If you've been keeping up with the Elbaf arc, you already know things are about to get wild. Last chapter left us on a massive cliffhanger, and honestly, the setup for One Piece Chapter 1173 might be the most exciting we've seen in a while. Zoro dropped one of his signature "don't worry, I've got this" moments, and for once, we actually have a pretty good idea what that plan looks like. Let's break it down.
Zoro's Plan Could Be Absolutely Insane
So here's the thing Dorry and Brogy are still a massive problem. These two giants are essentially a walking natural disaster, and Lord Jarul's life is hanging in the balance because of them. But Zoro, ever the strategist when it counts, told Hajrudin he had a plan. And based on everything we know about where Zoro is right now, it's not hard to put the pieces together.
The most likely move? Zoro uses Enma to channel his Conqueror's Haki and delivers a strike powerful enough to literally split the ground beneath them. Yeah, you read that right. If he can pull that off, it solves a huge problem nobody's getting caught in the crossfire between two giants anymore, and the whole Domi Reversi situation stops being a threat.
Once the terrain is divided, Zoro's group can split up too. Hajrudin heads one way, Zoro heads the other, and suddenly each giant has someone gunning for them individually. And here's the cherry on top Scopper Gaban is right there with them. If Oda decides to give us a Gaban moment this chapter, his Haki alone could seriously slow Dorry or Brogy down. Plus, having Gaban in Zoro's vicinity means there's a real possibility we finally see some proper guidance on how Zoro uses Conqueror's Haki in battle. That alone is worth the read.
Sanji's Got a Library to Save — and a Holy Knight to Deal With
Meanwhile, Sanji is sprinting toward the Owl's Library, and trust me, he's not messing around. Nami, Usopp, Jinbe, and Robin are all trapped near the burning library, and Sanji is basically the only one close enough to do something about it. So what happens when he gets there? He saves the crew, he deals with the fires, and he comes face to face with Saint Sommers.
Now, Sommers has already done some pretty unforgivable things to Nico Robin and the others, so the moment Sanji sees what went down, he's going to be furious. Like, genuinely angry in a way that's rare for him. And that fury might actually be exactly what he needs right now.
Here's why: the only real way to take down the Holy Knights is through Conqueror's Haki. Oda has made that pretty clear at this point. So this fight with Sommers could be the exact moment Sanji finally taps into that power. It's been building for a while, and if there's ever been a chapter where it makes sense for it to happen, this is it. Think about it Sanji awakening Conqueror's Haki mid-fight against a Holy Knight, before he even gets to the bigger bads of this arc? That would be huge.
The Wings of the Pirate King Are About to Have Their Moment
This is actually the part that ties everything together nicely. The real threats in Elbaf right now are Imu (who's been riding Gunko's body, which is still deeply unsettling), Saint Killingham, and Saint Sommers. Luffy and Loki are going to handle Imu together that's a given at this point. But Killingham and Sommers? Those two are meant for Zoro and Sanji, and it's starting to feel like fate is lining things up perfectly.
Sanji is already closing in on Sommers fast, and Zoro, once he finishes dealing with Dorry and Brogy, is likely going to run right into Killingham. If both of those confrontations kick off in the same chapter, we're looking at the biggest dual setup this arc has given us. The Wings of the Pirate King, each up against a Holy Knight, each pushing their Conqueror's Haki further than ever before. It's the kind of chapter Oda lives for.
Luffy and Loki Are Coming Back to the Sun World
And finally the return. Luffy and Loki wrapped up their business in the Underworld after dealing with the Draugr, and now it's time for them to head back up to the Sun World and kick off the real counter-attack against Imu's Demon Army. If they show up in 1173, it's going to shift the entire momentum of the arc in one fell swoop.
This could also be the chapter where we finally see Loki's Devil Fruit in action for the first time. The Prince of Elbaf has been building hype for a while now, and if Oda decides to pull the curtain back here, it's going to be one of those moments fans have been waiting months for.
The Bottom Line
One Piece 1173 is shaping up to be one of those chapters where everything moves at once. Zoro might split the land in half. Sanji might awaken Conqueror's Haki. Luffy and Loki might return to the battlefield. And the Holy Knights are about to become the biggest obstacle standing between the Straw Hats and victory in Elbaf. The war has officially begun, and this arc is only just heating up.
