Yes, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji can be seen as the heirs of Gol D. Roger, Silvers Rayleigh, and Scopper Gaban: the resemblance mainly lies in the structure of their crews and their progression, not in an officially announced power equivalence. At Elbaf, their battles and the emphasis placed on the Conqueror’s Haki reinforce this parallel, while leaving several questions open about their final level.
To follow this comparison without confusing clues and certainties, we can observe three elements:
- The trajectory of the Monster Trio since the events of Wano.
- The role of the Conqueror’s Haki in the evolution of Zoro and Sanji.
- The parallels with Roger’s crew, which shed light on their future without constituting an official ranking.
Chapter 1194 of One Piece is announced for September 27, 2026, in most international territories, then on September 28 in Japan. As this publication approaches, let us distinguish what the manga has already established from interpretations fueled by the battles at Elbaf.
One Piece: the Monster Trio surpasses the old image of the new generation
After Wano, Luffy, Eustass Kid, and Trafalgar Law seemed to embody the pirate succession together. Chapter 1057, published on August 22, 2022, extended this impression: these three captains had emerged from a major crisis with a new reputation and influence. Their association told the story of a generation ready to challenge the established order, without suggesting that their paths would remain identical.
Since then, their trajectories have diverged. Kid and Law suffered defeats against opponents from the New World, while Luffy consolidated his position as Emperor. This evolution does not diminish the importance of their rivals in the narrative; it rather changes the way the new generation is evaluated at this stage of the story.
The center of gravity then shifts inward to the Straw Hat crew. Zoro and Sanji have long been recognized as the main fighters alongside their captain, in a dynamic often referred to by readers as the Monster Trio. At Elbaf, the interest is not merely to recall this formula: the opponents and stakes give their abilities a new scale of comparison.
Imagine a reader who has been following the evolution of power relations since Wano. He cannot yet officially place Zoro and Sanji among the three strongest pirates of their generation: the manga has not published such a ranking. He can, however, note that their fights, endurance, and role in decisive moments place them in the first circle of the new era.
The nuance is essential in One Piece. A victory, a title, or a bounty alone do not summarize a character’s power; the circumstances of the duel, the goals pursued, and the revealed limits also matter. Luffy’s position as Emperor reflects political and military authority, while his companions still need to demonstrate how far their own powers can take them.
The trio does not function as three versions of the same hero either. Luffy transforms situations through his boldness, Zoro advances with a fighter’s will, and Sanji combines mobility, technique, and protection of his allies. This complementarity explains why the crew can face threats that cannot be handled by the power of the captain alone.
The change since 2022 thus depends less on a proclamation and more on a narrative evolution. Luffy has taken the lead of a new pirate order, while his two companions gain importance in higher-level confrontations. Elbaf thus places the Monster Trio at the heart of the succession, without turning a convincing reading into an officially confirmed fact.
This new place of the trio becomes clearer when we examine the power connecting several top fighters: the Conqueror’s Haki, whose manifestations are not identical in Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji.
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji: the Conqueror’s Haki changes the reading of their power
Luffy already has a visible lead in mastering his abilities. He uses advanced Conqueror’s Haki and Gear 5, made possible by the awakening of the Hito Hito no Mi, model Nika, revealed in chapter 1044. These tools, combined with his experience against the great powers of the New World, give solid foundation to his status as Emperor.
His path does not mean his two companions must reproduce exactly the same steps. The manga distinguishes their styles and resources: Luffy adapts his body and approach to combat, Zoro seeks to push his sword and Haki to the maximum, while Sanji relies on his speed, leg techniques, and transformations linked to his biological heritage.
For Zoro, chapter 1152, published on June 23, 2025, reinforces the attention given to his potential as a conqueror. Scopper Gaban mentions the possible presence of several Conqueror’s Haki users among the Straw Hats and addresses the swordsman in particular. This scene feeds the idea that Zoro can join the circle of fighters whose will imposes itself on the battlefield, without proving on its own that he already masters all the advanced applications of this power.
The elements linked to chapter 1193 place him face to face with Saint Sommers and put Haki at the center of his confrontation against metal hearts. Since chapter 1194 is expected on September 27, 2026, outside Japan, anticipated reports must be treated with caution until the official publication. The most solid reading is to see it as a possible step of progression, not confirmation of finished mastery.
Sanji follows a different path. Modifications of his Lineage Factor have enhanced his physical abilities, notably his endurance, speed, and power. These transformations add to his training and experience: they explain why he can sustain high-intensity battles without erasing the uniqueness of his style.
Chapter 1187, announced to be published on July 5, 2026, highlights Sanji’s qualities as a conqueror. This sign broadens the cook’s prospects, but it should not be confused with a demonstration of complete mastery of advanced Conqueror’s Haki. Recognized aptitude and controlled technique are two different stages, and the narrative can still widen the gap between them.
This distinction helps to understand the trio’s progression: Luffy represents an already established level, while Zoro and Sanji are in a phase where potential, training, and testing merge. The Conqueror’s Haki thus offers a narrative direction, not a quantified measure that would suffice to rank the three companions.
Elbaf tests the role of Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji
The battles at Elbaf allow observing the trio in action rather than sticking to reputations. Luffy remains the crew’s central force, but prolonged use of Gear 5 has led him to exhaustion. This limit does not reduce the importance of his transformation: it reminds that his efficiency also depends on his ability to manage the physical cost of an exceptional power.
Luffy’s fatigue has a direct consequence on the collective dynamic. When the captain cannot indefinitely maintain his maximal effort, other members must take charge of major threats. For a crew facing top-tier opponents, this distribution is not a tactical detail; it measures the confidence the narrative grants its main fighters.
Zoro faces Saint Sommers while Sanji squares off against Killingham. These confrontations distinguish their roles instead of placing them in an artificial competition. The swordsman must exploit his precision and power against an opponent whose resistance poses a specific problem, while Sanji makes use of his mobility and physical abilities in a fight demanding another form of adaptation.
Loki and Hajrudin also participate in the events of Elbaf. Their presence reminds that the arc is not just a demonstration of the Monster Trio: the island has its own stakes and key figures. The Straw Hats evolve amid broader alliances and conflicts, making their decisions as important as their individual strength.
On the eve of chapter 1194, the main reading axes can be distinguished as follows:
| Character | Stake at Elbaf | What it reveals |
|---|---|---|
| Luffy | Dealing with the exhaustion linked to Gear 5 | His level is immense, but his endurance remains a tactical parameter. |
| Zoro | Facing Sommers and testing his Haki | His progression towards higher mastery remains ongoing. |
| Sanji | Fighting Killingham after highlighting his conqueror qualities | His potential expands without being confused with Zoro’s. |
This table does not constitute a hierarchy of winners. It highlights three complementary challenges: managing a demanding transformation, exceeding a tough defense, and mobilizing physical skills in a high-level fight. In a crew battle, the outcome depends as much on coordination as on raw power.
Anticipated summaries around chapter 1194 may announce general directions, but their detailed content should not be presented as already published. The official version will allow measuring the exact scope of the scenes and verifying if current clues result in a clear breakthrough for each. Elbaf thus tests the trio’s ability to act as a collective force when Luffy cannot carry everything alone.
Beyond the tactics of the arc, this organization of fights evokes that of a legendary crew. This is where the parallels between the Straw Hats and Roger’s pirates take their most interesting meaning.
Gol D. Roger, Silvers Rayleigh, and Scopper Gaban: meaningful parallels
The most immediate comparison associates Luffy with Gol D. Roger, Zoro with Silvers Rayleigh, and Sanji with Scopper Gaban. It relies on the composition of the crews and the place of their fighters, but it does not mean their paths are identical. In a work that builds its generations echoing each other, a resemblance of function can announce a legacy without imposing a copy.
Chapter 1139, published February 10, 2025, gives Gaban a particular prominence. He is presented as a legendary figure who evolved at the level of Roger and Rayleigh, and his role as the Pirate King’s left-hand man is recalled. This portrait helps broaden the reading of the historical trio: Roger’s crew did not rest solely on its captain and his second.
Rayleigh offers a natural parallel with Zoro, often considered Luffy’s first lieutenant. Both are swordsmen associated with an extraordinary will and a presence capable of supporting the captain against the greatest dangers. This closeness of function does not establish that Zoro already possesses Rayleigh’s power at his peak; it rather provides a narrative horizon to his progression.
Gaban gives Sanji a less conventional but equally useful place in the reading of the crew. The cook does not need to be an official second to count among the key fighters. His role as protector, his mobility, and his ability to intervene quickly create a contrast with Zoro, while the figure of the former left-hand man allows imagining a leading role in the collective force.
This interpretation remains an analogy, not a formal announcement by Oda that each member will exactly reach the level of his predecessor. The manga can build correspondences while reserving to its heroes choices, techniques, and specific limits. To avoid excessive claims, we can therefore speak of heirs in the narrative sense: they take up a torch and carry comparable ambition, without being duplicates.
Chapter 968 brings another perspective. Roger there states that a future crew will surpass his, after pirates of his era achieved certain goals too early to accomplish the next steps. This declaration feeds the idea that the Straw Hats are candidates for a historic surpassing. It does not designate every future duel, but gives a direction to the narrative: the new generation must go further.
This promise concerns all companions, not only the trio. Nevertheless, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji form the fighting core that makes this surpassing credible during the battles. Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban thus serve as mirrors to their heirs: the parallel suggests a shared ambition, without fixing a final ranking.
Can Roger’s heirs reach the peak of One Piece?
The question of the final level first depends on how one defines the peak. Luffy already holds the title of Emperor and has abilities that place him among the dominant forces of the New World. Zoro and Sanji are still progressing: their potential is visible, but the story has not yet delivered the assessment of their latest confrontations nor their future mastery of Haki.
The comparison with Roger and his companions thus becomes a projection rather than a certainty. If the Straw Hats are to surpass the legendary crew, their main fighters will need to be able to withstand opponents of exceptional level. The battles at Elbaf may prepare this evolution by giving each a fitting trial, but one arc is not necessarily enough to complete their trajectory.
One must also consider Marshall D. Teach. Blackbeard is an Emperor from the Worst Generation and remains a major force of the new era. Nothing allows stating that his role is already over or that he will be removed before the end of the story. His presence prevents proclaiming Luffy alone at the top too early, and reminds that the pirate world retains several centers of power.
For Zoro, reaching a level comparable to Rayleigh would imply uniting several elements: increased mastery of his Haki, progression in the use of his swords, and an ability to stand against the most formidable opponents. His scenes with Gaban and his fight against Sommers feed this expectation. They are not yet proof that he has overcome all these steps.
Sanji should, for his part, turn his already established qualities into lasting mastery. His improved endurance and speed give him unique resources, while the recognition of his conqueror potential opens a new possibility. If his Conqueror’s Haki develops, he would not need to copy Zoro: his fighting style can produce comparable level strength by different means.
Moreover, the two companions do not need to be strictly equal at every moment to support Luffy. In a fight against a powerful opponent, one can create an opening, the other protect an ally, then the captain conclude the confrontation. This cooperation makes the Monster Trio more credible than a fixed podium, because it makes strength a collective quality as much as an individual result.
At this stage, the most solid reading comes down to three findings: Luffy has already reached the rank of Emperor; Zoro and Sanji continue progressing toward high-level abilities; the comparison with Roger’s pirates remains a narrative framework, not an official ranking. Chapter 1194, expected on September 27, 2026, in most international territories, may illuminate this evolution without, by itself, deciding the final level of the three heroes.
