One Piece: What If Sabo Was a Pirate?

Sabo has always been an interesting character in the One Piece story . Seemingly appearing out of nowhere in Luffy's flashbacks, Sabo quickly became a fan favorite and filled a major role in the series that had been left empty since Ace's death. For many, Sabo, while not Ace's replacement, felt like a true successor to his character, both in terms of the story and in terms of storytelling.

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

Sabo wants to be a pirate in One Piece

In Luffy's flashback in Marineford, it is revealed that Luffy and Ace have a third brother named Sabo. Born into a noble family, Sabo rejected the corrupt nature of the aristocracy in One Piece and dreamed of sailing the seas as a pirate. After meeting Luffy and Ace, Sabo became a rookie pirate and vowed to sail the seas one day. However, after the burning of Gray Terminal, Sabo soon set out on a pirate adventure, sailing as a child, although he was immediately shot down and seemingly killed by a Celestial Dragon.

Fortunately, Monkey D. Dragon of the Revolutionary Army was able to rescue Sabo and nurture him into becoming part of the organization. After years of training, Sabo became a legendary warrior and rose to the rank of Chief of Staff. This made him the second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army. After Ace's death, Sabo, who had lost his memories from the incident, regained his memories and reunited with his surviving brother in the Dressrosa Arc of One Piece, revealing that he was alive and well with Luffy.

What if Sabo became a pirate in One Piece?

• Sabo could have been defeated early if he had set sail as a child.
• Dragon can still save him in this case.

Based on the backstory, Sabo was originally going to be a pirate, just like his two brothers. From there, many fans have wondered what Sabo's unique personality would be like if he was given the chance to set sail and fulfill his original dream. While the answer to this may seem simple, the outcome of his adventures largely depends on how old he was when he set sail.

First, while Sabo was a healthy child, if he had actually tried to set sail on the day he was taken down by a Celestial Dragon and become a pirate, it's likely that Sabo wouldn't have had the same level of success as Luffy or Ace, who both had the advantage of leaving when they were 17. In fact, it seems that if one hadn't appeared and Monkey D. Dragon came to his aid that day, he might have suffered a worse fate in the East Blue. However, it's possible that Dragon might have tried to recruit Sabo again even if he hadn't been attacked by a Celestial Dragon, meaning that his pirate career would have ended prematurely once again.

If Sabo had left as an adult, he could have been as infamous as Ace.

However, if Sabo had waited until he was 17 and continued training with Ace and Luffy, he might have had a better chance of becoming a powerful pirate in the series. With the strength of Ace and Sabo being on par with them when they were young, it would make sense for Sabo to become a pirate of Ace's reputation and power if given the chance. Additionally, while he may not have joined the Whitebeard Pirates alongside Ace, he would have certainly helped Luffy in trying to rescue his brother at Marineford, which could have changed the course of the war.