Eiichiro Oda, creator One pieceis officially returning to its original schedule of publishing three chapters in a row, with One Piece chapter 1188 officially scheduled for release on July 12, 2026 in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump #33 at 11:00 AM EST. After completing Chapter 1187 by setting up Nero Ima versus Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece Chapter 1188 will focus on this exciting clash of kings.
At the same time, this week One piece the chapter focuses on both of Luffy's wings, Zoro and Sanji, who are engaged in their own battles. With the start of these battles, the Elbaf arc is coming to a close at breakneck speed, and it's time for some high-octane action and exciting combat.
One Piece Chapter 1188 will officially begin with Luffy vs Imu
The biggest and most anticipated development we want to see One piece Chapter 1188 is Luffy versus Imu. At the beginning of the previous chapter, Monkey D. Luffy joined the battle against Imo, but the King of the World immediately retaliated with a unique ability known as Stigma. This power knocked out Loki in one hit, and even though Luffy was able to dodge it, it only caused a big confrontation between them. To this end, Luffy almost immediately used the power of Gear 5 and made Ima comment on Joy Boy's return.
Imu: So you finally showed up, Joy Boy!
Luffy: Don't tell me what you want. I am Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will become the king of the pirates.
— An exchange between Luffy and Imu, One Piece Chapter 1187
As such, after 800 years, One Piece's the greatest battle now officially begins again, pitting the Sun God against Imu. Since Luffy is at full power, it is highly likely that he will be dominant in this matchup at first. However, Nerona Imu also goes all out against Luffy, as the whole idea behind coming to Elbaf was to eliminate the threat of both Nika and Nidhoggr at the same time. As such, One Piece Chapter 1188 will feature exciting action between Luffy and Ima, where both will attempt to eliminate the other in an attempt to fulfill their goal.
One piece Chapter 1188 might also give us a chance to see Nika in a more serious light. As a liberation fighter, Nika has always taken a light-hearted approach in battles so far. Even when Luffy was fighting Kaido, he was quite cheerful, which some fans didn't like. However, the battle against the devil god One piece the world, of Nero Ima, is quite different. Imu is a threat of a whole other scale and Luffy is very serious against him as was quite evident in the previous chapter. Thus, One Piece Chapter 1188 will give 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 climax of the Elbaf arc.
Sanji and Zoro's Conqueror's Haki will be a big focus in the new chapter of One Piece
One Piece Chapter 1188 will also very likely focus on Luffy's wings, Zoro and Sanji. Since the previous chapter focused mainly on Sanji, it is highly likely that Eiichiro Oda will continue to develop this particular plot point. Sanji's potential for Conqueror's Haki was officially confirmed to us in One Piece Chapter 1187. Now is the time for him to bring this conquering potential to the surface and step up to the next level in terms of power.
The editor's note from the previous chapter also confirmed that the question of who actually holds the “qualities of a king” will be addressed in the next issue. As such, One Piece Chapter 1188 could address the concept of Supreme King Haki in the first place. This is also a thematically appropriate moment for Oda to reveal this as the two kings go head to head in Luffy and Ima 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 possesses the qualities of a king? Lead coating and paint applied in next week's One Piece!” — One Piece Editor teases Supreme King Haki lore for One Piece 1118
In Zoro's case, he already used the power of Supreme King Haki in the Wano arc, but as confirmed in One piece Chapter 1152, he doesn't know how to properly use this power. Scopper Gabant scolded Zoro for not being able to use it to his best ability, and now it was time for him to learn how to channel that power properly.
Sanji: Hi, Grandma! Can I use Supreme King Haki?
Gaban: You should have the potential for it. However, in your case, for some reason I sense a very strong sense of self-deprecation. You also have to be the king if you really want Luffy to become the pirate king.
— Scopper Gaban confirms Sanji's Conqueror's Haki potential, One Piece Chapter #1187
Similarly, in Sanji's case, his self-deprecation was killing his High King color. Now is the time for him to leave the self-deprecation and rise. One Piece Chapter 1188 could potentially give us the moment when Sanji fully awakens the Conqueror's Haki for the first time.
Shuri and Brook will probably finally reunite after decades
While One Piece 1188 will most likely focus on the various kings present in Elbaf, it will also pay some attention to an important storyline surrounding Brook and Shuri. In the previous chapter, Ragnir was officially able to free Princess Shuri from the ice prison she was locked in. Now that Shuri has been freed, it's time for Brook to get to her and free her from Imu's control. How she does this remains unclear, but it is also possible that Shuri will still be under Imu's control after her awakening.
One Piece: 6 characters Zoro beat in Final Saga, rated
Zoro grew tremendously in strength and surpassed many of the highest levels of One Piece in the Final Saga.
This then sparks a confrontation between her and all the other members of the Straw Hat Pirates in an attempt to bring her back and free her from the control of World King Nerona Imu. Brook and Shuri's reunion is set up in the story to eventually happen, but it may not happen as quickly as fans expect. It's still going to be some exciting build-up and we absolutely can't wait to see what Eiichiro Oda does next with this interesting storyline. Unfortunately, One Piece will probably be interrupted right after the release of chapter 1188. This is because Oda will now release 3 chapters in a row, and now it's time for him to take a two-week break before returning with chapter 1189.
One Piece Chapter 1188 will be officially published 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.
