Is Oda Reuniting the Seven Warlords?
The abolition of the Seven Warlords of the Sea completely reshaped the balance of power in One Piece.
At first, it seemed like Oda was simply removing an outdated system to prepare the series’ endgame.
But what if that wasn’t the real purpose?
What if abolishing the Seven Warlords was never meant to separate them?
What if it were the first step toward bringing them back together under an entirely new banner?
When you look closely at everything that has happened since the system was abolished, a surprising trend begins to emerge.
Several of the remaining former Warlords have become targets of the same two forces.
The World Government.
And Blackbeard.
That sequence of events feels far too deliberate to ignore.
Instead of allowing these legendary pirates to continue operating independently, Oda has repeatedly placed them in situations where their freedom, territory, and even survival are being threatened. More importantly, the same two forces keep appearing at the center of many of those conflicts.
The World Government stripped the Warlords of their legal protection before immediately launching coordinated operations to capture them.
Meanwhile, Blackbeard has been aggressively expanding his influence by targeting some of the world’s strongest pirates, including multiple former Warlords.
Viewed individually, these incidents do not seem unusual.
Taken together, however, they tell a very different story.
Oda may not be scattering the former Warlords across the seas.
Instead, he may be funneling many of them toward the same crossroads.
Current Cross Guild Members
The Cross Guild Members currently consist of Buggy, Dracule Mihawk, and Crocodile, three former Seven Warlords of the Sea who united after the World Government abolished the Warlord system.
But what if Oda is not finished expanding the organization?
This Cross Guild Theory explores why the remaining former Seven Warlords—including Boa Hancock, Gecko Moria, Trafalgar Law, Donquixote Doflamingo, and Edward Weevil—could eventually become future Cross Guild Members.
Why More Cross Guild Members Could Be Coming
The evidence becomes difficult to ignore once you examine each former Warlord’s current situation.
The Cross Guild has already united three of them under a single banner: Buggy, Dracule Mihawk, and Crocodile.
Meanwhile, many of the remaining former Warlords have recently suffered a devastating setback.
Boa Hancock barely escaped Blackbeard’s invasion of Amazon Lily after Silvers Rayleigh forced him to withdraw. At the very same time, Government forces launched their own assault using the Seraphim, making it clear that Amazon Lily was no longer the safe haven it once was.
Gecko Moria was imprisoned on Hachinosu after entering Blackbeard’s territory to search for Absalom. Perona later appeared on Pirate Island and helped Koby escape on the condition that he help free Moria, creating a possible path for Moria to escape Blackbeard’s control.
Trafalgar Law suffered a crushing defeat against Blackbeard before narrowly escaping thanks to Bepo’s Sulong transformation. His crew has been scattered, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.
Edward Weevil fought off countless Marine attempts to capture him after the system was abolished, but Admiral Ryokugyu ultimately defeated and captured him, placing yet another former Warlord into Government custody.
Donquixote Doflamingo remains imprisoned in Impel Down, yet Oda continues returning to him whenever major world events unfold. Despite his imprisonment, he still possesses dangerous knowledge about the Holy Land, the Celestial Dragons, and secrets that could become invaluable when the world’s greatest powers finally collide.
Viewed separately, these events seem unrelated.
Examined as a whole, they reveal something much more interesting.
Several remaining former Warlords have either been hunted by Blackbeard, pursued by the Government, imprisoned by one of those two forces, or forced into hiding because of them.
That larger narrative raises an important question.
If Oda keeps placing these former Warlords under pressure from the same enemies, is he preparing them to make the same decision?
The Cross Guild May Be the New Warlord System
That question becomes much easier to answer once we examine the Cross Guild itself.
When Buggy, Crocodile, and Mihawk formed the Cross Guild, most fans saw it as one of the series’ biggest turning points.
Narratively, however, it may represent something far more significant.
The World Government abolished the Seven Warlords because it believed the new power developed by the Special Science Group could replace them. The Seraphim now appear to be the clearest result of that decision.
Ironically, that choice may have created an even greater threat.
Instead of serving the Government individually, those left behind after the system’s collapse now have stronger reasons to unite under their own organization.
The symbolism becomes even stronger when you consider what the Cross Guild represents.
The Seven Warlords once maintained their freedom by working for the World Government.
Now, the Cross Guild allows those same pirates to preserve their independence while openly declaring war against it.
Even their bounty system reflects that reversal.
Rather than the Marines placing bounties on pirates, the Cross Guild places bounties on Marines, turning one of the Government’s greatest weapons against itself.
That feels far too deliberate to be a simple gag.
Instead, Oda appears to have transformed the old Warlord system into its complete opposite.
Not a Government-controlled alliance…
But a pirate-controlled one.
If that’s true, then the biggest mystery isn’t whether the remaining members of the Seven Warlords will survive what’s coming.
It’s whether Oda has quietly been guiding several of them toward becoming the next Cross Guild Members all along.
Blackbeard Is Pushing Certain Warlords Toward Cross Guild
One of the strongest pieces of evidence supporting this Cross Guild Theory is Blackbeard’s recent behavior.
Ever since the Seven Warlords system collapsed, Blackbeard has repeatedly crossed paths with several former Warlords. Rather than treating them as ordinary pirates, he consistently targets individuals whose strength, influence, or abilities can benefit his own ambitions.
Blackbeard attacked Amazon Lily and targeted Boa Hancock for her Devil Fruit.
Moria later ended up imprisoned on Hachinosu after entering Blackbeard’s territory to search for Absalom.
His next major target was Trafalgar Law, whom he defeated near Winner Island before taking copies of the Road Poneglyphs.
That is not a small pattern.
Blackbeard has directly threatened three major former Warlords who are not currently Cross Guild Members. Meanwhile, the World Government has continued trying to capture, replace, or imprison the others.
That creates a very clear narrative pressure.
The former Warlords are being squeezed from both sides.
On one side, the Government wants to erase the old system and replace them with the Seraphim.
On the other hand, Blackbeard continues expanding the Blackbeard Pirates by stealing power, territory, Devil Fruits, and influence.
This is where the Cross Guild becomes much more than Buggy’s lucky accident.
It becomes the one major pirate organization capable of offering several remaining former Warlords what they desperately need: protection, resources, influence, and a direct way to strike back.
That is why Moria and Hancock matter so much.
Their recent stories do more than show them surviving Blackbeard.
They show Oda pushing them toward the exact kind of Cross Guild alliance that Buggy, Mihawk, and Crocodile have already created.
Could Gecko Moria Become One of the Next Cross Guild Members?
Gecko Moria is one of the clearest candidates to become one of the next Cross Guild Members.
After the Thriller Bark arc, Moria’s role in the story appeared to be over. He lost to Luffy, was nearly killed during Marineford, and eventually disappeared from the main storyline.
Yet Oda brought him back for a reason.
Moria traveled to Hachinosu after Absalom mysteriously disappeared. After tracking his crewmate to Pirate Island, he hoped to rescue him, only to discover that Absalom had already been murdered by the Blackbeard Pirates and that Shiryu had taken the Clear-Clear Fruit.
That moment matters because it proves Moria still deeply cares about his crew, even after everything he has lost.
However, his attempt to confront Blackbeard ended badly.
Instead of getting revenge, Moria was imprisoned on Pirate Island. Later, Perona infiltrated Hachinosu and helped Koby escape on the condition that he help release Moria. The manga has not fully shown Moria’s escape afterward, but Perona’s actions clearly create the opening for him to break free from Blackbeard’s control.
That setup creates the perfect bridge to the Cross Guild.
Perona already has a strong connection to Mihawk. During the timeskip, she lived with him at Kuraigana Island, and their relationship became one of the most unexpected bonds in the story.
She is also fiercely loyal to Moria, making her the ideal person to connect these two sides.
Moria Needs Allies More Than Ever
Moria would probably not join the Cross Guild willingly.
His pride is simply too great.
He once challenged Kaido, ruled over Thriller Bark, and built an army of zombies because he believed he could still become Pirate King without risking the lives of his crew again.
If he eventually joins Buggy, Mihawk, and Crocodile, it won’t be because he suddenly respects Buggy as a captain.
It will be because the situation leaves him with little choice.
Blackbeard has already humiliated him.
The Marines would still hunt him if they found him.
His crew is smaller than ever.
Most importantly, Perona may be the only person capable of convincing him that joining Mihawk’s side is not surrender.
It’s survival.
Perona Could Be the Bridge Between Moria and Mihawk
Perona’s role is easy to underestimate, but she may be one of the most important pieces in this theory.
She connects two former Warlords who would not naturally trust each other.
Moria is stubborn, emotional, and driven by old wounds.
By contrast, Mihawk is calm, detached, and difficult to read.
On paper, they do not seem like characters who would willingly form an alliance.
Yet Perona changes that dynamic.
She cares about Moria enough to risk entering Hachinosu for him. At the same time, she spent years living with Mihawk, giving her a unique understanding of the man behind his cold exterior.
That makes her the perfect mediator.
If Moria ultimately escapes Hachinosu with nowhere safe to go, Perona’s most logical destination would be Mihawk. Since Mihawk is now part of the Cross Guild, that path naturally leads to Buggy’s organization.
Doing so would also give Moria a meaningful role in the story once again.
The Cross Guild does not need him simply because he is a former Warlord.
His Devil Fruit alone makes him a valuable asset.
The Shadow-Shadow Fruit can create an army, manipulate shadows, empower fighters, and turn fallen enemies into weapons. In a world where the Government has the Seraphim and Blackbeard continues assembling a powerful crew, Moria’s abilities could become even more valuable under the protection of a larger alliance.
That possibility makes his recruitment especially compelling.
Moria does not need to become one of the Cross Guild’s strongest fighters.
Instead, he only needs to become valuable in a war where numbers, fear, and psychological warfare could prove just as important as raw strength.
That role suits him perfectly.
Could Boa Hancock Become One of the Next Cross Guild Members?
Boa Hancock’s situation may be even more urgent than Moria’s.
For years, Amazon Lily was one of the safest places in the world. The island’s isolation, the Kuja Pirates, and Hancock’s overwhelming strength made it nearly untouchable.
Everything changed after the Seven Warlords system was abolished.
The Marines attacked Amazon Lily.
Blackbeard invaded at the same time.
The Government also deployed the Seraphim, including S-Snake and S-Hawk.
That detail is especially interesting.
Hancock was attacked by the very weapons created to replace the Seven Warlords, including one modeled after Mihawk, who now stands as one of the leaders of the Cross Guild.
That does not prove Hancock will eventually become one of the next Cross Guild Members.
However, it does create an interesting narrative parallel.
The Government attempted to replace the Warlords with the Seraphim.
At the same time, one of the original Warlords became a founding member of the Cross Guild.
Whether intentional or not, Oda places Hancock’s greatest crisis directly alongside both of those developments.
Why Hancock Needs a New Alliance
Amazon Lily can no longer rely on isolation for protection.
The Government knows exactly where Hancock is.
Blackbeard also recognizes how valuable her Devil Fruit could be.
If either side returns with greater preparation, Rayleigh himself admitted that, at his current age, he probably could not defeat Blackbeard in a confrontation. That admission suggests Hancock cannot assume Rayleigh will always be able to rescue her.
That leaves Hancock facing the same reality as Moria.
Her strength alone may no longer be enough.
The Marines now possess the Seraphim.
Blackbeard continues pursuing powerful Devil Fruits.
Meanwhile, the world’s strongest factions are steadily gathering allies.
Under those circumstances, Hancock may eventually need something greater than her own power.
She may need an alliance.
Rayleigh Gives Hancock a Path to Buggy
This is where Rayleigh becomes important.
He saved Hancock during the Amazon Lily incident, but his role may extend beyond that single rescue.
As one of Buggy’s former crewmates aboard the Roger Pirates, Rayleigh has a direct connection to him. Buggy may be cowardly and constantly fail upward, but he still shares history with one of the greatest pirate crews ever assembled.
That history matters.
If Rayleigh recommended the Cross Guild as a potential ally capable of helping protect both Hancock and Amazon Lily, she would have good reason to consider it. Not because she respects Buggy, but because she trusts Rayleigh’s judgment.
There is another reason this Cross Guild Theory works.
Joining the Cross Guild would not automatically force Hancock to abandon Luffy.
That distinction is important.
Her loyalty to Luffy defines much of her character, making any theory that immediately turns her against him difficult to reconcile with canon.
Fortunately, nothing about the Cross Guild currently requires its members to become direct enemies of the Straw Hats.
At least, not yet.
Buggy wants the One Piece.
Crocodile seeks power and influence.
Mihawk values freedom above all else.
Hancock wants to protect Amazon Lily.
Those goals are different, but they are not necessarily incompatible.
That is what makes the Cross Guild alliance so dangerous.
Its members do not need to share the same dream.
They only need enough common interests to justify working together.
For Hancock, protecting Amazon Lily may eventually become that common interest.
Could Doflamingo Become One of the Next Cross Guild Members?
Out of every former Warlord, Donquixote Doflamingo is the most difficult to place.
Unlike Hancock or Moria, he is not wandering the seas looking for allies.
Blackbeard is not hunting him.
Nor is he searching for a new purpose.
Instead, Doflamingo remains imprisoned inside Impel Down while the world continues changing around him.
At first glance, that makes him seem like the least likely candidate to become one of the next Cross Guild Members.
Ironically, it may make him one of the most important.
Despite his imprisonment, Oda continues bringing Doflamingo back whenever major events reshape the world. While countless defeated villains disappear after their arcs conclude, Doflamingo remains relevant.
Readers repeatedly see his reactions to the changing world, reminding us that his role in the story is far from over.
That naturally raises an important question.
Why keep returning to Doflamingo if his story has already ended?
The answer may lie in what he knows.
Doflamingo Knows Secrets No Other Warlord Does
Long before readers learned about Imu or the Empty Throne, Doflamingo hinted that he knew dangerous secrets hidden within the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
As a former Celestial Dragon, he possesses knowledge that almost no pirate should have.
He understands how the Celestial Dragons operate.
He also knows information that the World Government considers important enough to keep hidden.
Most notably, Doflamingo referred to the “National Treasure of Mary Geoise” and implied that its existence could shake the world if revealed. He has not explicitly mentioned Imu by name, so any connection between his knowledge and Imu remains speculative.
Those are not small details.
They are exactly the kind of information that could become invaluable as the race for the One Piece continues.
That knowledge also makes Doflamingo incredibly dangerous.
The Government has every reason to keep him imprisoned forever.
Likewise, anyone opposing the Government would have every reason to want access to what he knows.
That is where the Cross Guild enters the equation.
Unlike most pirate crews, the Cross Guild has already declared open opposition to the Government by placing bounties on Marines. If its influence continues growing, information could become just as valuable as military strength.
Few characters possess potentially world-changing information to the same extent as Doflamingo.
A Future Escape Feels Increasingly Likely
The biggest obstacle to this Cross Guild Theory is obvious.
Doflamingo is still imprisoned.
However, One Piece has a long history of prison breaks, changing the course of the story.
The Impel Down breakout before the Summit War reshaped the world by unleashing dozens of dangerous criminals, including Buggy himself.
That precedent matters.
If another major prison break occurs during the race for the One Piece, Doflamingo would immediately become one of its most valuable escapees.
More importantly, he would suddenly find himself in the same position as the other former Warlords.
Without Government protection.
Hunted by powerful enemies.
Forced to choose new allies.
Those circumstances closely resemble the situation that originally pushed Mihawk and Crocodile into the Cross Guild.
While that does not guarantee Doflamingo would make the same choice, it would place him under similar pressures.
Why the Cross Guild Makes Sense for Doflamingo
Doflamingo has never been the type of pirate to follow someone else.
That is one of the biggest objections to this theory.
Would he really become one of the next Cross Guild Members?
Probably not if Buggy were treated as a traditional captain.
However, that question may misunderstand how the Cross Guild actually operates.
Mihawk does not truly serve Buggy.
Neither does Crocodile.
Both remain because the alliance benefits them.
The Cross Guild functions less like a traditional pirate crew and more like a coalition built around shared interests.
That structure makes someone like Doflamingo much easier to imagine joining.
He would not need to recognize Buggy as his superior.
Instead, he would simply acknowledge that their interests temporarily align.
The World Government wants to keep him imprisoned.
The Cross Guild openly opposes the Government.
Those goals naturally complement one another.
If Oda intends to reunite more of the former Warlords, Doflamingo does not merely fit this alliance.
He could become one of its most valuable members—not simply because of his strength, but because of the knowledge he possesses.
Could Trafalgar Law Become One of the Next Cross Guild Members?
At first, Trafalgar Law might seem like the weakest candidate to become one of the next Cross Guild Members.
Unlike Hancock, Moria, or Doflamingo, he has never shown any desire to work alongside Buggy, Crocodile, or Mihawk. His history with Doflamingo makes the idea seem even less likely.
Even so, Oda has repeatedly created unlikely alliances whenever circumstances leave characters with few alternatives.
Law’s current situation may be the perfect example.
After leaving Wano, Law encountered Blackbeard near Winner Island. Although the Heart Pirates fought back, Blackbeard ultimately defeated them.
Law escaped only because Bepo used a special Rumble Ball developed by Chopper, allowing him to transform into Sulong long enough to carry Law away from the battlefield.
That escape saved Law’s life.
It did not solve his problems.
His crew is scattered.
The Polar Tang was destroyed.
Blackbeard obtained copies of Law’s Road Poneglyphs.
And Law’s current whereabouts remain unknown.
For one of the world’s most resourceful pirates, this is the weakest position he has occupied since entering the New World.
Law Has Rebuilt Before
This would not be the first time Oda forced Law to rebuild from nothing.
Before becoming one of the Worst Generation’s most influential captains, Law lost nearly everyone he cared about.
He survived the destruction of Flevance.
He witnessed the Donquixote Family manipulate and exploit countless people.
Finally, he lost Corazon, the man who sacrificed everything to save him.
Each of those tragedies shaped Law into the pirate readers know today.
Now Oda has placed him in another position where he must start over.
That feels significant.
Rather than ending Law’s story, his defeat by Blackbeard may simply begin its next chapter.
Why Cross Guild Could Benefit Law
Unlike the other former Warlords, Law would not simply be looking for protection.
He would also be searching for an opportunity.
His ultimate goal has always been to uncover the truth behind the Will of D. and the hidden history connected to it. That objective has only become more important as the race for the One Piece continues.
Right now, however, Law lacks the resources to pursue that goal.
His crew is scattered.
His ship has been destroyed.
He has also lost the Road Poneglyph copies he fought to obtain.
Joining the Cross Guild—even temporarily—could help him recover while keeping him involved in the race for the One Piece.
The organization already possesses military strength.
It has global influence.
Most importantly, it could provide Law with time and resources to rebuild.
Just as his alliance with Luffy allowed him to accomplish goals he could not achieve alone, another temporary alliance would not be unprecedented for his character.
That does not prove Law will become one of the next Cross Guild Members.
It simply makes the possibility easier to imagine.
Cross Guild Does Not Need Loyalty—It Needs Common Goals
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Cross Guild is that everyone within the organization must share the same dream.
Nothing about the group suggests that it is true.
Buggy wants the One Piece.
Crocodile seeks military power and influence.
Mihawk values freedom and a peaceful life.
Law wants to uncover the world’s hidden history.
Those ambitions differ dramatically.
Even so, their short-term interests could still overlap.
That is precisely what makes the Cross Guild alliance so dangerous.
Its members do not need to pursue identical goals.
They simply need enough common interests to justify working together.
Law would not need to swear loyalty to Buggy.
Nor would he need to abandon his own ambitions.
Instead, he would only need to recognize that, for now, cooperation benefits him more than fighting alone.
If Oda truly intends to reunite more of the former Warlords, Law’s defeat may not represent the end of his journey.
Instead, it could become the event that places him on the same path as the others.
Could Edward Weevil Become the Last Cross Guild Member?
If Hancock, Moria, Doflamingo, and Law eventually find their way to the Cross Guild, only one former Warlord would remain outside the alliance.
Edward Weevil.
Ironically, his current situation mirrors many of the others.
After the Seven Warlords system was abolished, Weevil defeated numerous Marines who attempted to capture him.
Eventually, Admiral Ryokugyu defeated and arrested him while protecting Miss Buckin.
Once again, Oda places another former Warlord into Government custody.
That alone does not prove Weevil will eventually become one of the final Cross Guild Members.
It does, however, place him in a remarkably similar position to several of the other surviving former Warlords.
The real question is whether Oda intends to leave even one former Warlord outside the alliance if this Cross Guild Theory ultimately proves correct.
The Cross Guild May Replace the Seven Warlords
When you step back and look at the bigger picture, this theory becomes much less about individual characters and much more about Oda’s storytelling.
Since the abolition of the Seven Warlords system, many of the remaining members have found themselves facing remarkably similar circumstances.
The Government declared them enemies.
It introduced the Seraphim to replace the military role once filled by the Warlords.
Meanwhile, Blackbeard began targeting several of the world’s strongest pirates, including multiple former Warlords.
One by one, these former Government-backed pirates have been forced to search for new ways to survive.
At roughly the same time, Oda introduced the Cross Guild.
That timing feels far too deliberate to ignore.
Rather than allowing the former Warlords to disappear after losing their titles, Oda may be positioning some of them for a new role in the balance of power.
The original Seven Warlords existed to help maintain stability on behalf of the World Government.
The Cross Guild represents the complete opposite.
Instead of supporting the Government, it openly challenges it.
Instead of allowing Marines to hunt pirates without consequence, it places bounties on Marines themselves.
Rather than reinforcing the established order, it profits from undermining it.
That reversal feels intentional.
If this Cross Guild Theory is correct, then abolishing the Seven Warlords was never simply about removing them from the story.
Instead, it may have created the conditions necessary for many of the remaining Cross Guild Members to unite under a completely different banner.
Not as Government allies.
But as pirates answering only to themselves.
Every Major Power Is Building an Alliance
The Cross Guild is not the only organization expanding its influence.
Luffy continues building relationships through the Straw Hat Grand Fleet and the many allies he has gathered throughout his journey.
At the same time, the Revolutionary Army continues challenging the World Government while inspiring nations to resist its rule.
Blackbeard continues recruiting powerful pirates while strengthening the Blackbeard Pirates.
Even the World Government has consolidated its military power through the Marines, the Seraphim, the Holy Knights, and the Five Elders.
Every major faction appears to be preparing for something much larger.
Rather than acting alone, each side is building alliances before the race for the One Piece reaches its conclusion.
If Oda is moving the story in that direction, then adding more Cross Guild Members becomes much easier to imagine.
It would not simply strengthen Buggy’s organization.
It would reinforce one of the largest themes currently shaping One Piece.
Power is no longer being concentrated within individuals.
It is being concentrated within alliances.
That larger conflict could eventually pit the Cross Guild against the World Government, the Revolutionary Army against the World Government, Blackbeard’s growing empire, and even Luffy’s allies against the World Government as the race for the One Piece reaches its climax.
What This Could Mean for the Future
This idea also connects with another theory I’ve discussed before.
I’ve previously argued that Blackbeard could eventually unite with surviving members of the Rocks Pirates, including Big Mom and Kaido, creating a new version of the legendary Rocks Pirates.
That theory remains speculative.
However, if it proves correct, an interesting parallel begins to emerge.
Blackbeard would be gathering some of history’s greatest pirates.
At the same time, the Cross Guild could be gathering many of the surviving former Seven Warlords.
Whether Oda intends to create that exact matchup remains unknown.
Even so, both theories point toward the same larger direction.
The balance of power is changing.
The era of isolated pirate crews appears to be ending.
Instead, Oda seems to be constructing increasingly powerful alliances that may eventually collide during the race for the One Piece.
If that is where the story is headed, then the Cross Guild may become far more than Buggy’s organization.
It could become the true successor to the Seven Warlords of the Sea, bringing together many of the Cross Guild Members the World Government unintentionally helped unite.
Of course, this remains a theory.
Oda has not confirmed that the remaining former Warlords will unite under the Cross Guild.
Still, when you look at the mounting evidence—the abolition of the Warlord system, the creation of the Seraphim, Blackbeard repeatedly crossing paths with several former Warlords, and the growing importance of large pirate alliances—it becomes much easier to understand why so many of these storylines appear to be converging.
But what do you think?
Could Buggy, Mihawk, and Crocodile eventually recruit the remaining Cross Guild Members under one banner?
Or does Oda have an entirely different future planned for Hancock, Moria, Law, Doflamingo, and Weevil?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Until next time!