One Piece volume 112 cover may be Oda's biggest fumble yet

One Piece volume 112 is set to be released in Japan on July 4, 2025. As the second volume of the ongoing Elbaph Arc, this installment continues the Straw Hat crew’s adventure in the fabled homeland of the mighty Giants, a long-anticipated milestone that promises to be the culmination of years of narrative buildup.

Nico Robin shares a heartfelt reunion with her mentor, Jaguar D. Saul, while the rest of the Straw Hats revel in the warm hospitality of Elbaph’s Giants. However, the island’s serenity crumbles when a sinister group of hooded villains arrives on Elbaph, sparking a chaotic crisis. Meanwhile, Luffy and Zoro confront a legendary former pirate before agreeing to free Loki, Elbaph’s fearsome “Accursed Prince.”

With two weeks to wait until One Piece volume 112 hits stores, Eiichiro Oda has already shared the installment’s cover. The mangaka’s stunning art never fails to impress fans, but the reveal has raised some controversy, as this is probably one of those times when Oda’s discarded cover ideas were even more impressive than the final drawing he settled on.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1153.

One Piece volume 112 cover centers around the New Giant Warrior Pirates, but there were more captivating options

In anticipation of One Piece volume 112’s upcoming official release, the official accounts of the franchise have revealed what the cover of this installment will look like. They have also shared a video showing Eiichiro Oda's work on the project, as well as his scrapped ideas for the illustration, allowing fans to get a glimpse of the cover production process.

Based on the video, it seems that Oda initially wanted to draw something quite different from what he ultimately decided on. Oda’s sketches reveal two illustration projects, both looking absolutely amazing. The first one intended to focus the One Piece volume 112 cover on Figarland Shamrock, Gunko, Rimoshifu Killingham, and Shepherd Sommers, the four Holy Knights who invaded Elbaph.

The second concept was arguably even more captivating. It had the Holy Knights towering in the background, as if they were a lurking menace, while in the foreground Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro argue fiercely, in a reference to their initial disagreement over freeing Loki.

Oda's scrapped ideas for the One Piece volume 112 cover (Image via Shueisha)

Behind them is Scopper Gaban, the former number three of the Roger Pirates. Gaban is shown in the pose he took when he calmly surrendered to Luffy and Zoro after acknowledging their might in the wake of a brief confrontation with the top two Straw Hats. That said, Oda dismissed both these illustrations in favor of a very different drawing for the cover of One Piece volume 112.

The final version of the One Piece volume 112 cover features Luffy and the New Giant Warrior Pirates, namely Hajrudin, Stansen, Road, Goldberg, and Gerd. The illustration also includes Nico Robin and Jaguar D. Saul.

Luffy dominates the drawing's foreground with his Viking-style outfit, which consists of a long red fur cape, leather garments, and a helmet with long curved horns. His signature straw hat hangs between the cape and the huge battle ax he carries strapped to his back. The New Giant Warrior Pirates are depicted around Luffy.

The young pirate uses his Devil Fruit ability to stretch out his arms, seemingly forming a figure-eight pattern as his limbs extend to shake hands with Gerd and Hajrudin. Beneath them are Nico Robin and Saul, with Robin tenderly hugging her mentor’s face. Everyone is smiling at each other, conveying a sense of serenity and happiness.

The One Piece volume 112 cover is completed with the name and logo of the franchise, written in a fading yellow. Overall, the illustration captures Elbaph’s tranquility before the arrival of the malicious Holy Knights disrupts the peace.

While the final version of the One Piece volume 112 cover looks absolutely good, the scrapped ideas for the drawing were much more magnetic and gripping. The first concept was particularly intimidating, while the second one radiated dynamic energy.

Discarding his initial ideas for the cover, One Piece author Eiichiro Oda chose to depict a moment of reassuring joy centered around Elbaph’s Giants, prioritizing it over the appeal of more imposing artworks focused on popular, fan-favorite characters.

This volume covers the One Piece manga from chapter 1134 to chapter 1144. In these chapters, Saul and the New Giant Warrior Pirates don’t play any particularly significant role. Instead, the Holy Knights take center stage together with Luffy and Zoro’s confrontation with Gaban and subsequent encounter with Loki.

The volume itself is titled “The Harley,” referencing the title of chapter 1138 and the ancient mural of the same name. This mural, preserved in Elbaph, presents the story of the One Piece world, describing multiple past wars and important events while hinting at the future. Perhaps one of the two original concepts that were dismissed, enriched with a background depicting the Harley mural, would have been a more enthralling choice for the One Piece volume 112 cover.

While Oda considered these intriguing possibilities, he ultimately opted for a different approach, though one that might not captivate fans as much. Granted, this decision may disappoint fans, but the Elbaph Arc's true test will be whether it will meet its sky-high expectations. With monumental stakes at play, fans must trust Eiichiro Oda to deliver a satisfying payoff worthy of the years of anticipation.

One Piece volume 112 cover may be Oda's biggest fumble yet

One Piece volume 112 cover centers around the New Giant Warrior Pirates, but there were more captivating options

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