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One Piece went on a two-week-long break on July 12, 2026, following the release of Chapter 1188, which showcased the battle between Nerona Imu and Monkey D. Luffy. With this two-week-long break now finally over, One Piece is headed towards the release of Chapter 1189, which is set to officially be published in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #35 on July 26, 2026. The previous chapter showcased the defeat of Monkey D. Luffy at the hands of Nerona Imu.
The focus is now likely going to shift towards Luffy's Wings, who are going to do everything they can to weaken Luffy's enemy for him and allow him a chance to head back into battle. At the same time, One Piece Chapter 1189 is also likely going to focus on Princess Shuri as well as Brook, along with Nerona Imu's direct connection to her.
One Piece Chapter 1189 Is Likely To Focus On Zoro And Sanji
One Piece chapter 1189 is likely going to take the focus away from Luffy's defeat against Nerona Imu and throw some focus on Zoro and Sanji, and there is one main reason for this. To understand the significance of Eiichiro Oda focusing on the battles between Zoro and Sanji right now, we only need to go back to One Piece chapter 1171, where Oda showcased the aftermath of the death of King Harald. Harald had received a Depths Covenant from Nerona Imu, the very same pact that both Killingham and Sommers have. When Harald died, Nerona Imu shuddered at the thought of there existing a creature in Elbaf strong enough to kill a giant with the potential to destroy the entire world. An important aspect was highlighted by the King of the World back then, when he stated that the death of each Holy Knight marked with a Covenant comes at a huge price for him.
Imu: Those monstrous 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.
— Exchange between Imu and Gorosei confirming Imu's weakness after Harald’s death, One Piece Chapter #1171
This means that with the death of each of these individuals, Nerona Imu takes a hit in terms of overall power and suffers drastically. As such, Luffy can very well be saved in Elbaf by Zoro and Sanji, his Wings, by defeating Sommers and Killingham, or by simply killing them. To that end, One Piece chapter 1189 is likely going to throw a lot of light on the Wings of the Pirate King because that is the only way for Luffy to catch some respite in the battle against Nerona Imu. Zoro and Sanji will finally fully begin their battles against Sommers and Killingham, and hope to gain full control over their Conqueror's Haki in this battle. Zoro must fully learn how to control this power, and Sanji must bring it to the surface and then master it in the very same fight, which is going to be quite a challenge for the Wings.
To that end, One Piece Chapter 1189 will finally build up towards these two individuals mastering these abilities and then pushing their enemies to the back foot. It is only a matter of time before both Zoro and Sanji fully master their Conqueror's Haki and demolish these two Holy Knights for good. This would then, in turn, weaken Nerona Imu significantly and allow Luffy a moment to catch his breath and head into battle once again.
Sanji: What about me? Do I have Conqueror's Haki?
Gaban: You too have traits of one who can become a Conqueror. But for some reason, I sense dangerous self-deprecation in you. If you truly want Luffy to become the Pirate King, then you yourself must become a "King."
— Gaban confirms Sanji's latent Conqueror's Haki, One Piece Chapter #1187
Why Luffy Could Fight Back Against Nerona Imu
One Piece Chapter 1189 might focus on Zoro and Sanji primarily, but Monkey D. Luffy needs to catch a break as well. Luffy might be able to free himself from Nerona Imu's Blade of Nothingness: Vohu and recalibrate. If there's one thing that we know, it is that Luffy's Gear 5 officially failed against Imu, and he is in no condition to continue battling. To that end, there might be some intervention in this already ongoing battle against Imu in Elbaf in order to help Luffy out.
The Straw Hats will have to do what they can to save Luffy and to make sure that he is fighting Nerona Imu. One Piece Chapter 1189 might thus see someone like Loki head back into battle, at least momentarily, to free Luffy from the Blade of Nothingness: Vohu. We could also see some other Straw Hats attempt to aid Luffy and distract Imu until Luffy recuperates, but it is also possible that the biggest distraction comes from Scopper Gaban, who is on the sidelines but the strongest of the bunch.
One Piece Chapter 1189 Could Focus On The Imu And Gunko Plotline
Towards the end of One Piece Chapter 1188, we saw Princess Shuri finally being freed from the ice of Ragnir. With Brook finally communicated with her. Imu's attention immediately went to him, and by putting two and two together, he realized that Brook was the same man he saw in Esperia years ago. As such, with Luffy now already defeated, One Piece Chapter 1189 could very well show Nerona Imu heading at a blazing fast speed to where Gunko is. This will thus allow Luffy to recuperate and, at the same time, set up a confrontation between Nerona Imu and the other Straw Hats who are currently next to Gunko.
“A man with an Afro calling Gunko “Princess Shuri”? Could it be?” — Imu figures out Brook and Shuri’s connection, One Piece Chapter #1187
It will also set up a psychological confrontation for Gunko with Imu on one side and Brook on the other. It is here that Gunko could potentially turn against Nerona Imu and side with the Straw Hat Pirates to fight back against his influence. Needless to say, if it happens, it will certainly be an exciting moment for all of us to witness.
One Piece Chapter 1189 is going to be mostly a setup chapter for the exciting Holy Knight battles, the rescue of Monkey D. Luffy, and the return of Princess Shuri to the good side. It is still going to be filled with excitement to the brim, and we absolutely cannot wait to see all that being brought to life. After the break, Eiichiro Oda is likely going to be full of energy to deliver a couple more chapters before heading off on a break. Unless there is a break from Jump, fans should be expecting more One Piece chapters from the author, which means exciting developments are surely going to be up next.
All the new chapters of One Piece by Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
