This post contains spoilers for One Piece.
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The Straw Hat Pirates are the main protagonists ofOne Piece. Unlike most pirate crews, they are tightly-knit. The Straw Hats function as a unit, and together, they have overcome many perilous situations. All the Straw Hats have a specific role to play, which is why they are all indispensable. Usopp’s role is that of the crew’s sniper, meaning he should be among the top fighters. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and it’s mainly due to Oda’s decisions.
Usopp’s Growth Has Stalled Badly
Usopp’s Strength Has Hardly Improved
After returning from two years of training, Usopp looked like a changed man. He looked physically stronger, and fans believed that Usopp was about to leave the Scared Trio for good. In the first few arcs, Usopp seemed impressive, particularly when he was in Dressrosa. Not only didUsopp awaken Observation Haki, buthe also used it to take down Sugar and Luffy and Law.
Usopp’s contribution in the Dressrosa arc was truly exceptional, and it only bolstered fans' expectations of him. They firmly believed that things would only get better for Usopp, but they couldn’t have been more wrong. Once the arc was over, Usopp’s development as a fighter stalled. Oda hasn’t given him any noteworthy power-ups, which many fans find bizarre; after all, he is supposed to bethe sniper of the future Pirate King.
Oda Wants To Keep Usopp The Most Human Character
In an old interview, Oda revealed thathe wants Usopp to remain weakbecause he’s the closest person who represents the strength of a real human being. So, Eiichiro Oda decision to not give Usopp any new abilities is something that he has thought about a lot. Fans of the character might say that Oda has failed them, but that isn’t true.
While Usopp’s development as a fighter has stalled, the sniper has contributed to the crew’s success in whatever way he can. Usopp has put his life on the line multiple times to help his crewmates. Even though he is weak,Usopp has absolutely no problemswith putting himself through the wringer for the crew. These instances prove that Oda cares about Usopp, and he doesn’t want to sideline the sniper from the story completely.
Usopp’s Role In The Final Saga Has Been Decided
Usopp Will Fight Van Augur In The Final Saga
Currently, the One Piece manga is focused on Elbaf, the land of Giants. So far, the arc has featured some of the strongest characters in One Piece, each of whom has several overpowered abilities, and the heroes have to deal with them. In such situations, Oda gives the Straw Hats new power-ups, so something similar will happen in Elbaf. There is a chance that Usopp will also get a new skill with which he will help Luffy and the rest of the crew to overcome this hurdle.
There is a chance that Oda might be planning another timeskip after the Elbaf arc. It has been insinuated that time flows differently in Elbaf, which makes it easier for Oda to add another timeskip. Like the previous timeskip, all the Straw Hats, including Usopp, will grow stronger, which will prepare them for the Final War.
A lot of fans expect the Straw Hats to fight the Blackbeard Pirates at some point in the future. Considering Usopp is a sniper, his opponent will be Van Augur. The latter is not only a skilled marksman, buthe also possesses the Wapu Wapu no Mi.It is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that allows its user to instantly warp to another location. Van Augur’s marksmanship and Devil Fruit make him a fearsome opponent, but Usopp will have to take him down if he wants to help Luffy become the Pirate King.
No matter the opponent, the Straw Hats will have to function as a unit, as the caliber of their opponents is only going to increase in the subsequent arcs. They will need to cover each other’s weaknesses so that the enemies don’t exploit them.
