Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, is officially back to his original release schedule of three chapters in a row, with One Piece chapter 1188 officially scheduled for a release on July 12, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #33 at 11 AM EST. Having concluded chapter 1187 with the setup for Nerona Imu versus Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece chapter 1188 is going to focus on this exciting clash of Kings.
At the same time, this week’s One Piece chapter gives attention to both of Luffy’s wings, Zoro and Sanji, who are engaged in battles of their own. With the beginning of these battles, the Elbaf Arc is hurtling towards its end at a blistering pace, and now is the time for high-octane action and an exciting fight 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 versus 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 tapped into the power of Gear 5 almost immediately, prompting Imu to comment about the return of Joy Boy.
Imu: So thou hast finally shown thyself, Joy Boy!
Luffy: Don’t go calling me whatever you want. I’m Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will become the King of the Pirates.
— Exchange between Luffy and Imu, One Piece Chapter 1187
As such, after 800 years, One Piece’s greatest battle is now officially beginning once again, pitting the Sun God against Imu. Given that Luffy is at full energy, it is highly likely that he will be dominant in this clash at first. However, Nerona Imu is also going to 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 fulfill their goal.
One Piece Chapter 1188 could also give us a chance to see Nika in a more serious light. So far, Nika, as the Warrior of Liberation, has always had a light-hearted attitude in battles. Even when Luffy was fighting against Kaido, he was quite cheerful, which some fans did not like. However, the battle against the Devil God of the One Piece world, Nerona Imu, is quite different. Imu is a threat on a completely different scale, and against him, Luffy is very serious, as was quite evident in the previous chapter. One Piece Chapter 1188 will thus give us a completely new side of Luffy, raising the stakes and giving us the intensity that we want to see.
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Sanji and Zoro’s Conqueror’s Haki Will Be A Big Focus In The New One Piece Chapter
One Piece Chapter 1188 is also highly likely to focus on Luffy’s Wings, Zoro, and Sanji. With the previous chapter focusing especially 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 out this conquering potential to the surface and ascend to the next level in terms of power.
The Editor’s Note from the previous chapter also confirmed that the question of who truly holds the “qualities of a King” will be addressed in the following release. As such, One Piece Chapter 1188 could tackle the concept of the Supreme King Haki in the first place. This is also a thematically fitting moment for Oda to reveal it, because two Kings are going 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 truly wields the qualities of a King? Lead cover and colorspread 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 tapped into the power of the Supreme King Haki in the Wano arc, but as confirmed in One Piece Chapter 1152, he does not know how to utilize this power properly. Scopper Gabant scolded Zoro for not being able to use it to the best of his ability, and now is the 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 it. However, in your case, for some reason, I sense a very strong self-deprecation. You must be a King too if you truly want Luffy to become the Pirate King.
— Scopper Gaban confirms Sanji’s Conqueror’s Haki potential, One Piece Chapter #1187
Similarly, in the case of Sanji, his self-deprecation was killing his Color of the Supreme King. Now is the time for him to let go of the self-deprecation and step up. One Piece Chapter 1188 could potentially give us a moment of Sanji fully awakening Conqueror’s Haki for the first time.
Shuri And Brook Likely To Finally Reunite After Decades
While One Piece 1188 is highly likely to focus on the various Kings present in Elbaf, it is also going to give some attention to the important plot line surrounding Brook and Shuri. In the previous chapter, Ragnir was officially able to free Princess Shuri from the ice prison that she was locked in. Now that Shuri has been freed, it is time for Brook to get through to her and free her from Imu’s control. As to how he will go about doing that remains unclear, but it is also possible that Shuri will still be under Imu’s control following her awakening.
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This will then set up 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 might not happen as quickly as fans expect it to. There will still be some exciting buildup to it, and we absolutely cannot wait to see what Eiichiro Oda does next with this intriguing plot line. Unfortunately, One Piece is likely to go on break immediately 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 head off on a two-week break before returning with Chapter 1189.
One Piece Chapter 1188 drops officially 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.
