Summary
InOne Piece, Luffy’s made many enemies during his journey for the legendary titular treasure, but few have had the honor that is displayed byCharlotte Katakuri. This powerful pirate is the strongest of the Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates, wielding the Mochi-Mochi fruit and having immense talent with Observational Haki. Over the course of their long battle, Luffy is driven to become just as skilled to match the immense abilities of this kingpin of the Big Mom Pirates, and eventually succeeds in it by outlasting him.
Over the course of the battle, though, it becomes clear that Katakuri has an immense sense of honor. When one of his many sisters attempts to give him the upper hand by distracting Luffy, he not only ensures said sister does not interfere again, but also intentionally hits himself to even the playing field. Even after his loss to the Straw Hat pirate, Katakuri can only grin upon hearing he escaped the wrath of Big Mom. But thanks to new circumstances in the world ofOne Piece,Luffy and Katakuri may just be fighting on the same side.
Why Luffy and Katakuri May Team Up
The Two Share a Common Enemy
Some may question how such a team-up would occur. Truthfully, Katakuri would not team up with Luffy solely based on respect or friendship - they are very much still enemy pirate crews, especially after the destruction Luffy had wrought upon Totto Land. However, Katakuri does have a very good reason,and that’s Blackbeard.Marshall D. Teech had his crew invade Totto Land and kidnap Charlotte Pudding, another of his sisters. This is because of her abilities as one of the ‘Three-Eyed’ race, allowing her to read the Road Poneglyphs leading tto the island where One Piece awaits.
The Big Mom Pirates may have once been able to go toe to toe with Blackbeard’s veritable pirate army, but they’ve been greatly weakened and divided since the Straw Hats smash and grab on Totto Land. Not to mentionthe possible death of Big Mom, who was by far the strongest of her own forces. Given that Katakuri still respects Luffy for his strength, he would almost certainly view him as the lesser evil if he were to go after Blackbeard to save his sister. As such, a temporary alliance between the two would make sense.
What Katakuri Will Do Afterwards
The Alliance May Persist
Blackbeard’s defeat is almost inevitable, thanks to many more enemies he’s made. So the question remains, what will become of any alliance with Katakuri after victory? It’s impossible to say anything for sure, given that an alliance is only a possibility of what may happen. But given Katakuri’s respect for Luffy, it is clear thatthe dissolution of any alliance between them would also be amicable, with Katakuri returning with his family to Totto Land in hopes of rebuilding what was lost rather than striking at a weakened Luffy.
It’s also possible Katakuri may join with theStraw Hat grand fleet properly- after all, with Big Mom and her eldest child, Perospero, either dead or captured in Wano, it would fall on Katakuri’s shoulders to lead them to the One Piece - but this is far less likely. The Sweet Commander doesn’t seem like someone who’d so eagerly join in following Luffy and his crew. His view of Luffy seems to be more of an ‘equal’ than someone who is outright superior to him. Still, it is far from an impossibility.
Katakuri and Luffy may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to team-ups against Blackbeard inOne Piece, as Blackbeard has truly made scores of enemies around the world, leaving many scenarios open for an exciting final battle.
One Piece
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
