Warning: This article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga! The highly anticipated Elbaph Arc of One Piece commenced in September 2024 and brought Luffy and his crew to the fabled land of the Giants. Luffy has been looking forward to visiting Elbaph ever since he met Dorry and Brogy in the Little Garden Arc. The island, full of proud warriors, is just as incredible as he imagined, as they welcome the Straw Hat Pirates with open arms. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for things to go downhill as the Holy Knights attack the Giants in order to bring Elbaph down. Knowing full well they don’t stand a chance in a head-on battle against the entire island, Shamrock Figarland decides to take the children hostage and force the Giants to surrender.
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The plan seems to be working well for now, as Scopper Gaban had to give up on fighting even though he was more than capable of defeating the Holy Knights by himself. Not long after the chaos in Elbaph began, the story takes a detour with a backstory commencing in Chapter 1152, which was released in June last year. The backstory lasted for several months, focusing on Harald’s past while also introducing Rocks D. Xebec and unveiling the truth about God Valley. Now that the flashback has concluded in the latest chapter, Luffy and the others finally make their return.
Luffy Returns in One Piece Chapter 1171 With His Strongest Ally So Far
Throughout the seven months the flashback was ongoing, the manga didn’t once feature Luffy and the rest of the crew. While it’s always intriguing to delve deeper into the mysteries of the past, there’s no denying that going for months without seeing our beloved characters, especially Luffy, can be quite upsetting. Luckily enough, Luffy returns in the latest chapter, and he’s all set to form an alliance with Loki. While their team-up was more or less guaranteed even before the flashback began, the incident at the Aurust Castle unveiled that Loki just happens to be Luffy’s most powerful ally in the series so far.
Not only does Loki have the blood of the Ancient Giant running through his veins, but he has also been chosen by Ragnir, a legendary weapon in Elbaph, making him powerful enough to kill his father, Harald, the strongest king in history. Loki is determined to protect his homeland from the Holy Knights, and Luffy has every intention of helping him achieve his goal. However, although Luffy wants Loki to join his crew, it may not be possible for the Straw Hat Pirates to gain another member this late in the story.
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Image Courtesy of Toei Animation -
Image Courtesy of Studio Pierrot
