Elbaf Arc | GameTrader.SG

⚠ Spoiler warning for One Piece Chapter 1191.

The wait is over. After the Obon break left Scopper Gaban bleeding on the battlefield while Imu kept escalating, Chapter 1191 — titled “There’s Still Loki” — delivered the moment the Elbaf arc has been building toward: Loki steps in, and the counterattack begins.

Luffy in his Elbaf arc Viking outfit, grinning with confidence — Image courtesy of Toei Animation

Elbaph Arc Official Trailer | April 5, 2026 | ONE PIECE — via ONE PIECE Official – ENG on YouTube

Imu Transforms — Four Horns, Black Arms, and a God Valley Secret

The chapter’s most striking panel is Imu’s new transformation. The World Government’s hidden ruler grows larger, sprouts four horns (two new ones above the original pair), turns both arms completely black, and a pointed goatee frames a face that has become even more monstrous. The three skeletal skull ornaments that previously dangled at his waist have migrated to his chest as a pendant — a small, eerie redesign that suggests this form was not improvised.

What makes it narratively significant is what Imu says in the middle of the transformation. Acknowledging Gaban’s strength, Imu references God Valley directly, expressing regret at not eliminating the former Roger Pirate alongside Rocks D. Xebec at that fateful incident decades ago. It is one of the bluntest moments of lore-dropping from One Piece’s most deliberately opaque villain — and it lands with extra weight right now, given that One Piece Film: God Valley was announced just this past weekend at One Piece Day 2026, headed to Japanese theatres in Summer 2027.

Official announcement art for ONE PIECE FILM: GOD VALLEY (2027) and ONE PIECE FILM: BAAD (2029) — Image courtesy of Toei Animation

“There’s Still Loki” — and a Three-Way Attack That Earns Its Name

Gaban, down an arm, tells Luffy to take his crew and escape Elbaf. Luffy refuses. His reasoning is as simple as it gets: Loki is still here. Hajrudin arrives to back them up, taking the brunt of Imu’s demonic aura before refusing to yield — declaring that Loki is there to fight and protect Elbaf. Then Loki himself steps fully onto the battlefield.

Loki, the giant prince of Elbaf, in the One Piece anime — the character the arc has been building toward — Image courtesy of Toei Animation

The three — Luffy, Loki, and Hajrudin — launch a combined technique: the Gokoku Sovereignty (Sovereignty of the Three Generals), the chapter’s big action beat. It is the first time Luffy and Loki fight back-to-back with a named joint technique, and after an arc’s worth of Loki being imprisoned, talked about, and built up as a figure of legend, seeing him actually throw his weight into a fight alongside the Straw Hat captain hits the way Oda intended.

Where to Read, and What Singapore Fans Should Know Before the Break

Chapter 1191 is available now on MANGA Plus (free, official) and Viz Media’s Shonen Jump app. The bad news: Oda is taking a one-week break after this chapter, so Chapter 1192 is expected around 6 September rather than next Sunday.

For Singapore anime fans following the adaptation on Crunchyroll, the Elbaf arc has been running since April 5 and is deep into the giants-and-conspiracies territory — though the anime is still many months behind these chapter events. Check our manga and anime coverage for the full arc journey so far.

Who Is Scopper Gaban — and Why Has Everyone Been Waiting?

If you have only been following the anime, the name Scopper Gaban might feel new. But among manga readers and long-time fans, he is one of One Piece’s great open questions — a name spoken alongside Gol D. Roger and Silvers Rayleigh as one of the three pillars of the Roger Pirates.

Known as the “Mountain-Eater” and the “Left Hand of the Pirate King,” Gaban served as navigator of the Roger Pirates, wielding a pair of enormous axes. His fame is said to rival Roger and Rayleigh themselves. He was present at the God Valley Incident — one of the most pivotal clashes in One Piece’s backstory — and was there when the crew first set foot on Laugh Tale and uncovered the world’s deepest secrets. After Roger disbanded the crew, Gaban slipped quietly off to Elbaph, where he married a giant woman named Ripley and raised their son Colon.

One Piece Episode 1169 Elbaf arc preview — Scopper Gaban reveal

Image courtesy of Toei Animation

Episode 1169: A Reveal That Lived Up to the Hype

Episode 1169 finds Luffy and the Straw Hats navigating the towering giants’ island of Elbaph. The episode’s centrepiece is a local guide known only as “Ya” leading the crew to a hidden chamber that holds the key to Loki’s chains. When “Ya” reveals himself as Scopper Gaban — the very same Roger Pirate who has been hiding on the island for two decades — it lands exactly as it should: a living legend stepping out of the shadows.

What makes the debut work is that Gaban does not play it completely straight. The episode gives him warmth and wit alongside the weight of his reputation. He refuses to hand over the key without a test. He wants to see for himself what the future Pirate King is made of — and that sets up everything coming next week.

One Piece Episode 1170 preview — Luffy vs Scopper Gaban on Elbaph

Image courtesy of Toei Animation

Episode 1170: Luffy vs. Scopper Gaban — Coming July 19

The title of Episode 1170, “Get the Key! Luffy vs. Scopper Gaban,” tells you exactly what to expect. Luffy will have to fight for that key. Episode 1170 airs Sunday, 19 July 2026, on Fuji TV in Japan at 11:15 PM JST, and Crunchyroll will simulcast it shortly after for Singapore and Southeast Asia viewers.

#1170 PREVIEW | ELBAPH | ONE PIECE — via ONE PIECE Official – ENG on YouTube

Watching One Piece in Singapore

One Piece streams as a weekly simulcast on Crunchyroll across Singapore and Southeast Asia. New episodes drop every Sunday night shortly after the Japan broadcast. Episode 1169 is live now, and if you want to be ready for the Luffy–Gaban showdown next Sunday, there has never been a better time to catch up on the Elbaf arc. You can also read our coverage of the latest One Piece manga spoilers for a look at where the story is headed further ahead, and browse more anime and manga news for what else is streaming this summer in Singapore.

Tag Archives: Elbaf Arc

One Piece Chapter 1191: Imu’s New Form and Loki’s Arrival Change the Elbaf Battle