Latest One Piece spoilers all but confirm Franky's role in Luffy's journey

One Piece chapter 1144 is set to be released on March 6, 2025, but the spoilers for the chapter have already been unveiled. The chapter saw everyone panic after the Holy Knights' game reached a dangerous level. As Saul and the other teachers couldn't do much to stop the children from reaching the beach, Ripley took Franky to a place unveiling another mystery before the fandom.

Ripley revealed to the Straw Hat Pirates an Ancient Robot. As fans might remember, another robot appeared appeared during the Egghead Arc that belonged to JoyBoy. Moreover, the Elbaph Arc's robot was 3000 years ago, as claimed by Ripley, tying him to the deity Nika.

Given the relationship between robots and liberators, Franky's role in Luffy's journey might be eminent as the one that could take the protagonist towards the final treasure.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the manga series and expresses the author's opinion.

Exploring the role of Franky in Luffy's journey as hinted from One Piece chapter 1144 spoilers

Treasure Tree Adam as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece chapter 1144 spoilers commenced with a focus on Saul and other teachers who were struggling to release the hypnosis of the Walrus School's children. Moreover, the rest of the island was also panicking, and the Holy Knights had made their presence known.

On the other hand, Ripley took Franky to the back of the Treasure Tree, and Adam showcased an Ancient Robot. As Ripley claimed, this robot has been lying on Elbaph Island for the past three thousand years, making it a relic. The chapter didn't specify anything about the Ancient Robot, about whether it could power up with any fuel.

Emeth as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The interesting thing about this new robot was its resemblance with Emeth, the Iron Giant that was introduced in One Piece's Egghead Arc. However, the two are different, given how Emeth was created about 900 years ago, during the Void Century, and the Elbaph robot was created 3000 years ago.

However, the ancient nature of this robot might tie it to the deity famous for liberating slaves from oppression, the Sun God Nika. As fans might already know, the series has yet to clarify whether Nika existed in the past or if it was just a myth created by people to give others hope. Given the ancient nature of the myths, Nika could have existed 300 thousand years ago.

Franky as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

This link might be due to the link between liberators and robots, as seen from JoyBoy and Emeth being in the same crew (as presumed by the fans). Coincidentally, this link might also relate to two of the Straw Hat Pirates, and that would be Franky and Luffy. Franky, being a cyborg, would fit the definition of a robot, and Luffy, through his Gear 5, would be the liberator.

However, what could be the meaning behind this relationship between the robot and the liberator? As the series has yet to shed light on the journey of Nika and Franky's true powers, fans could take hints from the available journey of Emeth and JoyBoy. As fans already know, when Emeth's re-awakened during the Egghead Arc, he immediately apologized to JoyBoy for not making him the King.

This could be interpreted in various contexts, but the meaning behind it would be that Emeth was the key to obtaining the final treasure (the One Piece). Similar might have been the case with Nika and the Elbaph robot (for something other than the final treasure), and the same could be said for Franky, whose role as the shipwright might be crucial to making Luffy the Pirate King and obtaining the final treasure.

Analysis and Final Thoughts

This factor might be the only differentiating factor between the journey of Luffy and Gol D Roger, as the series has yet to unveil a robot-like crewmate in the Roger Pirates. However, Franky's 'crucial' role in obtaining the final treasure might seem a bit vague. Fans might get the idea of the bigger picture once more detail about the Elbaph robot is revealed in future chapters.

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About the author

Umer is an anime and manga expert at Sportskeeda with a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Biotechnology. He chose to deviate from his original career path due to his love for anime, and wishes to encourage more people to experience the genre through his work. He has previously worked at niche anime-centered media website Anime Senpai for around 1.5 years.

Umer believes in cross-checking facts with official sources and strives to produce well-rounded articles through thorough research. He is a fan of anime series like 'Made in Abyss,' 'One Piece,' and 'Clannad,' and also loves indulging in manga including 'Monster,' 'Yotsubato!,' and any series by Junji Ito. He admires 'One Piece' author Eiichiro Oda and is inspired by how he intricately weaves a narrative and seamlessly connects loose links.

Apart from immersing himself in a wide array of anime and manga, Umer also collects physical copies of manga series to support his favorite authors. When he's not working, he enjoys reading classic literature and watching soccer.

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Edited by Bharath S