With the God Valley flashback stealing the spotlight, a different drumbeat is growing louder across the fandom: when the story swings back to the present, is Elbaf finally the stage where Usopp cashes in on years of foreshadowing and becomes the “brave warrior of the sea” he’s always claimed to be?
Why Elbaf Is Usopp’s Home Turf
Elbaf isn’t just another island—it’s Usopp’s childhood myth made real. Giants, honor duels, and warrior festivals align perfectly with his dream, and the return of Dorry & Brogy would connect his earliest victories (Little Garden) to the endgame. A culture that prizes courage, cunning, and battlefield feats is tailor-made for a sniper who turns fear into ingenuity.
What a Real Power-Up Could Look Like
- Observation Haki leveling up: Usopp already showed sparks of Kenbunshoku. Elbaf could push him toward longer-range sensing, projectile prediction, or brief, high-stress “future-sight” moments that enable shot selections across map-wide battles.
- Ranged combos & loadouts: Expect refined Pop Greens, impact shells, and trick rounds—plus synergy with Nami’s climate tech and Franky’s engineering for tag-team set pieces (think: weather-marked trajectories, sonar shots, or vine snares that set up coup-de-burst cannons).
- Sniper-as-commander: On a giant battlefield, the best marksman isn’t just a shooter—he’s artillery control. Usopp could direct volleys, call lines, and flip sieges with precision support, evolving from prankster to tactician.
Mentors, Rivals, and Trials
- Dorry & Brogy (and Elbaf veterans): Perfect mentors to translate “bravery” into doctrine—wind reading, heartbeat pacing, and giant-class hunting methods for monster game that doubles as sniper training.
- A marksman foe worth fearing: A rematch concept with Van Augur (or a new elite Elbaf sharpshooter) would crystalize Usopp’s growth, forcing him to win on vision, nerve, and timing—not just gadgets.
- The Loki variable: If Prince Loki becomes a central figure, Elbaf politics could demand a public feat—an archery trial, a hunt, or a duel judged by giants—that lets Usopp prove himself in front of the whole island.
How Oda Usually Handles “Glow-Ups”
Oda rarely hands out time-skip-style training arcs mid-saga; he forges upgrades under fire. Usopp’s pattern—panic → plan → miracle—typically culminates in one audacious lie becoming true (Sogeking, anyone?). Elbaf is the perfect crucible for that metamorphosis: fewer bluffs, more belief.
Balancing the God Valley Momentum
Many readers still don’t want to leave the flashback’s thunder. But pivoting from mythic history to Elbaf doesn’t have to feel like a downshift if the island pays off long-seeded threads: giants’ lore, Shanks connections, and Usopp’s destiny. If God Valley reveals how the world was built, Elbaf can show how the next generation—Usopp included—will stand tall in it.
Risks and Pitfalls
- Screen-time economics: The final saga is crowded. Oda must carve space for Usopp without starving other Straw Hats.
- Gag vs. gravitas: Usopp’s comedy is precious. The trick is preserving it while letting him deliver a few spine-tingling, series-defining shots.
- One big moment vs. sustained growth: A single clutch snipe is hype; a strategic arc where Usopp repeatedly changes battles from the shadows is legacy.