Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #1132 of One Piece.
As if the Egghead Arc didn’t reveal enough already,One Piece’s Elbaph Arc is finally about to explain a mystery that has haunted fans for thirteen long years. After years of trying to decipher the identity of theman with Crocus on the cover story of chapter #631,One Pieceis finally about to settle the debate, with the latest chapter teasing the mystery man is presently at Elbaph.
In chapter #1132 ofOne Piece, a silhouette identical to the man in the cover story with Crocus can be seenwalking through the forests of Elbaph. The figure sports the same spiky long hair and conical hat and appears to be the sameman who was waiting for the Straw Hatsat the shore of Elbaph at the beginning of the arc. Given that this figure has now made two appearances in the Elbaph Arc, it seemsOne Pieceis finally about to reveal his identity after over a decade, settling the debate about whether the mystery man is Shiki, Scopper Gaban, or someone else entirely.
One Piece Reveals the Mysterious Man Drinking With Crocus Is at Elbaph
Created by Eiichiro Oda, Chapter #1132 “Adventure in Elbaph”
First introduced in the cover story of chapter #631, the identity of the man drinking with Crocus at Twin Capes has eluded fans for over a decade and hundreds of chapters with the chapter featuring the cover story in question having been released all the way back in July 2011. Fortunately, it seems the mysterious figure isfinally about to make his debut in the main storyline, and in Elbaph nonetheless.
The cameo in the latest chapter itself is quite subtle and easy to miss, especially with the ominous warning from Louis Arnot stealing all the focus. That said, even this momentary appearance gives readers quite a bit of information to go off, particularly that the mystery man appears to be a normal human rather than a Giant, judging by the giant bear featured in the panel not too far away.
The hat also suggests that this character is likely thesame mysterious figure seen waiting for the Straw Hats to come ashorein chapter #1124, whose silhouette also features a round hat-like curve.
Who Could the Mystery Man at Elbaph Be?
Shiki Would Be Interesting But Problematic
As for the exact identity of the mystery man in question, there are multiple possibilities with fans mainly having debated two of these for years. Due to the digitally colored version of the cover story, many fans stoutly believe that the man drinking with Crocus is none other thanShiki the Golden Lion,a former Rocks Pirate, Roger’s old rival and the primary antagonist ofOne Piece Film: Strong World.
While the canonicity of the film has been debated for the longest time, chapter #1131 ofOne Piecedid create anotherconnection toStrong Worldwith the revelation that the animals in the film came from Elbaph. If so, itisn’t completely unbelievable that Shiki could be at Elbaphat the moment.
This is hardly the first time Oda has blurred the line of canonicity when it comes toOne Piece’s films, withUta’s cameo at the end of the Wano Arcbeing a prime example. That said, Shiki’s devil fruit powers inStrong Worldwould create too many issues if carried over into the main story, as Oda himself has stated before.
The digitally colored manga has also been wrong many times before, making it not completely reliable. Above all, the silhouette seen in the latest chapter ismissing Shiki’s bushy goatee.Not to mention, it makes little sense why Crocus would sit down for a drink with Roger’s former rival in such a relaxed manner.
Scopper Gaban Perfectly Fits the Bill of the Mystery Man
Other than Shiki, one top contender for the mystery man at Elbaf isScopper Gaban, one of Gol D. Roger’s crew members whom fans have been eagerly waiting to see again. Much like theories about every new middle-aged female character being Luffy’s mother, theories about Gaban have become a joke. Still, not only does Gaban sport the same spiky hair as the silhouette in chapter #1132, but it would alsomake sense for him to share a drink with Crocusas seen in the cover story.
Thematically, it would also make sense for Luffy to run into another member of Roger’s crew at this point in the story.Luffy has unwittingly crossed paths with members of the former Pirate King’s crewat every major milestone in his journey, such as Crocus when entering the Grand Line andRayleigh when entering the New World. As such, it only makes sense that Luffy would meet yet another one of the Roger Pirates right before the final leg of the journey to Laugh Tale.
Having one of Roger’s former crewmates like Scopper Gaban train Luffy again would make perfect sense while also opening up the opportunity for more exposition.
Given how theEgghead Arc mirrored the Sabaody Arcin nearly every way, it would also make sense if Gaban were to now take Rayleigh’s spot in the story following Sabaody. While it may initially seem like Luffy does not need to get any stronger after awakening Gear Five, thebattle against the Five Elders at Eggheadhas provedLuffy still has ways to gobefore he can truly be the strongest or take on the World Government. As such, having one of Roger’s former crewmates like Scopper Gaban train Luffy again would make perfect sense while also opening up the opportunity for more exposition.
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Nevertheless,One Piecealways has a knack for doing the unexpected, so there’s no telling for sure who the mysterious figure at Elbaph will end up being or whether he will be a friend or a foe, for that matter. Some fans stoutly believe this could be Brook’s former captain, Yorkie, while others hold that the mysterious figure must be the ever-elusive man marked by flames. For now, fans can only hope the upcoming chapters will finally relieve this decade-old mystery without much ado.
One Pieceis available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.
One Piece
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
