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As the sworn brother of Monkey D. Luffy and Portgas D. Ace, Sabo is an essential character in One Piece. A high-born offspring, when he was just a child, Sabo tried to escape from his family, setting sail on a boat, but a Celestial Dragon shot his vessel with a bazooka.
Monkey D. Dragon, who was passing by, saved Sabo, but the boy lost his memory. Over the years, Sabo became the Revolutionary Army's number two and Dragon's right-hand man. Upon regaining his memory, he carried Ace's legacy by taking hold of the iconic Flame-Flame Fruit, which the late "Fire Fist" formerly owned.
Episode 1080 of the One Piece anime, titled The World Will Burn! The Onslaught of a Navy Admiral!, which adapted chapter 1054 of the manga, unveiled that Sabo's reputation recently skyrocketed to the point where he became famous as the "Flame Emperor." Keep reading to find out the real reason for this bombastic moniker.
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Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga's most recent chapters.
Did One Piece's Sabo gain his "Flame Emperor" name on the battlefield, or there's more to it? Explained (manga spoilers ahead)
An epithet that generated very high expectations
Every four years, Mary Geoise, where the Celestial Dragons reside, hosts the Reverie, a gathering of the monarchs of the World Government-affiliated countries. During the latest Reverie, four significant members of the Revolutionary Army, i.e., Sabo, Morley, Karasu, and Lindbergh, attacked Mary Geoise.
Sabo and his comrades managed to escape Mary Geoise after freeing their former companion Bartholomew Kuma, whom the Celestial Dragons had enslaved, and achieving their other goals, which included freeing the other slaves of the nobles as well as destroying their food reserves.
However, Sabo was charged with being the killer of the Arabasta king, Nefertari Cobra, the father of Vivi. The newspapers spread a picture of Sabo close to Cobra's corpse. Additionally, they reported that the Revolutionaries clashed with Marine Admirals Fujitora and Ryokugyu.
As the news spread, Sabo became famous worldwide as the "Flame Emperor." At first impression, such a resounding moniker prompted fans to think that Sabo showcased remarkable feats against the two Admirals within the context of the raid on Mary Geoise.
With the "flame" referencing his Logia-class Devil Fruit powers and the "emperor" referencing the impressive feats he supposedly showed against the Admirals, the assumption wasn't even baseless. The fact that the Flame-Flame Fruit's strongest technique is called Flame Emperor only fueled the theory.
That being said, it was based on the incomplete and limited information available at the time of chapter 1054 of the One Piece manga, where no further explanation was given, leaving the issue open to interpretation.
Exactly thirty chapters later, however, the story delved into the subject, revealing that the interpretation of Sabo's "Flame Emperor" epithet was wrong, as it was pretty different from the facts of the events.
The truth behind "Flame Emperor" Sabo
The idea that Sabo earned the moniker of "Flame Emperor" by fighting against Fujitora and Ryokugyu, which sparked after the release of One Piece chapter 1054, became a popular theory. Still, the subsequent chapters of the manga thoroughly debunked it.
In truth, Sabo's epithet has absolutely nothing to do with his strength but a reference to the political significance of the alleged murder of Nefertari Cobra. During the Reverie, Sabo did not give any impressive demonstration of power against the Admirals, as he didn't even fight them.
His comrades kept Fujitora and Ryogyoku busy, taking advantage of the fact that they were forced to hold back their strength, not to destroy the surroundings. Meanwhile, instead of fighting at the forefront, Sabo infiltrated Mary Geoise's Pangaea Castle.
While performing this task, the only enemies faced by the number two of the Revolutionary Army were average soldiers, whom he easily beat. He then sneaked into the Phantom Room, where he saw Nefertari Cobra's meeting with the Five Elders.
As the situation took a wrong turn, with the shocking appearance of Imu-sama, Sabo jumped out of his hiding and used the powers of his Flame-Flame Fruit to attack the leaders of the World Government. However, his attempt was utterly ineffective.
Imu transformed into a massive creature with monstrous features and swallowed Sabo's flames, while the Five Elders withstood his Fire Fist attack without receiving any damage. As the Elders transformed into devilish creatures as well, Sabo grabbed Cobra and tried to escape the Phantom Room.
However, as Sabo moved, two shadow arrows suddenly stabbed him and Cobra, severely injuring both. The situation was desperate, and Sabo managed to survive as Cobra sacrificed himself to cover his getaway.
Sometime later, Sabo, grievously injured and covered in blood, was seen hiding in the ship of Lulusia Kingdom, remembering Cobra's last words. As a picture captured the instant in which Sabo was next to Cobra's blood-stained body, the World Government framed the former for the homicide of the monarch.
Thus, Sabo's fame was not generated by a combat feat but by the fact that, in the eyes of the public, he was the killer of Nefertari Cobra. The latter was a good-hearted person and a very benevolent monarch. Still, people weren't aware of that and knew him as the king of Arabasta, a country affiliated to the World Government.
As the alleged killer of a World Government-affiliated nation, Sabo became an idol for all the opponents of the institution above. Figuratively, he fueled the flames of the revolution, and this is why he became hailed as the "Flame Emperor."
Sabo's situation needs to be analyzed calmly
The idea that Sabo fought the Admirals and showcased great might against them was an urban legend in the One Piece community, but the manga made it clear that it was no more than that.
During the Reverie, the only combat scene the Revolutionary Army's number two was involved in was his confrontation with Imu-sama and the Five Elders, and he was powerless against them. Especially with his status as Monkey D. Dragon's right-hand man, Sabo was a bit underwhelming.
He attacked them with his best moves but failed to inflict damage and was forced to escape. He was barely able to run away, which he wouldn't even have been able to do if Cobra hadn't sacrificed his life to cover him.
Had Sabo blocked an attack or managed to wound one of the Five Elders, the judgment would be very different, but he couldn't do anything except exploit Cobra's sacrifice to escape. Running away is not a feat.
In a series like One Piece, where, regardless of the power gap, anyone can escape from anyone as long as the plot needs that to happen, strength is not showcased by fleeing but by fighting back. For plot-induced reasons, even Wapol was able to run away from Imu-sama and the Elders, which says all.
There were many expectations around Sabo's supposed fight against the Admirals being the reason for his "Flame Emperor" moniker, but the manga revealed a very different truth. Inevitably, the hype around Sabo's strength dropped.
Still, it's wrong to blame Sabo for being unable to do anything in that situation, given that he was alone against six individuals who may very well be the final villains of the One Piece series, which is telling of their power.
While not even remotely as strong as the Admirals, as some fans unadvisedly assumed, Sabo remains a very powerful individual, given his status as the second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army and the talented right-hand man of Dragon.
Sabo has good skill with Armament Haki, which he uses in conjunction with the Dragon Claw Fruit, a martial art style he learned directly from Monkey D. Dragon.
He can combine these abilities with the powers of the Flame-Flame Fruit, a mighty Logia-class item that allows him to manipulate fire, turning his body into it and unleashing potent moves.
Without even needing to go all-out, Sabo brutally beat Bastille, a seasoned Vice Admiral, and Jesus Burgess, a significant member of the Blackbeard Pirates. He also challenged Admiral Fujitora to a fight, but the latter could fend him off without much trouble.
It was implied that Fujitora wasn't even remotely close to giving his best during his confrontation with Sabo and that he prolonged that battle as much as possible with the intent to have an excuse for being too busy to interfere in the clash between Luffy and Donquixote Doflamingo.
Undoubtedly, Sabo has a long way to go before being able to fight on equal grounds with the strongest characters of the One Piece world. Likewise, he is already pretty powerful and has additional potential to develop.
Considering the recent advancements in the story, the perfect chance for Sabo to show his improvements would be a highly foreshadowed fight between the Revolutionary Army and the World Government's Holy Knights.
Keep up with One Piece manga, anime, and live-action as 2023 progresses.
