Warning: Contains spoilers for One Piece chapter #1189.If there’s one constant criticism people have had about One Piece over the past decade, it’s the perceived mismanagement of the Straw Hat Pirates; not only do many of the Straw Hats still not have Haki, despite that having long become a defining feature of the manga, but nowadays, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji tend to get the lion’s share of the action and development, and because of that, it often feels like the rest of the cast never get anything to do, or at least not anything worth mentioning.
The way One Piece has handled the Straw Hat Pirates in recent years has been incredibly contentious, and the biggest victim has arguably been Usopp, as not only does he fight the least out of everyone in the cast, but he also has the most inconsistent character development among them, as the story never really lets him grow from being a complete coward. That might be changing, though, as One Piece chapter #1189 brought back a major Usopp power that was all but forgotten by the manga, and the implications of it are truly massive.
One Piece Revives Usopp’s Best Power After Over A Decade
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In 2014, a major moment in One Piece’s Dressrosa arc was when Usopp unlocked Observation Haki, making him the only member of the Straw Hat Pirates outside of the Monster Trio at the time to have Haki. As big of a moment as that was, though, for some reason, Usopp has never been shown using his Observation Haki in the years to follow; the complete lack of attention given to Usopp’s Observation Haki has been baffling to many, and the fact that Usopp had more Haki feats in non-canon material like One Piece: Heart of Gold and One Piece Film: Red was even worse.
The way One Piece has handled Usopp’s Observation Haki has been utterly bizarre, but that’s finally about to change. In One Piece chapter #1189, after Imu brutally wounded Luffy, Usopp reacted to the damage being dealt to Luffy, marking the first time Usopp has canonically used Observation Haki in 12 years. Interestingly, the scene is framed like Usopp doesn’t know why he sensed something, so he might not have control of his Haki, so that could be why he hasn’t been using it, but the fact that Usopp is using it at all is still worth celebrating on its own.
Why Usopp Using Observation Haki Is Such A Big Deal
The-One-Piece-Teaser-Usopp
One Piece has finally brought back Usopp’s Observation Haki, and it’s pretty easy to see why that’s important. While Usopp has rarely ever used his Observation Haki, it’s implied to be very powerful, with 2022’s One Piece Film: Red even making it the key to how everyone saved the world from Tot Musica. That could lead to Usopp getting a major power boost, and with how much things have escalated in the Elbaph arc, that would be great to see.
More than that, though, is what this can do for Usopp’s reputation. As previously discussed, Usopp is arguably the Straw Hat Pirate with the worst handling over the past decade, but if he’s finally going to master his Observation Haki, then that could lend itself to some substantial character development for Usopp, which, in turn, could make it easier for people to appreciate the good parts about Usopp’s character instead of honing in on the bad. That’s more than warranted at this point in the story, and hopefully, One Piece will find a way to capitalize on that.
Grand Line · Pirate Adventure Edition The One Piece Anime Quiz
⚓CrewNakama
⚡PowersDevil Fruit
🌊ArcsAdventure
☠VillainsEnemies
🌎WorldBlue Sea
01
Monkey D. Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and dreams of becoming King of the Pirates. He gained his signature stretching abilities by eating a Devil Fruit as a child. What was this fruit originally believed to be called?
✓ Correct! The Gomu Gomu no Mi (Gum-Gum Fruit) was what Luffy’s Devil Fruit was believed to be — a Paramecia-type fruit that turned his body into rubber. Luffy accidentally ate it from the treasure chest of the Red Hair Pirates when he was a child in Foosha Village.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Gomu Gomu no Mi. The Mera Mera no Mi is the Flame-Flame Fruit eaten by Ace, the Bara Bara no Mi is Buggy’s Chop-Chop Fruit, and the Hana Hana no Mi is Robin’s Flower-Flower Fruit.
02
The One Piece world is divided by a massive geological formation that runs around the entire globe, separating the oceans. What is this continent-like structure called?
✓ Correct! The Red Line is a massive continent that circles the globe vertically, dividing the world’s oceans into four seas: North Blue, South Blue, East Blue, and West Blue. It intersects with the Grand Line at two points, including the holy land of Mary Geoise.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Red Line. The Grand Line is the ocean route where pirates compete, the Calm Belt is a windless sea surrounding it full of Sea Kings, and Reverse Mountain is the entry point to the Grand Line. The Red Line is the massive continent dividing the world.
03
In the One Piece world, there is a spiritual power that allows users to sense others’ presence, predict attacks, and even exert their willpower over others. What is this power called?
✓ Correct! Haki is a mysterious power that exists in every living being in the One Piece world. It comes in three types: Observation Haki (sensing), Armament Haki (invisible armor), and the rare Conqueror’s Haki (dominating willpower), which only one in a million people possess.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Haki. Chakra is the energy system from Naruto, Nen is from Hunter x Hunter, and Ki is from Dragon Ball. Haki is One Piece’s unique power system with three distinct forms: Observation, Armament, and Conqueror’s.
04
The Seven Warlords of the Sea (Shichibukai) were powerful pirates who worked for the World Government in exchange for pardons. Which of these characters was NOT one of the original Seven Warlords?
✓ Correct! Kaido was never a Warlord — he was one of the Four Emperors (Yonko), the most powerful pirates ruling the New World. Known as “the Strongest Creature in the World,” Kaido ruled over Wano Country with the Beast Pirates. Mihawk, Crocodile, and Doflamingo were all Warlords.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Kaido. Mihawk (the world’s greatest swordsman), Crocodile (the desert king of Alabasta), and Doflamingo (the Heavenly Demon) were all Warlords. Kaido was a Yonko — an Emperor of the Sea — a rank above the Warlords entirely.
05
The Marineford War arc is considered one of the most emotional and pivotal arcs in One Piece. Luffy desperately fought to save someone important to him from execution. Who was Luffy trying to save?
✓ Correct! Portgas D. Ace, Luffy’s sworn older brother, was captured by the Marines and sentenced to public execution at Marineford. Luffy broke into Impel Down prison and then stormed Marineford itself in a desperate attempt to save Ace, leading to one of the most heartbreaking moments in anime history.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Portgas D. Ace. Nico Robin was rescued during the Enies Lobby arc, Zoro is rarely in that kind of danger, and Sabo was believed dead at the time. Ace’s execution at Marineford triggered an all-out war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines.
06
Roronoa Zoro is the first member to join Luffy’s crew and serves as the Straw Hats’ swordsman. He has a unique fighting style. How many swords does Zoro wield in his signature technique?
✓ Correct! Zoro is famous for his Santoryu (Three Sword Style), wielding one sword in each hand and a third in his mouth. This unique fighting style makes him one of the most distinctive swordsmen in all of anime. His dream is to become the world’s greatest swordsman by defeating Dracule Mihawk.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is three. Zoro’s signature Santoryu (Three Sword Style) involves wielding one sword in each hand and gripping the third in his mouth. While he can fight with one or two swords, his three-sword technique is his most iconic and powerful combat form.
07
The World Government in One Piece is controlled by a mysterious group of individuals who sit at the very top of its power structure, above even the Admirals and the Fleet Admiral. What are they called?
✓ Correct! The Five Elders (Gorosei) are the highest-ranking leaders of the World Government, residing in the holy land of Mary Geoise. They command all military and political power, including the authority to order a Buster Call. Their true nature and abilities have only recently been revealed in the series.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Five Elders (Gorosei). The Celestial Dragons are descendants of the founding kings but don’t rule directly, the Revolutionary Army opposes the government, and the Yonko are pirate emperors outside government control. The Gorosei sit at the absolute top.
08
It was revealed that Luffy’s Devil Fruit is not actually the Gomu Gomu no Mi, but a mythical Zoan-type fruit with a much more significant true name. What is the fruit’s real identity?
✓ Correct! The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika is a Mythical Zoan-type fruit that the World Government had been hunting for 800 years. When Luffy awakened it during the Wano arc, he unlocked Gear 5 — gaining the power of “the most ridiculous ability in the world” with limitless imagination-based combat.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika. The Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix belongs to Marco, the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu was Kaido’s dragon fruit, and the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami was Yamato’s fruit. Luffy’s true fruit is the legendary Sun God Nika.
Voyage Complete Your Pirate Bounty
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Are you King of the Pirates — or still swabbing the deck?
With One Piece firmly in its final saga, the series needs to find a way to make better use of the Straw Hat Pirates as a whole, and finally bringing back Usopp’s Observation Haki after over a decade is a perfect way of kicking that off. It was a very small moment in chapter #1189, but that didn’t make it any less impactful, and overall, it will be great to see where Usopp’s story in One Piece goes from here.
