Chapters · Final Saga › Elbaf

Chapter 1187: The Root of the Problem

Arc: Elbaf · Saga: Final Saga · Released:

Summary

Two fronts of the Elbaf battle intercut. On the mainland, Prince Loki fights on with “Blade of Hatred — Stigma!!” while Luffy (Gear 5) and the hammer-spirit Ragnir/Ratatoskr press him; Loki is run through the chest, and — while the assembled Straw Hats/giants pound on the frozen ice block sealing Gunko’s body (“nothing works on it”; they wonder if it is even ice) — the ice abruptly begins to melt, and Brook cries out “Princess Shuri!!” At the Sea Cloud Port, Killingham confronts an old giant chief, boasting that Team Zolo’s companion who went into the village “ain’t comin’ back” and casually admitting his side is here to abduct “ten or 20 kids.” Over the Western Village the God of Rain ZaZa (Killingham’s Sleeptid) pours rain and carries children off while the giant mothers wail; Sanji cannot bring himself to kick a woman-shaped monster and won’t fight the giants’ desperate rescue battle, so he moves to attack the “root of the problem” instead. The old giant chief coaches Sanji: to make Luffy the Pirate King, his crew must be kings too — and, uniquely, Sanji has the potential for Supreme King Haki because of his masochistic streak. The chapter closes with Imu’s true form and Gear-5 Luffy face to face: “There thou art, Joyboy!!” — “I’m Luffy!!!” — under the title card KING OF THE WORLD ST. NERONA IMU VS EMPEROR OF THE SEA MONKEY D. LUFFY.

New reveals

• Imu (true form) vs Luffy — direct confrontation. Final splash pairs the white-haired, horned Imu with Gear-5 Luffy. Imu: “There thou art, Joyboy!!” Luffy: “I’m Luffy!!!” Title card: “KING OF THE WORLD — ST. NERONA IMU VS EMPEROR OF THE SEA — MONKEY D. LUFFY” (p. 17). This is the on-page collision the “So, thou art back… JOY BOY!!” refrain (@1181) was building toward.
• Loki’s technique “Blade of Hatred — Stigma!!” named on-page (p. 5).
• Loki stabbed through the chest — “He got stabbed through the chest!” (p. 8); the strike lands via Ragnir/Ratatoskr’s hammer. Loki’s immortality/toughness is re-asserted: “there is an entire WORLD of difference between toughness and immortality!!” (p. 14).
• The ice block sealing Gunko’s body begins to melt. The giants pound on the block (“it won’t even budge,” “nothing works on it,” “is that NOT ice?! diamond?!”), fearing the woman inside has suffocated; then it “suddenly begins to melt” (pp. 6–8). Brook: “Princess Shuri!!” (p. 8) — tying the frozen Gunko/Celestial-attacker to Brook’s Esperia princess.
• Sanji’s Conqueror’s-Haki potential named. The old giant chief tells Sanji that to make Luffy the King of the Pirates / Emperor of the Sea, his officers must be kings too; uniquely, Sanji “should have the potential” for Supreme King Haki because he possesses “a streak of masochistic instability” (pp. 15–17).
• Killingham’s child-abduction plan restated at the port. “It’s just ten or 20 kids, that’s all!!”; “my companion just went toward the village… so my guess is that yours ain’t comin’ back” (pp. 10–12).
• ZaZa (God of Rain) actively floods the Western Village and carries children away; the giant mothers wail (“COLLUUUN!!!”; “MOMMYYY!!!”) (pp. 12–13).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

Luffy · Imu · Prince Loki · Ratatoskr · Ragnir · Gunko · Princess Shuri (named by Brook) · Brook · Sanji · Killingham · Ripley · Collun (mother’s cry “COLLUUUN!!!”) · God of Rain ZaZa · Elbaf · Western Village (Sea Cloud Port) · Giants · cover: Vinsmoke Reiju

Notable panels

• Cover (p. 1): Reader-request side-comic — “Reiju scolding naughty swans and protecting the ugly duckling,” by Nebobo D. 420 Land. Reiju in her Germa “66” outfit, Ugly Duckling fairy-tale overlay. Decorative reader-request (not a foreshadowing color spread).
• p. 5: Loki’s “Blade of Hatred — Stigma!!” — the black-flame greatsword strike.
• pp. 6–8: The frozen ice block resists every attack; “is that NOT ice?! diamond?!”; then it melts. Loki stabbed through the chest; Ragnir/Ratatoskr’s hammer descends.
• p. 8: Brook — “Princess Shuri!!”
• pp. 10–12: Sea Cloud Port — Killingham vs the old giant chief; Sea Cloud Port / Western Village signpost map.
• pp. 12–13: ZaZa (God of Rain) floods Western Village; the wailing mothers; Sanji cannot kick the woman-monster.
• pp. 15–17: The old chief coaches Sanji on kingship and Conqueror’s Haki potential; Luffy’s title-litany (“King of the Pirates! Emperor of the Sea! Monkey D. Luffy!” — “Quit callin’ me all these different names!!”).
• p. 17 (final splash): Imu true form vs Gear-5 Luffy — “There thou art, Joyboy!!” / “I’m Luffy!!!” — title card “ST. NERONA IMU VS MONKEY D. LUFFY.” “To be continued!”

Open questions raised

• Is the person in the melting ice Princess Shuri, Gunko, or both (“three different people in her”)?
• Does Luffy hear/answer to “Joyboy,” and what does Imu want from this confrontation?
• Can Sanji actually awaken Supreme King Haki, and is the “masochistic instability” a setup or a joke?
• What is Loki’s fate after being stabbed through the chest given his immortality curse?
• Where are the seven abducted children being taken, and can Sanji stop ZaZa without being able to strike a woman?