I was thinking about it when I read Greg's column. Maybe Hiluluk did go to Wano. It's one of the few islands where it could be made a connection between this old character and the present story.
Greg: Teacher of SUPER " OP " course !
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The Red Line has an Island with Cherry Blossoms
Ohn, nice find, thanks.
Well, the top of the Red Line is now also a possibility, I guess. It's still an incredible place to reach.
Btw, I've been rereading OP since the beggining for the first time, I've reread arcs and such before but never the whole series, so I'm now noticing so many more details.
And after reading Drum, Luffy will climb the Red Line sooooo much. It seems obvious now. That and Laboon + that school of whales the we saw in the New World will headbut an opening on that continent. -
I still feel like the crew might go into some of the other Blues and even the Calm Belt. May even enter the Florian Triangle from a different access point.
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Oda is "trying" to finish One Piece "soon" so no more unplanned trips around the world for the Straw Hats. He needs to start knuckling down and toppling Emperors and the World Government. Hopefully we knock out 2 Emperors at once in Wano.
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Well, he should be notified of this. All the things that are left open, plus whatever new inspiration he decides to use to juice up this arc with, disagrees with that sentiment. If he can go 3-4 arcs where he's closing things up and not inviting new aspects that seem like he will have to delve into later, then i'd agree with that position.
Laugh Tale isn't even the end. Between Rayleigh comparing his crew to Ohara, Shank's actions to keep the balance in place in his own way, Oden's comments about making Wano some sort of asset to JB in the future, and Roger purposely turning himself in, finding that place seems less like the absolute end.
So not only is getting there not the end, the crew has to surpass the previous PK crew. They don't have to travel for that amount of time because they've gotten the PG rubbings and skipped through. Like Rayleigh said, giving them all the info in bulk means nothing because they won't be able to meet some standard of what do with it. They have to travel and grow. Sanji just got a whole arc for development. Not saying every member gets that same level of treatment, but if we're still developing crewmates, while adding new nakama, this ending it soon is as credible as Oda telling his wife that it will end by 2014.
It goes back to what I say all the time. The story (plot points being addressed) can give you a better feeling (not exact %) of where it is, than any comment by Oda, his staff or calculation of years in real time.
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I can see shit Greg… What do you see so special and Kidd's arm?
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Sorry to be vague. Had to present it that way for copyright issues.
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Ah ok. Not into Pokemon for decades but thanks for the info
here is one of captain M posts where they are underlined
http://apforums.net/showthread.php?t=54747&page=4&p=4051774#post4051774 -
Greg do you have any idea what the next arc will be about?
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It'll be about having an adventure.
Well I mean yeah…..
I was just wondering if he thought we were going on a rescue mission next arc
I’ve heard a lot of people say that Luffy might save some of the seven warlords or Sabo from the WG
Or if Greg thought it was just gonna be about going to another Island where they go on adventure and get into shenanigans like it usually is
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Yeah I wonder if a detour will happen or if it's just onto the next "road ponegliff".
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I have long, LONG assumed that after Wano we'd have to have SOME kind of surprise detour. A new Drum or Foxy or Thriller Bark or Punk Hazard arc… just a short simple thing that isn't a huge part of the main story to serve as a cooldown and just have the crew interacting again.
Partly because that's a good way to pace a story, and partly because if we don't get at least one surprise detour, we'll have known the entire route of the series in advance for its entire second half since Punk Hazard. Even relative surprises like Zou we knew in advance were coming because that was set up as the meeting place for after Dresserossa... and it was always clear we'd get a Big Mom arc in there somewhere. But for the final stint? Elbaf, then Raftel, then War? It can't be just that. I don't know what the inbetween cool down would be, preferably something we've had NO hints about (so not God Valley).
A Vegapunk of Revolutionary arc always seemed like a reasonable bet, but where would those take place? And would it be before or after Elbaf? SInce it seems Big Mom will be heavily tied to even that, well...
Even knowing Oda wants to push things along doesn't dint that, a short 10 chapter arc won't really affect the long run pacing, and can still be time to do something important. Maybe even... Shanks? Davy back?
Of course depending on how all of Wano goes even soething like Elbaf COULD be a short cooldown arc, but that's hard to believe after like 25 years of waiting.
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I do assume that Oda wants to speed up things to the end, but I hope his solutions is to make many short arcs (alongside the eventual big ones) instead of only big arcs.
Elbaf, God Valley, Lodestar (Roadstar), Emerald City, Laugh Tale… all familiar names that I hope Oda doesn't skip, and then he could add another few locations just for transition. Even going to the moon would be cool in my book.
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Either end it with 6-8 arcs that are just as or more than stuffed subplot wise as the last 2 or skip over certain things. Either way, what most assume for the rest of the story sounds so rushed. I don't see Oda speeding through this like tht because he's built up so much that everyone involved has to know the importance of ending this right instead of sloppy and rushed
Most of what's been established seems like the pace will slow down post Yonko saga because there's a new beginning once Wano is freed from Kaido, in however way it's done. Most of post timeskip has been Law's doing when it comes to the journey. Do they go to PH if trouble isn't brewing? Same as when Vivi/BW madness swallowed up their adventure. After that, there was the Briss falling from the sky, Merry's fate and Tonjit that steered their journey.
I wouldn't categorize what happened with Foxy with the other arcs really. Outside of the Aokiji matter, I don't see anything that can be connected to the bigger picture. Unless it was about growth of the crew or the Davy Back game having some lore that returns with more impact. The other arcs like Drum and TB do concern the bigger picture more than LRLL arc.
I have my own conspiracy theory that these comments about the story being close to done is to calm down any fatigued or impatient readers.
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Greg do you have any idea what the next arc will be about?
Do I know what it will be due to inside information?
No, not at all.If it's related to what I think might happen do I have some inside information related to that? Mercifully, no.
But…that's not to say I don't have confidence in what he'll do if it's what I think it is.
Unfortunately, through necessity, I've been made privy to goings on much larger than that.
I have my own conspiracy theory that these comments about the story being close to done is to calm down any fatigued or impatient readers.
Happy to say there's no conspiracy. Just idiocracy.
Japanese YouTubers: Hey Oda, when you gonna finish.
Oda: Hmm….I'd like to finish in about 5 years.
ENTIRE WORLD: ODA SAID HE'S FINISHING IN FIVE YEARS!!!!!!!!! -
The whole 5 year thing doesn't really work if you think about how many characters still need further introduction and/or flashbacks: Kaido, Rocks, Shanks, Dragon, Vegapunk, Kuma, Bonney, Loki, Blackbeard, Joy Boy, Im, Sakazuki, Ryokugyu… and the list probably goes on.
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Half of the 5 years will already be used for ending Wano arc so of course it doesn't work
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Ending sooner is not only a matter of reasons inside the story.
You gotta wonder if Oda is not getting tired, or if he wants to move on with his life, or if his family wants him to retire soon, or even if he can keep the quality of the series for another 10 years while getting older. All these issues are probably in his mind nowadays and maybe that's why he wants to end as soon as he can. Obviously he won't rush through the most important stuff since One Piece is his legacy, but maybe he'll cut corners here and there.
That's why I worry that he might speed up things to the end.
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The way he has handled Wano so far doesn't really shows he wants to do things differently unless I missed something
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Happy to say there's no conspiracy. Just idiocracy.
Japanese YouTubers: Hey Oda, when you gonna finish.
Oda: Hmm….I'd like to finish in about 5 years.
ENTIRE WORLD: ODA SAID HE'S FINISHING IN FIVE YEARS!!!!!!!!!Was that thing where he made his editor swallow his doubt publicly also some sort of vague i hope this works statement? Cause to my admittedly western eyes when you double down on something it goes from vague to specific.
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The way he has handled Wano so far doesn't really shows he wants to do things differently unless I missed something
Really? I remember people complaining a lot about Acts 1 and 2 being filled with "tell, don't show". We missed a lot of events that took place in those acts and had to find out about them through comments at a later point, to an extent it was becoming annoying.
To be honest, I think the feeling of rushing is there, just not universal. Since WCI I feel like Oda is rushing (not just in the sense of speeding up the pace but also of not minding thinking minor details thoroughly) through the minor arc-only related stuff, but once he gets to the major events - the ones he clearly was trying to get to so he could show those big moments he had planned -, then he relax and takes his time.
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The Naito thing yeah?
So Oda said to Naito
with certainty
I'd like to (and let's say in private maybe he said 'will') end One Piece in 5 years.
Let's look at what else Oda has 'said'.
One Piece was a 5 year story.
Around release of vol24: One Piece is half over.
Winter 2002: A crewmate will die next year.(Merry didn't die until 2007)
Around release of vol50: Okay NOW OP is halfway over.
Jump Festa (I forget the year): Blackbeard (inferred) will play a big role next year (he didn't)
Jump Festa (I forget the year): We're going to Wano next year! (We didn't)
The man cannot, and will never, fulfill his goals without being absolutely satisfied.
He can finish OP next week, but he wouldn't allow himself to do that.
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There's cutting corners, and then there's cutting corners.
The one I always, always point to because it seems like an obvious and clear cut, is on Thriller Bark. Oda introduced the general zombies, including that badass looking four armed one, plus Sanji and Zoro's zombies, and those characters could have easily added cool new fights to the arc and made it last another four or five months.
Instead, Oda has Oars just kind of rampage, and then later Moria just sucks in all the shadows, so none of it is ever really dealt with, its just handled in a couple panels.
There's also the other method of just cramming the hell out of a chapter. Look at the flashback we just had, there were a couple chapters in there LOADED with history drops and events that could have been multiple chapters by themselves, done in a few panels covering years. When Oda really wants to, he can get a LOT of stuff done in a very short space. Plus he's getting overtime work done in the coverstories now. He's not spending time redeemign villains in the covers anymore, he's showing what the heroes are doing on the side to set up what happens next.
THen there's other cuts like, on Fishman Island, Oda could have spent time having the three princes fight Hody's gang. It wouldn't have taken long, a few pages, half a chapter maybe, and it would have given us more characterization for the princes and sold Hody's goons as strong now and given the anime an easy thing to extrapolate on. Instead he just cuts to them already defeated.
there's a big difference between "maybe I won't give this strawhat a fight this arc to cut a few weeks" and "Maybe I'll resolve this plotthread in a single panel as a joke" (see Marco's note) and "maybe I'll just cut and skip this plotthread entirely".
There's certain economic shortcuts he can take to reduce the length of a given thing if he really wants to. The problem then becomes that he's gotten to point where he instead uses those shortcuts to cram in more stuff and as a result all arcs now swell to like 100+ characters, and that's its own issue.
But if after all this Wano stuff he cuts it down to just the strawhats for a while, no Law, no samurai, no minks, that alone would allow him to speed a couple arcs up considerably… if he can help himself..
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It would be hilarious if the story has another timeskip only three years this time. End the story during this in-story time period and Luffys journey would have taken 5 years in total. That way the "it will end in 5 years" would turn out to be true from an unexpected point of view.:happy:
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My brain would probably break in a Japanese corporate enviroment. All that layered speech, symbolic actions and yes means noing they seem keen on would give my Scandi brain a runtime error.
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I wouldn't categorize what happened with Foxy with the other arcs really. Outside of the Aokiji matter, I don't see anything that can be connected to the bigger picture. Unless it was about growth of the crew or the Davy Back game having some lore that returns with more impact. The other arcs like Drum and TB do concern the bigger picture more than LRLL arc.
The Davy Back is there to prime two of the major narrative focuses for Water 7.
1. the prospect of losing members of the crew
2. the crew looking for a new crewmate, specifically a shipwright
it presents them in a relatively low stakes environment to ease the reader in. it sets the reader up by introducing them to those ideas without the more serious tone and all the moving parts of Water 7. and then Aokiji showing up immediately after the DBF and setting up Robin’s departure from the crew bridges that gap and makes everything flow super nice from DBF to Water 7.it’s also a nice breather between Skypiea and Water 7/Enies Lobby, both massive arcs in terms of length
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If you look at the grander structure of the story since the grand line
Alabasta->Skypea->CP9->Thirller Bark->Summit War->Fishman Island->This whole story-line we've been in since Punk Hazard.
The heavy, high-stakes plot beats are always inter-spliced with comparatively more relaxed fun adventures. That's just a natural way to tell a story. We can't always be on high gear or it loses the impact. So I expect a more chill 'saga' between the ultra-massive thing we're currently doing and the no-doubt also ultra-massive thing that will be the last stretch. In fact it's almost a narrative necessity. Elbaf will be probably part of that, it just seems like it would fit nicely in that adventure/world-building category like Fishman Island and Skypea. It could be something as simple as a 'search for the last Road Poneglyph' storyline. While technically not a diversion from the plot, that lends itself to plenty of exploration and whatnot.
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The Davy Back is there to prime two of the major narrative focuses for Water 7.
1. the prospect of losing members of the crew
2. the crew looking for a new crewmate, specifically a shipwright
it presents them in a relatively low stakes environment to ease the reader in. it sets the reader up by introducing them to those ideas without the more serious tone and all the moving parts of Water 7. and then Aokiji showing up immediately after the DBF and setting up Robin’s departure from the crew bridges that gap and makes everything flow super nice from DBF to Water 7.it’s also a nice breather between Skypiea and Water 7/Enies Lobby, both massive arcs in terms of length
I always find it nice to see someone else appreciate the Davy Back Fight arc. I agree with you that thematically it works as a prelude to themes that are core points in the following arc(s). Of course we already know since East Blue that Luffy would put his life on the line to help his companions with whatever problems they might have to deal with but this was the first time he was the first time he fought in order to keep all of them from being taken away. I might not be groundbreaking character development but it is important in the narrative and thus should not be considered a filler.
Furthermore on a more personal note I find it sad that so few can appreciate the DBF for what it is a short fun arc where Oda actually does a really great job at keeping you at the edge of your seat during those events. All the disciplines were well written, had good character moments, some great DON! scenes and great action for being essentially nothing more than a sports event. I remember when I first read the part when Zoro slamdunks Big Pan into the goal I my reaction was "is there actually anything that Oda cannot make awesome as hell?!". It really saddens me that a fun Strawhat driven adventure gets considered as a filler in a Strawhat centered adventure manga. :(
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Ivotas! You still read One Piece?! Has it grown on you again or just decided to come in to chat for old time sakes?
And yes the Davy Back arc is amazing and legendary and anyone who says otherwise smells like the greasiest of cheese.
Folks who read One Piece… Just better people. ¯\(ツ)/¯
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A lot of negative opinion towards Davy Back Fight comes from the anime since it's usually the first contact people have with the arc… and, well, the anime butchered that story and added a lot of frustating filler.
--- Update From New Post Merge ---
The way he has handled Wano so far doesn't really shows he wants to do things differently unless I missed something
Oda is comitted to Wano because he's been building it up for the last 10 years and because it's an important arc tied to the main lore of One Piece, so it's not surprising that Wano is shaping up to be so gigantic. Nonetheless, some parts of it still feels rushed, like .acess timeco. pointed out.
But what about after Wano is finished? Oda could be thorough to all subjects still open in the story and give life to all of his ideas… or he could cut corners and go to directly to endgame stuff plus the essential (Elbaf).
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@.access:
Really? I remember people complaining a lot about Acts 1 and 2 being filled with "tell, don't show". We missed a lot of events that took place in those acts and had to find out about them through comments at a later point, to an extent it was becoming annoying.
To be honest, I think the feeling of rushing is there, just not universal. Since WCI I feel like Oda is rushing (not just in the sense of speeding up the pace but also of not minding thinking minor details thoroughly) through the minor arc-only related stuff, but once he gets to the major events - the ones he clearly was trying to get to so he could show those big moments he had planned -, then he relax and takes his time.
He has started skiping scenes at least since Marineford so it is not really something new.
But if he really wanted to speed things, then having an arc like Wano with hundredth of olds and new characters is not the best method -
The Davy Back is there to prime two of the major narrative focuses for Water 7.
1. the prospect of losing members of the crew
2. the crew looking for a new crewmate, specifically a shipwright
it presents them in a relatively low stakes environment to ease the reader in. it sets the reader up by introducing them to those ideas without the more serious tone and all the moving parts of Water 7. and then Aokiji showing up immediately after the DBF and setting up Robin’s departure from the crew bridges that gap and makes everything flow super nice from DBF to Water 7.it’s also a nice breather between Skypiea and Water 7/Enies Lobby, both massive arcs in terms of length
So, yeah, in the bigger plot, it would go with the growth of the crew option. I still believe it will serve as a foundation to possibly bringing up more lore for the games concerning pirates later on
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Ivotas! You still read One Piece?! Has it grown on you again or just decided to come in to chat for old time sakes?
And yes the Davy Back arc is amazing and legendary and anyone who says otherwise smells like the greasiest of cheese.
Of course I do. I never stopped it. It's just that back then the changes in OP kinda took away a lot of the passion I had for the series. And to be honest I think it never has gotten back on track but it do think that it has it's moment and actually can even be great here and there. The thing is that because of that I really don't read the chapters in a same way I used to do before so I do tend to oversee a lot of detail every now and then which is a pity I think. Also sometimes I really don't get what actually is going on so having a place to clear up the confusion would be helpful, so I figured I could come back^^
A lot of negative opinion towards Davy Back Fight comes from the anime since it's usually the first contact people have with the arc… and, well, the anime butchered that story and added a lot of frustating filler.
Seems like a fair enough point. I really wonder if the entire Kimetsu no Yaiba thing will actually get some of the higher ups thinking that even a big manga like One Piece could actually benefit from having a good anime adaption. Wishful thinking I know.
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WOW!! Thats a name I havnt seen in a veeeeryyy long time, hope ur good Ivotas
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Dunno how i feel about this not grumpy Ivotas reboot.
My childhood may have been ruined here.
To be fair, we had several lectures dedicated to the Swedish "nja" thing~
Did she also padd the course with a series of lectures on the word lagom. Seems like a solid grift to just expand on fairly simple concepts and mark it as cultural education. The fika course can stay tho, that is relevant for all factors of life.
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Oh wow, a
wild… mild Ivotas has appeared! -
WOW!! Thats a name I havnt seen in a veeeeryyy long time, hope ur good Ivotas
Long time no see mate. I'm fine hope you're doing good too^^
Dunno how i feel about this not grumpy Ivotas reboot.
My childhood may have been ruined here.
I just came back man. Give me a little time to accomodate XD
Oh wow, a
wild… mild Ivotas has appeared!I'm sensing a pattern here. Let me get my senior status back first.:ninja: Or just wait until I stumble upon a post I consider stupid and worth my time
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Did she also padd the course with a series of lectures on the word lagom. Seems like a solid grift to just expand on fairly simple concepts and mark it as cultural education. The fika course can stay tho, that is relevant for all factors of life.
Fika is an easy enough concept, we brushed through that pretty swiftly. Lagom was a bigger catch, but once you get into the spirit of things, it truly becomes a useful and word for everyday use.
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Long time no see mate. I'm fine hope you're doing good too^^
I just came back man. Give me a little time to accomodate XD
I'm sensing a pattern here. Let me get my senior status back first.:ninja: Or just wait until I stumble upon a post I consider stupid and worth my time
… Makino might have had a child with Ace...
Check out my podcast for conversations about Greatness in anime, sports, music, and whatever else we can think of.
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We really dont know how the story will play out after Wano. Two Yonkou will probably fall at the same time,thats a big change,even bigger than the fall of Whitebeard,who was only one Yonkou to fall. As far as we know,there could even be another timeskip.
By the way i think the chapters of the outside world we're getting during the Acts of Wano are already the beginning of the final arc. Of course it will be a long final arc (even longer than the final arc of the first half of the series,which was composed by Sabaody-Amazon Lily-Impel Down-Marineford,and lasted around 2 years if i remember correctly,from 2008 to 2010. Now with two years we dont even cover a single island). So i think Elbaf will be a part of this 'final arc' that already 'started' in those chapters of the outside world,and it will see Luffy involved too after Wano. Elbaf could even last more than a year alone,so i see One Piece ending in 2027 for the 30th anniversary. -
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Big mom will take Kaido once he’s KOed to Elbaf, because:
Kanjuro was in the room with the red phoneglyph and can make ink creatures to copy it.
Big mom and Kaido have the other two
Big mom conquered the territory where the last one was, and probably has a clue where the last one is, but won’t move until she has the other 3 and how to read them.
Kaido wants to die but shouldn’t die in an honorable way, or in any way that would inspire others
Big mom’s story needs to close the Elbaf thread
Blackbeard needs an army, as the strawhats has like 8k promised people and the government has the world behind it, taking over the nasty part of mom’s crew, the animal kingdom pirates and signaling to the new world “follow me or else”, would fix that.
Shanks ????? His boat is Viking themed??? I dunno
Oda won’t deny us the opportunity of a 4 way clash between emperors, and Blackbeard has to one up Luffy before the final battle, and if Luffy beats two emperors, Blackbeard has to kill three emperors. -
If we’re talking about the final arc… I do believe I heard someone mention that Oda has some pretty ambitious plans for it. I think that was something Greg said, but I don’t wanna put words in his mouth. Could have been someone else.
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I always find it nice to see someone else appreciate the Davy Back Fight arc. I agree with you that thematically it works as a prelude to themes that are core points in the following arc(s). Of course we already know since East Blue that Luffy would put his life on the line to help his companions with whatever problems they might have to deal with but this was the first time he was the first time he fought in order to keep all of them from being taken away. I might not be groundbreaking character development but it is important in the narrative and thus should not be considered a filler.
Furthermore on a more personal note I find it sad that so few can appreciate the DBF for what it is a short fun arc where Oda actually does a really great job at keeping you at the edge of your seat during those events. All the disciplines were well written, had good character moments, some great DON! scenes and great action for being essentially nothing more than a sports event. I remember when I first read the part when Zoro slamdunks Big Pan into the goal I my reaction was "is there actually anything that Oda cannot make awesome as hell?!". It really saddens me that a fun Strawhat driven adventure gets considered as a filler in a Strawhat centered adventure manga. :(
Man, Davy Back Fight is so great. Still my favourite arc in the manga. The pacing is on point, the scenarios imaginative, and theres just so many stellar jokes and so much cool crewmember interplay packed into a mere 14 chapters. The Foxy fight alone is one of my favourites, and the conclusion with the countdown is chefs kiss. Davy Back Fight isn't held back by juggling warlords or emperors or Vegapunk or countless competing factions of +80 characters; it might not reach the dramatic heights of other arcs, but instead its just wall to wall FUN. If I were to show a non-fan what makes the Straw Hat Crew endearing, I'd probably go for this arc.
And the anime isn't even that bad; they add some more games to the scenario which aren't as good as the originals, but still have good moments. Like Luffy being a clutz at rollerskates, or Foxys low self-esteem being abused to incapacitate him.
Anyway, welcome back! Been a while!
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@Daz:
Man, Davy Back Fight is so great. Still my favourite arc in the manga. The pacing is on point, the scenarios imaginative, and theres just so many stellar jokes and so much cool crewmember interplay packed into a mere 14 chapters. The Foxy fight alone is one of my favourites, and the conclusion with the countdown is chefs kiss. Davy Back Fight isn't held back by juggling warlords or emperors or Vegapunk or countless competing factions of +80 characters; it might not reach the dramatic heights of other arcs, but instead its just wall to wall FUN. If I were to show a non-fan what makes the Straw Hat Crew endearing, I'd probably go for this arc.
And the anime isn't even that bad; they add some more games to the scenario which aren't as good as the originals, but still have good moments. Like Luffy being a clutz at rollerskates, or Foxys low self-esteem being abused to incapacitate him.
Anyway, welcome back! Been a while!
Well said, my thoughts exactly on what makes it great. You also do raise a fair point that the filler had it's moments. I remember that something trivial as the moment Luffy finally being able to just stand on the rollerskates was actually turned into an dramatic reveal that actually worked. However what really rubs me the wrong way with the filler is that double the amount of disciplines also meant ruined the flow of the crewmate picking. In the manga it was simple lose Chopper, get Chopper back then take Foxy's flag. But here it was a back and forth with Chopper and the entire thing with picking almost the entire Foxy pirates except for Foxy, Porsche and Hamburg didn't flow well with me for some reason and just sticks out like a sore thumb. But the games themselves I agree were actually entertaining to watch.
Thanks for the warm welcome btw^^
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I think it is an arc you don't like on your first read but you love to reread.
When you read it first, you really wonder what is the point of this stupid arc between Skypiea and Water Seven but later you really enjoy it for what it is
