The Five Elders are among the most powerful One Piece characters in terms of political influence, but their battle prowess may also be noteworthy.
One of the big mysteries surrounding One Piece right now is how powerful the Five Elders are supposed to be. Obviously, they have the most political influence in the world (next to the mysterious Imu); however, there’s still the question of how physically strong they are.
Now that one of the Elders is heading toward the Straw Hats’ location with Admiral Kizaru, this question could finally be answered. Not many are sure what to expect, though some have suggested this man is strong enough to challenge Zoro or even Luffy. That might be a stretch, especially considering the Elder’s position, but perhaps there is some substance to the belief that the Five Elders have physical power as well as political.
What Powers and Abilities Could the Five Elders Possess?
As far as political influence is concerned, the Five Elders are among the most powerful characters in the One Piece world. They wield absolute control over the World Government and the Marines; this includes the powerful individuals who work for these organizations like the Pacifistas, Cipher Pol, the Admirals, and, previously, Dr. Vegapunk. Even if the series ends with the Elders themselves never having thrown a single punch, those who chose to challenge their rule will have been in for the fight of their lives.
That said, there are signs that these five have seen battle in the past: they have the scars and even the physical build to suggest that they’ve put themselves through some intense battles in their lives. One of them is also consistently seen with a sword, so even if he’s not expecting a fight, he’s clearly always ready for one. The other Elders may similarly be ready to draw their blades, proverbial or literal, at a moment’s notice. If the Elders aren’t meant to eventually get into a fight in the series proper, then these visual features serve virtually no purpose.
There’s also something to be said for how the Elders are seemingly ageless. A flashback of Nico Robin’s suggests that they looked the same over 20 years ago as they do in the ongoing story. As some of the few people who know the world’s darkest secrets, they may have also come across some means to slow — or even halt — the aging process; that, or they’re constantly being replaced by clones or doppelgangers. Whatever the secret is to their longevity, it may have also preserved whatever strength they had in their youth.
Besides this, they could have a few more ways to excel on the battlefield. They may have advanced Haki control, unusual Devil Fruit powers, or access to powerful tools or weapons. They could therefore pose a challenge without necessarily being supremely powerful.
How Strong Could the Five Elders Be Relative to Other Characters?
With that said, it’s difficult to imagine them being truly powerful, at least compared to some of the other forces at play. For example, Admiral Kizaru of the Marines and St. Jaygarcia Saturn of the Five Elders are on their way to Egghead. Between the two of them, more people are expecting Kizaru to play the role of the Egghead Arc’s ultimate antagonist; Saturn is presumably only going to impose his authority over the Seraphim stationed there. The Elder may surprise audiences with his strength, but that would require him to be strong enough to challenge at least one of the Straw Hats; it could be one of the stronger crew members, but that seems unlikely.
If the Elders had as much influence over the Marines as they do because of their strength rather than their position, it would throw off the balance of power in the One Piece world. Again, their power is likely more political than physical. However, if it’s revealed this late in the series that they can fight, then they may very well be strong enough to contend with some of the big names in the New World.
If the Five Elders were to end up fighting in the presumed World Government war arc of the series, then that could give the Straw Hats a more definitive and rounded-out set of opponents. While Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Jimbei fight the Marine Admirals, the other Straw Hats could have the task of bringing down the Five Elders divided among them. The range of power among the less-powerful Straw Hats might just work as a reasonable match for these leaders of the world.
In any case, the precise power levels of the Elders should become much more apparent by the end of Egghead. Once Saturn has shown what he’s capable of, that should give a general idea of how the rest of the Elders may fare on the battlefield. Maybe they are just simple figureheads, or maybe they have reserves of power nobody in the One Piece world can imagine.
Src: cbr.com
