Summary
The story ofOne Piecehas slowly built itself up to this level of success for almost 30 years at the time of writing. In all this time, the main characters of the Straw Hat crew have traversed much of the known world as they have visited many different islands and, in doing so, have also come across a plethora of interesting and eccentric personalities. Some of the most notable of these were the giants Dorry and Broggy, whom the crew met very early on in Little Garden.
As such, this arc saw Usopp meet these giants and get inspired by them to become a ‘brave warrior of the sea’. From this point on to around 1000 chapters after the fact, Usopp has expressedhis desire to visit Elbafwhere he can finally realize his dream of becoming a fabled warrior. WithOne Piecefinally reaching the long-awaited home of the giants, let’s see how this arc can either be the best or worst thing for Usopp’s character!
Story Arc
Syrup Village
Usopp is one of the founding members of the Straw Hat Pirates, and although he has often been relegated to the role of comic relief, he is an integral part of the crew, without whom it wouldn’t be the same. His personality is infectious, since noOne Piecearc is complete without at least one showing of his cowardice! Despite this, a few moments that he has had in the story have beensome of the greatest in the entire series.
One that comes to mind is his arc during Water 7/ Enies Lobby, where he had a falling out with the crew over the fate of their ship. This led to one of the most gut-wrenching fights in the industry, as well as one of the greatest glow-ups with Sogeking, which showed that Usopp deserved to be a part of the Straw Hat crew. Moreover, Dressrosa was perhaps the best arc for him in terms of his abilities. Not only did he become the savior of the Tontatta Tribe, but he also unlocked Observation Haki and earned the legendary ‘God Usopp’ moniker.
These moments prove that, despite being a funny coward who runs away from danger, Usopp always has the latent bravery to stand up to an enemy should the need arise, which may just be a central plot point when he visits the island he has always wanted to. It’s most likely that,through the trials and tribulations that he faceson Elbaf, he finally becomes a brave warrior of the sea. Many believe that Elbaf will be ‘Usopp’s arc’.
There are quite a few ways for this to happen. One such way that is most likely to happen is that Usopp unlocks the full abilities of his Observation Haki, becoming an even better sniper than he already is. Other theories state that Usopp may eat a Devil Fruit on Elbaf, particularly the Mythical Zoan; Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Giant, which would make a ton of sense considering his dream of visiting Elbaf and becoming a brave warrior of the sea just like the giants he met who inspired this dream.
Even if I were to die alone on a deserted island, I’d look back proudly at my life and as I die I’ll yell, “I am Usopp, brave warrior of the seas!”
Finally, another aspect that many believe would be the best addition to Usopp’s character arc is his death on Elbaf, presumably through him dying in a final act of bravery to save Luffy or another one of his crewmates. Not only would thisbring his entire arc full circle, but it would also be the perfect send-off for a character who wanted to be brave over everything else and would close his story beautifully as the first ever Straw Hat to achieve their dream!
Becoming Forgotten
How Elbaf may destroy Usopp
Although this island has always been built up as the arc where Usopp will shine the most, there are some fans who remain skeptical as to how the arc is handled. There is a growing sentiment among theOne Piecefandom that states Oda gives fartoo much plot armor and relevance to Luffy, often at the expense of the others in his crew. Common examples of this can be seen in Luffy’s battles with Katakuri and Kaido, where he was completely outclassed for the entire fight but ended up winning out of nowhere.
Joyboy! He has returned!
If something similar to that happens in an arc that most of the fandom already consider to be ‘Usopp’s arc’, then Usopp’s, and every other Straw Hat’s, character development is essentially wasted, since everything just serves as a means for Luffy to get stronger. To avoid this, Usopp should at least have a hand in defeating the arc’s main villain alongside Luffy or being tasked with something just as important in the outside world, similar to how Sanji had to make the dessert to stop Big Mom in her tracks during the Wholecake Island arc!
One Piececan be streamed onCrunchyroll.
One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
