What Would Happen If Sabo Was A Pirate?

Sabo has always been an interesting character in the story of One Piece. Seemingly coming in out of nowhere in Luffy’s flashback, Sabo quickly became a fan-favorite character and filled a vital role in the series that had been empty ever since the death of Ace. For many, Sabo, while he isn’t a replacement for Ace, felt like a true successor to his character, both in the canon and in terms of storytelling.

As many fans already know, Sabo was introduced to the series with aspirations to become a pirate, much like his two brothers, Ace and Luffy. However, his journey was sadly cut short, before it even had a chance to begin properly. Due to this, many One Piece fans have wondered what Sabo would have been like if he had the chance to set sail and become a pirate.

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Sabo Wanted To Become A Pirate In One Piece

His Journey Ended Early At The Hands Of The Celestial Dragons

During Luffy’s flashback in Marineford, it is revealed that Luffy and Ace had a third brother named Sabo. Born to noble parents, Sabo rejected the corrupt nature of the noble class of One Piece and dreamed of setting sail as a pirate. After meeting Luffy and Ace, Sabo became a fledgling pirate and vowed to sail the open seas one day. However, after the burning of Gray Terminal, Sabo set out on his pirate adventure early, sailing away as a child, though he was immediately shot down and seemingly killed by a visiting Celestial Dragon.

Luckily, Monkey D. Dragon of the Revolutionary Army was able to rescue Sabo and raise him to be a part of his organization. After years of training, Sabo would become a legendary fighter and would rise to the rank of Chief of Staff, making him the second in command of the Revolutionary Army. After Ace’s death, Sabo, who had amnesia from his incident, regains his memory and meets with his surviving brother during the Dressrosa Arc of One Piece, revealing he is alive and well to Luffy.

What Would Happen if Sabo Had Become A Pirate?

He May Not Make It Far As A Child

• Sabo May Be Defeated Early If He Set Out As A Child
• Dragon Still May Have Saved Him In This Case

Based on his backstory, Sabo was initially going to be a pirate, much like his two brothers. From here, many fans have wondered what Sabo’s unique character arc would have been like if he had been given the opportunity to set sail and fulfill his initial dreams. Though the answer to this may seem simple, the results of his adventures are largely up to what age the aspiring pirate would be when he set sail.

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Firstly, even though Sabo was a strong kid, if he had actually managed to sail out to sea the day he was shot down by a Celestial Dragon and became a pirate, it is likely that he wouldn’t have had the same level of success as Luffy or Ace, who both had the benefit of leaving when they turned 17. In fact, it seems likely that if there wasn’t a Celestial Dragon, and Monkey D. Dragon to help him that day, he may have suffered a worse fate somewhere in the East Blue. However, it is likely that Dragon may have tried to recruit him once again even if he wasn’t attacked by the Celestial Dragon, meaning his career as a pirate would end prematurely once again.

If Sabo Left As An Adult He May Be As Notorious As Ace

The Two May Have Even Set Out Together

However, if Sabo waited until he was 17, constantly training with Ace and Luffy, he might have a better chance of becoming a powerful pirate in the series. With Ace and Sabo being comparable in strength as kids, it would make sense that Sabo would become a pirate of around the same notoriety and power as Ace if he had the chance to become a pirate. Additionally, although he may not have joined the Whitebeard Crew alongside Ace, he would have definitely helped Luffy attempt to rescue his brother at Marineford, which may have changed the course of the battle.

Although it’s interesting to think of what Sabo might have been like as a pirate, Luffy’s brother works well as a member of the Revolutionary Army. It’s hard to truly imagine what Sabo would be like in any other position throughout the series. Hopefully, in the end, when Sabo is finally given a chance to return, he will prove even further that becoming a One Piece revolutionary was the right move for his character.

One Piece

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

Directors

Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou

Writers

Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda

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  Mayumi Tanaka

  Monkey D. Luffy (voice)

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  Kazuya Nakai

  Roronoa Zoro (voice)