a piece The Elbaf arc is currently at its climax, the final battle against Saint Nerona Emu, who came to Elbaf in chapter 1179, and the Holy Knights officially begin. As Eiichiro Oda's editor himself put forward in chapter 1181, the battle to save Elbaf has now officially begun, and the battle pits the Straw Hat Pirates against the greatest power in the world, led by the king himself. This fight will not be easy for the Straw Hat Pirates and they will need to power up significantly.
Eiichiro Oda in particular is Set up a select few members of the Straw Hat Pirates for hockey power-ups in the Elbaf Ark.And the reason they get them in the coming chapters pushes this arc on Warland toward its final conclusion. With new Hawkeye abilities, the Straw Hat Pirates will officially become one of the most formidable threats at sea, joining the Red Hair Pirates led by Shanks and Marshall D. The Blackbeard Pirates, led by Tech, will also compete.
One Piece Chapters 1152 and 1180 officially set up the Major Hockey power-ups for the two Straw Hats.
Eiichiro Oda, creator of a pieceOfficially set up the main power-ups for the two main fighters within Straw Hat Pirates, they are the “Wings of the Pirate King”. It came with the introduction of Holy Nights in an extended plot line of a piece. In One Piece Chapter 1152, which officially dropped in Weekly Shōnen Jump issue 30 on June 23, 2025, Eiichiro Oda officially confirmed through Scopper Gaban's character that the only way to completely get rid of the Holy Knights is to coat the Holy Knights' armor in the colors of Konki's Supreme.
Gaban specifically states that Holy Knights are not immortal and can only be truly defeated with the Haki of the Conqueror. He then points out that, out of Zoro and Sanji, the former uses Conqueror's Haki but has no control over it, which he needs to fix. Meanwhile, Sanji's disposition toward the victor's Haki was kept secret by Eiichiro Oda in the same chapter.
“Looks like Supreme King Haki has more than one of you. There you are, swordsman…you're too comfortable with it!” – Scoper Gabban, a fragment chapter 1152
a piece Chapter 1181 once again sets up major hockey power-ups for the Straw Hat Pirates, following the resurrection of Zoro and Sanji's two main enemies, Somers and Killingham, in the Elbaf arc. This chapter takes place after Nerona Emu's descent in 1179, which was officially released on April 6, 2026 in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump issue 19. Both Sommers and Killingham were given the Omen's power directly by the King of the World. This significantly empowered them and allowed them to pursue their goals of kidnapping children and taking them back to the Holy Land. As established by Oda himself, defeating Zoro and Sanji requires control of the Supreme King's color, so major power-ups are already set for them.
The one-piece Elbaf arc officially shows the power difference between Luffy and his wings
Luffy's Wings, Zoro, and Sanji, are very powerful. They still pale in comparison to Luffy in power.
Eiichiro Oda has Zoro and Sanji set up for hockey buffs to defeat Sommers and Killingham
Roronoa Zoro and Sanji line up inside the Straw Hat Pirates to get major power-ups. At the climax of the Elbaf arc, Nerona's battle against Emu and her minions doesn't take long. The group already wishes to end the mission early in Chapter 1180, and as such, the giant children will soon be targeted. It's up to Zoro and Sanji to stop them from wreaking havoc on Warland.
Together, Zoro and Sanji are known as the Pirate King's Wings, and they mirror the Pirate King's previous wings: Silver Rayle and Scapper Gaban. Both Rayleigh and Gaban have access to the winner's hockey. To become the Sword and Shield of the Pirate King, both of these need to have this ability. It is only with the Haki of the victor that they can fight and defeat the holy knights. As such, both Zoro and Sanji will receive these power-ups in this arc, as beating their enemies requires them to do so.
“Haki is a power that is only useful when you consciously control it. How do you expect to support your captain, the Emperor of the Seas, without knowing it?” – Scapper Gabban about Zoro's Unblooded Haki, One Piece Chapter 1152
In Zoro's case, the power-up comes in the form of control of the victor's Haki, which he severely lacks at the moment. In Sanji's case, this power-up will see him upgrade his skills by adding Conqueror's Haki and coating his legs in these flames.
Why Usopp, Robin, and Nami might be next in line to get Haki on Elbaph
Besides Zoro and Sanji, other members of the Straw Hat Pirates could also go to the Elbaf Arc to get Haki power-ups. While Somers and Killingham are the primary threats in the arc besides Emu, MMA is still not fully taken care of. With Killingham now resurrected, the threat of MMA may be stronger than ever, giving Usopp, Robin, Nami, Franky, and Brook a bigger role to fulfill.
If you want to rule them, at least dare to fight them, coward! — Usopp to Imu, One Piece Chapter 1177
Non-Devil Fruit users, such as Nami and Usopp, need Hawkeye to be able to fight the threats posed by MMA. Elbaf is specifically labeled as Usopp's Arc by many, and even Eiichiro Oda recognizes it. By giving Usopp a major Haki power-up and helping him stop MMAs, Usopp's character arc can be elevated to a whole new level. Meanwhile, Nami's arsenal will need to be upgraded if she wants to fight against the elites of the One Piece world, and she'll benefit greatly from a hockey boost, just like Nico Robin.
Franky's status as an Armament Haki user in Elbaf
Interestingly, Franky could subconsciously awaken Haki in the Egghead Arc when he fought Luffy, Bonnie, and Sanji against Mars in Chapter 1119, officially released on Manga Plus in July, 2024. In this chapter, when Franky strikes Luffy, it is openly used by the latter group. the pain
Of course, you will get hurt when you use Haki! – Luffy after being attacked by Franky, Sanji and Bonnie in One Piece Chapter 1119
The implication is that Franky unknowingly tapped into Haki, which is something that many other One Piece World characters have done in the past, such as Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji. In that case, a fight against MMA would be the perfect opportunity for Frankie to bring out his Haki once again, and this time, learn to control it properly. Only by doing so will the Straw Hat Pirates reach the next level of strength in the upcoming chapters of the Elbaf arc as it nears its end.
All the latest manga chapters of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece are available to read on Manga Plus.
