HIGHLIGHTS

 Fans anticipate epic clash between Blackbeard & Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece’s final saga.
 Sanji likely to battle Kuzan in intense combat, showcasing fire vs ice dynamic.
 Sanji’s love for Pudding adds narrative depth to fight, as he fights to save her from Blackbeard Pirates.

One Piece is currently in the final saga and fans are eagerly waiting in anticipation for the grandest of all battles to kick off. In this saga, while there are going to be many amazing fights for the fans to enjoy, one that every fan is looking forward to is the amazing battle between the Blackbeard Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates. This battle is coming at some point later down the line and is certainly inevitable.

Of course, every member of the Straw Hat Pirate crew is going to be engaged in high-level combat when this amazing war begins, and of course, Sanji is no exception. While there are many matchups for Sanji already drafted by the fans, when it comes to his fight against the Blackbeard Pirates, one that will likely end up taking place is his battle against Kuzan of the Blackbeard Pirates.

The Straw Hat Pirates Vs The Blackbeard Pirates

The Straw Hat Pirates versus the Blackbeard Pirates is a fight that will inevitably happen in One Piece. This battle was first teased around the first time that Luffy met Blackbeard, back in Jaya. Ever since then, Blackbeard has been on Luffy’s tail, and these two individuals even ended up fighting against one another when they met in Impel Down. Of course, it wasn’t an all-out combat at the time, however, because of the events surrounding this battle back then, fans knew that it would, later down the line, come into play once again. Of course, the biggest reason why this fight will take place is because both of them are gunning for the One Piece. Blackbeard wants to become the Pirate King and take over the entire world, while Luffy wants to become the Pirate King as well in order for his true dream to manifest.

As such, fans only need to sit back and wait until this incredible battle finally kickstarts. It is only a matter of time before Blackbeard starts taking on Luffy in combat, and when that happens, different members of the Straw Hat Pirates are also going to be fighting their respective battles. Both the Straw Hat Pirates and Blackbeard Pirates will have 10 members each, and each of them will get their respective battles where they will get the chance to shine.

Why Sanji Will Fight Kuzan

When it comes to Sanji, there are many opponents for him that make a lot of sense. A lot of the fans believed Sanji would fight against Burgess. However, now, it disappears to be a battle that is reserved for Jinbe. Both Burgess and Jinbe are the helmsmen of their crews, and they are both fighters who rely on a special form of martial arts in combat. While Sanji could potentially fight Burgess, this fight would be better suited to Jinbe, as he is a powerhouse, and so is Burgess. Meanwhile, another very popular individual for Sanji to take on in combat would be none other than Avalo Pizarro. However, in his case, there is a South Blue connection with Franky that just makes too much sense. Furthermore, Pizarro is simply not strong enough to match up to Sanji even if they cross paths. There are only two individuals in the Blackbeard Pirates that are strong enough to take on Sanji and combat apart from Blackbeard himself, and they are Shiryu and Kuzan.

A battle between Sanji and Shiryu is possible, especially given that Shiryu is an invisible man, while Sanji is someone who has had experience dealing with invisibility, given that he has fought Absalom before, and even Queen. Furthermore, Sanji has been an invisible man himself, which would give him some expertise in dealing with similar foes. However, at the end of the day, Sanji is not a swordsman and Zoro is. Furthermore, Oda already confirmed Shiryu to be the number two of the Blackbeard Pirates, which all but confirms that Zoro is going to be the one taking him on, leaving behind only Kuzan for Sanji.

From a strength standpoint, this makes a lot of sense. Sanji is already fighting Kizaru in the Egghead Island arc, and regardless of whether he defeats Kizaru or not, there are only a handful of individuals that can take him down in the Final Saga. Of course, Kuzan would be one such person and Sanji would then need to surpass him if he is to defeat him in battle.

The Case Of Pudding

While strength is a big factor as to why Sanji will take on and defeat Kuzan when the Straw Hat Pirates fight the Blackbeard Pirates, there are also other aspects that play here. Oda hardly ever draws a fight where there is absolutely no narrative importance and Sanji versus Kuzan would have this importance behind it as well. For those who do not remember, Pudding is the main love interest of Sanji and these two individuals actually have heartwarming feelings towards each other. Pudding is deeply in love with Sanji, while Sanji himself has shown a lot of care for her. In fact, in the Whole Cake Island arc, Sanji and Pudding even shared a kiss, although Pudding took away his memory of the case, leaving behind a bittersweet goodbye.

After the Straw Hat Pirates left Whole Cake Island, the Blackbeard Pirates invaded. Specifically, the duo of Kuzan and Van Augur came to this place, and their main goal was to kidnap Pudding. At the same time, they likely also took away Big Mom’s Poneglyph copy. Given that these two were the individuals responsible for taking Pudding captive, Sanji simply cannot let that slide.

Of course, Sanji cannot take down both of them. After all, Van Augur is going to be taken on by Usopp in battle. That leaves behind Kuzan. Once again, there is a very strong reason for Sanjii to fight him and it will most likely come true when these two pirate crews collide, later down the line. Essentially, Sanji would be fighting this battle not just to make sure that Luffy becomes a pirate king, but also to save Pudding. Since Kuzan was the one who abducted her, it makes a lot of sense. Sanji will have absolutely no mercy for him and will burn him with the powers of his love.

Fire Vs Ice

At the same time, Sanji vs Kuzan will also be an incredible battle as it pits fire against ice. Fans know that Kuzan has cryokinetic powers and he can turn into ice, as well as manipulate ice at a very high level. His strength is such that he can even take on Garp in combat, as seen in the Egghead Island arc.

Kuzan is an absolute monster whose power is centered around freezing things. Sanji is the total opposite. While Kuzan is ice, Sanji is fire and he has the ability to burn. This is yet another incredible parallel between these two characters that could potentially end up coming true when the Straw Hat Pirates collide with the Blackbeard Pirates. Out of all the members of the Blackbeard Pirates, the most worthy candidate to fight against Sanji is, without a doubt, Kuzan.