Like at this point it's all the way down to fans using their assumptions and expectations to discredit direct word of god. I mean at which point does it become ridiculous to try to and tell an author what he can and can't do?
I admit I didn't follow the entire discussion as it spread to several threads at this point.
But when it concerns me personally, it's less discrediting the word of god, but more wondering why god is even telling me that our journey will end in 4 or 5 years? What is Oda's intention, where is the value in dropping this bomb now several times? Because while he did give us rough estimations over the last decade, being this precise does feel different.
Is it because he wants to dampen our expectations? Is he warming us up to the idea that our headcanon destinations will be either super short or skipped entirely? That there won't be any more crewmembers, since there are only so "few" chapters left to truly entertain one? That even the war we're in right now might not even be finished, but called off early in order to save the big fights for the finale? Is this controlling damage that hasn't been done yet?
Or are his editors trying to create media-buzz and Oda is just playing along? It's not like he would be lying, it's just his guess right now anyway. A guess made public. I mean I wouldn't hold it against him, One Piece is an economic mega-factor at this point with hundreds of jobs on the line - of course he would be supportive to the people working in the industry and for his product (also recently illustrated with the Laugh Tale anime reveal).
Lastly, and that's just my impression based on very limited insight on the person we're talking about (SBS & random interviews):
Oda doesn't take our attention for granted, he knows that being a good artist or telling a good story isn't enough to keep people hooked for 30 freaking years. Even if he managed the impossible and delivered one flawless arc after another, people can and will simply grow out of certain media. It might not even be a conscious decision, it just happens. Despite all the success, I do believe he's low-key afraid of that.
And thus he's asking us to stay with him until the end, in an almost begging tone in several SBS issues. Please don't ask me to dig up those SBS answers, there are simply too many volumes at this point and it's difficult for me to navigate between them, but if you ever decide to just binge them all you will probably notice what I'm talking about.
It's just so humble, you can feel that Oda considers this his lifes-work and he wants you to be a part of it. Announcing that the end is near is basically the promise that the carrot on the stick is soon yours. Maybe we will do another lap of honor in 5 years, maybe not, but you will be rewarded.
He's totally unlike this asshole who created HunterXHunter (I forgot his name and he doesn't deserve to be looked up in google).
Sorry for rando replies and non-replies.
No worries, no answer is also an answer :D
What's up with Black Maria's horns btw? In the recent volume it looks like they are real, is she a different kind of human :ninja:? BLINK TWICE IF YES