Important things to remember
- Pekoms fate remains uncertain after his betrayal and disappearance
- Eustace Kidd and his crew may meet their end at Chance's hands, leaving fans on the edge of their seats.
- The deaths of Big Mom and Kaido in the volcano are still being debated, with fans speculating on how they will return and what will happen next.
In the Shonen section, One Piece There is a tendency to dislike letting stories drag on aimlessly. Often, characters and their stories will continue in a cover story, leaving the reader with little idea of what their status might be in the event of their return. Even characters who were presumed dead, such as Mr. 9 and Ms. Monday, are confirmed to be alive through this medium. However, despite their existence, several characters, particularly in later installments, are thrown into situations that call into question their very existence.
It may seem odd at first, as Oda rarely kills off characters unless he deems it necessary, making confirmed deaths uncommon. Considering the possibility that their proper return could be teased or built up after more important information is revealed, there's a method to this madness. Here are some characters whose exact fates are currently unknown following potential tragedies. Some of them may die or remain off-screen, but others could return.
5 Pecoms
Warriors of the Big Mom Pirates
Pekoms is a member of the Mink tribe, who used to sail with the Nox Pirates. However, after the crew had a conflict with Big Mom, some of their members were absorbed into the various Big Mom Pirates. Pekoms was one such member, first seen attempting to collect money from Fishman Island as part of their scam. Since then, Pekoms has often been used in traumatic situations, being used by the Straw Hats and their allies to aid them in their pursuit of Big Mom, but still retains some loyalty to his crew, likely out of fear.
However, when Pedro, a former crew member of Pekoms, was killed while protecting the Straw Hats, he abandoned all fear and attacked the Big Mom Pirates, who attempted to gouge out his eyes in retaliation, in order to destroy his legendary Sulong form. However, his exact fate after this battle is still unknown. He has not been seen since the betrayal, even when the Big Mom Pirates and the Mink Tribe were involved to some extent. The only thing that can be said for sure is that his betrayal was probably not received well by the Big Mom Pirates. It is unclear what would happen to Pekoms if he returned, mainly because he was written out so abruptly. It is possible that he will try to rejoin the Mink Tribe in some form, or else he will select a crew that he believes can stand up to Big Mom.
4 Eustass Kid
And the child pirates
Eustace Kid is a former low-level delinquent who decided to travel the world with other former delinquents from Kutsugu Island and form the Kid Pirates. He has little interest in civilian life and the destruction of the surrounding area, which has led to Kid receiving a higher bounty than other Supernovas. This is likely the reason why his main known teammate, Killer, has a bounty high enough to qualify for the Worst Generation. However, he has teamed up with the Straw Hat Pirates and the Heart Pirates on several occasions, and his and Law's combined attacks have resulted in Big Mom defeating them.
However, after their major success on Onigashima, Kid was quickly defeated by Shanks, Dorry, and Broggy on Elbaf Island, as Shanks saw the devastation that letting them attack would cause and wanted to prevent it as soon as possible. Although the crew was “completely destroyed”, some fans saw this as a comparison to Kuma's destruction of the Straw Hats on the Sabaodi Islands.
As far as we know, the Kid Pirates may have met their end that day. Still, their importance (especially that of Kid and Killer) and the lack of clear explanation for their deaths has some fans expecting them to return. If Kid and his crew do return, they'll be holding a grudge against Shanks and the Giant of Elbaf. If they don't, they'll still serve as a lesson that shouldn't go down well with the Red-Haired Pirates.
3 Big Mom and Kaido
The two former emperors
Big Mom and Kaido share a history as members of the ill-fated Rocks Pirates. Shortly after Charlotte Linlin arrived in Wano, the two decided to team up once more. However, they were defeated by Supernova, as Luffy was strong enough to defeat Kaido, and the combined strength of Kid and Law was enough to defeat Big Mom. As a result, the two pirates fell into a volcano and were deposed of their titles as “Emperors” after being presumed dead.
However, the current status of the two is still a matter of debate among fans. The power that the two share has led fans to believe that even lava is not enough to erode their strength. Still, speculation about their next goal if they resurface is still unclear. They may not be humbled by their defeat, and may try to reconnect with their crew to reclaim some form of prominence once again. Fans have especially speculated that Big Mom may return to Elbaf, given her own history with the island, but as of now, there is no solid evidence that the two will return.
2 Other Heart Pirates
Defeated by Blackbeard
Trafalgar D. Waters Law was trained as part of the Don Quixote Pirates since he was a child. However, he befriended Don Quixote Rosinante, a double agent who truly cared about his battle with Umberlead Syndrome. After Rosinante's death, Law vowed revenge on Don Quixote Doflamingo. Law then formed the Heart Pirates. Law teamed up with the Straw Hat Pirates, a group from the Warst Generation, to take down Doflamingo, which ultimately led to his imprisonment.
Law reunites with his crew, and they form an alliance with the Straw Hats to take on Kaido, whom Doflamingo had worked with before being imprisoned. However, shortly after Kaido's defeat, the Heart Pirates face their own conflict. After a confrontation with another Emperor, Blackbeard, and a few of his captains, the Heart Pirates' submarine Polar Tang is destroyed. The only survivors of the attack are Law and his vice-captain, Bepo.
Unlike other pirates that have come before, it is widely argued that the Heart Pirates were doomed, at least in part, because their members were insignificant. If this were true, it could have led Law to become more ruthless as a pirate, similar to his namesake Edward Lowe. However, Law's actions during the infamous Rocky's Port incident may further imply that he enjoys ruthlessness. Although the Blackbeard Pirates are currently in short supply, they have found a formidable foe in Law.
1 Bartolomeo
and Barto Club
Bartolomeo is another former gangster who became a pirate and the leader of the Bartolomeo Club. He was influenced by Monkey D. Luffy in this regard. Although he was a ruthless pirate, he had a childlike sense of wonder when faced with the Straw Hat Pirates. After joining the crew to defeat Donquixote Doflamingo, Bartolomeo and several others decided to remain under the Straw Hat Pirates. Although Luffy refused to have a second crew, they pledged themselves to him anyway, and had various adventures as separate crews. Bartolomeo appeared in a cover story burning a flag in Shanks' territory, which was done without Luffy's permission, due to his special respect for Shanks. This fact likely escaped Bartolomeo, as their friendship had been going on since before Luffy became a real pirate, and he had had little contact with Bartolomeo since then.
Things come to a head when the Red Haired Pirates arrive in the area and swiftly take down the club without showing themselves. Shanks' men demand that Bartolomeo find a way to make Luffy drink the poisoned bottle, but Bartolomeo drinks it himself, noting that Luffy did not sign the authorization form for his men and not wanting to let his idol suffer for his mistake. After drinking the bottle and discovering that it was not poison, Bartolomeo is relieved and quickly begins his escape with his team.
Shanks is pleased with this outcome, seemingly wanting to test the crew's loyalty to Luffy. However, Shanks's key crew member, Yasopp, seems displeased that they consider his captain to be soft-hearted, and decides to shoot down their ship, Going Luffy-Senpai, in a similarly destructive manner to Bartolomeo's own actions. This action was also performed without his captain's permission. As Shanks was surprised when Yasopp began his attack, the ship was destroyed, and the status of the crew remains “unknown” at this time. It is unclear whether Bartolomeo or Bartolomeo will return, but either way, this action may be the root of the quarrel between the Straw Hat Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates.
