Eiichiro Oda, creator of a pieceShuisha's Weekly Shonen Jump issue #33 is officially back to its original release schedule of three consecutive chapters with One Piece chapter 1188 for release on July 12, 2026 at 11 AM EST. Nerona Emu vs. Monkey d. After finishing chapter 1187 with Luffy's setup, one piece chapter 1188 is going to focus on this exciting clash of kings.
At the same time, this week a piece The chapter focuses on both of Luffy's wings, Zoro and Sanji, who are engaged in a battle of their own. With the start of these battles, the Elbaf arc is racing towards its end at a blistering pace, and now is the time for high-octane action and an exciting battle to unfold.
One Piece Chapter 1188 will officially begin with Luffy vs. Imu
The biggest and most anticipated development that we want to see a piece Chapter 1188 is Luffy vs. Imu. At the beginning of the previous chapter, the monkey d. Luffy joined the battle against Emu, but the King of Worlds quickly retaliated with a unique ability known as Stigma. This power knocked Loki out in a single hit, and Luffy managed to avoid it, only setting up a massive confrontation between the two. To that end, Luffy tapped into Gear 5's power almost immediately, prompting Emu to comment on Joy Boy's return.
Emu: So you finally showed yourself, Joy Boy!
Luffy: Don't go calling me whatever you want. I am monkey d. I am Luffy, who will become the king of pirates.
— Exchange between Luffy and Imu, One Piece Chapter 1187
Thus, after 800 years, a piece The greatest battle is now officially underway once again, pitting the Sun God against the Emu. Considering that Luffy is at full energy, it is very likely that he will dominate this confrontation at first. However, Nerona Emu is also going to go all out against Luffy because the whole idea behind Elbaf coming in was to remove the threat of both Nika and Nidhoggar at the same time. As such, One Piece Chapter 1188 will feature an exciting action between Luffy and Imu, where both will try to eliminate the other in an effort to accomplish their goals.
a piece Chapter 1188 may give us an opportunity to look at Nika in a more serious light. Until now, Nika, as a warrior of liberation, had always had a lighthearted attitude in battles. Even when Luffy fought against Kaido, he was very cheerful, which some fans didn't like. However, Satan's war against God a piece The world, Nerona Emu, is quite different. Emu is a threat on a whole different level, and against him, Luffy is very serious, as was evident in the previous chapter. One Piece Chapter 1188 gives us a whole new side of Luffy, raising the stakes and giving us the intensity we want to see.
Say hello to the new king of straw hats in one piece
The Straw Hat Pirates welcome a new king to their ranks in the Elbaf arc climax.
Sanji and Zoro's winning will be a big focus in the new One Piece chapter
There is a high possibility that One Piece Chapter 1188 will focus on Luffy's Wings, Zoro, and Sanji. Since the previous chapter focused specifically on Sanji, there is a high possibility that Eiichiro Oda will continue to develop this particular plot point further. Sanji's potential for victorious Haki was officially confirmed to us in One Piece chapter 1187. Now is the time for him to bring out his winning potential and step up to the next level in terms of power.
The editor's note in the previous chapter also confirmed that the question of who really possessed the “qualities of a king” would be addressed in the following release. As such, a fragment chapter 1188 may address the concept of Supreme King Haki in the first place. It's also a thematically appropriate moment for Oda to reveal this, since the two kings are going head-to-head in Luffy and Emu, while https://gamerant.com/one-piece-zoro-and-sanji-master-conquerors-haki/https://gamerant.com/one-piece-zoro-and-sanji-master-conquerors/haki.
“Who really runs the King's properties? Next week lead covers and paint spread in one piece!” – One Piece editor teases Supreme King Haki lore for One Piece 1118
In Zoro's case, he has already tapped into the power of Supreme King Haki in the Wano Arc, but as confirmed a piece Chapter 1152, He doesn't know how to use this power properly. Scopper Gabant scolds Zoro for not making good use of his abilities, and now it's time for him to learn how to properly channel this power.
Sanji: Hey, grandpa! Can I use Supreme King Haki?
Gaban: You must have the capacity for it. However, in your case, for some reason, I feel a very strong self-depreciation. If you really want Luffy to be the pirate king then you must be a king too.
– Scooper Gaban confirms Sanji's potential for victory, One Piece chapter #1187
Similarly, in Sanji's case, his self-reliance was killing his image of Supreme King. Now is the time for him to let go of self-observation and rise above. One Piece Chapter 1188 could potentially give us the moment of Sanji fully awakening the Conqueror's Haki for the first time.
Shuri and Brooke are likely to finally reunite after decades
While One Piece 1188 is highly likely to focus on the various kings present in Elbaf, it will also give some attention to an important plot line surrounding Brooke and Shuri. In the previous chapter, Ragnir was able to officially free Princess Shuri from the ice prison she was locked in. Now that Shuri is free, it's time for Brooke to reach her and free her from Emu's control. He remains unclear on how he will do that, but it is also possible that Shuri will still be under Emu's control after her awakening.
One Piece: 6 Characters Passed in Zoro Final Saga, Ranked
Zoro has grown stronger and surpassed many One Piece top tiers in the Final Saga.
This will then set up a confrontation between him and all the other members of the Straw Hat Pirates in an attempt to bring him back and free him from the control of the King of the World, Nerona Emu. Brooke and Shuri's reunion is set in the story to eventually happen, but it may not be as soon as fans hope. There will still be some exciting build up to this, and we can't wait to see what Eiichiro Oda does with this intriguing plot line. Unfortunately, there is a possibility that one piece will go on break immediately after the release of chapter 1188. This is because Oda has now delivered 3 chapters in a row, and now it's time to go on a two-week break before returning with chapter 1189.
One Piece Chapter 1188 officially drops on July 12, 2026 in WSJ Issue #32 at 11:00 AM EST, and will be available to read through Manga Plus and Viz Media.
