One Piece chapter 1192 was officially released on September 6, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #41, and it drove the Elbaf arc closer to its conclusion than ever before. Elbaf is nearing its end and should wrap up within the next few chapters, which means some of the biggest fights that are currently ongoing in the arc are set to wrap up in the next few chapters.
To that end, Eiichiro Oda has already highlighted a couple of character deaths that are coming up in the next few chapters. Eiichiro Oda isn’t usually known for killing his characters, be it among the heroes or the villains. However, with the final saga getting more intense, character deaths have become far more frequent in the story of One Piece. The climax of the Elbaf arc is, thus, setting up the end of the road for two of the most important characters so far, those being Saint Sommers and Killingham. That is necessary for Elbaf to be saved from the threat of Nerona Imu, and it is up to Zoro and Sanji to deal the killing blow to them.
One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Climax Sets Up The Deaths Of Holy Knights Sommers And Killingham
The Holy Knights Sommers and Killingham were brought to Elbaf in One Piece chapter 1140 on February 24, 2025, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #13. These two were to replace Shamrock Figarland, who was required immediately in the Holy Land of Marijoa. Since then, Sommers and Killingham have played a significant role in the Elbaf arc, setting themselves up to be massive villains. That said, at their initial power levels, they were easily taken down by the Straw Hat Pirates. Upon the descent of the King of the King of the World, Nerona Imu, in One Piece chapter 1179 on April 5, 2026, the situation changed completely. Imu went on to completely obliterate Zoro and Sanji in battle. Immediately after, he bestowed upon Sommers and Killingham the Omen of Black Flames. These Black Flames float over the heads of Sommers and Killingham as a halo and have powered them up tremendously.
Chopper: What are these black flames?
Sommers: This is it! An Omen!
Imu: Quickly, Sommers. There’s no time to waste.
— Nerona Imu grants an Omen to Sommers and Killingham, One Piece Chapter #1180
As confirmed in One Piece chapter 1189, the Omen also gifted them the weapons of the creators of the World Government, who defeated Joyboy 800 years ago. Saint Sommers received the Blade of Wrath: Gram, while Killingham received the Spear of Holy Command: Longinus. With these two weapons, Sommers and Killingham are tremendously overpowered, strong enough to hold their own even against the likes of the Admirals in battle. However, despite having all these powers and, on top of them, a Depths Covenant that grants them infinite regeneration and immortality, these two characters are the likeliest to be killed in the Elbaf arc. In fact, their death is almost a guarantee at this point in the story, because without it, Nerona Imu cannot be driven out of Elbaf.
“800 years ago, the 19 Kings who forged this world took an oath of equality, thrusting their weapons into the ground around the Empty Throne. Blade of Chaos, Tohu! Vohu! Nemesis! Longinus! Stigma! Muramasa! They are the 19 weapons of those who brought the world to heel! The Great One used Omen to bring them back and grant them to us. There are no lies among the legends each family passed down!” — Sommers explains the Creator Weapons, One Piece Chapter #1189
Why Holy Knight Deaths Are Necessary To Save Elbaf
Normally, Eiichiro Oda does not like to kill off his characters, even if they are on the villain’s side. Oda has previously stated that he prefers his main characters to break down the will of the enemy and shatter their dreams, which, to him, is a fate worse than death. However, this logic does not work with the Holy Knights. The Holy Knights are immortal, and if left alive, they will simply go on to regenerate.
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In One Piece chapter 1170, which was officially released on January 5, 2026, Gaban stated that hitting the immortals with the Color of the Supreme King repeatedly will eventually incapacitate them. However, killing them is a completely different thing altogether. Loki became the first character in One Piece to kill a Holy Knight when he dealt the final blow to his own father, King Harald, 14 years ago. Since then, a Holy Knight has not been killed in the story, but now, Sommers and Killingham need to be killed if Luffy is to win his battle against Nerona Imu.
“Give him enough hits, and we can manage to knock him out of commission. If these guys have any weakness, it’s against those of us who can infuse our attacks with the Color of the Supreme King!” — Gaban explains the Holy Knights’s weakness, One Piece Chapter #1170
The primary reason for this is how the Covenant of Imu works. In One Piece chapter 1171, Nerona Imu confirmed himself that the loss of each Covenant comes at a huge price to pay for him. When King Harald died, Imu was visibly weakened by this loss, and it took a heavy toll on him. In other words, Sommers and Killingham’s deaths will weaken Imu in Elbaf dramatically, and it will make things easier for Luffy and Loki as they push to drive the King of the World out of Elbaf. Without the death of the Holy Knights, Nerona Imu cannot be weakened further, and if he isn’t weakened, then Luffy and Loki stand absolutely no chance against him in battle. As such, it is imperative for Zoro and Sanji to destroy the steel hearts of Sommers and Killingham once and for all, killing them in the process and weakening the King of the World, Nerona Imu.
Imu: Those traits made Harald a true monster? Yet he was taken down? What exactly is lurking in Elbaf?
Five Elders: We shall have the Abyss Pentagram carved by Harald in Elbaf inspected.
Imu: That shall not be necessary. It’ll result in the death of another Knight. Every Covenant comes at a high price to pay for Mu.
— Imu confirms losing a Covenant weakens him, One Piece Chapter #1171
The Steel Hearts Of The Holy Knights Will Stop Soon
Image by GameRant
The key to killing a Holy Knight most certainly lies in the mechanical heart they possess. This heart was first shown to us in Chapter 1178, which was released on March 30, 2026, in Shonen Jump Issue #18. When Zoro wondered about the prospect of destroying the Steel Heart, Sommers was seen visibly panicking. In other words, this heart holds the key to the immortality of the Holy Knights. Once the heart is destroyed, these Holy Knights suffer death, and that means both Sommers and Killingsham’s hearts will need to be destroyed by Zoro and Sanji.
“If I destroy this steel heart, will they lose the ability to put themselves back together?” — Zoro, One Piece Chapter #1179
With Elbaf edging closer to its end, it is highly likely that Eiichiro Oda will soon turn his attention to the battles between the Wings of the Pirate King and the Holy Knights. In these battles, Zoro and Sanji must master the Color of the Supreme King and then use this Haki to deal the killing blow to Sommers and Killingham. These two Knights will have to die, and when they do, Imu will be weakened tremendously due to a loss of two Covenants. This will then open up the perfect window for Monkey D. Luffy to launch his counterattack against him and save Elbaf for good.
That said, taking down Imu is still not going to be easy. Fans might still end up seeing Luffy fall in Elbaf while trying to save the country, and that is only going to make things more exciting for the future. For now, all we can say with absolute certainty is that Eiichiro Oda has already sealed the fate of Sommers and Killingham in Elbaf.
All the newest chapters of One Piece by Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
