Luffy Vs. Kaido is Setting An Impossible Standard for One Piece's Finale
The biggest fight in One Piece's 25 years of history, Straw Hat Luffy vs Kaido of the Beasts, could actually be so amazing that is setting the standard too high, considering that the best-selling manga is still some years away from its epic conclusion.
The buildup to this confrontation has been huge, as it is the culmination of the Wano Arc, the longest narrative arc in One Piece's history, currently spanning 139 chapters, 13 volumes, and four years in real life. Before getting to the final fight, Luffy faced Kaido two more times, only to get easily beaten. This has been a huge factor in making their final battle the most anticipated in the series' history.
The fight itself did not disappoint, as it was masterfully crafted by One Piece's author Eiichiro Oda, who used that moment to reveal a shocking truth about the origins of Luffy's powers and one of the most important mysteries in the series. Considering that this epic battle will likely conclude in the next chapter (#1048), this is the best time to look back at one of the greatest fights in the history of shonen manga, and all the reasons that make Luffy versus Kaido something that One Piece will have a hard time surpassing in the future.
Every good confrontation with a "final boss" needs to have a significant buildup, and this is usually the norm in action-heavy manga like One Piece. However, the way that Eiichiro Oda has woven the plot of the Wano Arc has been so beautifully crafted that the whole story feels like the buildup to this final fight, without taking any merit away from everything that happened before. The reason is that Oda has modeled the structure of this arc to that of a Kabuki play, a traditional Japanese form of theatre. In Kabuki, characters are introduced in the first act. The following acts propel any action (like battles) forward to lead up to a climactic event that occurs in the third act. In act five, the last act, the story concludes. Right now, the Wano Arc is in its official "third act," so it's likely that the conclusion will be the aftermath of the battle between Luffy and Kaido.
This fight itself had a specific sub-buildup that consisted of the previous confrontations between the two pirate captains. The first happened in chapter #923, shortly after Luffy arrived in Wano and he got angry over the way Kaido treated the citizens of the country. That confrontation ended in a shockingly quick manner, with Kaido dispatching the protagonist with one single blow. This was a great way to set up Kaido as the strongest villain in the series until that point. When the two fought again, in chapter #1000, Luffy was stronger after mastering the secrets of Bokushoku Haki, but Kaido still defeated him with ease, and "off-screen," another masterful touch by Oda. When they clashed for the third time (in chapter #1027), it finally seemed they were equally matched, as Luffy now could utilize Haoshoku Haki too. However, in one of the most shocking moments in the series, Kaido actually won again, something that no one expected. What happened after, however, was even more shocking.
Much of the One Piece discussion has been polarized by the huge reveal that Luffy's powers do not come from the Gomu Gomu no Mi, as believed since the very first chapter of the series, but by the Mythical Zoan Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. The fact that this happened during the fight with Kaido made the battle even more complex, as Luffy is now using completely different powers and style. Thanks to this, the fight could be prolonged even more without feeling boring or repetitive. Power-ups in the middle of battle are not unusual in shonen manga (after Dragon Ball set the standard for this), but this one is different because, despite the surprise caused in the readers, it does not feel like a plot device merely used to defeat the villain.
The revelation about the true nature of the Gomu Gomu no Mi has repercussions that stretch back in time to the very beginning of One Piece, and at the same time teases that soon readers will get the answers to some of the most important mysteries in the series, such as the identity of Joy Boy or the truth about the Void Century. Having all this happen in the middle of the fight against Kaido does not take the spotlight away from the event, but actually makes it feel even more momentous. Kaido's response to Luffy's power-up, however, is what makes this battle really unique.
It is very hard to break the mold of some of the classic tropes of the shonen genre. The good guy has to beat the villain, usually after an epic comeback from near-defeat. In Kaido's case, however, the buildup to him being "the strongest creature in the world" was so well-done that it did not make sense to have him just lose the final battle in a traditional way. In fact, what is really surprising (and refreshing) about Luffy and Kaido's epic confrontation on the roof of Onigashima is that Kaido does not actually seem to be losing. Chapter after chapter, he takes everything that Luffy comes up with, including his new crazy powers, and seems perfectly able of handling it, while also inflicting constant serious damage on his opponent.
Such a level of balance and unpredictability is very hard to achieve in a shonen fight, but Oda did it perfectly. When Kaido will lose, it will feel like the organic conclusion of a battle that could have ended either way, despite the fact that he is the villain, hence destined to defeat. Kaido is a cruel, ruthless tyrant, and he always stayed true to his nature, contrary to many manga villains who show a measure of good feelings to appeal more to readers. His own strength and determination are his redeeming qualities, and the final fight with Luffy showed it perfectly.
Having established that the battle between Luffy and Kaido has been the best in the history of One Piece, the next question is: will there be a better one? This is actually a legitimate doubt, as the manga is still a few years away from its ending that, after 25+ years and the impressive accolade of being the best-selling manga of all time, has to be epic, satisfying, and rewarding in a way that is hard to achieve.
The Kaido versus Luffy fight is actually so good that it would have been perfectly satisfying as the ending of any manga, but One Piece still has to go on. There are many mysteries to unveil, and new enemies to overcome for Luffy and his friends. However, the fight between Luffy and Kaido could be setting a standard that is just too hard to achieve, even for what will surely be an epic finale for One Piece.