With the release of Chapter 1154 of theOne Piecemanga, many fans have been in agreement of this being the best chapter of 2025 so far. Some have even taken to calling it one of the greatest in the history of the franchise, with many incredible reveals and emotional beats that have changed the way fans have been thinking about Elbaf and everything that has taken place in the island’s past.
However, the main reason why people are so in love with Chapter 1154 is very apparent, which is the official look that it gave to one ofOne Piece’smost hyped characters;the legendary Rocks D. Xebec. This man has been foreshadowed as the strongest pirate of all time after Joyboy himself, but the truth of his introduction at this point in the story speaks to the potential power of Monkey D. Dragon. So, let’s take a look at why this is the case.
Xebec’s First Appearance
One Piece, Chapter 957, “Ultimate”
When Sengoku told the Marines about the God Valley Incident, he revealed the name of Rocks D. Xebec; a pirate whose crew ruled the seas long before the era of Roger and was called his greatest rival. Knowing thelegendary strength of the Pirate King, fans were taken aback when this character’s awesome power was hinted at as being even greater than Roger’s, since he and Garp had to team up to take Xebec down.
With Chapter 1154, fans have finally gotten a look at this villain 6 years after his first mention, and his design certainly doesn’t disappoint. However, the most notable thing is the moment Oda has chosen to introduce Xebec into the story. Right now, the Final Saga has officially started with the beginning of the Elbaf arc, showing that all the loose threads are starting to come together and all the mysterious figures from the series' past, as well as the biggest players in the world right now, are slowly coming into the spotlight.
With Xebec’s reveal, this theory is strengthened. At this point, of all the legendary figures in the world, only Joyboy andthe Man Marked By Flamesare a complete mystery, which many fans have taken as a way to hint at their unbridled strength and abilities. Keeping this in mind, with the fact that the Final War is right around the corner, it ultimately makes sense that the characters introduced from Egghead Island onwards are among the strongest in the franchise.
This is where the connection to Dragon comes in. Ever since his first appearance in Chapter 100, Oda has very deliberately been keeping Dragon’s strength as vague as possible, with theories running rampant about what his Haki and Devil Fruit abilities could be. WithOne Piecenow in its Final Saga and Dragon’s true power still being a mystery, many believe that when he eventually makes his long-awaited combat debut, it will shake the foundations of everything fans have come to know of the series, since Oda must have been saving it for a reason.
What Could Dragon’s Powers End Up Looking Like?
The Greatest Potential In The Series
Firstly, to have an accurate gauge of Dragon’s true strength, his lineage must be taken into account, since the story has always placed a great focus onfamily when it comes to powerful characters. Some of the greatest heroes and villains have family members on a relative scale of power, as can be seen with the Monkey D. family, since Garp is the greatest Marine in history and Luffy is the inheritor of the Sun God fruit who is destined to change the world.
This greatly adds to Dragon’s potential power as he has the Lineage Factor to be one of the most powerful characters in the series. Conversely, there is a theory which states that Dragon may be the son of Rocks D. Xebec who was adopted by Garp after the God Valley Incident, which would make his strength even greater than previously thought of in this regard. Of course, with Xebec’s official design reveal, this seems less likely than before, but it can still be a last-minute curveball that Oda throws the fans' way.
Children are a parent’s soft spot…
Judging by contextual clues, Dragon’s Haki is sure to be some of the greatest in all ofOne Piece. Of course, the evidence for this is vague and relies mostly on the Haki of Garp and Luffy, but it’s more likely true than not. Dragon is alsoalmost assuredly a user of Conqueror’s Haki, since the only connecting factor that each user seems to have is unparalleled ambition. If this is truly the marker for one to have Conqueror’s Haki, then Dragon surely has it due to his lofty dream of overthrowing the World Government to free the world, which many think is the hardest of them all.
Lastly, his Devil Fruit is a great mystery as well. First teased in the Loguetown arc, it is heavily implied that Dragon can somehow control wind, which would obviously be an extremely overpowered ability in theOne Pieceworld. At the current stage, it could either be a Logia, Paramecia, or even a Mythical Zoan God Fruit, but what is known is that Dragon seems to control storms, which would only further add to why he may just be the strongest character right now.
