What any fan wants and what is stated in interviews has mostly differed from what is happening in the story. To try and estimate if it'll finish at a specific chapter number (1400, 1650, 2000) or year (5 or 10 years from now) is a bad guessing game. Especially when the mangaka has fluctuated his stance throughout the years. There is no fixed rate when it comes to percentages either. X amount of chapters doesn't equate to a certain percentage and neither does time in the story and definitely not time as readers.
This is why dismissing things left open is crucial. Whenever I see people do this, it's usually based on "I want it to end b4 I die" or "___ said this in an interview". Neither are reliable and you can bring up that the writer and those close to him know more than us, but why do we continue to get information that is either inaccurate or just false?
The most reliable source for when the story ends is the actual story. Yonko Saga has formally introduced us to the 2 lesser known Yonko, Im, and a deeper look into the PG concept (those who make the text, amount, some locations, importance of Rio, etc). While these are very much endgame factors, we also have to question why we are
- still learning about Haki and DF applications that are almost common knowledge
- seeing that the crew is obviously not in the same weight class as a Yonko crew and better yet the WG
- barely venturing the other 3 Blues, but being informed about the happenings and history of them
- digging into the Underworld, bit by bit
- still in the dark about the D. clan, Uranus
- still getting new members, while getting arcs that are mostly devoted to simultaneously fleshing out backstory and progressing current members? Is this only for certain members (just Sanji and Zoro)? Will the new members get this treatment? Can 2 or 3 members get this treatment in 1 arc (Nami + Franky, the blanks for Jinbei + Brook b4 Rumbar Pirates)? Can progression/backstory subplots get bundled with dreams being fulfilled in an arc and what are the chances of this getting rushed?
This isn't all and those who pay attention to the story know this. None of these things listed can be omitted or dismissed as "well it's not that important". When I question these things, it brings me to the conclusion that after this Yonko Saga, the story's pacing is going to slow down and the crew will grow through experiences that are more of their pace before returning to any Yonko antagonist. I think of when it's brought up that Shanks returned to the New World after making a name, Roger having to go through multiple voyages, how inexperienced and outclassed the crew is by their contemporaries and predecessors, not being acquainted by common tools and practices, etc and have to say that this isn't over. How long will it be before they return to endgame antagonist, after gaining experience, I just don't know. I do know that the last time they kept meeting their match (CP9, Moria, Kuma, ID, Paramount War), they had to take a break to grow individually. Based on this current pattern, I think that going back to a slower pace makes more sense than a timeskip.
Dude you give me wings!
Finally someone besides me put the balls over the table. Holy shit.
