When the Holy Knights first appeared, they were portrayed as an incredibly fearsome force: possessing endless healing abilities, strange powers, and the highest status under Imu-sama. However, as the conflict at Elbaf intensifies, fans can’t help but wonder: “Why do they feel… not as strong as rumored?”
Here are some reasons explaining why the World Government’s elite squad seems to be outmatched by the Straw Hat Pirates.
1. The Holy Knights are unlucky to face a Yonko crew right away
The simplest and most convincing reason is that their opponents are not rookies or ordinary Marines. The Holy Knights face off directly against Monkey D. Luffy’s crew, a true Yonko force.
The Straw Hats boast an explosive lineup, like Sanji with his incredible speed and fiery attacks, capable of overwhelming any high-ranking enemy commander. Then there’s Zoro, a swordsman who has fully awakened his Conqueror’s Haki, ready to cut through any defense.
We also can’t overlook Jinbe and Franky, seasoned warriors with steady strength, well-versed in taking down elite foes across the seas.
Their past defeats against legends like Rocks D. Xebec and the Roger Pirates, and now the Straw Hats, show it’s not that the Holy Knights are weak, but that their opponents have reached an almost “unbelievable” level of power.
2. Ironically, the purer the Celestial Dragon blood, the weaker they seem?
Interestingly, those taking the hardest hits are the pure-blood Celestial Dragons from the 20 founding families. Figarland Garling was crushed by Rocks D. Xebec. Shepherd Sommers was soundly defeated by Rayleigh, Scopper Gaban, and even Luffy. Rimoshifu Killingham was recently knocked down by Sanji.
Meanwhile, characters like Harald and Gunko appear far more formidable and composed. This suggests that the pure-blood knights might be overly arrogant, rarely tested in life-or-death battles, lacking sharp instincts, especially the absence of Conqueror’s Haki.
3. Immortality acts as a “shackle” blocking their growth
The Holy Knights have regeneration powers and are nearly immortal. But in the One Piece world, ultimate strength often comes from life-or-death struggles. For example, Luffy grows stronger after every defeat. Zoro evolves by pushing himself beyond his limits.
The knights, however, don’t fear death. Without risk, they lack motivation to break through their limits. Immortality ironically causes stagnation. The clearest example is Sommers, whose level has barely changed in 38 years since the God Valley incident, unlike the rapid growth of pirate legends.
4. It’s not about power creep but a battle of gimmicks
Instead of following the usual “later opponents are always stronger” trend, Oda seems to be making the Holy Knights enemies who rely on gimmicks.
Their strength lies in regeneration, instant teleportation, or bizarre Devil Fruit powers. They’re extremely difficult to defeat by conventional means, but when it comes to one-on-one fights based purely on combat skills, they don’t necessarily surpass Kaido’s or Big Mom’s crews.