piece Chapter 1175, and then in Chapter 1179, Nerona Imu, the Devil God of the World. While Luffy was the first God addition to the Straw Hat Pirates, Zoro and Sanji are set to follow soon, and the setup has been made quite clear by the author, Eiichiro Oda.
“After his death, he was bestowed the title of Sword God and buried alongside his beloved sword Shusui. Those two are the national treasures of the country!” — Onimaru explains the title of Sword God, One Piece Chapter 937
In the case of Zoro, Eiichiro Oda has aligned him to surpass not only Dracule Mihawk but also his ancestor Ryuma. As explained in One Piece Chapter 937, which was released officially on March 25, 2019, Ryuma was officially called the Sword God. As such, in terms of all the swordsmen that existed, Ryuma was considered so strong that he was on the level of the Gods. Zoro, who descends directly from Ryuma, fights just like him, as was confirmed in One Piece Chapter 1023, titled “Like Two Peas in a Pod.” This chapter likened Zoro to the Sword God and highlighted his potential to not only reach the level of the Sword God but surpass it. With Zoro surpassing the level of Sword God Ryuma, he will embody the power of a God.
“Ushimaru was a fantastic swordsman and a direct descendant of the Sword God, Shimotsuki Ryuma. And this man was the one to finally return Shusui to Wano. It must be fate, as Ryuma was also a one-eyed Samurai.” — Kawamatsu explains Zoro’s connection to Ryuma, One Piece Chapter #1023
In the same light, Sanji is set to get a Godly power as well. In his case, his powers have been more demonic in nature. Sanji’s first power-up of Diable Jambe ties directly to the Devil’s Leg, and his second power-up, known as Ifrit Jambe, which he officially tapped into in One Piece Chapter 1034, ties him directly to the ‘Demon God’ of the One Piece world.
Ifrit is a Demon God in various Arabian folklore and Islamic scriptures, whose powers pertain to smoke and fire, and are simply demonic in nature. Sanji has already tapped into the powers of this Demon, but the stronger he gets, the stronger his Demonic power will get as well. By the end of One Piece, he will stand as one of the strongest godly figures to exist in the world.
Why Zoro And Sanji’s Connection To Gods Is Important For Their Growth In Power
Zoro and Sanji’s connection to gods is extremely important for their overall character growth. For Zoro, the connection to Sword God Ryuma means that he can officially go on to surpass him and establish himself as the greatest swordsman to exist in the world.
For Sanji, the direct connection to Ifrit brings out his true hidden powers and allows him to evolve his abilities even further. Once Sanji taps into the powers of Conqueror’s Haki and upgrades his Ifrit Jambe, he’s going to bring out his godly power even further, making himself an even stronger fighter and ally of Monkey D. Luffy.
Sanji: Hey, Gramps! Can I use the Supreme King too?
Gaban: You should have the potential for it. However, in your case, for some reason, I sense a very strong self-deprecation. You must be a King too if you truly want Luffy to become the Pirate King.
— Scopper Gaban confirms Sanji’s Conqueror’s Haki, One Piece Chapter #1187
Why The Straw Hat Pirates Will Have 5 Gods At The End Of One Piece
While Zoro and Sanji are two God additions to the Straw Hat Pirates, they are not the only ones with the title or power of a God. Usopp was given the title of God as a gag in the Dressrosa arc, specifically One Piece Chapter 743, along with Zoro and Sanji. That alone puts the Straw Hat Pirates at four gods, but then there is the potential for Vivi to rejoin the crew. If she goes on to consume the power of the Hito Hito no Mi Model: Zaza, which is the Rain God Devil Fruit introduced officially in One Piece Chapter 1182 on May 10, 2026, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #24, then the Straw Hats could potentially end up with five Gods on board.
With five Gods, the Straw Hat Pirates will officially become the strongest crew in the entirety of One Piece. It would also then fulfill the setup by Eiichiro Oda in One Piece Chapter 968, where the Roger Pirates stated that someone in the future would come and surpass them. Luffy and the Straw Hats will then do what Roger couldn’t, and at the same time, surpass Joy Boy and his allies as well, freeing the world from the tyranny of the World Government.
All the latest chapters of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
