Eiichiro Oda Confirms Sanji’s New Conqueror’s Haki in One Piece Chapter 1187

One Piece Chapter 1187 officially landed on July 5, 2026, and once again centered the spotlight on Sanji during the Elbaf battles. With the story continuing its focus on the “monster trio,” the manga used Sanji’s internal struggles and his drive to support the people around him—especially Monkey D. Luffy—to push a major milestone forward. This chapter is especially significant because it officially verifies Sanji’s Conqueror’s Haki after a long stretch of buildup, and it frames his awakening as something he’s only just starting to act on.

Sanji’s Conqueror’s Haki Gets Confirmed—After an Elbaf-Arc Setup

Sanji has been positioned for this power-up since the Elbaf arc began, with the manga tying the payoff directly to earlier beats—most notably One Piece Chapter 1152. That earlier chapter was released on June 23, 2025, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #30, and it laid the groundwork by having Scopper Gaban, the Pirate King’s Left Wing, spell out that multiple people in the Straw Hat orbit possessed Conqueror’s Haki. It also established that Zoro was comfortable using it, while the conversation between Gaban and Sanji teased that Sanji, too, had something latent waiting to surface.

• Scopper Gaban’s claim in Chapter 1152: more than one person among the Straw Hats has Conqueror’s Haki.
• Zoro’s exchange in Chapter 1152: he reacts to the idea that he can use the “Color of the Supreme King.”
• Sanji’s reaction in Chapter 1152: he asks whether he’s the one with Conqueror’s potential, complaining (half-jokingly) about others taking the spotlight.
• Gaban’s tease in Chapter 1152: he tells Sanji—specifically—that Sanji appears particularly at ease with this kind of power.

Chapter 1187 then pays off that tease in the present by revealing the missing answer through a flashback. Gaban tells Sanji that he has the “makings of a King” and the ability to unlock Conqueror’s Haki, but he also identifies what has kept Sanji from moving forward: self-deprecation. In other words, the manga makes the point that Sanji’s problem wasn’t potential—it was the way he doubts himself.

• Gaban to Sanji (Chapter 1187 flashback): Sanji has traits of someone who can become a Conqueror.
• Gaban’s warning (Chapter 1187 flashback): dangerous self-deprecation is what’s holding Sanji back.
• Core condition (Chapter 1187 flashback): if Sanji wants Luffy to become Pirate King, Sanji must become a “King” himself.

Becoming a “King” Is Tied Directly to Luffy Reaching the Top

The idea that Sanji must rise into a “King” role isn’t just a new theme for Elbaf—it loops back to earlier canon. Gaban’s message in Chapter 1187 makes it explicit: if Sanji truly wants Luffy to become the Pirate King, then Luffy cannot reach that status without Sanji doing the same. The manga then reinforces this through a callback to One Piece Chapter 844, released on October 31, 2016, where Luffy flat-out states he cannot become Pirate King without Sanji.

“Sanji, come back, no matter what!! If you’re not with me, I cannot become the Pirate King!” — Luffy underscores Sanji’s importance in the crew in One Piece Chapter 844

In a way, the story completes a circle: after years of establishing Sanji as essential to Luffy’s path, the latest chapter formalizes what that “essential” role means in combat—Sanji awakening Conqueror’s Haki as a prerequisite for Luffy’s ascent.

Outside the Conqueror’s Haki plot, there’s also a new bit of worldbuilding. The Nerona clan rules the One Piece world, and the manga introduces a new member of that clan on July 3, 2026, through One Piece volume 115.

Scopper Gaban’s Role: Building Sanji’s Path to Saint Killingham

Sanji’s Conqueror’s Haki isn’t an isolated reveal—it’s the end of a chain of setup involving Scopper Gaban. Gaban was introduced in One Piece Chapter 1139, and that appearance was used to position Sanji’s eventual power-up as something inevitable. The manga confirmed Gaban’s standing by placing him in the same tier as legends like Roger and Rayleigh. Chapter 1140 then showed Gaban using Conqueror’s Haki during a brief clash involving Luffy and Zoro, and Chapter 1149 (dated May 26, 2026) displayed how effectively he could dismantle a Holy Knight using Conqueror’s Haki.

Gaban’s influence continues into the middle of the Elbaf arc. In Chapter 1152, he’s also the one who explains the weakness of the Holy Knights—telling Luffy to use Conqueror’s Haki properly. With Gaban functioning as a direct parallel to Sanji within the Straw Hat Pirates’ broader power narrative, it makes sense that he would set Sanji on a path to become a “King” and unlock his hidden capability.

That matters because the current conflict has Sanji taking on Saint Killingham. The chapter’s logic is straightforward: to beat Saint Killingham, Sanji needs Conqueror’s Haki. The manga ties this to a broader rule Gaban stated in One Piece Chapter 1170, which was released on January 5, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #6-7—only people who can infuse their attacks with the Color of the Supreme King can defeat the world’s immortals.

“Give him enough hits, and we can manage to knock him out of commission. If these guys have any weakness, it’s against those of us who can infuse our attacks with the Color of the Supreme King!” — Scopper Gaban confirms Conqueror’s Haki as the only weakness of Immortals, One Piece Chapter #1170

Why Fans Expected This for Sanji Long Before Chapter 1187

Even with Chapter 1187 delivering the official confirmation, the manga’s long-running groundwork makes the result feel less like a surprise and more like the final reveal of something already planted. The story has repeatedly framed Sanji as someone who carries the “King” qualities needed for Conqueror’s Haki.

That foundation dates back to the Baratie Arc (which goes back to 1998). During that arc, Zeff compared Luffy’s tremendous willpower and grit to Sanji’s own stubborn resolve, and Zeff pushed Sanji to stop holding back—even having Sanji chew his own grit—so he wouldn’t limit himself out of loyalty or fear of hurting Zeff.

From there, Sanji’s “King” traits keep showing up across major arcs: he was ready to sacrifice himself for the crew during Thriller Bark, he displayed similar leadership-minded courage on Sabaody Archipelago, and after the timeskip he captained the Twirly Hat Crew when Luffy was absent—leading the Straw Hats in a way that mirrored a true captain figure.

Whole Cake Island then adds another piece to the “potential King” equation by confirming Sanji is actually a prince of the Germa Kingdom, which frames his future as something tied to lineage and destiny. Finally, during the Wano Arc, Sanji again demonstrated enormous strength and leadership qualities, and he even brought out more of his “King” nature as the arc progressed.

What Happens Next for Sanji’s New Haki

With all of these elements combined, Chapter 1187 positions Sanji’s Conqueror’s Haki awakening as a climax-level development for the Elbaf Arc. Now that Sanji is heading into battle against Saint Killingham, the immediate question becomes how he will apply Conqueror’s Haki in practice—what techniques he develops, and how his newly confirmed power changes the way he fights.

All the latest One Piece manga chapters by Eiichiro Oda are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.