Despite being one of the best-written characters in One Piece, Sanji is unusually underrated despite being one of the characters who is extremely powerful even without a Devil Fruit. He was formidable enough before he learned Haki, and after the time skip, his powers grew immensely. He specializes in using his legs for fighting instead of his hands because he does not want to risk damaging his hands, which he needs to cook.
His kicks are popular throughout the pirate world, earning him the nickname Black Leg Sanji. He uses numerous powerful techniques with his kicks, and one of his signature techniques, Diable Jambe, allows him to create fire from his feet and defeat his enemies in a single swoop. He first uses this ability in the “Enies Lobby” arc against members of CP-9. As he grows stronger, the amount of fire he can create increases as well. The giant pool of fire he can now create with his ability could be easily mistaken for a Devil Fruit ability.
How Does Sanji Create Fire With Diable Jambe?
In French and Catalan, Diable means “devil” and Jambe means “leg”. Sanji uses this technique to heat his leg, which greatly increases the impact of his kicks. By spinning at extremely high velocities, the friction causes Sanji’s legs to heat up tremendously, making it look as if he is using a fire technique. Diable Jambe allows him to set his opponents on fire due to the high temperature. He can even use this technique on both legs at once. However, it’s not an invincible technique since using it too long or too frequently causes strain on the user’s legs, which may lead to serious injuries.
In the “Wano Country” arc, Queen, one of the high-ranking members of the Beast Pirates, speculates that an ability like that is only possible with some kind of genetic enhancement. He even assumes that Sanji must be related to the Lunarian race, although the latter denies it and says he is a normal human. Up until the “Wano Country” arc, Diable Jambe was his most powerful attack. As his heat grows more intense, so does the speed and impact of his kicks. In Enies Lobby, Sanji just developed this technique, but it was still powerful enough to burn through Jabra’s toughest Tekkai and overpower him completely. After learning Haki, Sanji was able to increase this attack’s potency.
Diable Jambe Sub-Techniques
Interestingly enough, the Straw Hats’ chef names most of his attacks based on food ingredients or cooking procedures in French. The first technique Sanji uses against Jabra is Premier Hachis, which literally means “First-Rate Mincemeat.” Sanji rapidly kicks his enemy’s stomach multiple times, and with each kick, his Diable Jambe’s heat keeps increasing. This is the first old technique he uses after the time skip. Secondly, his technique Flambage Shot allows his Diable Jambe to create an explosive effect with the massive heat. Flambage is derived from the French word “flambé,” which is a cooking method to create a burst of flames by adding alcohol to the pan.
With this technique, he kicks his opponents downward, crashing them into the ground. His technique Extra Hachis, meaning “Highest-Rate Mincemeat,” is a more advanced form of Premier Hachis. While using Extra Hachis, Sanji launches multiple flaming kicks from the air, making it look like one big explosion. “Frites Assorties” is a French phrase that means “Fries Assortment.” Sanji uses this attack to deflect the Gomu Gomu no Bazooka attack of the ancient Oars in the “Thriller Bark” arc. To use this attack, Sanji jumps into the air and delivers three consecutive kicks in different directions, creating spiraling flames toward the opponent. These are all techniques Sanji uses before learning Haki. However, after the time skip, he creates new and stronger techniques with his Diable Jambe.
Bien Cuit: Grill Shot, meaning “Well Cooked: Grill Shot” is a technique where Sanji spins around and delivers a back kick to his target. The fire he creates by spinning burns a significant portion of his enemies even if they are massive like the Kraken. Poêle à Frire: Spectre means “Frying Pan: Spectre,” where Sanji gets high up in the sky with his Sky Walk and uses his blazing legs to kick downward. Collier Strike is Sanji’s most common technique where he jumps into the air to deliver a powerful kick to his opponent’s neck, burning them in the process.
Additionally, he uses the technique Concassé, meaning “Crush,” to jump into the air and slam his heel on top of his opponent’s head. Against his fight with the Beast Pirates, he introduces a powerful technique called Party Table Kick Course where he performs a handstand and spins to deliver multiple flaming kicks. This technique is the more advanced version of one of Sanji’s oldest techniques. Lastly, using the technique Rotisserie Strike, meaning “Rotation Grill Strike,” Sanji delivers a flaming kick, sending his enemy spinning and slamming into their surroundings.
Ifrit Jambe: The Advanced Version of Diable Jambe
There’s no denying that the “Wano Country” arc gives massive power boosts to the Straw Hats. Sanji not only uses his Raid Suit for the first time but also further enhances his Diable Jambe to a higher level called Ifrit Jambe, meaning “Demon’s Leg.” The word “Ifrit” is derived from Islamic mythology, in which the demon named Ifrit is often associated with the underworld. Sanji develops this technique in the “Wano Country” arc after using his Raid Suit multiple times, thereby awakening his inert genetic modifications.
The genetic modifications within Sanji are supposed to be non-existent because he was considered weak during his childhood. However, now that he is stronger, his modifications are in full effect, giving him powers similar to that of his siblings. Sanji combines his newly awakened powers with his own to develop a much superior version of Diable Jambe. By combining his exoskeleton with Armament Haki, Sanji is able to create extremely hot flames that turn blue because of the intense heat and produce blazes resembling lightning. Sanji is able to use all the techniques of Diable Jambe with his newfound ability and create more impact than he could otherwise.
