HIGHLIGHTS

Sanji’s genetic enhancements from the Raid Suit led to him becoming a formidable opponent against Queen and S-Shark.
Sanji’s superhuman durability and increased speed make him a more powerful character in the One Piece series.
Sanji’s future opponents will be stronger and deadlier, potentially including Shiryu or one of the Five Elders.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for One Piece Episode 1111, “The Second Ohara! The Mastermind’s Ambition!”, now streaming on Crunchyroll.

Like the other members of the Monster Trio, Sanji was one of the MVPs of the Wano Country arc. His opponent in the arc was none other than Queen, one of the All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates. Queen was a fierce adversary who utilized his Devil Fruit powers along with a plethora of scientific weapons. In his normal state, Sanji wouldn’t have had a prayer against him, but something happened that changed him forever. Due to the repeated use of the Raid Suit, Sanji’s latent genetic enhancements surfaced.

Originally, Sanji was skeptical of this power, as he thought it would cause him to lose his emotions and he would end up like his siblings. After he got the power under control, Sanji hammered Queen effortlessly, resulting in the fight ending quickly. For this reason, it was not possible to see the other new powers. Thankfully, the Egghead arc allowed the cook to demonstrate his abilities.

Sanji’s Superhuman Durability

In One Piece Episode 1111, Sanji got into an altercation with S-Shark, a Seraphim. Previously, S-Shark had grabbed Nami’s throat and tried to hurt her. However, Sanji arrived in the nick of time and stopped him from causing any harm to Nami with a fiery kick. Sanji’s attack sent the Seraphim flying, but it did no real damage as the S-Shark simply got back up, ready to fight. He used the Sui Sui no Mi’s power to get away and launch an attack on Nami, but Sanji got in the way and took the punch head-on.

Shockingly, the attack did no damage to him whatsoever. Sanji had a broad smile on his face, and he was ready to start pummelling S-Shark again. This was an extraordinary feat, especially considering the attacking power of the Seraphim is greater than that of most characters in the series. With this particular accomplishment, Sanji cemented himself as one of the most durable characters in One Piece.

How These Power-Ups Will Help In The Final Saga

Sanji’s new powers will help him reach new levels in the final stretch of the story. For starters, his endurance means that Sanji can afford to let his guard down to lure an enemy into coming within his range. Once the target is within reach, Sanji can launch a blitzkrieg of kicks at them. Another advantage of this power-up is that Sanji does not have to be afraid of all incoming attacks. Since his body is durable, he could potentially let the enemy attack him, after which he could simply grab and pummel them. Finally, the incredible endurance means that Sanji’s body can withstand hotter temperatures, which is how he managed to create and use Ifrit Jambe. If Sanji had tried to use something similar when he had his regular body, he would most definitely have died from severe burns.

Sanji’s physical improvements don’t stop there, as his pace has gone up a notch as well. He has always been renowned for his speed, but with the genetic augmentation, things went up a notch. In the fight against Queen, Sanji was able to move so quickly that the All-Star was unable to keep up with him. The enemy thought that Sanji had disappeared as if he were using his Raid Suit.

What The Future Holds

Sanji hasn’t had enough time to train and use his abilities, so it is rather obvious that his power level will only continue to increase. Even on Egghead Island, nobody has pushed Sanji. However, the arrival of Kizaru and the Vice Admirals might change that. One Piece fans have been hyping the battle between Sanji and the Admiral for ages. The speculation grew further after the release of OP 17, where the two could be seen fighting each other. If Sanji manages to deal with S-Shark, he will be the only strong person who is free to handle the impending danger.

However, Sanji will find Kizaru unlike any other fighter he has faced to date. Sanji’s strongest opponent was Queen, who was the third-strongest member of the Beasts Pirates. Fans have already seen that an Admiral is even more powerful than the right-hand man of a Yonko. So, Sanji will have to be on his toes if he wants a fair shot at beating Kizaru.

Sanji’s Final Opponent

Once the Egghead arc is over, the Straw Hats will likely head to Elbaf, the land of the giants. It has already been confirmed that Jaguar D. Saul is alive, so it will allow Nico Robin to meet him. Furthermore, there might be a time-skip when the Straw Hats dock on the island. It is rather clear that every enemy that the Straw Hats will face after Egghead will be stronger and deadlier. So, they will have to be at their best if they want to make it to Laugh Tale without suffering any casualties.

Many readers have theorized that Sanji’s final opponent could either be Shiryu or one of the Five Elders. While it might make more sense for Zoro to fight Shiryu as they are both swordsmen, fans must remember that Jesus Burgess is the right-hand man of Blackbeard. Zoro always fights the second-strongest member of the crew, so Burgess will be his match. It is also worth noting that Sanji held contempt for the previous user of the Suke Suke no Mi, as it was the Devil Fruit that he always wanted. So, it is something that will add fuel to the feud between Sanji and Shiryu.