Summary
After telling the story of the Straw Hats’ grand adventure for close to three decades,One Pieceis finally in its final phase. Slowly but surely, important characters enter the limelight one by one, the secrets of the world are being revealed, and the stakes are higher than ever. Needless to say, fans are itching to know what will happen next. That’s why lots of theories have been floating around regardingall sorts of things that might occur at the end of the series.
However, rather than making up our own theories, why not listen toEiichiro Oda, the creator ofOne Piece,himself? After all, he has been dropping lots of clues about what to expect in this final phase of his series for decades now. After poring through many interviews, leaflets, and notes, here are some ofthe juiciest things Oda has revealed aboutOne Piece’sfuturethat he hasn’t shown or talked about in the manga before.
7One Piece Will End With A Feast
Party At The End Of The World
“I don’t want to draw people dying; I just want to draw more post-battle feasts. I mean, how are you supposed to have a good time after someone just died? Those feasts are my ideal image of friendship. In fact, I’d like to end the series with a massive feast.”
This one is probably the most famous revelation that mostOne Piecefans must’ve known or heard about before. In this interview, Oda clearly stated that,at the end of the Straw Hats’ journey, there will be a massive feast,one that will probably involve a lot of people from around the world.
Considering how often Luffy and the gang throwa celebratory feast after every major win,it’s safe to say that the crew will have a lot to celebrate in the final chapters. Maybe they find the mythical One Piece? Maybe Luffy finally becomes the King of Pirates? Maybe both and more.
6More Than The Straw Hats
A Feast For Everybody
ast panel and how the last chapter will be. In the final saga, I’ll focus on not only Straw Hats but also on events happening in the whole world.”
We already know thatOne Pieceis an epic saga that tells the story of different characters from different parts of the world. Not only that, it becomes increasingly clear that Luffy’s journey to find the One Piece will inevitably reveal the true history of the world,one that the World Government has been hiding all this time.
When Oda said that the final saga will focus not only on the Straw Hats, but also on things that are happening all around the world, this means Luffy will somehow manage to do something that will affect the fate of the entire world. Based on the information we have so far, this will likely be connected to Joy Boy, the lost ancient civilization, and the Void Century.
5Indicator Of The Final Phase
This Man Marked The Beginning Of The End
“When Shanks appears frequently in manga, you’re able to assume thatOne Piecehas entered the final saga.”
“The Red Hair” Shanks is the captain of the Red Hair pirates, one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, andthe man who inspired Luffy to become a pirate.Despite his crucial role, however, Shanks rarely makes an appearance in the story. He only pops in once in a while to remind us that he is still alive and kicking, and then he’s gone. Apparently, there’s a good reason for that.
It’s clear from the very beginning ofOne Piecethat Oda has big plans for Shanks. Based on this interview, it seems like he wants to make Shanks one of the indicators of the final phase of the story. The more we see Shanks actively involved in the story, the closer we are to the end.
4Bigger Than the Marineford
More Chaotic, More Exciting
“One thing that motivates me to keep drawingOne Pieceis that I want to draw the last chapter. The last chapter is amazing! I imagine a final chapter that will make the Marineford arc look like nothing.”
The Marineford Incident, also known as the Summit War, was one of the best, if not the best, story arcs that Oda has ever written. BecauseOne Pieceis chock-full of great story arcs, earning the title of “the best” meansthe Marineford arc was truly something special.
However, Oda is not one to be stuck in the past. He constantly challenges himself and strives to create something better than his previous works. Based on this interview, it seems that Oda has great things in mind for the final chapter of his series. One that is supposedly greater thanOne Pieceat its best, the Marineford arc. This is certainly a big promise, but we are confident in Oda’s ability to outdo himself.
3Eye Patch Pirates
The Man Who Will Appear At The End Of The World
“A pirate with an eye-patch will appear in the final phase ofOne Piece. I’m itching to draw that character as soon as possible.”
Decades of stories about pirates gave us several iconic looks that we can expect from these sailing criminals, such as a fake wooden leg, a hook hand, long and unkempt hair, a long coat, and, of course, an eye patch. There arecharacters inOne Piecewho have followed this conventional design of a pirate,with the most notable one being Blackbeard. That being said, we haven’t encountered a character who wears an eye patch yet, and there’s a good reason for that.
Apparently, Oda already has a plan for his eye-patch pirate. We don’t know who he is, but we know that he will appear in the final phase ofOne Piece. He could be one of the existing characters who will need to use an eyepatch, or he could be an entirely new character. One thing’s for sure: he is a man who will appear at the end of the world.
2One Piece Will End When Oda Wants It To End
Full Creative Control
“If the time forOne Pieceto end comes, I don’t want to hear the editorial department say, ‘Please continue doing it longer.’ My ending is as I please.”
One of the concerns fans have is that Oda is either dragging out or cutting his story short because his editor has asked him to do so. It is a valid concern because this kind of thing has happened before to the other big names in the manga industry. The late Akira Toriyama, the creator ofDragon Ball,famously wanted to keep his story short, approximately 16 volumes long—around the end ofthe first part ofDragon Ball—similar to his previous series.
However,Dragon Ballwas the biggest title onShonen Jumpat the time, and the editors were concerned that its discontinuation would deter readers from the magazine. So they begged Akira Toriyama to continue the story ofDragon Ball.He reluctantly agreed, and what we now know asDragon Ball Zwas born. Eiichiro Oda assured us that such a thing wouldn’t happen to him. His legendary run will conclude only after he’s brought the story in his mind to life in its entirety. No more, no less.
1The Journey Is Not The Reward
The One Piece Is A Tangible Object(s)
“[The] One Piece is not a bond of the Straw Hats. I hate that kind of thing. When I was a kid, I was not happy with the ending ofThe Wizard of Oz, that the adventure itself is a treasure. That story was unacceptable. Luffy has a great journey, so give him a proper treasure.”
One of the greatest mysteries ofOne Pieceis about the eponymous “One Piece” itself. The late Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, simply referred to it as “My treasure,” while the rest of his crew refused to tell anybody about the true identity of that treasure. This prompts fans to speculate andform various theories aboutwhat the One Piece could be.One theory is the old trick that is often used in numerous inspiring adventure stories, where the treasure is something intangible, such asTheWizard of Oz’s“the journey is the reward” orKung-fu Panda’s“true power comes from within.”
Based on this interview, however, it’s clear that Oda has no such intention. In fact, he abhors such an ending. He considers it an anti-climax and a disservice to the readers or viewers who have invested their time and excitement in his story. That’s why he assured the readers that the mythical One Piece does exist as a tangible object(s). After all, Luffy has had a great journey, so he deserves a proper treasure.
