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The recent chapters of One Piece revolved around Sabo's flashback about the events of the Reverie. The adoptive brother of Luffy and Ace, Sabo is the right-hand man of Monkey D. Dragon. Thus, he is the number two of the Revolutionary Army.
After the Reverie, Sabo became worldwide famous as the "Flame Emperor." Such a moniker led One Piece fans to have high expectations for his battle prowess. However, these expectations ended up completely unfulfilled.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to Chapter 1086.
One Piece fans are calling Sabo an overrated character after recent chapters debunked his "Flame Emperor" hype
Who is Sabo in One Piece?
Native to the Goa Kingdom in East Blue, Sabo ran away from home at 10 years old, dreaming of becoming a pirate and writing a book about his travels. After arriving in the Grey Terminal, a massive junkyard located outside Goa's capital city, he met and befriended Portgas D. Ace, who shared his same dream.
Eventually, Monkey D. Luffy joined them. The three kids started living as vagabonds, having many adventures together. One day, Sabo decided to set sail, but a Celestial Dragon named Saint Jalmack shot his boat with a bazooka as punishment for having raised a pirate flag in front of him.
Luckily, Monkey D. Dragon, who happened to pass there, saved Sabo from drowning.
The terrible occurrence caused Sabo to lose his memory. Starting as Dragon's apprentice, he joined the Revolutionary Army. As the years passed, Sabo improved his fighting capabilities, becoming Dragon's right-hand man and the organization's second-in-command.
After Ace's tragic death in the Paramount War, Sabo regained his memory. He eventually managed to eat the respawned Flame-Flame Fruit, carrying on Ace's legacy. Moreover, he finally met Luffy again.
Sometime later, Sabo, Morley, Karasu, and Lindbergh from the Revolutionary Army attacked Mary Geoise, the place where the Celestial Dragons reside. The raid took place during the Reverie, a council that gathers the monarchs of the countries affiliated with the World Government.
The intent of the Revolutionaries was to wage war on the World Government, destroy the food reserves of the Holy Land in anticipation of the conflict, and rescue their former comrade Bartholomew Kuma, as well as the other slaves of the Celestial Dragons.
Sabo and the others managed to accomplish their mission, escaping Mary Geoise after freeing Kuma and completing their other goals. However, Sabo was charged with being the killer of Nefertari Cobra, the monarch of Arabasta, with a picture portraying the former over the latter's corpse.
With the newspapers having reported that the Revolutionaries clashed with Fujitora and Ryogyoku, fans speculated that Sabo gained the moniker of "Flame Emperor" by showcasing impressive feats against the two Marine Admirals. However, this assumption couldn't be more wrong.
Sabo didn't become the "Flame Emperor" for his strength
Recent One Piece chapters proved that Sabo's "Flame Emperor" moniker has absolutely nothing to do with his strength. This misconception sparked because some readers assumed that he and the other officers of the Revolutionary Army fought Fujitora and Ryogyoku to a death battle, with Sabo taking the lion's share in the confrontation.
The truth is, not only did Sabo not give any impressive demonstration of strength against the Admirals, but he also didn't fight them at all. His comrades kept Fujitora and Ryogyoku busy, exploiting the fact that the two were forced to hold back, as they couldn't fight at their best in Mary Geoise.
Instead, Sabo infiltrated the Pangaea Castle to retrieve the keys for Kuma and the other slaves' cuffs. In the process, he only beat average soldiers.
Sabo then sneaked into the Phantom Room of the castle, where he witnessed the conversation between Nefertari Cobra, the Five Elders, and Imu-sama.
When the leaders of the World Government wounded Cobra, Sabo jumped out of his hiding and attacked them with his Devil Fruit powers. However, the Five Elders simply endured his Fire Fist without suffering any damage, while Imu transformed into a huge creature and swallowed Sabo's flames.
As the Five Elders transformed into ominous creatures too, Sabo tried to grab Cobra and escape. Unfortunately, two shadow arrows reached and stabbed them, grievously injuring both.
With the six dreadful enemies approaching them for the kill, Cobra stood one last time, sacrificing himself to cover Sabo.
Sometime later, Sabo, severely injured, was seen hiding in the ship of Lulusia Kingdom, remembering Cobra's last words about the Will of D. As seen, the facts have contradicted what had become sort of an urban legend in the One Piece community.
Sabo didn't fight the Admirals, much less showcase major feats against them or any other strong foe. The only combat scenes he was involved in consisted of him being absolutely powerless against the Five Elders and Imu. Granted, Sabo can't be blamed for being overwhelmed by such mighty individuals, who may very well be the final villains of the One Piece series.
Likewise, he was factually underwhelming. He tried to attack them but failed to inflict any damage and was forced to escape. He wouldn't even have been able to escape if Cobra didn't sacrifice his life to help his getaway. Essentially, almost any One Piece character could have done the same.
Even Blik Wapol was able to flee from Imu and the Five Elders, and he didn't have anyone covering his escape. As long as the plot needs that to happen, in One Piece, anyone can escape from anyone. Running away is not a feat; strength must be showcased by fighting back.
Sabo's newfound fame was simply based on him being considered, in the eyes of the public, the killer of Nefertari Cobra. With the latter ruling a World Government-affiliated country, Sabo became an idol for all opponents of the institution, giving further impulse to the flames of the revolution, hence, the nickname "Flame Emperor."
The revelation caused Sabo's hype to drop drastically. The One Piece community is mocking the character, with fans calling him overrated. Still, it must also be said that while Sabo is not even remotely as strong as some assumed, he remains a very powerful individual, being the second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army.
Final Thoughts
Although Sabo was very disappointing in terms of battle power, at least in comparison with the expectations, he played a major role with regard to the plot. His recent flashback recounted everything that happened during the Reverie, allowing One Piece readers to gain precious information.
Sabo's drama was not over yet with the Reverie, as his attempt to escape to the Lulusia Kingdom caused him to get involved in the utter annihilation of the island. Using a weapon built by Vegapunk, Imu completely destroyed Lulusia, erasing it from the map.
Luckily, Sabo survived the incident, as he wasn't precisely in Lulusia but on a ship dwelling in the area surrounding the island. After reporting everything he saw to Monkey D. Dragon and Emporio Ivankov, Sabo may have laid the groundwork for the reveal of Imu's existence to the rest of the One Piece world.
This could be a pivotal moment in the series, as the hypocritical tyranny of the World Government would be finally exposed for what it is. However, Sabo must be careful. He is a very inconvenient witness, and the Holy Knights are after him.
