Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Pieceis officially back to its original release schedule of three chapters in a row, with One Piece chapter 1188 officially released on July 12, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #33 at 11 EST. After ending Chapter 1187 with the set-up of Nerona Imu against Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece Chapter 1188 will focus on this exciting clash of Kings.
At the same time this week One Piece chapter spotlights both of Luffy's wings, Zoro and Sanji, engaged in their own battles. With the start of these battles, the Elbaf Arc is rushing towards its end at a furious pace, and now is the time for high-octane action and an exciting battle to unfold.
One Piece Chapter 1188 will officially begin Luffy Vs Imu
The biggest and most anticipated development that we want to see in One Piece Chapter 1188 is Luffy vs. Imu. At the beginning of the previous chapter, Monkey D. Luffy joined the battle against Imu, but the King of the World retaliated immediately after with a unique ability known as Stigma. This power took out Loki in a single hit, and while Luffy managed to avoid it, it only set up a big confrontation between the two. To that end, Luffy harnessed the power of Gear 5 almost immediately, prompting Imu to comment on the return of Joy Boy.
Imu: So you've finally shown yourself, Joy Boy!
Luffy: Don't call me what you want. I am Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will become the King of Pirates.
— 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. Considering that Luffy is at full energy, it is highly likely that he will be dominant in this clash at first. But Nerona Imu will also go all out against Luffy because 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 Imu, where both will try to eliminate the other in an attempt to achieve their goal.
One Piece Chapter 1188 may also give us a chance to see Nika in a more serious light. Until now, as a warrior of liberation, Nika has always had an easy-going attitude in battles. Even when Luffy was fighting Kaido, he was quite cheerful, which some fans didn't like. But the fight against the Devil God One Piece the world, Nerona Imu, is completely different. Imu is a threat on a whole different scale, and Luffy is very serious towards him, which was pretty obvious in the previous chapter. One Piece Chapter 1188 will thus give us a whole new side of Luffy, raising the stakes and giving us the intensity that we want to see.
Say hello to the new king of straw hats in one piece
The Straw Hat Pirates welcome a new king into their ranks in Elbaf's arc climax.
Sanji and Zoro's Conqueror's Haki will be a big focus in the new One Piece chapter
One Piece Chapter 1188 will also most likely focus on Luffy's Wings, Zoro and Sanji. With the previous chapter specifically focused on Sanji, it is highly likely that Eiichiro Oda will continue to develop this particular plot point further. 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 rise to the next level in terms of power.
The editor's note from the previous chapter also confirmed that the question of who really possesses the “kingly qualities” will be addressed in the next release. As such, One Piece Chapter 1188 was able to tackle the concept of Supreme King Haki in the first place. This is also a thematically fitting moment for Oda to reveal it, as two kings go head to head in Luffy and Imu, 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 wields the qualities of a king? Lead cover and color spread in One Piece next week!” — One Piece Editor teases Supreme King Haki lore for One Piece 1118
In the case of Zoro, he has already harnessed the power of Supreme King Haki in the Wano arc, but as confirmed in One Piece Chapter 1152, he does not know how to use this power properly. Scopper Gabant scolded Zoro for not being able to use it to the best of his ability, and now it's time for him to learn how to channel this power properly.
Sanji: Hey, Gramps! Can I use Supreme King Haki?
Gaban: You should have the potential for that. But in your case, for some reason I feel a very strong self-loathing. You also have to be a king if you really want Luffy to become the pirate king.
— Scopper Gaban Confirms Sanji's Conqueror's Haki Potential, One Piece Chapter #1187
Likewise, in the case of Sanji, his self-loathing killed his color of the Supreme King. Now is the time for him to let go of the self-loathing and step up. One Piece Chapter 1188 could potentially give us a moment of Sanji fully awakening the Conqueror's Haki for the first time.
Shuri and Brook are likely to finally reunite after decades
While One Piece 1188 will most likely focus on the various kings found in Elbaf, it will also give some attention to the important storyline surrounding Brook 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 has been freed, it's time for Brook to come through to her and free her from Imu's control. How he will go about it is still unclear, but it is also possible that Shuri will still be under Imu's control after she wakes up.
One Piece: 6 Characters Zoro Surpassed In The Final Saga, Ranked
Zoro has grown tremendously in strength, surpassing many of the One Piece top tiers in the Final Saga.
This will then start 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 the King of the World, 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. There will still be an exciting build up to it, and we absolutely cannot wait to see what Eiichiro Oda does next with this exciting plot. Unfortunately, One Piece will likely go on hiatus right after the release of Chapter 1188. This is because Oda will now have delivered 3 chapters in a row, and now it's time for him to go on a two-week break before returning with Chapter 1189.
One Piece Chapter 1188 will be officially released on July 12, 2026, in WSJ Issue 32 at 11:00 AM EST, and will be available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
