Cryptic One Piece teaser hints at upcoming Luffy vs. Koby showdown

Despite being enemies due to their status as pirate and Marine, One Piece’s Luffy and Koby share one of the best friendships in the franchise, which goes all the way back to the beginning of the series. Sadly, it seems like fate will soon make these old companions face each other on the battlefield, as suggested by Koby in yesterday’s One Piece Special Episode 4.

Continue reading to learn more about what Koby said and why fans think his words may be an indication of a fight against Luffy.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for One Piece Special Episode 4. Sportskeeda does not claim ownership of any media used in the article unless otherwise specified.

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One Piece’s Koby and Luffy may battle again sooner than expected

What did Koby say?

One Piece Special Episode 4 was a compilation of Shanks’ best moments in the franchise, presented in the form of flashbacks. Two characters, in particular, remembered Shanks’ adventures, Makino and Koby.

For Koby, Shanks became an important person in his life after the red-haired man saved him from Akainu during the Marineford war. After remembering how he'd ended the conflict in seconds, Koby started to talk with Helmeppo about how different Shanks was from other pirates. The two Marines arrived at the conclusion that both Shanks and Luffy were unlike any other criminals.

Koby told Helmeppo that he is indebted to both pirates, and yet, he will have to fight them at some point in the future. That is his duty as a Marine soldier, so he needs to be ready for the encounter.

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Will Koby truly fight Luffy?

Besides being one of Luffy’s oldest friends, Koby is also one of the most responsible and loyal Marine soldiers in One Piece. The young man dreams of becoming an Admiral one day, so he works harder than most to achieve that goal.

When he was first introduced, Koby was nothing more than a cowardly, scrawny boy. He needed Luffy to keep him safe most of the time, as he was one of the weakest characters. Still, thanks to Garp’s training, Koby became a strong young man who now has the power to defeat many strong individuals.

As it is his duty, Koby has fought against Luffy and his friends in the past, even though he admires the Straw Hat captain more than anyone in the world. Every time he has attempted to battle Luffy, Koby has unfortunately been defeated in a matter of seconds.

Still, the show is setting him up to become one of the strongest Marines at some point in the future. With the state One Piece’s world is at right now, it is likely that Koby will train harder than ever to obtain more power and become a better asset for the Marines.

Fans will probably see the results of his training soon, as he is now on a mission to capture the former Warlord, Boa Hancock. If Luffy ends up fighting against the Marines again, Koby will most certainly be a part of the group that tries to capture the Straw Hats.

Nevertheless, it is important to mention that some fans believe that Koby will not be fighting Luffy. According to them, Koby will join forces with Luffy and stand against Blackbeard as well as the corrupt World Government to later create a Marine Corps that truly cares about the people of One Piece’s world.

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Final thoughts

Koby and Helmeppo as seen in the show (Image via Toei Animation)

Koby has gone through many changes in One Piece’s story. From a small weakling to one of the most prominent Marines in the show. Obviously, Oda has big plans for the character in the future; otherwise, he would have simply forgotten about the boy after his arc was completed.

Luffy told Koby that the next time they saw each other, both would be stronger, hinting at the fact that Luffy also thought he might have to fight Koby. Nonetheless, only Oda knows what comes next for both characters in the future, but fans can be certain that their paths will cross again soon.