I have been reading up on the Kamen Rider and Super Sentai wikis and I think I may have come across some background info Oda may have used to base Sanji’s powers off.
Sanji’s Diable Jambe was first introduced in Enies Lobby and ever since the timeskip he has been using it like Luffy uses Gear 2 and 3. Diable Jambe has shown attack power comparable with Luffy’s Elephant Gun covered with Koka whilst himself not showing Koka yet.
However the New World is tough and Sanji has had a first hand experience of how tough it is. Sanji’s leg cracking against Vergo and getting no-diffed by Doflamingo. However I think Sanji was not showing his full power in both those fights because of plot. Chapter 899 reveals that Judge considers Sanji to be a failure because of his emotions even after witnessing his exponential increase in strength from when he was a kid.
I think Oda is foreshadowing something and it is based on a Tokusatsu series called Kamen Rider Black RX. In it Kamen Rider Black RX is a cyborg whose motif is a black grasshopper, which mirrors Sanji’s own epithet as Black Leg. Grasshoppers are known for their incredible spring like leg muscles that allow them to jump incredible heights which allow them to launch themsleves in the air to fly. However he also has another motif and that is based on the sun. Kamen Rider Black RX is a photosynthetic warrior who is powered by the sun. These are some of his basic abilities
- Alert Point: A red device on the forehead that sends an alert when there are monsters nearby or an incoming attack.
- Strengthened Skin – Riplasform: The grasshopper-like exoskeleton that protects Kamen Rider Black’s body from attack.
- Strengthened Muscle – Filbron: As the result of the cyborg surgery, the brown muscles under the Strengthened Skin, gives Kamen Rider Black 30 times the strength of a human.
I think that Sanji possesses Alert Point in the form of Observation Haki in that it is his speciality, for sensing dangerous objects and/or people. Also the strengthened skin and strengthened muscles are going to come from either his Hardening or his own variation of Tekkai or a combination of both. Nami stated that Sanji’s body was extremely tough with Sanji being able to withstand pressures of water at a depth that would crush the Shark Submerge and not only withstanding that but moving at the same speed of fishmen. Sanji last chapter was able to block a bladed attack from a massive genie with nothing but his leg which was not hardened. Blocking a bladed weapon without hardening speaks of the toughness of Sanji’s body.
I think Sanji’s father’s comments about his skin not being like steel is foreshadowing Sanji showing him that he does not need it because of his Tekkai and Hardening. Thus Sanji’s base stats are going to be shown in this arc. Sanji’s abilities to light his leg on fire are extremely similar to what Kamen Rider uses for his Rider Kick. Since Kamen Rider is powered by the sun, he can set his legs and fists on fire to increase the lethality of his kicks and punches, which is basically what Sanji’s Diable Jambe does.
However Kamen Rider has another power. Kamen Rider RX is said to be an emotional man which mirrors Sanji’s emotions. In the series after a child is injured Kamen Rider RX unlocks a new mode known as Roborider aka “Prince of Sadness”. Sanji is a prince of Germa and his emotions have been linked to his ability to set himself on fire. In this mode Kamen Rider has increased strength and durability but decreased speed. He is able to withstand projectile weapons and blasts. I think this form is going to form the basis for Sanji’s new mode which will be triggered when Sanji experiences sadness over hearing about Pedro and his sacrifice.
This is going to be a mode where Sanji’s durability is increased and maybe is linked to his attack cuisine modifying his body to increase in muscle mass. Kamen Rider Black RX has a pistol in this form but we all know that Sanji does not use his hands, instead Sanji is going to use his variation of Shigan to unleash piercing kicks which will destroy the Genie.
That is not all. Kamen Rider Black RX has another form based on emotions which is called Bio rider, or also the “Prince of Anger”. In this form Kamen Rider has incredible speed but it sacrifices his durability to obtain it. This is going to be Sanji’s blitz form. These powers are activated when Kamen Rider taps into his emotions, hence Sanji’s emotions are not going to be seen as a weakness but as a strength. Sanji’s emotions will be the catalyst for Sanji’s power. Zoro alluded to something very important on Thriller Bark, Sanji’s rage caused him to explode with Zoro commenting that he would transform into something if this kept up.
I think Judge’s comments are foreshadowing Sanji showing of his new form. Judge considers Sanji a failure for having emotions, yet Judge is going to see how Sanji’s emotions trigger his new form.
In the future Sanji is going to be able to combine the two forms in order to have no weaknesses in his fighting ability. I would love to see this actually play out because I think that Sanji and Kamen Rider Black RX are extremely similar.
Tell me what you think about this theory.
*Theory by BusoKokaLeg
