Interesting, though I suspect the next major arc (presumably Elbaf) will reduce it to at most 4. Either because they're beaten or folded into the Straw Hats.
Either Shanks's or Blackbeard's crew would be my estimation.
Well my Initial guess was going to be 3 Groups
Lawful Evil - Imu and the World Government
Chaotic evil - Blackbeard and The Evil Pirates
and the Good people headed up by Luffy.
The Cross Guild and Buggy Splitting the "Evil" Pirates into "Blackbeard and whatever the Will of Xebec is" and "Generic Chaotic Evil Pirates" Makes sense to me.
Shanks is up in the air to me but I can see him being his own faction now that they have established that he has gathered his own set of "weaklings" as an army. I can see him going after Laugh Tale independently of Luffy, but not being an outright antagonist to Luffy.
Tbh I expect the Final Race for The One Piece to be a fucking Clusterfuck of Epic Proportions because you have a growing list of Powers that are emerging..all of which will end up heading for Loadstar Island like Dominos the moment that it leaks that SOMEONE has all Info from the 4 Red Poneglyphs and is heading for Loadstar.
For the Record I am mostly including the Revolutionaries with Luffy, if Dragon were going to be an evil force I would imagine we would know by this point in the series.
Oda straight up told us this through Dofflamingo and Law
It's been two years since the Paramount War!!! And who exactly has been moving events? You've done nothing more than maintain peace and tranquility. Whitebeard only left his mark on our times. Navy Headquarters has bolstered itself with new strength!!! None of the other big players have acted... as though they've only been preparing!! That war was nothing more than a prologue. Like you've always said, a new age is coming with unmatched power... An age of the daring and mighty!!! Well, now I've destroyed the gears!! And no one can turn back!!!
That was Law to Dofflamingo during Punk Hazard.
And when he was imprisoned Dofflamingo confirmed it.
"Who rules this stretch of Ocean? Is it One of the 4 Emperors of the Sea? Or perhaps it is The Seven Warlords, But then there are the Forces of Justice..the Navy reigns supreme, and the Revolutionaries The Will of the people is stocked with several strong fighters, and the people of the D who have smoldered beneath the currents of history..when will they show themselves and where?
Tell the Celestial Dragons in Marijoa that "you will be Dragged from your Lofty Perch" 25 Years ago Gol Roger became the first man to conquer the Grand Line, His Rival Whitebeard sat before the Throne but never upon it, the number of pirates have swelled but there is still only one SEAT sitting empty..do you see where I am going with this? This is going to kick off the greatest battle for power in the history of Piratekind"
The One who ends up in control of Laugh Tale will end up ruling the world. (Minus Luffy because he will be like "FUCK THAT SHIT VIVI YOU BE QUEEN OF THE WORLD! SABO MARRY THAT HOE YOU INCEL")
Edit: By the way I think this was all..losely Planned by Gol Roger, he went up on that Scaffold knowing what he would set off with his Final Words.
