The Power of Motherly Love and Loki’s "Thunder Dragon" Awakening
One Piece has been serializing for 28 years, and Eiichiro Oda continues to prove why this epic remains at the absolute pinnacle of the manga world. Chapter 1,174, titled "The Strongest Thing in the World" (published in the February 16, 2026 issue of Weekly Shonen Jump), delivers an unforgettable blend of heart-wrenching emotion and jaw-dropping spectacle.
As the Elbaf Arc reaches its climax, this chapter perfectly balances the dark, terrifying reality of the world government with the quintessential Shonen Jump themes of love, bonds, and explosive action. Let’s dive into the key moments of this spectacular chapter.
The Depths of Despair: Im’s Power and Somers’ Sadism
The chapter opens with a dire, suffocating situation. The ships and sea clouds have completely vanished, trapping the children of Elbaf and making their escape to the Holy Land nearly impossible. The sheer terror of the moment is amplified by Im's overwhelming presence. Im has taken over Gunko (Saint Kiringamu), twisting the arrow's power to cut off any remaining hope for the children's progress.
Amidst this chaos, the antagonist Somers shows his true, despicable colors. Panic initially sets in over the unexpected developments, but rather than focusing on his mission, Somers begins to sadistically revel in the tragedy about to unfold. Unafraid of even Im's wrath, Somers gleefully anticipates the children plummeting to their deaths in the underworld. His twisted internal monologue—even going so far as to blame Im for the situation—highlights just how deeply rotten the villains of this final saga have become.
"The Strongest Thing in the World": A Mother’s Love
Despite the overwhelming darkness, Oda shines a brilliant light on the chapter's core theme: Motherly Love. As the children face a fatal drop into the underworld, lined with deadly thorns, the mothers of Elbaf do not hesitate.
In a sequence that left readers across the globe in tears, the mothers throw themselves into danger. Ripley embraces Colon, crying out, "I won't let you die alone!" This powerful sentiment echoes across the battlefield as every mother tightly holds their child, fully prepared to fall into the abyss with them.
The chapter brilliantly subverts expectations. In Chapter 1142, Bent jokingly listed his "mother" as the thing he feared most. But Chapter 1174 recontextualizes this: a mother is terrifying because she is fiercely protective. Oda actually foreshadowed this in a classic SBS (Question Corner) from Volume 83, where he stated that a mother’s love makes her stronger than even Kaido or Akainu.
Furthermore, Oda beautifully expands on the definition of family. The bond between Ange and the orphaned Johanna—who envied the love of parents—proves that "motherly love" transcends bloodlines. The children of Elbaf are raised by the collective love of their community.
Social media erupted with praise, with fans commenting:
- "I cried... love is so strong."
- "Reading this from a mother's perspective is terrifying, but these moms are amazing." * "This felt like peak One Piece."
The Saviors Arrive: Gear 5 and the Thunder Dragon
Just as the situation seems entirely hopeless, the drums of liberation echo across Elbaf. Monkey D. Luffy in his Gear 5 form and Loki make a miraculous entrance! Arriving just in time as they head toward the Yangkai, they intercept the tragedy and bring an immediate shift in momentum.
Luffy’s chaotic, cartoonish Nika powers brilliantly disrupt the battlefield, planting seeds of hope in an otherwise desperate scenario. But the true showstopper is Loki.
Breaking out into a breathtaking, full-spread illustration, Loki finally reveals his transformed state: a gigantic, awe-inspiring Black Dragon. The sheer scale of his transformation is so ridiculous that even the ever-joyful Gear 5 Luffy finds it amusing.
Fans are already buzzing with theories, with the dominant consensus being that Loki has consumed a Mythical Zoan fruit tying him to Nidhogg, the Thunder Dragon of Norse mythology. Because his appearance drastically differs from the standard Ryu Ryu or Uo Uo Devil Fruits, the community is heavily debating the true nature of his powers and its connection to Elbaf's mysterious national treasure.
Looking Ahead
As we push through mid-February 2026, the manga is operating at maximum capacity. Between the emotional weight of the mothers' sacrifices and the earth-shattering tag-team of Sun God Nika and the Thunder Dragon, the Elbaf Arc is cementing itself as one of the series' greatest. With the One Piece anime officially slated to enter the Elbaf arc in April 2026, the hype is truly at an all-time high.
