Chapter 1040 honestly has thrown everyone into a major frenzy, what with several major events happening simultaneously, including a casual mention of the location of (part of) the One Piece.
But today, in this article, I’m going to talk about one of the most anticipated moments in the history of One Piece: the fall – quite literally, in this case – of one of the Yonkos or Emperors of the Sea.
Yes, in a monumental fighting sequence, Eustass “Captain” Kid and “Surgeon of Death” Trafalgar Law actually manage to defeat Charlotte Linlin, aka the monstrous Yonko, Big Mom.
Now the biggest question is, what will happen to Big Mom’s Yonko title? Will she still be one of the 4 Yonkos or will she be replaced? Are we getting a new set of Yonkos next arc? Nope! Here’s why.
1. Why Big Mom will Still be Yonko after Wano
It’s unlikely that Big Mom will lose her Yonko status and be replaced by Kid or Law right after the Wano arc. This is primarily because they do not have any territories, while Big Mom still has hers.
She controls the 35 islands of Totto Land, rules a self-created race called Homies, and commands a powerful crew that is yet undefeated.
Kid and Law do not have any territories, nor do they have a fleet, nor do they have a crew that is capable of taking on the Big Mom Pirates. Kid does have Killer, but that’s about it.
The only New Age pirate crew that is strong enough to attempt a face-off with Big Mom’s crew are the Straw Hat Pirates.
Consequently, the one new generation pirate most capable of being a Yonko after Wano, is Luffy. When he beats Kaido, he will take his land, i.e., Wano; his crew and allies are also dealing with, or have achieved victory over, Kaido’s strongest commanders – King, Queen, and Jack, and the Flying 6.
During the Kid and Law vs Big Mom battle, the only people fearless of Big Mom are Kid and Law themselves. Their crews are terrified of Big Mom and thus become the target of her Soul Pocus.
Big Mom’s most powerful commanders – the 3 Sweet Commanders – weren’t even present for the battle. The only person to have defeated Charlotte Katakuri – Big Mom’s right-hand-man, is Luffy. Law and Kid were nearly at the brink of death because of Big Mom and her Homies alone.
Big Mom has several children, the strongest of whom she chose as Sweet Commanders. The majority of her crew is also populated with Charlottes, and we know how loyal Linlin’s children are to her – they’re ready to sacrifice their lives so she can prolong hers.
Moreover, being a Yonko crew, they can most definitely take on the Kid Pirates and/or the Heart Pirates when it comes to it. Big Mom’s territories are also similarly protected by her children. Big Mom, according to Skull, has the “strongest family in the world”.
Apart from her kids who will do anything for her, Big Mom also captains the Totto Land Grand Fleet, that consists of thousands of ships.
How ever much I want to see Kid and Law take her place as Yonko, I don’t see either of them defeating her crew, destroying her fleets, or usurping her territories.
Besides, Big Mom isn’t even done yet – her parting dialogue is: “Don’t you dare assume that this’ll kill me!” To assume that Big Mom is done for just because she was blasted down a hole, would be too hasty.
At the same time, Kid and Law really did prove themselves – their new awakened powers and quick strategies made sure they humiliated Big Mom in front of everyone.
But being a Yonko is not just about defeating the previous one. Blackbeard had to defeat Whitebeard, his most powerful commander – Marco, seize his territory, defend that territory, and last but not the least, be considered and affirmed by the people as an Emperor.
Kid and Law do have the potential to replace Big Mom (one more than the other), but that day is still in the future.
2. Who will Replace Big Mom in the Future? Who will be the New Yonkos?
The most likely character right now to become a Yonko after Big Mom is gone forever, is Eustass Kid. Luffy will take Kaido’s place, making the new and final set of Yonkos: Blackbeard, Shanks, Luffy, and Kid.
If I had to choose who would be a Yonko between Kid and Law, although they are equal in power, I would choose Kid.
Let’s talk about Law first. Obviously, he is a legend. We all love him. Especially after his breathtaking performance in chapters 1039 and 1040.
His R-Room literally renders Big Mom helpless, since her powers are dependent on speech and she cannot call out to Miser, Prometheus, or Hera.
Law’s Silent Room takes away the voice of a Yonko – an event in itself – and causes Big Mom to fall in poetic silence, despite the fact that she puts off multiple bombs on her way down the crater in the Wano mainland.
But as I said above, being a Yonko is not just about victory. We were told in the manga that Yonkos are those pirates “who reign like Emperors”.
They have influence, they have a large following, they have underlings who would die for them. They are emperors that rule their empires. To become a Yonko, most of all, a pirate must want to become one.
There are several pirate and characters in One Piece who are hella strong, but have no inclination to become a Yonko. Take Dracule Mihawk for example, the strongest swordsman in the world. You don’t see him running around trying to defeat a Yonko to take their place. He has all the power of a Yonko, but no ambition to be one.
Law’s current goal is to find out more about the Will of D. This is not to say that Law is without ambition to take down the Yonkos, because obviously that’s not the case.
It’s just that narratively speaking, considering all the information we have, Kid is more likely to become a Yonko than Law and replace Big Mom in the future.
3. Why Kid will Become a Yonko
Kid will become a Yonko because he has always been set up as Luffy’s rival – who is sure to become Pirate King one day.
He has Conqueror’s Haki, a crew member other than himself who is part of the Worst Generation, and has a personal dynamic with at least 2 of the future set of Yonkos – Luffy and Shanks, as well as with Big Mom and Kaido.
He doesn’t have any territories yet, but I’m sure he will soon, after Big Mom and Kaido are out of the picture. He might also try and take over some of their territories.
Killer is one of the main factors that makes the Kid Pirates so strong, and Kid probably has other strong crew members too – they just haven’t gotten panel time yet. He will also awaken advanced Conqueror’s Haki, and he already has awakened Devil Fruit powers.
Kid’s bounty will cross 2 billion post Wano for having defeated Big Mom, and the world will begin considering Kid (and Law) as part of the big leagues.
The thing is, Kid would have to do something more in this arc or the next, because so far, his feats have been reliant on Law’s. He would have to establish his dominance in another way, for example, defeating Big Mom in a 1v1, or helping Luffy get rid of Kaido.
As for the former, it’s a little unlikely that Kid meets Big Mom for a 1v1 in the next arc, which we 80% know is going to be Elbaf. If Usopp is set to defeat Loki and become “a brave warrior of the sea”, then who will Luffy fight? Oda makes sure Luffy always gets the biggest fight in every arc.
If Usopp has Loki and Kid gets Big Mom, Luffy will have no one to battle – there’s no way he fights Shanks because he idolizes him. Also, I don’t think we’ll get another Big Mom fight so soon after this one.
Besides, I really think it will be Luffy that takes care of Big Mom when she finally re-emerges because Linlin has a vendetta against the Straw Hats. Another option for Kid is that he battles Shanks during the Elbaf arc, but that’s not very likely either.
I really want Kid to fight Kaido because he has unfinished business with him. It’s a possibility that he joins Luffy on the roof, and might even land the final hit on him, in which case Kid and Luffy would be well-deserved and equal contenders for the Yonko position.
4. Why can’t Law Become a Yonko too?
I’ve discussed why Kid should become a Yonko over Law, but why shouldn’t Law be made a Yonko too? Why can’t there 5 Yonkos – or, Gokos – 5 Emperors of the Sea? There can never be Goko because the term Yonko has been built up for as long as the story itself exists.
The term has been repeated time and again to show that the person who owns the title of Yonko is among the strongest pirates in the world. It’s more about what Yonko as a title represents, than what it actually means.
Oda even went as far as to show this when the media made luffy the “5th Yonko” – not the 5th Goko. Why it’s symbolic is because Luffy wasn’t even Yonko level then. It was just media hoax, Luffy was nowhere near Big Mom back then. So, there can never be 5 strongest pirates, just 4.
One possibility is that Law can become a Yonko after Blackbeard is defeated but him replacing Blackbeard is not “symbolical.” Oda loves symbolism, as we all are well aware.
There’s no relation at all between Law and Blackbeard as far as we know. It’s unlikely that Oda will create a relation because Blackbeard should just be left for Luffy to conquer. Maybe if Luffy becomes Pirate King, Law can become a Yonko, but that’s too much in the future to predict.
Besides, I honestly don’t see Law wanting to become a Yonko at all. Watch him stay a prominent part of the story without ever becoming a Yonko – like Mihawk. Law’s journey will be directed toward uncovering the secrets behind the mystery of D.
5. Why can’t the Yonko System itself be Abolished?
The Yonko system cannot be abolished because it isn’t a system at all. It’s not regulated by the government like the Shichibukai. Every single island in the New World is under the protection of one of the 4 big pirates.
A Yonko is mainly a Yonko because they conquer territories like kings or emperors on land, and establish their empire. You might be able to terminate a Yonko, but someone will always replace them because there will always be islands that need protectors.
The Yonko “system” is more like a crime syndicate than a regime. It came into existence through circumstance; it wasn’t invented or imposed, like the government.
The people of Fishman Island want Luffy to raise the Straw Hat flag there. Luffy, as the new Yonko, will rule and protect Fishman Island, and also Wano, after Kaido is defeated.
The Yonko categorization can never be dissolved, just as the Marines can never be dissolved – even if the World Government is abolished.
6. Conclusion
Big Mom will still be a Yonko because she has her territories. She is not entirely gone and will likely return during the Elbaf arc.
After both Kaido and Big Mom are truly defeated, Kid and Luffy will take their place: the final set of Yonkos will be Luffy, Kid, Shanks, and Blackbeard – at least until Blackbeard is defeated.
Law might become a Yonko with Blackbeard gone, but it’s unlikely because it’s not symbolic enough, nor does it match with his goal – which is to find the Will of D.
7. About One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.
The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!
Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.
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