Elbaph will likely be Usopp's arc, but not how One Piece fans are expecting

Modified Jan 01, 2025 20:30 GMT

Elbaph will likely be Usopp's arc, but not how One Piece fans are expecting (Image via Toei Animation)

Usopp might be the most excited after reaching Elbaph Island in One Piece and the reason is obvious. Since his first encounter with Dorry and Brogy in Little Garden, the Straw Hat member has been adamant about reaching the hometown of giants and fulfilling his dream of becoming a true warrior. However, Usopp's first encounter with Elbaph might have ruined his dream.

As claimed by Ripley, the giants were no longer barbarians, and after King Harald's rule, they were more social than they had been in history. This was also concerning for the fans because they were expecting Usopp to shine in the Elbaph arc. However, Usopp will shine in this arc as he might be the driving force for the giants to fight against the presumed Holy Knights that infiltrated the island.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the One Piece manga series and has the author's opinion.

One Piece: Exploring how Usopp will shine in the Elbaph Island arc

Ripley's words as seen in the manga (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha)

One Piece chapter 1134 saw the Straw Hat Pirates enter a nearby village inside Elbaph Island after Saul and Robin's reunion. There, they met numerous other giants and explored the Elbaph libraries. However, the Straw Hat Pirates (specifically Luffy and Usopp) were shocked after realizing that the Elbaph giants didn't resort to war, just like in the past.

This was reconfirmed by the entry of Ripley, a teacher at Elbaph Island, who revealed that the new looks of the giants might send the Straw Hat Pirates into a "culture shock." Ripley also revealed that the reason behind such a drastic change might be their late ruler, King Harald, who stated:

"Seek trade with other nations, not wage war."

Usopp as seen in the manga (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha)

As expected, this reveal did make Usopp and Luffy angry, as they were expecting to learn new things from the giants. However, the giants were now scholars who hardly went into battle for anything. Similarly, just like the Straw Hat Pirates, the fans were also in shock given how this meant the disaster of Usopp's dream to become the true warrior.

In the Little Garden arc, Usopp expressed interest in the battle between Dorry and Brogy and stated that he dreamt of becoming like them in the future. However, these legends started 100 years before and no longer exist on Elbaph Island (as Dorry and Brogy had left their homeland almost 100 years ago). So, do the current conditions on Elbaph also negate Usopp's spotlight in the Elbaph arc?

The mysterious characters as seen in the epilogue chapter (Image via Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha)

Fortunately, that might not happen and the series has already started building towards Usopp's lead role in the future. In One Piece chapter 1134, two mysterious characters (presumably Holy Knights) were summoned to Elbaph Island through a magic circle. Moreover, given their appearances, these two might be knights of the top caliber.

So, the future might see Usopp as a lead against these mysterious characters as the giants fought against anyone for quite a while. Usopp's words might motivate the giants to jump back into action. This might be Usopp's redemption of every joke related to him regarding his amateurish fighting skills, the prime example being his nickname "God Usopp."

Analysis and final thoughts

If One Piece does give Usopp a spotlight in the Elbaph arc, it might make the Straw Hat pirate one of the most useless ones given how his battle history is filled with blunders and lucky moments.

So, the appearance of the Holy Knights on Elbaph Iisland might be a hint at the character's spotlight. While this spotlight might be different than what the fans were expecting (who were expecting Usopp to train and become a stronger man), it might do justice to the character.

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Edited by Meenakshi Ajith