One Piece Creator Eiichiro Oda Quietly Introduced Gunko 19 Years Before Elbaf

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The Elbaf arc of One Piece formally introduced the Holy Knights, with Shamrock and Gunko being among the first revealed. While Shamrock doesn’t play a major role in this arc, Gunko is a key antagonist, controlled by Imu, and has a surprising history with Brook – they both come from the same kingdom. Many fans thought Gunko was a recent creation, but Eiichiro Oda’s early drafts show that the character was actually conceived 19 years ago, demonstrating Oda’s long-term planning and the deep connections within the One Piece world.

Analyzing Oda’s Draft For the Holy Knight From Thriller Bark

Fans often get glimpses of Eiichiro Oda’s early designs for One Piece arcs and characters in older magazines. One magazine from the past showed his initial drafts for the Thriller Bark arc. Back in 2007, Oda had already sketched out ideas for Brook and the other zombie characters. Among these sketches was a bandaged woman with long hair and one visible eye, wearing a cape. Her design strongly resembled the character Gunko. Since she was drawn alongside Brook, it’s clear this woman served as an early concept for what would eventually become Gunko, one of the Holy Knights.

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The True Significance Of Gunko’s Character Before The Timeskip

I’ve always wondered about Gunko! It really seems like Oda originally planned for her to play a bigger role, maybe even in the Thriller Bark arc, but he ended up deciding against it for story reasons. Before the timeskip, she didn’t seem important at all, but looking back at his early sketches and what was published in the magazines, it’s clear he intentionally established a connection between her and Brook. It’s fascinating to see those little hints of what could have been!

Brook also shared that he once led a military convoy, hinting that the author, Oda, had been developing his story and Princess Shuri’s for a long time. The fact that so much information was hidden initially is part of what makes One Piece so captivating, especially since Brook and Shuri didn’t meet again for another nineteen years.

How Princess Shuri Is Connected To Brook’s Story Arc

The Elbaf arc of One Piece showed a strong connection between Princess Shuri and Brook. Brook actually helped raise Shuri, having previously served her father as a leader in the West Blue and considering him a great friend. He even sang to Shuri when she was a baby and played a large role in her upbringing. Sadly, Shuri later lost control and tragically killed her own father.

It’s obvious Brook still hasn’t gotten over what happened, but he doesn’t realize Imu was pulling the strings. She was definitely being controlled – likely through mind control or a technique called Domi Reversi. After that, the Holy Knights probably destroyed the kingdom, which led to Brook becoming a pirate.

Gauging The Future Importance Of Imu’s Vessel

Princess Shuri will play a key role in the story’s final chapters. Because she’s been connected to Imu for a long time, her importance will likely increase, particularly as events in Elbaf unfold and potentially separate Shuri from Imu’s influence. While Shuri appears to be the main villain of the Elbaf arc due to Imu’s control, it’s expected that Luffy and Loki will eventually break that control, freeing Shuri and possibly leading her to join the Straw Hat crew.

After this point, Imu will lose an important supporter and will likely focus his attention on Vivi. Meanwhile, Gunko could potentially join the Straw Hat Pirates or become a close ally, and her knowledge of Imu’s empire and its secrets would make her a powerful asset in the fight against the World Government.

One Piece Chapter 1178 will be available to read on Manga Plus on March 29, 2026.

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2026-03-29 09:34