Luffy stole his Yonko spot in One Piece, but not from Big Mom or Kaido

In One Piece, Luffy’s path to becoming a Yonko is often seen as a direct challenge to the emperors ruling the seas, like Kaido and Big Mom. However, his rise actually began with his defeat of a less obvious, yet ambitious contender: Donquixote Doflamingo.

According to a One Piece theory by Reddit User @katastrofygames, this influential Warlord was steadily positioning himself to become a Yonko, undermining Kaido and Big Mom from the shadows through financial manipulation and black market dealings. By dismantling Doflamingo’s criminal empire in Dressrosa, Luffy not only disrupted his grand plan but unwittingly took the power vacuum Doflamingo left behind, setting himself on the Yonko path.

Disclaimer: The article contains spoilers and is speculative in nature.

Luffy thwarted Doflamingo's plans to rise to the top of the One Piece world

The current Yonko in the One Piece series (Image via Shueisha)

This theory by @katastrofygames, suggests that Doflamingo was set on becoming a Yonko by weakening Kaido and Big Mom from the shadows rather than directly challenging them. By dealing SMILE devil fruits to Kaido and supplying Big Mom with Caesar's giant experiments, he put a financial strain on both Yonko crews, subtly weakening them over time.

Doflamingo aimed to profit from these transactions, amassing wealth through the black market to empower his own Donquixote Family with devil fruits. This would position him strategically for a final takeover when Kaido and Big Mom were at their most vulnerable.

Big Mom and Kaido as shown in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Doflamingo’s long game was to sow discord between Kaido and Big Mom, hoping that a clash between their forces would leave the survivor too weakened to defend against an opportunistic strike. This approach allowed him to keep his own crew safe while playing both sides.

However, Luffy and Law disrupted these plans by exposing Doflamingo’s criminal dealings and dismantling his SMILE operation, triggering Kaido’s rage. With Doflamingo defeated and the underworld connections severed, Luffy stepped into the power vacuum Doflamingo left behind, unwittingly taking his place on the path to becoming a Yonko.

By defeating Doflamingo, Luffy thwarted a carefully crafted scheme that could have seen Doflamingo ascend to Yonko status. Doflamingo had ambitions, influence, and power akin to a Yonko, but he was still building his foundation.

Luffy, by cutting off Doflamingo’s empire and then advancing on Big Mom and Kaido directly, unintentionally took the Yonko spot Doflamingo had his eye on, which he did not by deception and manipulation, but by force and willpower. Thus, Luffy’s rise to Yonko was, in a sense, at Doflamingo’s expense, since Doflamingo was ultimately the one who had been primed to take it.

One Piece: What may have happened had Luffy and Law never defeated Doflamingo at Dressrosa

Trafalgar D. Water Law as shown in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Had Luffy and Law not intervened in Dressrosa, Doflamingo might have ascended to Yonko status, using his intricate schemes to destabilize Kaido and Big Mom from the shadows. Without interference, he could have continued manipulating both Yonko, selling SMILE devil fruits to Kaido and providing Big Mom with scientific resources through Caesar, financially straining both crews.

He aimed to weaken them gradually, positioning his own Donquixote Family as a rising power without needing direct conflict. Over time, he might have leveraged his wealth and influence to challenge either Yonko, seizing control of weakened territories and possibly becoming a Yonko himself.

Doflamingo would have unleashed chaos had his plot not come to light (Image via Toei Animation)

In this scenario, the New World would have become more chaotic. With Doflamingo thriving in the black market and fueling tensions, Kaido and Big Mom's resources would have been stretched thin, potentially leading to a direct conflict between the two. As they weakened each other, Doflamingo could have made significant territorial gains, establishing his family as a dominant force among pirates.

Other characters' journeys, particularly those of Luffy and Law, would have been drastically different. Trafalgar Law's vendetta against Doflamingo drove his alliance with Luffy and significantly impacted his growth.

A snapshot from the One Piece anime series (Image via Toei Animation)

Without this pivotal conflict, Law's development and the evolution of alliances in the pirate world might have taken a different path. Similarly, many of the Straw Hat crew’s experiences in Dressrosa were crucial for their growth; without this battle, their strength and resolve may not have reached the same heights.

Doflamingo’s strategic mind also suggests he might have formed alliances with other powerful pirates or influential figures in the New World, taking advantage of opportunities to solidify his status. This would have reshaped the balance of power among pirate crews, as Doflamingo’s rise would have forced many to realign their loyalties and strategies in an increasingly volatile New World.

Final thoughts

Monkey D. Luffy (Image via Toei Animation)

Luffy’s rise to Yonko was not a straightforward conquest over Big Mom or Kaido but rather a disruption of Doflamingo’s careful plans. By dismantling Doflamingo’s empire, Luffy inadvertently claimed the Yonko spot Doflamingo had been aiming for, reshaping the power balance in the New World.