One Piece is an iconic manga series that has captured the hearts of millions around the world with its rich storyline, complex characters, and unpredictable twists.
As the series nears its conclusion, the stakes are rising, and each new chapter brings fans closer to the final confrontation between the Straw Hat Pirates and the World Government forces, along with other major powers like the Blackbeard Pirates.
Chapter 1125, scheduled to be released on September 9, 2024, has attracted attention due to some early spoilers.
This chapter's content revolves not only around the main events but also about the death of Saint Saturn, one of the Five Elders, and its possible effects on the Blackbeard Pirates' complex plans.
The death of Saint Saturn, while shocking, is not just a major event in the story; it has the potential to have ripple effects far beyond the hierarchy of the World Government.
In particular, it seemed to upset the carefully laid plans of Marshall D. Teach, aka Blackbeard.
His pirate crew, notorious for their ruthless ambition, may find themselves at a significant disadvantage due to the death of Saint Saturn, whose identity they hoped to exploit.
This article will delve deeper into how this event might affect their goals and what it means for the future of the Blackbeard Pirates in the One Piece universe.
The accumulation that led to the death of Saint Saturn
In recent One Piece chapters, the focus has shifted to the confrontation on Egghead Island, a key location in many ongoing story arcs.
In particular, chapter 1107 highlights the appearance of the Giants on Egghead Island, a pivotal turning point that begins to shift the balance of power away from the World Government, who until then had held the upper hand.
The presence of Saint Saturn, one of the Gorosei members, gave the World Government a significant advantage in this battle.
At the same time, Luffy, the protagonist and leader of the Straw Hat Pirates, returns to the battlefield after recovering his strength thanks to being fed by one of his crew members.
Luffy's rejuvenation allows him to tap into the powerful abilities of Gear 5, and he used the Gomu-Gomu no Dawn Gatling to send Saint Saturn flying.
This event paved the way for one of the most talked about developments in recent One Piece history.
After being thrown across the battlefield and buried under rubble, Saint Saturn finds himself facing two of Blackbeard's most dangerous subordinates: Catarina Devon and Van Augur.
Two members of the Blackbeard Pirates are on a secret mission, and they waste no time in mocking Saturn for being so thoroughly defeated by a pirate.
While their taunts may seem trivial at first, they hint at a larger plan at work. It soon becomes clear that the Blackbeard Pirates are not just there to engage in war; they have a very specific goal in mind.
Catarina Devon, possessing the power of the Dog-Dog Devil Fruit (Model: Nine-Tailed Fox), has the special ability to mimic other people, even their clothes.
With just a touch, she can transform into anyone, a skill that has proven extremely useful to the Blackbeard Pirates on many occasions.
In this case, their goal is to steal Saturn's identity, perhaps as part of a larger plan to infiltrate the Holy Land of Mariejois, the political center of the World Government.
Devon, using his Devil Fruit powers, touches Saint Saturn's feet, signaling that their mission is complete.
Satisfied with their work, she and Van Augur quickly left the scene, their mission seemingly accomplished. This development has raised many questions among fans about what Blackbeard is really planning.
However, as the Chapter 1125 spoilers reveal, these plans are doomed to fail, as Saturn does not live long enough for his identity to be of any further use.
Consequences of the Death of Saint Saturn
According to the plot spoilers of Chapter 1125, Saint Saturn will end his life on Egghead Island.
Although the specific details of his death remain unclear, it can be confirmed that he was the last of the Gorosei to remain on the island, while the others presumably left.
During his absence, a new member of the Gorosei will replace him: Garling Figarland.
The shift in power within the World Government hierarchy has important implications, not only for the ongoing battles, but also for the Blackbeard Pirates and their future plots.
With Saturn's death, the Blackbeard Pirates' plan to use his identity for an infiltration mission was nullified.
Catarina Devon's powers were formidable, but even they could not truly succeed in imitating a dead man, at least not in the way Blackbeard envisioned.
The idea was to use Saturn's appearance to sow chaos in the upper echelons of the World Government or to gain access to restricted areas in Mariejois. However, as it stands, this plan has collapsed before it even begins.
However, there may still be some benefits left for the Blackbeard Pirates. According to the leakers, the World Government is unlikely to publicly announce the death of Saint Saturn, perhaps to save face and prevent mass panic.
If that were the case, then Blackbeard and his crew could still exploit Saturn's identity, albeit to a more limited extent.
For example, they could use it to threaten or manipulate other pirates or factions into not knowing about the Gorosei member's downfall.
But given Blackbeard's grand ambitions in invading Mariejois, this particular route seemed to be firmly closed.
Blackbeard Pirates: A Failed Model?
This latest defeat of the Blackbeard Pirates is not an isolated incident.
Throughout the series, fans have seen the crew, led by the ever-calculating Marshall D. Teach, devise intricate plans only to see them fall apart spectacularly.
While Blackbeard himself achieved important milestones, such as obtaining two powerful Devil Fruits and becoming one of the Four Emperors, many of his plans ended in failure or incomplete success.
One of the most recent examples of this is the attempt to steal the powers of Trafalgar Law, a pirate who possesses one of the most coveted devil fruits in the One Piece world.
Law possesses the Ope-Ope no Mi, a fruit that allows him to manipulate space and perform various medical and combat techniques.
Blackbeard's plan to capture Law on Wiener Island seemed certain, but ultimately failed.
Similarly, an attempt to capture Boa Hancock, another pirate who also possesses a powerful Devil Fruit, was thwarted on the island of Amazon Lily.
In both cases, Blackbeard underestimated the enemy forces and left without achieving his objectives.
The failures did not stop there. During a similar confrontation with Boa Hancock, Blackbeard and his crew were surprised to see Silvers Rayleigh, one of the most feared pirates of the previous generation, appear.
Despite his advanced age, Rayleigh still had enough prestige and power to force Blackbeard to retreat, further cementing the pirate crew's incomplete victory streak and missed opportunities.
Even the battle against Law took another unexpected turn, as Bepo, Law's loyal member, transformed into his Sulong form and dealt a significant blow to Blackbeard's forces.
This incident once again underscores the unpredictable nature of Blackbeard's schemes and the recurring theme of his overconfidence leading to failure.
What does this mean for Blackbeard's future?
With the number of times Blackbeard's plans have failed or been completely foiled, some fans have speculated that Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece, may be setting the character up for an even more serious downfall in the future.
On the other hand, these failures may be part of a larger story in which Blackbeard's missteps eventually become the stepping stones to greater success.
Blackbeard's pirate career was a journey filled with great risk and reward.
He is someone who is willing to risk everything to gain ultimate power, whether it be betraying former captain Whitebeard, infiltrating Impel Down to recruit more crew members, or challenging the World Government itself.
His ambition knew no bounds, but his arrogance could also be his undoing.
Each time Blackbeard's plans failed, it only reinforced the idea that, despite his formidable strength and cunning, he was not invincible.
In fact, his repeated failures may hint at a greater downfall or judgment to come as the story reaches its climax.
At the same time, Blackbeard's failures also contribute to the tension and unpredictability of One Piece.
Just when it seems like he is about to achieve his goal, something or someone always gets in his way.
This unpredictability makes him one of the most compelling villains in the series.
This also makes fans wait in suspense, wondering whether he will succeed in realizing his great ambition or not.
As the series moves toward its inevitable conclusion, the fate of Blackbeard and his crew remains one of its most intriguing unsolved plot lines.
While the death of Saint Saturn may upset his immediate plans, it is unlikely to deter Teach in the long run.
He is a pirate who adapts to adversity and has proven time and again that he is willing to adapt and change course when necessary.
Whether Blackbeard's repeated failures are a sign of things to come or just temporary setbacks, one thing is for sure: his role in the final act of One Piece will be crucial.
Whether as Luffy's greatest rival or a hidden card in the war against the World Government, Blackbeard's ambition and cunning make him a formidable force.
The death of Saint Saturn may have temporarily derailed his plans, but the Blackbeard Pirates were not done yet.
Ultimately, One Piece is still a story about pursuing dreams, and few characters embody that pursuit as fiercely as Marshall D. Teach.
