One Piece is considered by many to be the best shonen series in existence, as everything about the popular manga and anime oozes quality. One Piece has some of the most interesting characters in the anime world. These characters are easily able to grab the attention of the viewers with their incredible backstory and unique powers.
One such character is Blackbeard. Ever since his introduction, Blackbeard has caught the eye of the fans. There are a lot of things that separate Blackbeard from the rest of the antagonists in One Piece, with his terrifying powers standing as one of the biggest challenges Luffy will face on his adventure.
Blackbeard's Past
Blackbeard's real name is Marshall D. Teach. He was found by the Whitebeard Pirates when they visited his homeland. Blackbeard immediately asked to be a part of the crew and they were more than happy to take him in. Unbeknownst to the crew, Blackbeard had already planned to use them as just a tool to further his ambitions.
Over the years, Blackbeard just bided his time as he patiently waited for the right opportunity to strike. The chance finally came when Thatch found the Yami Yami no Mi. Blackbeard immediately knew that he had to get his hands on it, so he decided to kill Thatch and steal the devil fruit for himself. By doing so, he broke the iron rule of Whitebeard's ship. This also lead to Ace pursuing him as Blackbeard served in his Second Division.
Rise To Power And Fame
Blackbeard's rise to power has been unbelievable, as he has risen through ranks in a very short period. After leaving the Whitebeard Pirates he wasted no time recruiting new members to be a part of his own crew. Blackbeard's first moment of fame came when he dueled against his former commander, Portgas D. Ace at Banaro Island. The fight was very intense and it saw both the characters going all out. Unfortunately for Ace, Whitebeard had surpassed him in terms of power. The fight ended in a decisive victory for Blackbeard.
He took the opportunity to turn Ace into the World Government and gain their favor in the process. He was granted the status of a Shichibukai which was pivotal for his plans to come to fruition. With his Shichibukai status, Blackbeard was able to raid Impel Down. Whilst in Impel Down, he freed all of the dangerous criminals who were locked on Level 6. The criminals were then forced to fight each other and the ones who were still standing after the end were recruited by Blackbeard.
After the raid, Blackbeard turned his focus to Marineford. With his newly recruited crewmates, he arrived at Marineford and killed Whitebeard. To further humiliate Whitebeard, he stole his devil fruit. During the time-skip, Blackbeard managed to attain the position of a Yonko, which made him one of the strongest pirates on the seas.
Two Devil Fruits
Arguably the most unique thing about Blackbeard is the ability to consume more than a single devil fruit. The first devil that he ate was the Yami Yami no Mi, a unique logia-type fruit that doesn't make the user's body intangible. However, in return, the devil fruit grants its user the ability to nullify the effects of other devil fruits, which seems like a ridiculously overpowered ability.
His second devil fruit is the Gura Gura no Mi, which is arguably the strongest paramecia type devil fruit. This is the fruit he stole from Whitebeard at Marineford, allowing him to show off his unique abilities in the process. The devil fruit allows its user to create quakes at will, making it difficult for even the most gifted devil fruit users to utilize. With the power of the Gura Gura no Mi, Blackbeard could easily sink an island, which makes him a big threat to the World Government. Both of his devil fruits are overpowered and make him worthy of being Luffy's final opponent.
Final Showdown With Luffy
Luffy met Blackbeard back in Mock Town, but at that time he had yet to know who he was dealing with. However, they met again during the Impel Down arc, where Blackbeard easily managed to dispatch Luffy. Luffy holds a very strong grudge against Blackbeard as the Yonko was responsible for the capture and subsequent death of Ace. The fight against Blackbeard will undoubtedly be Luffy's most difficult confrontation and might serve as the climactic battle to the series. Not only does Blackbeard have two devil fruits, but both of them are unbelievably strong. Luffy will have to find a way to bypass the effects of the Yami Yami no Mi if he stands a chance to defeat him.
Even without the Yami Yami no Mi, Blackbeard possesses a very durable body, which was able to withstand several attacks from Ace and Whitebeard. According to many theorists, Luffy's powerful Haki will play an important role in his fight against Blackbeard. Luffy's Haki has really improved over the last couple of arcs. During the Whole Cake Island, he was able to use Advanced Observation Haki. In the Wano Country arc, Luffy was able to train his Armament and Conqueror's Haki to a completely different level. This allowed him to damage Kaido badly. However, there's no doubt that Luffy still needs to improve before he can confront who many think will be the final antagonist of the One Piece series.