One Piece made its much-awaited return after a month-long hiatus. In the previous chapter, Admiral Ryokugyu demonstrated his power by weakening the defeated Beasts Pirates. After ensuring that the Beasts Pirates wouldn't cause him any problems, the Admiral made his way toward the place where the pirates were partying. Ryokugyu arrived at Wano with the sole purpose of getting in Akainu's good books, which did seem suspicious. But, the revelations in the new chapter of One Piece gave a huge hint as to why Ryokugyu did not tell Akainu that he was on his way to Wano.

The reason behind Ryokugyu's behavior is linked to the events that took place in Mary Geoise. In One Piece Chapter 1054, it was revealed that Sabo had managed to escape from Mary Geoise, and he had succeeded in freeing Bartholomew Kuma. Sabo and the rest of the Revolutionary Commanders managed to hold off Admiral Fujitora and Ryokugyu. This was a huge feat considering that the Revolutionary Army went into the most secure location in the entire world. It is very likely that the failure of the two Admirals made Akainu furious and considering his history, he wouldn't want either of them running off and doing things on their own, so Ryokugyu decided to defeat the pirates in Wano to get back into the good books of Akainu. The biggest highlight of the new chapter was Sabo. After accomplishing such a major feat, there are many questions surrounding Sabo's current strength, and where he stands in comparison to the other characters in the series.

RELATED: One Piece: Where Is The Last Road Poneglyph?

The Flame Emperor

One Piece Ann's Bijo Bijo no Mi

Sabo's solo achievements have made him extremely popular with the people of the world. He rose to the position of chief of staff of the Revolutionary Army within a short period of time. Sabo joined the Revolutionary Army after he was saved by Monkey D. Dragon. Dragon rescued him from certain death and took care of him. In the flashbacks, Sabo was seen being trained by the other high-ranked members of the Revolutionary Army, including Dragon, so, Sabo's growth as a fighter is not unusual at all. During the Dressrosa arc, it was revealed that Sabo mainly relied on his incredible Haki to defeat his opponents. Due to his mastery over Haki, Sabo developed his own fighting style known as Ryusoken or Dragon Claw Fist. In this style of fighting, Sabo focuses on the core of his opponent, and after finding it, Sabo can easily destroy them with a single well-placed hit.

RELATED: One Piece: Have Law and Kid Finally Caught Up To Luffy?

However, Sabo's epithet, "Flame Emperor," is due to his devil fruit. Sabo ate the Mera Mera no Mi, which previously belonged to Portgas D. Ace. Sabo consuming the devil fruit was more than just about gaining power, it was to carry on Ace's will. After eating the devil fruit, Sabo's power increased by several folds, and he was able to match Fujitora, but that wasn't a clear representation of Sabo's power because he did not have full control over his devil fruit and the Admiral wasn't going all out either. Suffice to say, Sabo has improved his control over the devil fruit, which makes him even more dangerous. It is possible that Sabo has awakened his devil fruit since Dressrosa, and given the caliber of opponents that he fought at Mary Geoise, there is a strong chance that he has gained full control over his devil fruit.

Sabo's Role In The Final Saga

One Piece - Sabo Post-Timeskip Looking At His New Mera Mera Abilities

After gathering such a massive following, it is a no-brainer that Sabo is an integral part of the Revolutionary Army against the Celestial Dragons. The people adore Sabo and the events that took place at the Levely have made him even more popular. Many fans were under the impression that Sabo was captured or suffered an even worse fate, but he actually managed to fulfill his goal of freeing Kuma, and he gained a great deal of publicity in the process. One thing is for sure: Sabo did not murder Nefertari Cobra. Cobra had other enemies and Im had Cobra's daughter, Vivi on his list. It would make sense for Im and the Five Elders to strike when Cobra and Vivi were away from their home. So, they just blamed their own wrongdoings on Sabo.

It is apparent that Luffy and his crew will have to take down the World Government at some point, but they won't be able to pull off such a ginormous task themselves, so they will require the support of others, and this is where Sabo and the Revolutionaries come in. Luffy and Sabo have already met after the time-skip, and they know each other very well, and they will more than happy to team up. When the time finally comes for Sabo and Revolutionary Army to attack, it seems likely that Sabo might fight Akainu. This matchup could happen considering the fact that Akainu was responsible for the death of Ace, and he also poses a threat to Luffy. Since Sabo carries Ace's will, it makes sense for the chief of staff to keep Luffy safe. Sabo regretted not being able to do anything to prevent Ace's death, and it seems Oda will provide Sabo with an opportunity to avenge his brother. With the final saga starting soon, Sabo will definitely play a pivotal role.

MORE: One Piece: Who Will Have The Higher Bounty Between Zoro and Sanji?