One Piece's Elbaph Arc Climax finally sets up the final straw hat member

After a two-week break, One piece Chapter 1183 is officially set to return in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #26 on May 24, 2026. With the return of the manga after two long weeks, the highly-anticipated climactic battle of the Elbaph arc is fast moving forward. With the arrival of Saint Nero Imu in Chapter 1179 and the ongoing battles between the forces of the World Government and the Pirate-Giant Alliance, it seems highly likely that Eiichiro Oda's goal of ending the arc in 2026 and marking the beginning of a new arc will be fulfilled.

With the end of the arc comes the question of who will be the last Straw Hat. Recent developments in Elbaph through chapters 1180 to 1182 have set the answer to this question, and now it can be said that the candidate for the position of the final Straw Hat has narrowed down even more. Cursed Prince Loki is out of the running, meaning that the blue-haired princess of Arabasta, Vivi, is now the clear favorite to become the final member of the crew.

The climax of One Piece's Elbaph arc got us all excited when Luffy and Loki started fighting each other in chapter 1175, which was officially released on March 2, 2026. This is because this legendary duo was predicted to fight together in Harley, which was introduced in chapter 1138 of the story, released in Weumply on February 3, 2010. since then, fans have been eagerly waiting for the two to come together and fight, and a big reason for that was the fact that most fans saw Loki as the ideal candidate to be the last Straw Hat. In One Piece Chapter 1152, Monkey D. Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, officially asked Loki to join the crew. Although Loki declined the offer, Luffy was adamant that he wanted him as part of the crew, which is what pushed the idea of ​​Loki as the last Straw Hat forward.

Fast forward to Chapter 1180, which was published in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #21 on April 20, 2026, Loki expressed his desire to stay in Elbaph. It came as a shock to many of us as we expected Loki to sail off with the Straw Hat Pirates, but when we look at everything that has happened in the Land of the Giants over the last 40 or so chapters, we can see why Loki chose to stay in Elbaph.

“Here in the real world you're dealing with me and my Elbaph!” — Loki Imu, One Piece Chapter 1180

When Loki first came face to face with Imu, he made it clear to him that the only place he would find him was in the land of Elbaph. This suggests that Loki intends to fulfill the role that Harald has devised for him as the protector of the land, and that despite being hated by the entire land is something he is willing to do no matter what. In One Piece chapters 1181 and 1182, Loki was seen fighting for the same Elbaph who hated him since his very birth, and we couldn't help but appreciate this great piece of character writing by Eiichiro Oda.

Why Elbaph has to stick with Loki Post-Imu War

Since Loki has made it clear his intention to stay in Elbaph, fans may be disappointed with the decision and some may even feel that the author played with their emotions and got them excited for no reason. However, to truly understand the significance of Loki's character, we must understand where Elbaph stands in the Great War to come.

IN One piece chapter 1146, Gunko, one of the members of the Holy Knights, officially declared that whoever the giants of Elbaf take on will gain significant support in the upcoming battle. As such, the War of Elbaph, which has been called the prelude to the Great War, is very important. Winning over the Giants means keeping the land safe, and if Loki leaves the land, it cannot be kept safe.

A massive war will break out and drag the whole world into it! And which side the giants pledge their allegiance to will have a profound effect on the outcome of the war! — Gunko, One Piece Chapter 1146

The strongest the land has to offer after Loki are the Dorries and the Brogy, neither of whom are strong enough to defeat even a single top tier by themselves. The earth also has no king and cannot prosper without a king. Loki's decision to stay in Elbaph and rule, which he officially declared in chapter 1180, is the right one in itself, regardless of the disappointment that comes with it. Elbaph needs Loki more than Loki needs Elbaph and he realizes that too, which is exactly why he has to stay in the ground and not sail with Luffy and crew.

Nefertari Vivi is the only real contender for the position of the last straw hat

With Loki out of the picture, all we have to do is look at One Piece Chapter 1130 to find out who Oda is officially setting up as the last Straw Hat. This person is none other than the princess of Arabasta, Nefertari Vivi. Vivi is currently with Morgans and Wapol and sent a message to the Straw Hat Pirates through them. This message was shown by the author at the beginning of Chapter 1130, which was published in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #47 on October 21, 2024.

“When Luffy transforms into his free form, does the X mark appear on his arm? It feels unnatural. His hands are blurry, but the mark is crystal clear.” — Nico Robin About Vivi's message to Luffy, One Piece Chapter 1130

A lot of time has passed since then, but the importance of the storyline that Oda set up is still paramount. Luffy and the Straw Hats should be able to read Vivi's message once the battle is over, and when they do, the rescue will be hers. After rescuing the princess, there will be no safe place for her because Imu wants her right now. The only place for Vivi would be with the Straw Hat Pirates, making her the last member of the crew.

It's also important to note that with the recent reveal of Rain God Zaza in Chapter 1183, Vivi's importance to the crew has drastically increased. This is because she is a prime candidate for eating the Hito Hito no Mi Devil Fruit, Model: Zaza. This Devil Fruit allows a person to transform into a Rain God and bring rain. Since Vivi hails from a desert kingdom that has long prayed for rain and was even shown without rain during the Arabasta arc, she is perfectly suited to take on the role.

Apparitions to the rhythm of prayers for rain…God of rain Zaza! —Saint Killingham, One Piece Chapter 1182

Besides, Vivi will be a thorn in Imu's side in the Final Saga, and as such, taking on the role of the rain god deity would be absolutely perfect for her. For all of these reasons, setting Vivi up as the last Straw Hat is absolutely perfect, and we can't wait to see it all play out as the story continues.

The latest chapters of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga will be available to read through Manga Plus and Viz Media.