One Piece’s highly anticipated Elbaf Arc commences Harald’s backstory right before the big fight against the Holy Knights. The series teased this arc in the Little Garden Arc of the Alabasta Saga, which was over 25 years ago. The island is known for its brave Giant warriors, who value honor and pride over their lives. It was that ideal that made Luffy and Usopp respect Dorry and Brogy in the first place. The duo dreamed of visiting Elbaf ever since. Meeting Dorry and Brogy gave Usopp the motivation to become stronger and honorable like them. It’s been over two decades, and the fanbase believed that it’s finally Usopp’s chance to shine.
As one of the Straw Hat Pirates, Usopp has a massive fanbase, but he doesn’t always get the attention he deserves. One Piece thrives on intense action scenes with characters using Haki and Devil Fruits. That’s not a place for the crew’s sniper, who can’t use Armament and Conqueror’s Haki. He also doesn’t have any Devil Fruit or powerful physical strength to speak of. Unlike Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, Usopp serves a different purpose in the crew, but this often leads him to get overshadowed. Even though the Elbaf Arc commenced a few months ago, there aren’t any signs of Usopp stealing the spotlight from others. On the other hand, it’s more likely for Sanji to get even more development.
One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Might Give Sanji the One Power He Lacks
Although Devil Fruits can significantly boost someone’s offensive or defensive abilities, it isn’t the sole criterion for someone to become powerful. Several top-tier characters, such as Shanks, Roger, Mihawk, Garp, and many others, rely only on Haki. The strongest Straw Hat members, Zoro and Sanji, are also the same, except that the former has one edge over the crew’s cook. Zoro can use Conqueror’s Haki while Sanji has shown no signs of awakening this ability yet. However, this might change in the Elbaf Arc. The introduction of Scopper Gaban, Roger’s left-hand, has been groundbreaking, not only for the story but also for Sanji’s character.
Just as Luffy parallels Gol D. Roger, Zoro parallels Rayleigh and Sanji with Gaban. Gaban competed with Rayleigh for the spot of the second strongest in the crew. The debate probably never even settled since Gaban insists on calling himself No. 2 of the Roger Pirates. Rivalry aside, Gaban’s powers can’t be scoffed at, and a majority of the reason why he’s so overwhelmingly powerful is because of his Conqueror’s Haki and Future Sight.
There’s also the fact that the Holy Knights seem like immortals because of their regenerative powers. On the surface, it may seem like they don’t have any weakness, but Gaban knows the trick to defeating them, and the only choice is to use Advanced Conqueror’s Haki. Just before Harald’s backstory commenced in the manga, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were preparing to fight the Holy Knights.
Sanji can have all the power in the world, but it’s useless against the villains if he doesn’t use Conqueror’s. One Piece has always shown Zoro and Sanji neck-in-neck with one another, with Zoro always having a slight advantage. Even so, it doesn’t seem likely that Sanji would go too far without awakening one of the strongest abilities in the world of One Piece.
One Piece Creator May Be Preparing to Reshape Sanji’s Image
According to the latest Chapter 1157, it’s highly evident that the series’ creator, Eiichiro Oda, is also planning to salvage Sanji’s reputation, which has been in the mud because of his gag. He always simps over beautiful women, and someone goes over the top because of that. Sanji’s chivalry and his desire to flirt with every woman he sees are just aspects of his personality, which is why he has always been in the middle of the controversy. Although he has more fans than haters, it’s clear that his gag isn’t well-received by many.
Sanji’s flirtatious behavior wasn’t meant to be taken seriously, but the repetition can cause frustration among readers. To make matters worse, the anime’s slow pacing often makes him appear creepy because those scenes last for longer than necessary. However, in the latest backstory, we see almost all the legendary pirates, including Gol D. Roger, Edward Newgate, and Rocks D. Xebec. With so many legends having “heart-eyes” over Shakuyaku, Sanji’s gag doesn’t seem too out of place now.
Elbaf isn’t simply an arc for showcasing intense battles, but it’s supposed to be a lore-heavy arc. The island of the Giants is directly connected to Nika and has several hidden clues about figuring out the world’s true history. With the Holy Knights’ arrival and Harald’s flashback following the story of Rocks D. Xebec, there’s just not enough time to develop Usopp’s character any further. Although he might have a few moments of fame, it just can’t be compared to the Monster Trio. That’s just how the story has been, especially after the time-skip.
