One Piece has its fair share of powerful antagonists, but one man whom fans may not suspect is Luffy’s biggest threat and has the power to end him.

One Piece‘s Luffy fought some very powerful enemies on his way to the title of Pirate King, and with his victory over Kaido, it was assumed that the most difficult opponent was behind him. However, one man stands in Luffy’s way and is by far his toughest and scariest enemy.

Appearing for the first time in the Marineford arc, Akainu Sakazuki is the ruthless Fleet Admiral, the highest-ranking official in the navy. What makes Akainu ferocious and sometimes scary is his unwavering sense of justice.

Some might even call him and his perception of justice twisted, given how he kills innocent people to neutralize a threat. Akainu is truly a fearsome opponent, but what makes him Luffy’s strongest opponent is his powers.

Akainu’s Devil Fruit Makes Him Incredibly Powerful

Possessing the power of the magma-magma fruit, Akainu has the power to wield magma. It is said that his power holds the greatest offensive powers out of all devil fruits, and Luffy’s final fight against Kaido demonstrates that. Kaido is known as the King Of Beasts, and his body is almost impossible to damage. After multiple failed attempts to end his life, Kaido was seemingly killed by lava after being thrust into the ground by Luffy’s punch. Similarly, Big Mom also succumbed to lava when she fell into the Earth’s core. Two of the most resilient characters in One Piece were no match for the high-temperature lava, and Akainu has power over it.

Besides his incredible power, what makes Akainu fearsome is his persistence and durability. He took multiple hits from the One Piece world’s strongest man, Whitebeard, and still kept getting back up. He fought many powerful opponents in the Marineford War, such as Ace and Marco, but he showed no signs of exhaustion. He fought Aokiji for ten days straight and overpowered him. It is incredible to witness endurance that rivals that of Kaido, and this will surely be one of his biggest advantages against Luffy, a fighter who has a time limit on his strongest transformations. Akainu is also a skilled user of Haki, mastering both Armament and Observation Haki.

Akainu is the Perfect Counter to Luffy

Luffy is virtually indestructible after awakening his devil fruit powers, bouncing back almost all attacks due to his rubbery body. However, Luffy is not immune to sword attacks and extreme heat. He is also not a great match for an opponent who excels in long fights, all of which Akainu is. The Fleet Admiral hasn’t seen much action since the time skip, but that doesn’t mean he’s been doing nothing. The Marines are stronger than ever thanks to his leadership, and his low profile might be a misdirection from Oda before bringing the fiery admiral back into action to try and put a stop to the surge in piracy.

It might be presumed that Blackbeard is the biggest obstacle in Luffy’s way, but it is in fact Sakazuki Akainu, the man with an inextinguishable hate for all pirates. One Piece is heading into its biggest and most violent war, and Akainu will be one of the most exciting antagonists to witness.

Episodes of One Piece stream on Crunchyroll!