The new One piece arc, Elbaph, has been teased for two decades, highlighting his importance to the main cast and the profound impact he will have on the series' narrative. Throughout the story, countless hints have highlighted the importance of this arc, so it's no surprise that Monkey D. Luffythe protagonist of One pieceis at its center. Luffy's latest update, Gear 5, is connected to the Sun God Nika, a deity heavily incorporated into Elbaph lore.
This connection will lead to a significant upgrade for Luffy in this arc. However, we hope these updates focus on Luffy's emotional growth and significant emotional developmentsomething the character has lacked since the Marineford arc. While this was a concern among fans, a moment from chapter #1131 of One piece offers a hint at how Luffy might finally experience real character growth after years.
One Piece may be preparing for Luffy's first betrayal
The recent connection developed with Loki could teach Luffy something important
Luffy has always been portrayed as a goofy character who trusts his intuition and instincts, even when making important decisions for himself and his crewmates. However, this trait is precisely what endeared Luffy to fans of the series. His intuition also allowed him to demonstrate exceptional judgment of character, establishing unbreakable bonds with many notable individuals. This highlights Luffy's unique ability to recognize good people and trust them.
As a result, Luffy has never truly experienced betrayal by those he trusted, as these characters always proved to be on the good side, regardless of how evil they initially seemed. However, the newest character introduced in the arc, Loki, the Cursed Prince, may finally challenge Luffy's ability to judge others based on intuition. Loki has been portrayed as one of the most evil and selfish characters, willing to betray others for his own desires.
Just before Loki's stunning introduction, the natives of Elbaph revealed that, to acquire a legendary devil fruit, Loki murdered his own father, King Harald. This shocking revelation, if true, underscores Loki's unexplored evil and draws a parallel to the infamous Donquixote Doflamingo, another villain who murdered his father for selfish gain. It is evident that in One piece chapter #1131, titled “Loki in the Underworld”, Loki is manipulating Luffy into trusting him piquing his interest with information about Shanks.
In exchange for information about Shanks, it appears that Luffy chose to trust Loki and even made a secret deal with him. This is evident when Goldberg, a member of the New Giant Pirate Warriors, questioned Luffy about his presence in the underworld, and Luffy was unable to respond, having promised Loki to keep it confidential. This highlights that Luffy is placing his trust in Loki, but will likely face betrayal, as ample evidence suggests that Loki will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
This will bring Luffy some unexpected but increasingly necessary character development, especially as the series approaches its climax in the final war. This will add emotional depth to Luffy's character, likely significantly influencing the narrative as he drives One piece towards a darker tone.
Loki's betrayal will give Luffy different character development
When Loki was first introduced, he declared himself the Sun God, destined to bring about the end of the world. It seems that Loki sees himself as part of a prophecy, likely culminating in the destruction of the world. This suggests that Loki may have killed his father to obtain his legendary Devil Fruit, believing it was the right thing to do. However, this ends up causing Loki to be captured in the underworld by the other giants, and in his desperation to free himself, Loki resorts to any means necessary.
Now that Loki has gained Luffy's trust, Luffy may end up helping Loki escape his current situation. Once freed, Loki could begin the destruction of the world, believing that this was his destiny. His plan would likely start by wreaking havoc in the land of giants, which could be catastrophic, especially if Loki actually possessed a legendary Devil Fruit with immense destructive potential.
This betrayal would force Luffy to face the consequences of losing his trust in others based on intuition, offering him significant emotional character development for the first time in years, before finally facing Loki in the climax of the last One piece bow.