This article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga.
One Piece chapter 1168 is just around the corner and fans absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next in the incredible Elbaf flashback, especially as Shanks has now taken over as the most important character in the story alongside Harald. It is quite clear that these two characters are going to be the focus of the flashback moving forward, and with that, the flashback itself will now start to wrap up.
One Piece: Oda Confirms Shanks's True Role, And He Is As Important As Luffy
Shanks is central to the One Piece story, possibly just as important as Luffy.
With Shanks having been introduced as a God's Blade in the previous chapter, he and Harald will grow closer to each other, which will all lead to the eventual death of the King of Elbaf. One Piece fans absolutely cannot wait for what's to come next in chapter 1168, and hopefully, Oda delivers upon the high expectations of the fans.
One Piece Chapter 1168 Will Build Shanks And Harald's Relationship
In the previous chapter of the manga, fans saw Shanks and Harald meet for the very first time. Immediately after their meeting, it was quite curious to see that Harald felt almost as if he knew both Shanks and Shamrock from long ago. This implies that Harald met Shanks when Roger visited Elbaf at some point before his death. This is most likely going to be touched upon in One Piece chapter 1168.
Don't think we're on the same level. I'm going to be behind a Holy Knight far faster than you. — Shanks to Harald
Harald probably already recognizes the fact that Shanks is faking his disgust towards the lower world. One Piece chapter 1168 will most likely give the fans a big conversation between Shanks and Harald, which has already been confirmed from when Shanks met Gaban. He clearly said that he and Harald spoke about some things in the Holy Land but couldn't speak freely, which is why Shanks visited Elbaf 14 years ago.
Fans will most definitely see these two talk in private and discuss some taboo subjects, such as the Sun God Nika, the World Government's deep secrets, and most importantly, the world that must be built in the future.
Shanks And Harald Will Discuss Forbidden Topics
Quite easily, the most forbidden topic that Shanks and Harald will discuss in One Piece chapter 1168 is going to be surrounding Nika, who is heavily worshiped in Elbaf. At the same time, Rocks D. Xebec might also come up at this point in the story. This is because Rocks was the best friend of Harald and he stood against the Government.
We became quite close in Marijoa, but we couldn't talk freely there. — Shanks to King Gaban
One Piece: Eiichiro Oda Might Just Have Revealed Whitebeard's Original First Mate
Whitebeard's very first mate has been revealed, and he has an interesting connection to Marco the Phoenix in One Piece.
Meanwhile, Shanks wants to find out the truth about the world and carry on Roger's will, which is precisely why he needs to know all that he can from Harald. It is highly likely that Harald will not reveal everything to Shanks in One Piece chapter 1168, which will then set up Shanks's journey to Elbaf 14 years ago and also the death of the King of Elbaf.
Harald Will Realize The Evil of The World Government In One Piece Chapter 1168
One Piece chapter 1168 will take the fans one step closer to the death of the beloved King of Elbaf. This is quite clear at this point in the story, as he died 14 years ago, and right now, the flashback is from the events of 15 years ago.
In just one year, Harald will officially die. This means, at this point, Harald must start realizing the darkness that lurks behind the World Government. After his conversation with Shanks, the two might find out the truth about the World Government and following that, Harald will most likely sabotage the operations of the World Government to take over Elbaf and turn the Giants into slave warriors.
Fans already know this because Sommers clearly stated previously in the arc that things were going according to plan, but Harald decided to screw up in the end. This means that before he died, he messed up the plans of the World Government and saved his country from a tragic fate. All this will most likely be set up in One Piece chapter 1168, and fans absolutely cannot wait.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece will be featured in this week's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1168 is December 7, 2025. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday, which is 11:00 AM EST, or 8:00 AM PT. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps.