The latest episode of One Piece, episode 1122, marked a significant moment before a six-month hiatus that will extend until April 2025. This episode showcased Koby’s remarkable abilities, emphasizing his evolution as a character. Koby, a compassionate Marine officer, is a longtime friend of Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro, dating back to the early days of the One Piece saga, and his journey has been one of growth and determination.
Initially joining the Navy with aspirations to become an Admiral, Koby trained under the legendary Monkey D. Garp. With Garp’s mentorship and alongside his companion Helmeppo, Koby has risen to become a courageous Marine officer. During an incident where the Blackbeard Pirates kidnapped him, Garp launched a daring assault on their hideout to bring his protégé back to safety.
In a display of heroism befitting his title of “Marine Hero,” Garp engaged multiple high-level members of the Blackbeard Pirates, including Shiryu and the former Admiral Kuzan, known as Aokiji. At a crucial moment, Koby summoned his inner strength, confronting his fears and emerging as a true hero. Following this episode, it’s compelling to evaluate Koby’s newfound power and capabilities.
Koby’s Current Strength: A Rival to Many Yonko Commanders
A Defining Moment for Koby
In episode 1122, we witnessed the climax of the battle on Hachinosu, adapting scenes from the manga chapter 1088. Despite his age taking a toll on his strength, Garp displayed his experience and still managed to hold his ground against Kuzan and the other adversaries.
The battle’s dynamics shifted when Shiryu used Koby as a ploy to injure Garp. Utilizing his Haki-enhanced sword, Shiryu inflicted a serious wound on Garp, leaving him substantially weakened. Faced with this predicament, Garp prioritized the safety of Koby and the young officers of SWORD over his own life. When Pizarro merged with Hachinosu using his Devil Fruit powers to create a massive rock limb targeting the Navy’s escape vessel, Garp heroically ordered Koby and the others to flee.
Displaying impressive agility, Garp skillfully evaded Kuzan and ascended Hachinosu’s massive rock structure, launching a powerful punch fortified with both Armament and Conqueror’s Haki. The force of his strike split the enormous rock apart, delivering significant damage to Pizarro.
Incensed by the attack, Pizarro retaliated by targeting the Navy vessel. It was at this critical juncture that Koby intervened, channeling his Haki into a move known as “Honesty Impact.” This potent punch directed a tremendous surge of Haki towards Pizarro’s rock limb, shattering it entirely.
Garp, filled with pride for his pupil, watched the scene with mixed emotions as Koby and the rest managed to escape Hachinosu aboard their ship while Garp valiantly contended with Kuzan, Shiryu, and others until they overtook him.
An Assessment of Koby’s Strength
Koby’s transformation from a weak and timid individual to a formidable fighter happened over a mere three years, thanks to his dedication, innate talent, and the rigorous training he undertook under Garp’s guidance.
Currently holding the title of Captain, Koby’s combat prowess far exceeds what his rank suggests. His position within SWORD, a covert unit, has halted his formal military promotions, yet his skills would classify him as a Vice Admiral, one of the strongest seen in the series. Garp has continually endorsed Koby as the future of the Navy, reinforcing the immense potential he harbors. Koby is now proficient in Rokushiki techniques, and his Haki abilities are above average.
He has demonstrated the capability to block arrows enhanced with Armament Haki using his bare hands and avoided paralysis from Boa Hancock’s Love-Love powers, though he saw several high-ranking officers of Blackbeard’s crew fall swiftly.
The apex of Koby’s combat ability is exemplified in his signature move, Honesty Impact, which synergizes his physical strength and Armament Haki. He wields an advanced form of the Color of Armament, allowing him to project his Haki forward and trigger a devastating shockwave.
Contrary to established Advanced Conqueror’s Haki users like Garp, Luffy, Zoro, Shanks, and Kaido, Koby’s attacks do not showcase a thick black lightning effect, implying that he might have yet to unlock the advanced form of this ability.
It’s important to note that Toei Animation often adds unique elements during adaptations, prioritizing visual flair over strict adherence to the manga, which results in colorful auras and energy trails in the scenes.
Nevertheless, the potency of Koby’s Honesty Impact was sufficient to obliterate Pizarro’s colossal stone limb, situating Koby’s strength in a similar tier as Dressrosa Arc Zoro with the Billion-Fold World Trichiliocosm or Dressrosa Arc Luffy with his fierce Kong Gun.
Koby’s climactic Honesty Impact mirrors the destructive capabilities of Zoro slicing Pica’s massive stone golem or Luffy demolishing structures after delivering a punch to Doflamingo. However, unlike Luffy and Zoro, Koby appeared fatigued post-usage of his move, indicating he may not have the same stamina for multiple heavy-hitting techniques.
Furthermore, while Luffy from the Dressrosa Arc still had access to King Kong Gun and his Snakeman form, Zoro had access to an upgraded version of Asura. Both chars began to exhibit extraordinary speed and endurance, areas where Koby currently does not have the same established feats.
Koby does have impressive speed, even underwater, managing to deflect a torpedo solely by sensing it. However, post-time skip Sanji and Zoro have both showcased remarkable underwater speed exceeding Koby’s current capabilities.
Despite possessing Observation Haki, Koby struggled to detect Shiryu, rendering him vulnerable until Garp intervened to save his disciple, signaling that Koby still has aspects of his skill set to refine.
Given his current capabilities, Koby could potentially defeat standard Commander-level fighters such as Jack, Perospero, Smoothie, or Cracker. However, when it comes to formidable opponents like Queen or Jozu, Koby’s victory would hinge on whether his Honesty Impact can take down Queen or dismantle Jozu’s diamond form.
Koby has made remarkable strides in his power, yet he must enhance his overall capabilities to excel as a combatant. Nevertheless, his potential is extraordinary. As Garp’s esteemed student and the herald of the next generation, Koby is only destined to grow stronger. He is likely to develop Advanced Conqueror’s Haki as he strives to stand alongside Luffy.
Koby’s Incredible Transformation
Once a timid cabin boy subject to ridicule on Alvida’s ship, Koby has emerged as a globally recognized hero through sheer perseverance and effort. Motivated by Luffy and Zoro to pursue his aspirations, he found an incredible mentor in Garp. In a span of just weeks, Koby and Helmeppo transitioned from being novices to capable of executing Rokushiki techniques under Garp’s mentorship.
Koby underwent a rigorous training regimen reminiscent of Garp’s training methods used for Kuzan “Aokiji” to cultivate his exceptional strength. He pushed himself further by practicing late into the night beyond his scheduled drills, a testament to his relentless dedication.
While Koby hasn’t yet reached Garp’s formidable strength, he nonetheless stands on the cusp of greatness. Garp’s prowess in his prime was sufficient to contend with Gol D. Roger, and even at 78, Garp maintained superiority over Kuzan, a former Admiral.
Yet, there’s a common thread linking Koby’s journey to Garp’s legacy. Koby is poised to embody the Navy’s future, both in essence and combat effectiveness. This is precisely why Garp endeavored to save Koby at Hachinosu, even risking his safety to ensure Koby could unlock his true potential. The manga chapter 1088 was aptly named The Last Lesson, celebrating the profound mentor-student relationship between Koby and Garp.
Garp, though capable of attaining the rank of Admiral, has always declined such promotions, shunning any direct association with the Celestial Dragons. In stark contrast, Koby aspires to ascend to Admiral rank.
As One Piece navigates its final saga, the notorious Celestial Dragons are set to meet their fate, paving the way for Koby to claim an Admiral’s title unshackled from any ulterior motives. In this trajectory, it’s plausible to surmise that Koby will even outshine Garp’s legendary status.
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