One Piece: Will Elbaf finally be Usopp's arc? Explored

One Piece fans have always dreamed of seeing the Straw Hat Pirates visit Elbaf, and the time has finally come. With their stay in Egghead coming to an end, the Straw Hats are set to leave Dr. Vegapunk’s futuristic island to reach the fabled homeland of the Giants.

The upcoming Elbaf Arc promises to be enthralling. Among other things to expect from Elbaf, fans especially look forward to the arc being centered around Usopp, with the long-nosed sniper finally proving his courage and worth as a brave sea warrior.

Elbaf has long been teased as the perfect environment for Usopp to take center stage. However, taking into account the way One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has handled the previous arcs, it’s safe to say that nothing is to be taken for granted.

One Piece fans can't wait to see Usopp shine

At this point in the series, Usopp needs to step up his game

One Piece often uses Usopp's character for comic relief (Image via Toei Animation)

Eiichiro Oda has himself declared that Usopp is and will remain the weakest member of the Straw Hat Pirates, clearly implying that the son of Yasopp was never meant to be a formidable fighter. Nevertheless, Usopp has managed to grow into a decent warrior.

Throughout One Piece, the long-nosed sniper has been shown to use his cleverness to deceive and trick opponents who are evidently stronger than him. Usopp helped Otama, allowing her to take control of the Gifters, but that doesn't seem comparable to the feats and achievements of the other Straw Hats, looking at how even Nami and Chopper managed to thrive as fighters.

With the Straw Hat Pirates now having gained the status of a Yonko crew, Usopp is the only member who has yet to demonstrate his prowess in a fight against a worthy opponent.

When needed, Usopp can stand up and fight with valor (Image via Toei Animation)

Theoretically, if Usopp combines the Observation Haki he unlocked in Dressrosa with his marksmanship skills, he could stand out as a dangerous long-range fighter. However, his improvements since the long-gone days of Dressrosa have been negligible, if not non-existent.

Despite being one of the so-called “East Blue Five”, alongside Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Sanji, Usopp receives a narrative focus that's not even remotely comparable to the other early members of the Straw Hat Pirates.

In the initial part of One Piece, he was emphasized as a decent fighter who could be useful to the crew even in battle. In terms of writing, Usopp's character deserves more recognition, as he embodies the vulnerability of a frail human being tossed back and forth in a world full of battle-toughened monsters.

Unlike established powerhouses such as Luffy or Zoro, Usopp never really aimed to overcome other fighters, but his own fear, which is probably the most humane and realistic thing there is. Elbaf would be the perfect environment for him to break through his concerns and shine as the proud, brave warrior he has always dreamed of becoming.

Elbaf must give Usopp his long-awaited moment of glory

Elbaf as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Usopp has forged a strong personal bond with the Giants of Elbaf. He first befriended Dorry and Brogy, whose friendship, might, and sense of honor left him in awe. He then socialized with Oimo and Kashii, bringing them to the side of the Straw Hats and their allies. Finally, he befriended Hajrudin.

Essentially, whenever One Piece author Eiichiro Oda put Giants in the path of the Straw Hat crew, he made sure to have them interact with Usopp, which only emphasized the latter’s narrative ties with Elbaf. Having befriended several high-ranked Giants, Usopp should have already garnered a reputation among the people of Elbaf so they welcome him with full honors.

The Giants of Elbaf are Usopp's friends (Image via Toei Animation)

Perhaps, as the events of the Elbaf Arc unfold, Usopp will prove his abilities in front of the Giants, which would be the culmination of his growth. There would be no better development for the long-nosed liar than to fulfill his dream of becoming a “great warrior” in front of the people he admires the most.

However, despite the huge build-up, many fans are skeptical that Elbaf won’t give Usopp the appropriate and highly-anticipated spotlight. After all, this has already happened with Zoro in Wano, and with Franky in Egghead. Fans expected these two Straw Hats to be the main focus of the respective arcs, but the manga went for a different route.

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While Zoro showcased incredible strength in Wano, fans were disappointed when the green-haired swordsman was left with many unresolved plotlines. With Wano being the land of swordsmen par excellence, many fans expected more to come for the right-hand man of Monkey D. Luffy.

Despite an overall amazing focus, with many great moments such as him using the Advanced Conqueror’s Haki, fans found Zoro’s path disappointing as he didn’t have a rematch with Kaido. Moreover, his ties with the Shimotsuki Family weren’t fully deepened, especially with regards to his connection with the unparalleled “Sword God” Shimotsuki Ryuma.

Although it didn’t happen in Wano, the time for Zoro to reach greater heights will definitely come. The same applies to Franky, who didn’t get the technological upgrades that most fans expected him to gain after meeting Vegapunk on Egghead.

Considering that Franky used Vegapunk’s projects to improve his cyborg body during the two-year time skip, several fans were disappointed by the former not bringing this process to a higher level. Nevertheless, Franky’s performance during the Egghead Arc was quite impressive, which lessened the letdown.

Usopp reaffirming his dream (Image via Toei Animation)

In all fairness, Zoro and Franky’s goals have never been specifically tied to Wano and Egghead respectively. Franky’s dream to create a ship that will circumnavigate the world doesn’t have much to do with Egghead. On the other hand, Usopp’s character development has been unequivocally paired with Elbaf.

Thus, the sniper’s growth should rightfully take place on the island of the Giants. Unless Oda decides to make the Elbaf Arc centered around Luffy and the lore of Joy Boy – which, given the strong ties between the Giants and the legend of Nika, is not a remote possibility – fans can expect that Usopp’s time has finally come.