Sabo’s Greatest Power in One Piece Is Not His Devil Fruit

Sabo’s greatest power in One Piece lies beyond his Devil Fruit’s flames. His powers formed long before he obtained the Mera Mera no Mi.

Sabo’s Greatest Power in One Piece is Not His Devil Fruit
Sabo’s Greatest Power in One Piece is Not His Devil Fruit (Source: Toei Animation)

The Revolutionary Army’s Chief of Staff and pledged brother of Monkey D. Luffy, Sabo has advanced to legendary status in One Piece. Many of the series’ geeks associate Sabo’s greatest power with his possession of the Mera Mera no Mi (Flame-Flame Fruit), previously wielded by Portgas D. Ace. However, this perception misses a crucial truth about the character.

Sabo’s greatest power in One Piece is not his Devil Fruit abilities but rather his extraordinary combat powers, developed long before he inherited Ace’s flames. He has mastered Ryusoken (Dragon Claw Fist), and advanced Haki. He is also a natural fighting genius. The Mera Mera no Mi simply amplifies abilities that have already reached the Admiral level.

Sabo’s Natural Combat Talent in One Piece

Sabo as seen during his past training with Revolutionary Army
Sabo as seen during his past training with the Revolutionary Army (Source: Toei Animation)

Sabo’s greatest power in One Piece was evident from his childhood days in the Goa Kingdom, where he fought alongside Ace and Luffy. Even at a young age, Sabo demonstrated exceptional combat aptitude. This natural talent for battle set the foundation for his future growth.

After joining the Revolutionary Army, Sabo’s power developed under the direct tutelage of Monkey D. Dragon and Hack, the organization’s Fish-Man Karate instructor. According to official One Piece sources, Sabo was the only child revolutionary who excelled in their rigorous combat training regimen, with Hack stating that Sabo didn’t even need to be trained. This exceptional learning capacity allowed him to rapidly absorb fighting techniques and strategies.

Sabo’s greatest power lies in his physical capabilities. His agility allows him to effortlessly dodge attacks from powerful opponents, while his raw strength enables him to clash with titans like Jesus Burgess without breaking a sweat. His endurance is equally amazing—he survived a gruesome wound inflicted by Imu and still managed to flee from Pangaea Castle. These qualities, developed through years of intensive conditioning, act as the bedrock of Sabo’s fighting prowess in the One Piece world.

Ryusoken- the Dragon Claw Fighting Style

Sabo's Dragon Claw Fist
Sabo’s Dragon Claw Fist (Source: Toei Animation)

First and foremost, Sabo’s greatest power in One Piece is his mastery of a unique martial art he created, which became his signature fighting style. Ryusoken, or “Dragon Claw Fist,” revolves around forming his fingers into talon-like shapes to perform devastating grip-based attacks.

Ryusoken’s efficacy in One Piece emanates from Sabo’s ability to visualize and target an opponent’s core, concentrating force on this vital point to maximize damage while minimizing effort. When he combines Ryusoken with Armament Haki, the results are devastating. It is capable of shattering armor, breaking great swords, and even crushing skulls with ease.

The true testament to Ryusoken being Sabo’s greatest power came when he defeated both Marine Vice-Admiral Bastille and Jesus Burgess with single strikes. Bastille’s helmet and skull were crushed by Sabo’s grip, while Burgess, known for his titanic strength as one of Blackbeard’s Ten Titanic Captains, was overwhelmed by a single Ryusoken attack.

These feats were accomplished before Sabo fully integrated the Mera Mera no Mi into his fighting style. He proved that his greatest power in One Piece was already formidable enough to challenge top-tier fighters without Devil Fruit enhancement. Ryusoken is essentially the culmination of Sabo’s natural talent, revolutionary training, and combat intelligence, defining his greatest power far more fundamentally.

True Source of Sabo’s Greatest Power in One Piece

Sabo using Advanced Armament Haki
Sabo using Advanced Armament Haki (Source: Toei Animation)

Sabo’s greatest power in One Piece is indeed his impressive mastery over Haki, mainly his advanced application of Armament Haki. He developed his Haki to such an extraordinary degree that it became his strongest weapon long before acquiring the Mera Mera no Mi. His ability to infuse objects—particularly his signature metal pipe—with Haki transformed a simple tool into a weapon capable of wrecking Diamante’s weapon in the Dressrosa arc.

Sabo demonstrated the use of “Ryuo” in Dressrosa—an advanced application of Armament Haki that allows the user to project their will beyond their body. This advanced technique, which Luffy only learned much later during the Wano arc, was already at Sabo’s disposal. This indicates that his Haki development far exceeded most of his contemporaries in One Piece.

Observation Haki further complements Sabo’s greatest power arsenal. His sensorial capabilities are highly advanced, allowing him to sense his opponents’ moves and intentions with outstanding clarity. In the anime, Sabo was even able to sense that Luffy’s Haki had weakened during his fight with Doflamingo, showcasing his exceptional sensitivity to Haki fluctuations. This comprehensive Haki mastery is what allowed Sabo to face Admiral Fujitora in combat even before fully acclimating to his Devil Fruit abilities, emerging with only minor injuries. Sabo’s powers lie in his advanced understanding and application of these essential combat techniques.

Pre-Mera Mera Feats of Sabo in One Piece

Sabo performing Ryuusoken Ryuu no Ibuki during Dressrosa arc
Sabo performing Ryuusoken Ryuu no Ibuki during Dressrosa arc (Source: Toei Animation)

Perhaps the strongest evidence that Sabo’s greatest power in One Piece isn’t his Devil Fruit comes from examining his pre-Mera Mera accomplishments. Before acquiring Ace’s flame powers, Sabo had already risen to become the Second-in-Command of the Revolutionary Army, placing him directly beneath Dragon himself. This promotion recognized that Sabo’s greatest power was already sufficient to lead missions against the World Government’s forces.

He confronted Diamante, a top executive of the Donquixote Pirates, without any apparent difficulty. More impressively, he faced Jesus Burgess, the helmsman of the Blackbeard Pirates and one of their strongest fighters, defeating him with relative ease. These accomplishments place Sabo’s greatest power at a level that many One Piece fans estimate to be at least equivalent to a Yonko Commander, if not higher.

The ultimate testament to Sabo’s greatest power came when he engaged Admiral Fujitora in combat shortly after acquiring the Mera Mera no Mi. Despite still being unfamiliar with his new Devil Fruit abilities (as evidenced by his habit of dodging attacks despite now being a Logia user), Sabo emerged from this confrontation with only minor bruises. He had already developed his base abilities—Haki, Ryusoken, and physical attributes—to such an extent that the Mera Mera no Mi merely enhanced them.

Conclusion

Sabo’s greatest power in One Piece has never been the flashy flames of the Mera Mera no Mi, but rather the extraordinary foundation of skills he developed through years of revolutionary training. The Mera Mera no Mi doesn’t define him—it simply adds new dimensions to an already formidable fighter. We’re yet to see Sabo’s greatest power reach new heights as he combines his base abilities with increasingly sophisticated applications of his flame powers.


Looking For More?

Thank you for reading the article. We provide the latest news and create guides for Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, ARK Survival Ascended, and more. Also, watch Deltia play games on Twitch or visit his YouTube channel!