Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #1128 of One Piece.
One Piece’s newest arc has finally brought the Straw Hats to Elbaf, the home of the Giants and a destination that fans have been eagerly waiting to see for thousands of chapters. Moreover, though theStraw Hats' adventure in the so-called Land of Mysteryhas only just begun, the new arc is already bringingOne Pieceback to its roots in the best way imaginable.
With Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji finally having reunited with Nami and Usopp, chapter #1128 ofOne Piecesees the Straw Hats further explore their odd surroundings. While the chapter is fairly uneventful save for the appearance of the mysterious Sun God, oneaspect that stands out from the get-go is the chapter’s playful tone and humor.
From age-old gags and references to the return of hilarious facial expressions by the Straw Hats, the latest chapter is stronglyreminiscent of the series' pre-time skip humor, and the Elbaf arc appears to finally be bringing it back at the best moment possible.
One Piece’s Elbaf Arc is Bringing Back the Series' Iconic Old Humor
Created by Eichiiro Oda, Chapter #1128, “RPG”
Though fans ofOne Piecemay never agree on power scaling debates, there is a surprisingconsensus that the pre-time skip arcs are the funniestin the series. Story arcs such as the Thriller Bark Arc and the G-8 Arc are considered thefunniest arcs in all ofOne Piece,with a distinct sense of humor that has been missing in the series since the time skip.
The series had seemingly taken on a more somber tone after the Summit War and Ace’s death.
While the series still had its humorous moments and interactions, they were lacking the same charm and goofiness from before the time skip. Previously iconic gags likeSanji’s pervertedness also felt overdonewhen the gag was incorporated into the plot during the Fishman Island Arc. More than anything, the series had seemingly taken on a more somber tone after the Summit War and Ace’s death, as the time skip also sawLuffy and the Straw Hats mature to brave the New World.
One Piece Begins the Elbaf Arc With Luffy Eating A God And It’s Only Going To Get Bigger From There
One Piece’s newest arc finally reveals the Giant’s home of Elbaf, and its first chapters already feature many mysteries.
That said, theElbaf Arc is finally bringing back the iconic pre-time skip humorthat fans have been nostalgically wishing for all these years. From bringing back iconic old reactions like Nami’s cheeky smile to genuinely entertaining interactions between the Straw Hats, chapter #1128 is full of callbacks toOne Piece’s funniest pre-time skip gags. For example, one panel sees Zoro, Sanji, and Nami all recreate Luffy’s iconic poker face when he’s lying, while another sees Nami purse her lips together in a comedic fashion much like Luffy does.
Fans have especially appreciated the fact that the latest chapter also includes many comedic moments centered aroundSanji’s perverted tendencies without taking the gag too far. These interactions between the Straw Hats feel even more special considering the fact that the Straw Hats did not get much time to shine during the Egghead Arc, especially during the second half, as the focus was mostly on therevelations in Vegapunk’s messageand the battle against the Five Elders.
The Final Saga May Be More Lighthearted Than Fans Expected
Gear Five Was the Flagbearer of the Tonal Shift
With the Final Saga well underway, a dose ofOne Piece’s original lighthearted humor seems to beexactly what the series needs. Many fans have speculated the Final Saga will include a massive war that will put Marineford to shame. As such, it seemed likeOne Piece’s final arc could have many serious showdowns in store.
Slowly but surely,One Pieceseems to be returning to the fun pirate adventure that it started out as.
However, the introduction ofGear Five and its goofy abilitiesconfirms thefinal battles of the series may end up being more lightheartedthan fans initially expected. Eiichiro Oda has previously stated in an interview with Gosho Aoyama that this was his exact intention when creating Gear Five and slowly but surely,One Pieceseems to be returning to the fun pirate adventure that it started out as.
Battle manga has to keep getting more and more serious to keep up with readers’ expectations and I honestly hate that. I definitely don’t want my work to become a serious manga like that. I want and have decided to have fun, and I feel like I’m finally able to do that. When I was drawing this, I actually had fun.
- Eiichiro Oda, Over 100 Miracle Talk, 2022.
Overall,One Piece’s latest chapter and the Elbaf Arc as a whole are brimming with a nostalgic sense of adventure, and after the high-stakes battle at Egghead, a fun, easygoing adventure in Elbaf might be exactly what the seriesneeds before diving into thefinal leg of the race to Laugh Tale. Regardless of what Elbaf has in store, fans can only hope to see more ofOne Piece’s iconic pre-time skip humor going forward.
One Pieceis available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.
One Piece
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
