Holy Knights vs Revolutionary Army may be One Piece's bloodiest battle ever

Modified Jan 24, 2025 11:30 GMT

One Piece seems to be establishing the Holy Knights vs. Revolutionary Army fight (Image via Toei Animation).

One Piece chapter 1137, which was recently leaked, has one of the biggest revelations about the name of Shanks' apparent twin and leader of the Holy Knights, Figarland Shamrock. Now that this character's identity has been fully confirmed, some fans have realized that author Eiichiro Oda seems to be structuring this order to go up against Monkey D. Dragon's Revolutionary Army.

The Revolutionary Army has been a divisive topic in the One Piece community because they don't have an active role for most of the story. But now it seems that Dragon and his men will make their move. If that proves to be the case, then a clash with the Holy Knights seems quite obvious, and it would be one of the franchise's bloodiest battles ever recorded.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinions and contains spoilers for the series.

One Piece is probably setting up a confrontation between the Holy Knights and the Revolutionary Army

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It has been emphasized in the series that the Holy Knights are the World Government's top men when it comes to fighting, and laws do not constrain them, so they can execute their enemies if they please. This freedom in combat makes them extremely deadly when paired with their natural strength, which could set up their clash with the Revolutionary Army.

Now that the manga seems to be heading into its main clash, Monkey D. Dragon and his men are poised to take a stand, and his commanders could be the main rivals of the Holy Knights. It makes sense, considering that this order represents everything Luffy's father detests of the World Government. It would also make sense from a logistic perspective since they are the villains' last defense.

Logically, this might be a battle to the death, considering three major facts — the Holy Knights' modus operandi, the story is nearing its conclusion, and Dragon and the Revolutionary Army are probably willing to give their lives. This perfect cocktail of circumstances leads to significant casualties between these two sides, which the series has lacked for a while.

Shamrock Figarland as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation).

During Bartholomew Kuma's backstory in the Egghead arc of the One Piece manga, Dragon was shown as a member of the Navy. Dragon also witnessed the God Valley incident several years ago, so he probably saw Figarland Garling in action. This could have given him a greater context of the Holy Knights and what they are capable of.

Now, this is all mere speculation, but it does make sense, given who Dragon is and the experience he has gone through in the series. It is also worth pointing out that the Holy Knights need more characterization. While Shamrock Figarland has benefitted from his association with Shanks because of their similar looks, the entire organization needs more fleshing out for this clash to be even more memorable.

Final thoughts

A clash between the Holy Knights and the Revolutionary Army is bound to be one of the most memorable battles in One Piece, with the two sides already being built up as major players. However, this is mere speculation at the moment and should be taken with a grain of salt.

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Edited by Shreya Das