Since the Wano arc, every Straw Hat has gotten a significant power-up. Zoro unlocked Conqueror's Haki, Sanji awakened his Germa enhancements, Nami gained Zeus. Yet Usopp, the self-proclaimed Brave Warrior of the Sea, has been conspicuously absent from this power-up rush. Now, with the crew on Elbaf, the island he's admired since childhood, I believe Oda is finally setting the stage for his biggest moment.
The Power-Up Rush
There isn't definitive foreshadowing explicitly laid out just yet, but if you look at the flow of the story, several details point in the direction of an Usopp awakening. The first is the sheer volume of power-ups the crew has received.
Chapter 1176. Jinbe, Sanji, and Franky attacking.
Since the Wano arc, the Straw Hat crew has been unveiling new powers and techniques one after another, and every member has clearly leveled up.
Even Nami, a fellow "cowardly" crew member, gained the ability to fully wield Zeus, born from Big Mom's soul, giving her a massive boost in attack power.
Chapter 1033. Zoro confirmed as a user of the Color of the Supreme King.
And the biggest upgrade went to Zoro. During the Wano arc, it was hinted at and then officially confirmed that he possesses the Color of the Supreme King (Conqueror's Haki). On top of that, he was shown using it in combat, putting him on the path to becoming one of the most powerful swordsmen in the entire series.
Considering all of this, it's hard to imagine Usopp alone will stay the same. A power-up is almost certainly being prepared for him. So the question becomes: will Usopp experience an awakening, and if so, what kind?
The Opponents Waiting for Him
Looking ahead, Usopp will almost certainly have to face Yasopp of the Red Hair Pirates or Van Augur of the Blackbeard Pirates.
Chapter 1176.
Yasopp, his father and the man he must eventually surpass, is a longtime officer of the Emperor Shanks, recognized globally as a world-class sniper whose skills are respected even by the Marines.
Beyond being a highly skilled sniper for the Blackbeard Pirates, Van Augur now wields the Wapu Wapu (Warp-Warp) Fruit. A sniper with teleportation abilities is not an opponent you can beat in a normal fight. As Usopp is right now, he simply doesn't have the firepower to compete.
That's why it's highly likely he'll experience a major awakening somewhere in the story that grants him entirely new combat abilities. And there's another factor worth considering: the current stage is the Elbaf arc.
Elbaf is the country of Giants.
It's also the place that embodies the Brave Warrior of the Sea ideal that Usopp has admired since childhood.
Throughout the story, Usopp has repeatedly expressed his admiration for the Giants. There's no doubt Elbaf holds special meaning for him. As the setting for his major growth, could there be a better stage?
With that in mind, it would make perfect sense for Usopp to grow mentally in Elbaf and then experience a true awakening. So if he does awaken, what form will it take? This post explores two separate theories.
Theory 1: Conqueror's Haki
The first theory for Usopp's awakening is Conqueror's Haki (Haoshoku).
There's actually a foundation for this idea, even if it hasn't been explicitly stated. That foundation is the recurring pattern of Usopp's lies eventually becoming reality.
His cry of "Pirates are attacking!" came true with the Black Cat Pirates' invasion, and his tall tale about carrying a giant goldfish to a land of dwarves connected to the Tontatta Kingdom in Dressrosa.
"It's natural for men with weak resolve... to crumble before me."
If even this lie becomes reality, Usopp's awakening of Conqueror's Haki might be right around the corner. However, this is only one possibility. I will also present a second, entirely separate theory for his power-up.
Theory 2: The Fairy's Hallucination Power
The second theory moves away from Haki entirely and instead focuses on Usopp's unique connection to spiritual and supernatural beings.
Seeing What Others Cannot
This might seem like a stretch, but if you look back at Usopp's portrayal throughout the series, he is consistently shown as someone who can perceive and interact with spiritual beings that normal people cannot see.
Usopp witnessing the Klabautermann, the spirit of the ship.
Usopp was the first to witness the Klabautermann, the spirit of the Going Merry. The Klabautermann is a spirit spoken of in sailor folklore, and normally, it's not something just anyone can see. But Usopp saw it clearly.
Usopp's deep connection with the Tontatta tribe in Dressrosa.
In the Dressrosa arc, Usopp was also the first to form a genuine bond with the Tontatta tribe (who are depicted as fairies). The Tontatta are portrayed as fairy-like beings, living in a world just beyond the reach of ordinary humans. Putting all of this together, it's clear that Usopp is portrayed as someone with an unusually high sensitivity to spiritual and supernatural beings.
The Green Fairy
At first glance, Elbaf might not seem connected to any of this, but it actually is. Consider the liquor known as Absinthe.
Chapter 701. Absinthe, commonly known by its alias, "The Green Fairy."
Commonly known as "The Green Fairy," the forest fairy. It has long been associated with hallucinations and psychoactive effects. If all of this foreshadowing comes together, Usopp could awaken a hallucinatory or mental interference ability tied to his fairy connections.
With this kind of ability, Usopp would gain an incredible power. He could launch mental-based attacks that bypass physical defenses entirely.
The Counter the World Needs
What makes this theory especially compelling is that this type of mental attack would be incredibly powerful precisely because it would not require Haki to be effective. Logia users or immortal beings might shrug off physical blows, but spiritual and mental attacks can still reach them. With a hallucination ability, Usopp might even be able to stand against the immortal Imu-sama, the Five Elders, or the Holy Knights. After all, a hallucination that acts directly on the mind would be nearly impossible to defend against, regardless of how powerful the target is.
Luffy punching Crocodile, a purely physical brawler.
Jango using hypnosis, mental interference as a combat tool.
Furthermore, Usopp has a history of defeating characters who are terrible matchups for physical brawlers like Luffy. Luffy is a purely physical fighter; he was completely powerless against Perona's negative hollows and would have been instantly turned into a toy by Sugar. Usopp defeated these seemingly invincible, "crowned" Devil Fruit users purely through psychological shock and fear.
The theory suggests Imu is exactly the same: a final boss Luffy cannot beat with physical punches alone, making Usopp the necessary counter. Usopp's new ability would be exactly what is needed to mentally break the final crowned boss of the world.
Conclusion
Given Oda's pattern of turning Usopp's lies into reality, his consistent portrayal as someone sensitive to the spiritual world, and the thematic significance of Elbaf as his island, the pieces all point toward a major awakening.
The post presents two distinct possibilities for what that awakening could look like:
Tl;DR
Every Straw Hat has powered up since Wano, except Usopp. Elbaf, the island he's dreamed of since childhood, is the perfect stage for his awakening. This post explores two separate theories: (1) Usopp's lies becoming reality could lead him to awaken Conqueror's Haki. (2) His ability to see the Klabautermann, his bond with the Tontatta fairies, and Elbaf's connection to Absinthe (the Green Fairy) could point to a hallucinatory mental interference ability that does not require Haki, which is precisely what would make it devastatingly effective against opponents like Imu, the Five Elders, and Van Augur, enemies that raw physical power alone cannot defeat.
The Power-Up Rush
There isn't definitive foreshadowing explicitly laid out just yet, but if you look at the flow of the story, several details point in the direction of an Usopp awakening. The first is the sheer volume of power-ups the crew has received.
Chapter 1176. Jinbe, Sanji, and Franky attacking.
Since the Wano arc, the Straw Hat crew has been unveiling new powers and techniques one after another, and every member has clearly leveled up.
Even Nami, a fellow "cowardly" crew member, gained the ability to fully wield Zeus, born from Big Mom's soul, giving her a massive boost in attack power.
Chapter 1033. Zoro confirmed as a user of the Color of the Supreme King.
And the biggest upgrade went to Zoro. During the Wano arc, it was hinted at and then officially confirmed that he possesses the Color of the Supreme King (Conqueror's Haki). On top of that, he was shown using it in combat, putting him on the path to becoming one of the most powerful swordsmen in the entire series.
Considering all of this, it's hard to imagine Usopp alone will stay the same. A power-up is almost certainly being prepared for him. So the question becomes: will Usopp experience an awakening, and if so, what kind?
The Opponents Waiting for Him
Looking ahead, Usopp will almost certainly have to face Yasopp of the Red Hair Pirates or Van Augur of the Blackbeard Pirates.
Chapter 1176.
Yasopp, his father and the man he must eventually surpass, is a longtime officer of the Emperor Shanks, recognized globally as a world-class sniper whose skills are respected even by the Marines.
Beyond being a highly skilled sniper for the Blackbeard Pirates, Van Augur now wields the Wapu Wapu (Warp-Warp) Fruit. A sniper with teleportation abilities is not an opponent you can beat in a normal fight. As Usopp is right now, he simply doesn't have the firepower to compete.
That's why it's highly likely he'll experience a major awakening somewhere in the story that grants him entirely new combat abilities. And there's another factor worth considering: the current stage is the Elbaf arc.
Elbaf is the country of Giants.
It's also the place that embodies the Brave Warrior of the Sea ideal that Usopp has admired since childhood.
Throughout the story, Usopp has repeatedly expressed his admiration for the Giants. There's no doubt Elbaf holds special meaning for him. As the setting for his major growth, could there be a better stage?
With that in mind, it would make perfect sense for Usopp to grow mentally in Elbaf and then experience a true awakening. So if he does awaken, what form will it take? This post explores two separate theories.
Theory 1: Conqueror's Haki
The first theory for Usopp's awakening is Conqueror's Haki (Haoshoku).
There's actually a foundation for this idea, even if it hasn't been explicitly stated. That foundation is the recurring pattern of Usopp's lies eventually becoming reality.
His cry of "Pirates are attacking!" came true with the Black Cat Pirates' invasion, and his tall tale about carrying a giant goldfish to a land of dwarves connected to the Tontatta Kingdom in Dressrosa.
- When it comes to Haki, despite not being able to use it effectively yet, Usopp once bluffed the Tontatta tribe into believing the tremors from a nearby battle were caused by his own Haki.
- Taken together, these moments feel like deliberate foreshadowing, placing him on the path toward Conqueror's Haki.
"It's natural for men with weak resolve... to crumble before me."
If even this lie becomes reality, Usopp's awakening of Conqueror's Haki might be right around the corner. However, this is only one possibility. I will also present a second, entirely separate theory for his power-up.
Theory 2: The Fairy's Hallucination Power
The second theory moves away from Haki entirely and instead focuses on Usopp's unique connection to spiritual and supernatural beings.
Seeing What Others Cannot
This might seem like a stretch, but if you look back at Usopp's portrayal throughout the series, he is consistently shown as someone who can perceive and interact with spiritual beings that normal people cannot see.
Usopp witnessing the Klabautermann, the spirit of the ship.
Usopp was the first to witness the Klabautermann, the spirit of the Going Merry. The Klabautermann is a spirit spoken of in sailor folklore, and normally, it's not something just anyone can see. But Usopp saw it clearly.
Usopp's deep connection with the Tontatta tribe in Dressrosa.
In the Dressrosa arc, Usopp was also the first to form a genuine bond with the Tontatta tribe (who are depicted as fairies). The Tontatta are portrayed as fairy-like beings, living in a world just beyond the reach of ordinary humans. Putting all of this together, it's clear that Usopp is portrayed as someone with an unusually high sensitivity to spiritual and supernatural beings.
The Green Fairy
At first glance, Elbaf might not seem connected to any of this, but it actually is. Consider the liquor known as Absinthe.
Chapter 701. Absinthe, commonly known by its alias, "The Green Fairy."
Commonly known as "The Green Fairy," the forest fairy. It has long been associated with hallucinations and psychoactive effects. If all of this foreshadowing comes together, Usopp could awaken a hallucinatory or mental interference ability tied to his fairy connections.
With this kind of ability, Usopp would gain an incredible power. He could launch mental-based attacks that bypass physical defenses entirely.
The Counter the World Needs
What makes this theory especially compelling is that this type of mental attack would be incredibly powerful precisely because it would not require Haki to be effective. Logia users or immortal beings might shrug off physical blows, but spiritual and mental attacks can still reach them. With a hallucination ability, Usopp might even be able to stand against the immortal Imu-sama, the Five Elders, or the Holy Knights. After all, a hallucination that acts directly on the mind would be nearly impossible to defend against, regardless of how powerful the target is.
Luffy punching Crocodile, a purely physical brawler.
Jango using hypnosis, mental interference as a combat tool.
Furthermore, Usopp has a history of defeating characters who are terrible matchups for physical brawlers like Luffy. Luffy is a purely physical fighter; he was completely powerless against Perona's negative hollows and would have been instantly turned into a toy by Sugar. Usopp defeated these seemingly invincible, "crowned" Devil Fruit users purely through psychological shock and fear.
The theory suggests Imu is exactly the same: a final boss Luffy cannot beat with physical punches alone, making Usopp the necessary counter. Usopp's new ability would be exactly what is needed to mentally break the final crowned boss of the world.
Conclusion
Given Oda's pattern of turning Usopp's lies into reality, his consistent portrayal as someone sensitive to the spiritual world, and the thematic significance of Elbaf as his island, the pieces all point toward a major awakening.
The post presents two distinct possibilities for what that awakening could look like:
- Conqueror's Haki: Following the pattern of Usopp's lies becoming truth, he could awaken Conqueror's Haki, fulfilling his bluff about making weak-willed men crumble before him.
- A Fairy Hallucination Ability: Drawing on his unique connection to fairies, his history with spiritual beings, and the Green Fairy hallucination foreshadowing tied to Elbaf, Usopp could awaken a form of mental interference that bypasses every physical defense in the series. Crucially, this ability would not rely on Haki, which is exactly what would make it so effective against even the most formidable opponents.
Tl;DR
Every Straw Hat has powered up since Wano, except Usopp. Elbaf, the island he's dreamed of since childhood, is the perfect stage for his awakening. This post explores two separate theories: (1) Usopp's lies becoming reality could lead him to awaken Conqueror's Haki. (2) His ability to see the Klabautermann, his bond with the Tontatta fairies, and Elbaf's connection to Absinthe (the Green Fairy) could point to a hallucinatory mental interference ability that does not require Haki, which is precisely what would make it devastatingly effective against opponents like Imu, the Five Elders, and Van Augur, enemies that raw physical power alone cannot defeat.
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