This Straw Hat Pirate Is Stealing Usopp’s Thunder in the Elbaph Arc
Ahmed Riaz
For years, Eiichiro Oda has been hinting that the Elbaph arc would be Usopp’s moment to shine in One Piece. Ever since the Little Garden arc of the Alabasta saga, the Elbaph arc has been constantly hyped as the story where Usopp might finally grow into a brave warrior of the sea. Yet, as the arc unfolds, another Straw Hat has taken Usopp’s spotlight away.
Brook, the Straw Hat’s musician, has suddenly become the new focus of One Piece in its Elbaph arc, and it has led to some disappointment amongst fans. While Brook’s past life is something that is intriguing, his dramatic emergence in the arc that was supposed to be designed for Usopp’s development has earned One Piece some suspicious stares.
How One Piece Foreshadowed Elbaph as Usopp’s Redeeming Arc
Each Straw Hat in One Piece has a different dream, and Usopp’s was to become the brave warrior of the sea, something that felt tailored to fit into the Elbaph arc. Elbaph is a land that is filled with warriors who admire pride, strength and honor, all of which inspired Usopp. During the Little Garden Arc, Luffy and Usopp were particularly inspired by the giants’ philosophy of honor. Usopp didn’t just like the giants, he began to idolize them, directly leading to his desire to visit their home island.
During the Enies Lobby arc, Usopp took on the persona of Soge King, a brave masked sniper, and once he proved he didn’t need that mask to be courageous in the Thriller Bark arc, fans assumed that Usopp would no longer be a coward moving forward.
In the Dressrosa Arc, Usopp accidentally rose to the status of God Usopp, which was crucial foreshadowing of his upcoming legendary acts. Usopp has been quietly supporting the Straw Hats since the start, but fans of One Piece were waiting for the moment that the character received his own spotlight, proper attention, and development so he could finally outgrow his childish characteristics.
Even when the Elbaph arc began to be serialized in the manga, Usopp and Luffy were shown to be awestruck and emotional at the scale of Elbaph. Not even for a single moment did anyone expect Usopp’s moment would be snatched away so easily. Yet, it was another Straw Hat who swooped in and took away Usopp’s dream arc, rendering him an eternal useless bum.
One Piece Mercilessly Snatched Usopp’s Spotlight and Handed It to Brook
Brook reading newspaper from behind bars in One PieceImage via Toei Animation
Brook recognizing Gunko in the Elbaph arc caused quite a stir in the One Piece community. Gunko even wanted to take him back to Mary Geoise to enslave him so Brook could make music for her for the rest of his life. It was later revealed that Gunko was actually born as Princess Shuri, and Brook was previously the leader of her kingdom’s battle convoy. Brook’s connection to the former Princess Shuri has made him an intriguing part of the ongoing arc.
One Piece has provided each member of the Straw Hats with their defining arcs. Nami’s character came into full focus during the Arlong Park arc, Robin’s past was explored during the Enies Lobby arc, and Sanji was the hero of the Whole Cake Island arc. However, in Elbaph, it is Brook and Gunko’s relationship that is stealing the show, instead of Usopp’s commitment to becoming a brave warrior of the sea.
Brook was personally approached by the giants during the initial festivities at Elbaph, as they had never seen a living skeleton before. Even during battles, it is Brook who is evading and fighting like a veteran, while Usopp’s development is far from sight. Needless to say, it can be quite frustrating to see Usopp being sidelined in the arc.
One Piece Made a Smart Choice by Handing Elbaph’s Spotlight to Brook Instead of Usopp
Usopp smiles confidently in One Piece Log Fish-Man Island Saga
Elbaph isn’t just about honor and warriors’ code; it’s about giants who outlive others to tell their stories. Brook is a man who lived beyond his death, and someone whose existence spans centuries, just like the giants. Usopp might admire the giants, but Brook has already lived the same kind of existence.
Brook has always connected with others through music and even in the Elbaph arc, he continues to awe the giants with it. On the one hand, Usopp is teary as he takes the entire island in, and on the other hand, Brook has already earned respect from the giants. From a lonely soul drifting for an eternity, Brook has now become a loyal pirate crew member who can confront his darkest fears for the sake of his comrades. By simply continuing forward despite the immense tragedy he has faced, Brook has proven his bravery.
Brook’s flashback shows him as the leader of a royal convoy, and he has a deep connection to history and memory. Brook carries his past with him and remembers every person and promise that he came across. Since the Elbaph arc is focused on traditions, culture, pride and legacy, Brook has an open stage to play a huge role.
In the presence of Brook, Usopp simply seems like a man who is trying his best to confront his insecurities. Usopp is overshadowed by Brook’s ideals and history. At the same time, simply giving up the arc to Usopp would have been too obvious of a move. Usopp meeting the giants, getting inspired and becoming a brave warrior might not have made for a compelling story.
Taking the spotlight away from Usopp in the Elbaph arc of One Piece only pushes him towards a stronger character arc. Instead of expected linear growth, Usopp now has to make his own space in the arc. Instead of courage being handed over to Usopp, he has to prove that he is deserving of the inspiration.
One Piece might not have restricted Usopp’s development completely in the Elbaph arc of One Piece, but instead opted for a more twisted form of storytelling. Ultimately, Brook has not completely replaced Usopp’s star moment, but only created a space for the character to grow out of his shell, without relying on convenience. Maybe, later in the final saga of One Piece, Usopp will have his limits tested and finally be pushed to develop.
CBR Exclusive · One Piece Quiz WHICH ONE PIECE LEGEND ARE YOU? Set sail — Quiz sequence initiated ⚓ The Grand Line stretches endlessly before you. Across its treacherous waters, legends are born — forged in Devil Fruit power, unbreakable will, and the fierce loyalty of a crew that would sail into any storm. Twenty questions. One legendary result. Your adventure begins now. 🌊
🍖Luffy
⚔️Zoro
🗺️Nami
📖Robin
🍳Sanji
01
The Going Merry is ready to leave port. What’s your first move? 🚢 How you set sail says everything about who you are at sea.
02
A Marine warship is blocking your route. You: 🏴☠️ Crisis response reveals your true pirate nature.
03
You find a Devil Fruit on the table. What do you hope it is? 🍈 The fruit you crave is the power you were always meant to have.
04
What is your one, unshakeable dream? 🌟 Every great pirate sails for something deeper than treasure.
05
The Thousand Sunny docks at a new island. First stop? 🏝️ What you do first in port reveals your deepest priorities.
06
Your greatest weapon aboard the ship? ✨ Every Straw Hat has one thing that makes them irreplaceable.
07
What’s your natural role when things get tense? 🪝 The pressure moment is where your true function reveals itself.
08
Honest confession — what is actually your biggest flaw? 😬 Even the greatest pirates have one thing they’re still working on.
09
A crewmate is in serious danger. You: 💪 How you protect the people you sail with is who you truly are.
10
Halfway across the Grand Line. What keeps you going? 🌟 Not the crew’s reason. Yours. The private one.
11
You lost the fight. The crew is watching. Now what? 😳 How you rise after falling is what separates legends from passengers.
12
Your bounty poster just went up. What’s on it? 💰 The World Government describes you the way your enemies see you.
13
Free day on a peaceful island. What actually happens? 🌴 How you rest is a window into what drives you when no one’s watching.
14
What does your crew actually say about you behind your back? 📋 The people who sail with you see the version you can’t.
15
Which Haki do you feel most aligned with? 🔮 The Haki you master reflects the deepest truth of who you are.
16
What does it truly mean to you to be a pirate? 🌊 Not Garp’s definition. Not the Marines’. Yours.
17
In a hundred years, what will they say about you? 🎬 The Void Century has room for one more name. What does yours mean?
18
A Warlord of the Sea is blocking the path forward. You: 👀 Warlords don’t intimidate legends. They reveal them.
19
The crew celebrates a big victory. Your contribution? 🎉 How you celebrate says as much as how you fight.
20
You reach Laugh Tale. The One Piece is real. What do you do? 🔥 Twenty questions. One truth. No turning back now.
⚓ The Grand Line has made its judgement ⚓ YOUR ONE PIECE LEGEND
Your scores are revealed below! The character with the highest number is your One Piece counterpart. Read their profile to discover your true pirate destiny. 🌊
🍖 Luffy
⚔️ Zoro
🗺️ Nami
📖 Robin
🍳 Sanji
You don’t understand the word impossible — not because you’re naive, but because you genuinely never accepted that it applied to you. You charge into every situation with the full force of your personality, your body, and your heart, and somehow the universe rearranges itself to accommodate you. You don’t lead through command; you lead through being so completely, recklessly yourself that everyone around you becomes a better version of who they were. You eat too much, feel too loudly, and care too deeply. The world calls it recklessness. Your crew calls it home. 🍖
You have made exactly one promise and you have organised your entire existence around keeping it. Stoic to a fault, terrifying in combat, and somehow always facing the wrong direction — you are the immovable foundation that the whole crew leans against when everything else shakes. You don’t ask for recognition. You don’t need it. The work is its own reward. The sword is the path and the path is the sword. You will lose a thousand times before you reach the top, and you will get back up every single time. That is not stubbornness. That is who you are. ⚔️
You are sharper than anyone in the room and you know it — but you also know exactly when not to show it. Pragmatic, resourceful, and carrying more than you ever show on your face, you are the reason the ship reaches anywhere at all. Every route was planned by you. Every impossible weather reading, every near-catastrophe avoided — that was you. The world tried to take everything from you once, and you built something extraordinary out of the wreckage. You love the people you’ve chosen fiercely, quietly, and without much ceremony. The map isn’t finished. You’ll get there. 🗺️
You spent so long being hunted for what you know that you forgot — briefly, painfully — that you were also worth loving for who you are. You carry the weight of erased history in your memory and the quiet certainty of someone who has survived what should have been unsurvivable. Calm where others panic, perceptive where others miss everything, and in possession of a dark humour that still catches people off guard. You don’t trust easily, and when you do, it is the most complete and devastating loyalty imaginable. You want to know the truth. You deserve to live to read it. 📖
You have principles carved so deep they function like a skeleton — invisible, structural, and the thing holding everything else upright. You cook for people because food is love expressed at its most honest. You fight for the crew because protecting them is the most natural thing in the world. You are elegant, occasionally absurd, capable of extraordinary tenderness and absolutely terrifying combat in the same five-minute span. You came from darkness and chose light so deliberately and so completely that it became your defining act. The sea called and you answered. All Blue is out there. You’ll find it. 🍳
