One Piece’s Elbaph Arc Is Ignoring the Character With the Most Potential, And It’s a Shame

September 2, 2026, 5:00pm

One Piece manga is currently depicting the Elbaph arc, which even the anime has caught up with. However, the manga is now deep into the arc, featuring an epic battle against what many believe to be the final villain of the series. Imu and the other God’s Knights’ arrival on Elbaph Island has thrown the island into disarray, and despite the involvement of some of its strongest fighters, including Gaban, Loki, and even Luffy, the villains continue to overwhelm them. In the latest chapters, Gaban even suggested that Luffy should leave the island with his crew, as he sees Luffy as the one who will ultimately stand against Imu in the final battle.

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This hints that the current state of the battle is not in their favor, and any additional help could have been appreciated. Well, Eiichiro Oda could have included a prominent character who was a major part of the previous arc and was at its center. The character in question is none other than Jewelry Bonney, who was central to the Egghead arc due to her connection to Kuma, her father, and was also involved in the final battle against the Five Elders in the previous arc. The series could have employed her in many ways during the latest battle, as she has immense potential with her Devil Fruit, which could have completely changed the current arc in many ways.

One Piece‘s Elbaph Arc is Failing To Utilize the Character With the Perfect Support Devil Fruit

What makes Jewelry Bonney such a prominent character is indeed her Devil Fruit ability. She possesses the Age-Age Fruit, which allows her to alter her own age and even change the appearance of others. This alone would have made her a great asset, as Bonney could have helped Gaban, the left-hand man of the Pirate King, return to his prime and aid him in the battle. Meanwhile, her power could have also allowed her to turn Jarul into his younger, prime version, when he was also a formidable warrior. Having both of them fight in their prime, even for a short period, would have added a great action element to the arc.

Bonney herself is also a great fighter, as she proved by going up against the Five Elders and still standing after using her temporary Nika form. But instead of giving her the spotlight she deserves, which could have been perfectly utilized, the series is instead shutting her out entirely. The Elbaph arc has crafted her as a liability instead, as seen when Franky protects her from even minor dangers that she is more than capable of handling herself. It is a disservice to her character, especially after everything that has transpired so far. Through her actions, she could once again show how close she has become to the Straw Hats and could even potentially become part of the crew.

The series has refrained from adding more Straw Hat members; however, logically, it should be adding more as the story approaches its final stage, with a major war ahead as well. The presence of characters such as Jewelry Bonney would add even more support to the Straw Hats’ strength. Despite being only 12 years old, Bonney has showcased an incredible level of emotional maturity and strength that few other characters have matched, and it is a shame that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda isn’t utilizing her in the Elbaph arc when he absolutely should be.