After the famous Wano Arc, the Straw Hats and fans saw a ray of hope for Luffy getting one step closer to becoming the Pirate King. Luffy achieved the title of Emperor of the Sea by defeating the Strongest Creature in One Piece lore, Kaido. Not to forget, the mangaka perfectly showcased each Straw Hat member’s iconic moments, leaving a lasting impression and cementing the arc as a fan favorite.
With the addition of the Former Warlord, Ifrit Jambe, to the Straw Hat crew, Oda-sensei unknowingly reignited the long-standing debate between Zoro and Sanji fans. Before the time skip, Zoro and Sanji were often seen as equals; however, the Wano arc shifted the spotlight significantly.
While Sanji fell victim to favoritism, another One Piece character lost some of his shine post-Wano, thanks to Toei’s harsh handling of his development. That’s right, it’s Eustass Kid, once portrayed as Luffy’s equal among the Worst Generation, but now completely sidelined.
Luffy’s Rival Who Met a Disappointing Fate and Now Lingers in the Shadows
At the close of the Wano arc, Eustass Kid decides to complete his long-term goal of taking down the Emperor of the Sea and ends up encountering fan-favorite, Shanks. The Red-Haired Pirates’ captain needs no introduction and is regarded by many fans as the Strongest Emperor of the Seas, surpassing Luffy and Blackbeard. Sadly, Kid learned it the hard way.
Eustass Kid is a key member of the Worst Generation, along with Monkey D. Luffy and Trafalgar Law. With the electromagnetic powers of his Paramecia Devil Fruit, Oda-sensei introduced the Captain of Kid Pirates as a formidable and terrifying rival to our protagonist. Fast forward to 1000+ episodes, Eustass Kid’s downfall must be closely examined, as he faces the harshest fate of all the Worst Generation captains.
Kid’s flame of ambition was quickly snuffed out, as Red-Haired Shanks swiftly took down Kid’s entire ship and crew in seconds. While Kid became a casualty of Eiichiro Oda‘s favoritism, Toei Animation made little effort to enhance his appeal among fans.
Introduced as one of the Elven Supernovas of the Worst Generation, Eustass Kid plays a prominent role in the One Piece series. Kid arguably gained the most spotlight during his fight against Big Mom in the Wano arc. While his terrifying DF power and cocky personality earned some fans’ approval, Toei Animation made sure he appeared inferior to the main cast.
this wasn’t even in the manga they literally had no reason to do kid this dirty 😭 https://t.co/g1Wy5FhRhj
— Geo (@Geo_AW) September 30, 2024
Useless Captain Mid😭
— Guyver II (@Oswald_A_Lisker) September 30, 2024
I had no idea it wasn’t in the manga. Now I am wondering who was that genius animator that was willing to take the liberty of doing this. Because it isn’t as simple as it looks since someone clearly depicted that kidd’s King’s haki is pitiful when even oda didn’t.
— Surya (@Surya2160p) September 30, 2024
Back in the Wano arc, the production studio went out of its way to add a special scene for Eustass Kid; however, rather than gaining fans’ admiration, it ultimately turned him into a laughingstock among the fandom.
My favourite character getting a pointless scene to made him look like fodder pic.twitter.com/iXnYIlDCCo
— Raidenous🍉 (@StatiicSpectre) September 30, 2024
Toei really hate Kidd and Sanji, and they don’t even try to hide it 😌
— FLO °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ (@FleurDeCats) September 30, 2024
Nah any chance to slander Kid will always be welcomed bro is a bigger fraud than Buggy
— Completephased (@complete_phased) October 1, 2024
In the scene, viewers witness the Kid’s Conqueror Haki, which, despite its legendary status, failed to elevate his character in the eyes of many fans. Among all the Haki types, Conqueror Haki, also known as the Color of the Supreme King Haki, is ranked as the most supreme and powerful ability of all.
Despite being introduced as one of the rarest power abilities, fans witnessed every formidable opponent being blessed with Conqueror Haki, yet Toei made sure to ruin this iconic moment for Captain Kid.
The Strongest Conqueror Haki in One Piece
With the One Piece manga coming close to its conclusion, Eiichiro Oda has finally started unfolding the mysteries of the Void Century. In Chapter 1122, the mangaka showcased Joyboy’s Haki as the strongest Conqueror Haki, surpassing the likes of Shanks, Roger, Garp, and Whitebeard.
Joyboy’s Conqueror’s Haki was the sole reason Luffy and his crew managed to escape from all Five Elders. Moreover, his Conqueror Haki single-handedly made Imu, the secret ruler of the entire One Piece world, bend a knee and let fear take over.
With the latest manga development, Eiichiro Oda has crowned Joyboy as the strongest Conqueror’s Haki user, dethroning Shanks from his title. On top of that, Oda-sensei revealed a shocking resemblance between Joyboy and Luffy, suggesting their paths might ultimately align toward the same goals.
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