Blackbeard, a name synonymous with mystery and danger, is steadily becoming one of the final battles in One Piece. As a ruthless and calculating villain, his possession of two of the most powerful Devil Fruits— the Dark-Dark Fruit and the Quake-Quake Fruit— makes him an unpredictable and formidable foe. These abilities, combined with his cunning, make him one of the greatest threats in the series.
Throughout the One Piece saga, Blackbeard’s actions reveal that he’s far from just a brute force villain. Despite his seemingly unassuming intelligence, he has carefully orchestrated his rise to power. By manipulating his Devil Fruits to their fullest potential, he has gained an upper hand over many powerful opponents. Notably, his strategic choices in picking battles reveal a tactical mind at work, choosing enemies whose weaknesses align with his strengths.
The Dark-Dark and Quake-Quake Fruits: A Double Advantage
Blackbeard’s abilities come from two Devil Fruits, an anomaly in One Piece, where one person can usually only possess one. The Dark-Dark Fruit grants him the ability to manipulate gravity and create a black hole-like force, but its most significant power is the ability to nullify other Devil Fruit abilities upon contact. This advantage allows Blackbeard to weaken his foes quickly.
The second Devil Fruit, the Quake-Quake Fruit, allows Blackbeard to create devastating shockwaves and tremors. This combination of powers makes him not just strong, but also extremely dangerous. His ability to cancel Devil Fruit powers and create massive destruction puts him on an entirely different level. Yet, his intelligence and tactical decisions are what really raise his threat.
A Plan Focused on Devil Fruit Users
Blackbeard’s focus on targeting Devil Fruit users is a key part of his strategy. He has been able to exploit his powers against characters who are overly reliant on their Devil Fruits. By nullifying their abilities, Blackbeard essentially leaves them vulnerable, ensuring an easy win. This approach is evident in his encounters with foes like Ace, Law, and Boa Hancock.
However, Blackbeard has also been careful about avoiding battles with characters who heavily rely on Haki, such as Garp and Shanks. Haki, especially when wielded by powerful users, would be a significant disadvantage for him, as it can bypass the powers of the Dark-Dark Fruit. Blackbeard’s unique ability suffers when faced with the raw power of Haki, which could overwhelm him.
Avoiding Strong Haki Users
Strong Haki users pose a major threat to Blackbeard. The reason he likely avoids these enemies is that their raw power counters his ability to manipulate Devil Fruits. Blackbeard’s reliance on his Devil Fruits would make him vulnerable to such attacks. Characters like Garp or Shanks, who can use advanced Haki, could potentially overpower him, especially since his own power is weakened by Haki attacks.
This is why Blackbeard tends to target characters whose main strength lies in their Devil Fruits, as opposed to those who are skilled in Haki. Although some Devil Fruit users like Law and Boa Hancock also wield Haki, their focus on their Devil Fruit powers gives Blackbeard the upper hand. By avoiding Haki users, he ensures that he is not at a disadvantage in battle.