Definitely feel like Oda is committed to ending the series now. I believe he said that he wouldn't be able to write everything he wanted to not so long ago too?
Definitely feel there was supposed to be an arc revolving around the remnants of Whitebeard's crew and Weevil that has been cut for time. This is the only logical explanation to Weevil existing for what (seems) little purpose in the overall plot and Marco being forced into Wano
Oh hey, I do videos on figures and manga and stuff: https://www.youtube.com/thatmanhismerch
Definitely feel there was supposed to be an arc revolving around the remnants of Whitebeard's crew and Weevil that has been cut for time. This is the only logical explanation to Weevil existing for what (seems) little purpose in the overall plot and Marco being forced into Wano
Agreed. It's still possible that Weevil nevertheless plays a part in the future, but it does feel like something's missing in the story based on what we had previously seen. If Marco's arrival to Wano after the chat he'd had with Catviper isn't a last-minute change of plans, then it's one hell of a weird storytelling choice.
I say Weevil is not important.
Ms. Bakkin is. Weevil is her weapon. And Bakkin may have a DF power and knowledge of the Rocks era.
Blackbeard wants something before the marines get it.
I feel Bakkin is about to get recruited, and Weevil/Bakkin are meant to be one of the matches in the endgame against one Straw Hat. That Straw Hat will have to beat a duo that defeated 16 NW pirate crews.
Wano predictions: There will be 5 acts; All Straw Hats will get fights, some in Act 4; Big Mom Pirates will arrive; Carrot will have her moment, but won't join; Yamato will be a Kouzuki samurai and Wano's Guardian; Shanks will visit Luffy in Act 5; Next arc is Mary Geoise.
I say Weevil is not important.
Ms. Bakkin is. Weevil is her weapon. And Bakkin may have a DF power and knowledge of the Rocks era.
Blackbeard wants something before the marines get it.
I feel Bakkin is about to get recruited, and Weevil/Bakkin are meant to be one of the matches in the endgame against one Straw Hat. That Straw Hat will have to beat a duo that defeated 16 NW pirate crews.
Oda already stated Weevil will end up being a "cool character" to one editor, so I'm assuming he will become an ally.
Oda already stated Weevil will end up being a "cool character" to one editor, so I'm assuming he will become an ally.
He can have an interesting backstory while still being a villain.
And “cool” from an author’s perspective does not need to be “a good guy”.
I really doubt Weevil will carry his own arc, so it’s way more likely his story will be folded together with someone else’s. May be some other story, but my bet is Blackbeard.
He seems nice-ish in that little Oars jr way.
Recents statements like this made people believe that the Wano arc will end very soon: of course, there is no time left anymore, the endgame is near.
Marineford, Ennies Lobby, Water 7, Arabasta: Luffy and his friends had to go through real hardships here, compare now Wano: it has been surprisingly "soft".
Moria warned Luffy: the nightmare Kaido is awaiting him in the New World. We didn't see a thing of it (the Udon plotline? A joke). I don't think this is due to fast pacing. I truly believe that Oda is preparing Wano to be the darkest arc in the series to date.
"I Can't Imagine Losing" (Chapter 989), the lame Ice-Oni plotline, the quick defeats of the Tobi Roppo, the too optimtistic victory speeches beforehand…..
This is fishy.
Do you agree?
People expecting 1400-1500 chapters should have in mind that means another 10-13 years of manga. We have no idea if Oda has it in him to keep drawing One Piece until he's nearing 60.
My personal feeling is that he'll try to wrap things up until 1250-1300 tops. The man clearly loves his life work but it would be perfectly understandable if he's reaching a point where he just wanna live his life.
Why doesn’t Jump just let him have a bigger staff of assistants so he can release multiple chapters per-week then?
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
Definitely feel like Oda is committed to ending the series now. I believe he said that he wouldn't be able to write everything he wanted to not so long ago too?
Definitely feel there was supposed to be an arc revolving around the remnants of Whitebeard's crew and Weevil that has been cut for time. This is the only logical explanation to Weevil existing for what (seems) little purpose in the overall plot and Marco being forced into Wano
Or maybe you are jumping to conclusions and are just a doom poster.
Yeah I got this ending around the 30th an oversary as well.
So most ppl still sticking to that 5 year thing would be wrong. I mean it was already wrong when ppl were holding on to it a few years ago.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
@TLC:
I think we also need to pay a visit to God Valley and Mariejois at some point. Also is Enel ever coming back from the moon?
His color spread placement has him joining/allying with the crew the way I see it.
Well at this point, I don't care anymore. In fact I'm more to see this series end then to continue until Oda is 90 or something. The man is sick and aging, the series has grown tired and Oda cannot continue this any longer. If One Piece ends 10 years or more then fine. But just remember Oda has said similar things in the past and the pacing continues to be dragged out. If One Piece is at the final phase, great. Time to end the series and have it expend into othe forms of media once it is done.
Currently writing a book
Why doesn’t Jump just let him have a bigger staff of assistants so he can release multiple chapters per-week then?
1. Shueisha has nothing to do with how many assistants an author does/doesn't have.
2. Just how many assistants do you think he has?
Why doesn’t Jump just let him have a bigger staff of assistants so he can release multiple chapters per-week then?
This is impossible. He already takes a whole week to make a chapter.
Planning, storyboarding, drawing, inking etc.
I just want to add that, I have seen no indication that Oda is sick. I don't doubt that he works very hard and of course that takes a toll. I don't know him personally, but he strikes me as someone who will not retire after completing One Piece. I know there is a common sentiment that wanting what's best for the story can be construed as callous or indifferent to the wellbeing of the author. But I think it's important to remember creative people enjoy creating. Hayao Miyazaki can't seem to stay retired. Clint Eastwood is still directing films at 91. John Williams is still composing music at 89. Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and the other directors from the New Hollywood movement are still directing films. Rock bands from the 60's and 70's are still composing and touring. Dick Van Dyke consulted on WandaVision at 95. Hirohiko Araki is 15 years Oda's senior and about to embark on the journey of writing JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 9. Betty White. I don't have anything to add about Betty White. Her being proves my point. My own grandfather has remained active well into his 90's.
The greatest joy for an artist or creative individual must be the ability to keep creating as long as possible. Eiichiro Oda is still a young, 46 year old man. Don't put him in the grave. Oda himself wrote Whitebard's character to reflect the fantasy that vitality and strength are not diminished by age. He never looks down on his elderly characters - and the man himself is 20 years away from being considered a senior citizen. Billy Joel wrote a song called Vienna, inspired by a trip to meet his father in Austria where he saw an old woman sweeping the street. He remarked what a shame it was that no one did the work for her and his father countered that dismissing old people as unworthy to contribute to society is worse than burdening them with work.
I do not want to see Oda's health decline or to miss time with his family. I'm very happy he now takes more breaks - though I'm sure some of that extra time 'off' is spent working on parts of the One Piece 'brand' Oda didn't have to worry about when the series was newer. And his pages have become so much more dense with information, despite a slightly reduced weekly page count, each chapter contains more information than the average pre-time skip chapter (I'd say Thriller Bark is really where his current style began to evolve; it was a gradual process).
I say all this because while I'm sure completing One Piece will allow Oda to relax, I do not get the impression that weariness or fatigue are the primary motivation for these statements. Oda seems to have just as much love and passion for his world and characters as do the fans and I feel like he, more than any other storyteller I know genuinely enjoys the process of creating One Piece. It's the biggest reason for One Piece's longevity and quality. Oda also knows how important One Piece is to readers and considers it to be his life's work according to his recent statements. In his words I read both a reassurance to readers that he's actively working toward the conclusion and a commitment to not compromising the integrity of his masterpiece (he didn't use those words to describe his own work, but I'll use them).
If anything, I get the impression these statements are primarily intended to assure readers Oda's actively working toward the ending. It sounds as if he views the length of the series as an imposition on his readers - he borders on apologizing for taking so long to get to the point. His statements about the readership refreshing (new readers replacing old ones) every five years is very telling in that regard. If anything, Oda's desire to bring the story to a conclusion faster is more about his consideration for the needs of his readers than his own desire to be done with One piece. Having spent more than two decades writing One Piece, he's more aware than anyone just how long the series has become. I don't want to put words in his mouth, but I get the impression he worries fans will think the opposite - that the series is never going to end or isn't actively building toward anything. I know when I had homework assignments I would often give optimistic estimates on how much time I needed to finish them when my parents asked because I knew they were worried about me getting enough sleep. I wasn't lying per se, but the timeframe was unrealistically optimistic. Of course, I would take as long as I needed to finish the project or assignment, but I also wanted to provide assurance to people who were worried about me. The five year estimate has always struck me as similar from Oda's perspective in that he knows five years is probably unrealistically hopeful, but it addresses concerns of readers worried the series is going on for too long. After all, One Piece has a very wide readership and they're not all die hard fans like those of us on message boards who hang on every word Oda writes. If anything it sounds like he's trying to restrain himself for the sake of his readers.
I know I don't speak for everyone and I know he'll never read this post, but this particular reader would love to see the series continue as long as possible. I never want to say goodbye to the Straw Hat Pirates and Oda's story is so unbelievably imaginative, I want to live in the world of One Piece as long as possible.
At the end of the day, we see the five year window has now shifted twice - without shrinking. I'm not saying the series will go on forever and I do believe the series is moving into endgame territory. At the same time, Oda loves his story as much or even more than his readers and he will not compromise the integrity of his life's work. The story won't be rushed or abbreviated. It's going to take as much or as little time as is needed to tell the story to completion. Estimates and public statements from the marketing team aren't intentionally misleading, but they're also not ironclad commitments to bringing the story to a close in a certain period of time. I think there has always been a certain flexibility and air of ambiguity to the way in which Oda has addressed these questions. And I do honestly believe the series will finish around 1400 - 1500 chapters simply because there is so much left to tell and while that may be shortened by some yet to be revealed connections tying together seemingly disparate narrative threads, there is still a lot left to be explored.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
Also, regarding hiring more editors to increase his output - it simply doesn't work that way. Oda is not being deprived of necessary resources. One Piece is the most successful manga in the history of Weekly Shonen Jump. I do not know whether assistants are provided through Jump or Oda hires them personally, but either way, you can be assured Oda is able to receive any support he needs in telling One Piece.
Deciding on the number of editors is a balance of just how much work the manga artist is willing to delegate. Assistants can only do certain tasks and need to be managed. The more staff members he has, the more time Oda needs to spend managing and overseeing their work. Importantly, expanding the size of his staff does nothing to shorten the writing and storyboarding process. And in terms of the artwork, there are things Oda simply cannot delegate because they require his irreplaceable personal touch.
Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook, Jimbei, Carrot, Vivi, Smoker
"ONE PIECE, IT EXISTS" - The Great Pirate Edward Newgate
This is the full text that I posted in the Marineford 2.0 thread about how I think the "Final War" is.
Some thoughts of mine around the roadmap ahead:
–--- The Throne War -----
I think people get "the final war" wrong. There won't be a "final war" arc. The final war, called the "Throne Wars" by Doflamingo, has already began, and its many battles will be present both in the forefront and in the background of the next arcs. All major powers are in conflict, and many big players will fall one after the other.
The first salvo happened with the Revolutionaries declaring war against the Celestial Dragons in the Reverie.
The first four battles started just before Wano Act 3, when the Marines went after the Warlords.
The first defining battle is happening right now, in Onigashima.Let's call our current state "phase 1" of the final war. It will end with the conclusion of all of the above.
We will learn what the Revolutionaries accomplished in Mary Geoise and what happened to Sabo (just a reminder that the Revolutionaries attacked in the 4th day of Reverie, and Sabo's event happened after the Reverie ended, thus even the Revo commanders away from Mary Geoise were surprised by it);
We will find out which Warlords escaped and which ones were captured (my bet: Mihawk cut a path through the marines, Buggy slipped away in the chaos, Weevil was almost captured but Blackbeard arrived to recruit Bakkin, Hancock got captured);
Kaido and Big Mom will fall, leaving a huge power vacuum in the world.Conflicts like those will be happening all the time from now on, in every arc. The Straw Hats shaking things up will be the main events, but there will be several battles in the background.
In "Phase 2", I'm expecting Shanks to fall to Blackbeard, while the Straw Hats are busy entangling themselves with the World Government, the Revolutionaries, and, eventually, Vegapunk and the SSG.
Then comes "Phase 3", in which the last few key powers duke it out for dominance.
–--- Wano and the Arcs Ahead -----
I think a lot of people is also mistaken in considering Wano a single, huge arc. I don't think we will ever get an arc as long as it, actually. It's better to consider Wano several mini-arcs set in the same overall location. Acts 1 and 2 can be seen as a story by themselves, with a big prelude (Reverie), a small interlude (Act 1/2 Intermission) and a big Epilogue (Act 2/3 Intermission). I feel Acts 3 and 4 will also be linked closer than the rest of Wano, covering the Onigashima and then the Flower Capital battles, against Kaido and Big Mom (with the later assuming a bigger role in Act 4). We get a minor interlude between Acts 3 and 4, and a bigger one before Act 5, which will in itself be a huge epilogue for Wano and prologue for the next arc.
I feel future arcs will have sizes like the Wano acts. Small connecting arcs with 10-15 chapters, Medium ones with 30-50 chapters, Long ones with 60-80 chapters. Maybe Elbaf is near 100 chapters, but I don't see any other arc being as big as Dressrosa or the totality of Wano.
The arcs that I'm expecting to happen are:
War "Phase 2"
1- Mary Geoise (Medium length), about Hancock, Vivi, Sabo, slaves, Sun God Nika, and CP-0, but also featuring Bonney and the Revolutionaries which will lead to next arc.
2- Vegapunk (Medium or Long length), which continues the Revolutionary/Kuma/Bonney plot, plus Vegapunk (duh) and the SSG.War "Phase 3"
3- Elbaf (Long length)
4- The path to Laugh Tale (Short to Medium length, depending on how many events happen the way)
5- The Endgame (Long length), which finishes the major conflicts and presents the big revelations.
6- Epilogue (Short length), which is just tying up all the loose endsSo, something between 200 and 355 chapters ahead, averaging around 270 chapters. I'm actually expecting something closer to the lower limit, but it depends on how Oda squeezes or lengthens things on the way.
Beyond those arcs, I expect quick visits to minor locations either within or between them, as part of their plots rather than separate stories. I'm counting among those Raijin (either before or after Mary Geoise), due to it being hyped before the timeskip and Roger visiting it despite knowing the locations of all Road Poneglyphs already, and Lodestar .
Just my two cents on what the roadmap may be.
In essence, the big endgame war is not an arc. It's a series of battles of started already. Like a tournament, key players will fall each arc. Now, it will be Kaido and Big Mom. The Warlords have also been "defeated" (abolished) and will align with the remaining key players. Next phase we get Shanks out of the board, as well as good part of the government (Cipher Pol and SSG). And finally we get Blackbeard, Marines and Straw Hats fighting for supremacy.
@Vongola_Boss_XI:
I don't know him personally, but he strikes me as someone who will not retire after completing One Piece.
.
Of course he's not going to retire. But have at least a short period of not working 120 hours a week on 4 hours of sleep a day. Spend time with his family. Enjoy his millions. HAve at least a few months to relax.
Then come back and do passion project. He'll almost certainly follow the Toriyama trajectory. Occasional 10 chapter specials, work on movies, video games, etc.
Heck, nothing is stopping him from going back and doing more OP eventually either, Dragonball is still going after all.
. Hayao Miyazaki can't seem to stay retired. Clint Eastwood is still directing films at 91. John Williams is still composing music at 89. Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and the other directors from the New Hollywood movement are still directing films. Rock bands from the 60's and 70's are still composing and touring. Dick Van Dyke consulted on WandaVision at 95. Hirohiko Araki is 15 years Oda's senior and about to embark on the journey of writing JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 9.
There is a difference between a sprint and a marathon. Yes, all those folks are still active and creating, but for a few weeks or months at a time, followed by large breaks. Making a movie is generally an intense 2-5 months, then break. (Longer if its animated.) Miyazaki in the 80's did a film every 2 years. In the 90's and 00's he did a film every 4-5 years. When his next film is done it'll have been 10 years since the last one. Similar track for all those other names you dropped. Eastwood and Williams worked on 3 or 4 movies a year back in the day, now its 1 a year. Even less for Williams, he mostly just comes out for whatever Spielberg is doing.
Still creating, but not as constantly or with as much pressure.
As for Jojo, that's been a monthly title for a while, which is an entirely different amount of effort and stress. Its still a rough gig but its a lot more lenient. It also soft reboots every 4 years so the author gets to do entirely new things with entirely new characters. And even there he's slower than he used to be. Its 2 volumes a year now when it used to be 4 or 5.
I can see the manga only having 2 big arcs left followed by small epilogue arcs for each crewmember (including Zoro vs Mihawk) : the 4th road poneglyph arc and the final war arc.
I could see the crew go to whatever island has the 4th poneglyph after Wano while simultaneously the war begins. They go for Laugh Tale next. No conflict there, just answers.
And then they join the war and resolve the conflict thanks to what they learned/got in the final island.
As for what that 4th poneglyph island is, while it would be convenient if it was Elbaph, I never expected an Elbaph arc to be a sure thing. I could see it being explored in Usopp's epilogue arc.
Thanks for the passionate rant, Vangola Boss XI, I love to read these somewhat emotional disclaimers of the readers.
I too wish that One Piece goes as long as Oda can handle it in a safely manner, but after Miura's death all I can be is gratefull for how much he has already given us. I'm eagger to know the 25 year old finale, but I'm also saddened by the perspective of a world without One Piece being served weekly (mostly) and without the ever growing adventures of the Strawhats. It's a good kind of melancholy to think about it all. I BET that whatever is coming in the next 5 years is going to be a BANG without slowing down. Oda is going crazy and so are we as readers. It'll certainly be something to remember dearly!
Why doesn’t Jump just let him have a bigger staff of assistants so he can release multiple chapters per-week then?
There is an efficiency problem that comes from just putting more people in a project that can't be easily fixed. The more people you add, the more difficult control and communication becomes, to the point there you have to actually stat putting managers and a chain of command in the middle of it, and the boss becomes more of an overseer than an actual manual labor worker. And to a mangaka, that's likely a no-no, as Oda would just manage his assistants and not create much of the story. I believe Oda is already outsourcing to assistants everything he can without actually losing creative control of the manga beyond the desirable level.
I'm seeing something similar with Toby Fox, the creator of Undertale who is currently working as its sequel. I think he hired 3 or 4 people to help, and he says he can't hire more because at this point his own work speed is already dictating the speed of the whole team, since he is the lead creative guy.
@Scabbard:
Recents statements like this made people believe that the Wano arc will end very soon: of course, there is no time left anymore, the endgame is near.
Marineford, Ennies Lobby, Water 7, Arabasta: Luffy and his friends had to go through real hardships here, compare now Wano: it has been surprisingly "soft".
Moria warned Luffy: the nightmare Kaido is awaiting him in the New World. We didn't see a thing of it (the Udon plotline? A joke). I don't think this is due to fast pacing. I truly believe that Oda is preparing Wano to be the darkest arc in the series to date.
"I Can't Imagine Losing" (Chapter 989), the lame Ice-Oni plotline, the quick defeats of the Tobi Roppo, the too optimtistic victory speeches beforehand…..
This is fishy.
Do you agree?
I have shared this belief for a while but at this point the Wano plot is so advanced that I think it's more likely that Oda will allow the arc to end witha subpar dramatic flow than that he will actually stop and do the asspulls necessary to make the Beast Pirates win against the Alliance.
That said I don't think we are ending with a straight "Luffy goes to the roof, beats Kaido" sequence. I can see some twists and turns going. I think Oda is setting up the entire strawhat crew to fight against Kaido/BM next, in a Thriller Bark like fashion.
we have so much to see I cant waittttt
I have shared this belief for a while but at this point the Wano plot is so advanced that I think it's more likely that Oda will allow the arc to end witha subpar dramatic flow than that he will actually stop and do the asspulls necessary to make the Beast Pirates win against the Alliance.
That said I don't think we are ending with a straight "Luffy goes to the roof, beats Kaido" sequence. I can see some twists and turns going. I think Oda is setting up the entire strawhat crew to fight against Kaido/BM next, in a Thriller Bark like fashion.
Thriller Bark clearly foreshadows Wano in many many ways, Oars specifically parallels Kaido here in some way without a doubt. The entire New World, that is 2012-2018, has been made of set-up arcs entirely dedicated to Wano, my expectations are very high. I still don't see a proper equality or superority to Ennies Lobby or Marineford. Even Sabaody was more dramatic. Wano's lore bombs don't change that. Again, this is not a pacing issue. Back to the Thriller Bark point: it makes Moria's "nightmare" warning (coincidentally a reference to Kaido slaying his crew in Wano) even more interesting. Well, we'll see, the outcome raid will have a clear answer in a couple of months…
The whole narration made me wanna buy a new set of furniture to continue and complete and put all one piece manga into it.
120 books is how many row?? Lol
Bye bye money. But after 21 years reading one piece, it's time to get really indulged before reaching the final stage. Gonna re read it all ovdr again from vol 1.
The whole narration made me wanna buy a new set of furniture to continue and complete and put all one piece manga into it.
120 books is how many row??
Depends on if your using the Japanese tanks or the English volumes. There's a big difference in thickness. But either way 4 shelves about 3 feet long should cover it. Those can fit 29 or 30 volumes per shelf depending on how tight you want it.
I recently changed out one of my shelves to be exactly that. It's future proofed for a while, it should hold 125 or so volumes, though the series is probably going ot be a tiny bit longer than that, I'll probably end up putting some on top inbetween bookends or something.
@joekido:
Well at this point, I don't care anymore. In fact I'm more to see this series end then to continue until Oda is 90 or something. The man is sick and aging, the series has grown tired and Oda cannot continue this any longer. If One Piece ends 10 years or more then fine. But just remember Oda has said similar things in the past and the pacing continues to be dragged out. If One Piece is at the final phase, great. Time to end the series and have it expend into othe forms of media once it is done.
Vehemently disagree, the series has felt fresher than it has in a long time to me. It felt tired when it was in Fishman Island through Dressrosa. From Zou onward it's felt like it got a breath of new life, especially in Wano. Two subversive arcs followed by a traditional mega version of the Alabasta-style arc. But yes, the man deserves his rest, the fans deserve a conclusion.
Croc or Enel would never.
Wanna see the "ancient civilization destroyed" thing done really well? FFXIV did a great take on it. The bar's high for One Piece to beat.
Depends on if your using the Japanese tanks or the English volumes. There's a big difference in thickness. But either way 4 shelves about 3 feet long should cover it. Those can fit 29 or 30 volumes per shelf depending on how tight you want it.
I recently changed out one of my shelves to be exactly that. It's future proofed for a while, it should hold 125 or so volumes, though the series is probably going ot be a tiny bit longer than that, I'll probably end up putting some on top inbetween bookends or something.
That should fit well i guess. Now this is my prediction for remaining volumes.
Umm.. let's see.
What happened if Luffy defeated the two yonkou (something unthinkable before) and opened wano?
He's probably really close on becoming the PK that's for sure.
And we haven't even seen straw hat grand fleet in action yet.
There could just be one last voyage and that include visiting Elbaf, and a final war with SH grand fleet + worst generation + ex WB + zou + wano samurai? against the final enemy.
If wano is finished in next 25 chapters, then the tour would be getting short with yamato (and oden's log book in hand). It's probably just another 25 chapters long before entering the final war.
And the final war include one piece.. it could be wrapped in maximum 100 chapters. So 125 chapters or about the same length as wano (a little bit less) of remaining.
So it'll be three years from now or 2024.
Next OP film could be 2022 end or beginning of 2023 and a final movie could be 2025.
How about that to you? The key is when oden log book has been read, the thing left is the execution (changing the tide with WG) and getting the one piece itself. So the exploration part where you're not sure where to go, become nearly gone.
With this in mind, it's only 150 chapters left so even less than 1200. Perhaps a little more elaboration to reach at least 1200 chapters (118-119 volume?). 15 books is quite long guys after wano ends so we should give it a try.
I still firmly believe in my 1250-1300 chapter prediction. Certainly sounds more feasible than 120 more chapters, which I believe will be the final war arc alone. If Naruto can spend 150 chapters or so on the final war, there is no reason to assume Oda won't aim for a similar length given the sheer scope of events and characters involved (Every Strawhat deserves one big final fight at least so that alone is several volumes worth of fighting because BB won't go down in 40 pages).
Imho Elbaf has to at least mirror FI in length due to all the stuff we got teased with (Big Mom backstory relevance, Ussop's character arc needing a conclusion, potential Shanks stuff which might even tie to BB, final Rio Poneglyph, maybe even Vegapunk), then all the usual worldbuilding and transitional chapters (I expect at least 5 or 6 chapters of that after Wano given how we will apparently receive the mother of all plot/lore dumps after the borders are open), plus the actual journey to Laugh Tale and the obligatory Roger and Void Century flashbacks we may receive in the wake of that (+ eventual short stops at Lodestar, God Valley, etc.). And that isn't even factoring in a potential visit to the holy land itself and the epilogue, which for a series of this size has to be at least one volume alone…. You know, maybe even 1300 chapters is a bit too conservative....
My take is that, much like Oden's own "errant" forecast of events vs. the adjusted timetable framed by Toki's own prophecy, the finale of Wano will be "pushed back" for the foreseeable future. One can't go back in time, but stalling it may be another matter. And although Fate in the One Piece universe may be ultimately set in stone, doesn't mean there isn't room for interpretation…or fucking around with the timetable. Methinks both Toki...and Im...have been doing just that behind the scenes all these years.
But anyway, more to the point, I feel we''ll see the complete resolution of Wano getting "postponed" for a time, as the story veers to other locales and plotlines, essentially tying Wano's conclusion to that of another arc or more ( however long or brief ), simultaneously capping off all involved.
I just honestly don't see Wano playing in the linear, straightforward fashion most seem to think, despite however much Oda seems to be heading in this direction...or trying to convince readers as much. There's a lot more to it, but that'd a dissertation and a half.
But yes, tldr version: Wano isn't ending anytime soon. Next arc(s?) may even coincide with its conclusion, as the focus ( and cast ) temporarily jump to other locations for a spell. Straight up: I see Shiki making his canon return/reintroduction; he's in possession of God Valley, it's his mobile aerial base; he's basically relocating God Valley and possibly more islands directly towards the vicinity of Wano.
Along the way, Vegapunk, the Revolutionaries, Sabo/Vivi, and many more will get swallowed up in the course of events.
The conclusions of this arcs-within-an-arc will segue directly into the Twilight of the Gods…the battle of Ragnarok at Elbaf, which I imagine will encompass a three way battle between Shanks/the Giants, the WG, and Blackbeard. The Strawhats may not be sticking around for this, though; I happen to think Elbaf itself will transition directly into Roadstar ( located somewhere very near Elbaf ) and Laugh Tale directly; two back-to-back full lengths ( Elbaf and a conjoined Roadstar/Laugh Tale I mean ) or one big chunky arc involving all therein.
And that itself will kick of the last major arc of the series, the true final battle; global chaos spurred by Blackbeard revealing the true history ( or at least whatever choice selective bits he deems to dish out, minus much needed context ), leading to mass anarchy, IM, the Gorosei, and the WG losing their shit and resorting to drastic measures, and Teach exploiting everything to unleash his final assault upon the world.
And again, the Strawhats won't be around for the initial salvo; Teach is fuck em over bad at Laugh Tale, temporarily placing them....off teh grid. But then, they might also get the chance to truly one-up Blackbeard and Roger both...by managing to reach one other final destination that even Roger may not have been aware of; similar to how Roadstar itself was mentioned by Roger to be an as-yet undiscovered island, and believed to the true final stop on the Grandline, at the time.
So in summary, basically three major mega-arcs consisting of a series of several arcs, varying in length, some of which proceeding and resolving simultaneously:
Wano/God Valley/???
Roadstar/Elbaf/Laugh Tale
Final 3 way global battle: Luffy and allies vs Im and allies vs. Final Boss Blackbeard
Mind you, as some have mentioned, one could say the "Final War" has already begun in earnest in relation to recent events. It's another big reason why I think Wano will drag out longer; by the same token, the events of an extended Wano narrative won't simply further pay out key events pertaining to the Final War, but also begin revealing massive chunks of the True History even before we get to Laugh Tale, thus justifying its already considerable length.
It's all threading together.
So yeah, I'd estimate we're looking at something a little less than a decade's worth of One Piece left to see print. Seven to eight years? Something like that, I dunno.
But as always, it's just speculation, however calculated, on my part.
Elbaf
God Valley
Small trip to Lodestar Island (like Logue Town)
Laugh Tale (which, in my opinion is on the Moon)
War against the World Government
I'd say that all the gears preparing the endgame have been put in motion, but there's still loads to tell
I think Lodestar will be after Laugh Tale. They don't need to go there to get to Laugh Tale now but its also the final island on the New World so they'll need to stop there before going over the Red Line. It might also be a good spot for the Straw Hats and their allies to meet and discuss what the Straw Hats found out.
… they'll need to stop there before going over the Red Line. ... the Straw Hats and their allies to meet and discuss what the Straw Hats found out.
Are either of these things really necessary for the story? The goal is find final road poneglyph -> go to Laugh Tale. Might not really need to go through such massive detours.
Yes. Crocus told them to go there and Nami and Inuarushi discussed this discrepancy directly. Inu said Croocus would not lie to them. The purpose isn't clear yet, but the Straw Hats need to go to Lodestar for some reason. And Oda would not skip the final island on the Logpose path, which is in many ways as big of a mystery as Laugh Tale. Roger somehow learned about the importance of the Poneglyphs at that location and began his journey anew. We know why Laugh Tale can't be easily reached, but Lodestar should in theory be much easier as it is simply a matter of following the Log path to its end, yet Roger was also the first to reach Lodestar in centuries. Whitebeard and the rest of the world shared Roger's assumption that Lodestar is the final island of the Grand Line. What makes reaching Lodestar so difficult? How did Roger manage the seemingly impossible? How did Roger learn about the Poneglyphs on Lodestar? And what is that Crocus wants the Straw Hats to encounter on the apparent final island of the Grand Line?
All of these questions need to be answered. Nami and Inuarushi's conversation acts as a sort of promise that they will be answered.
Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook, Jimbei, Carrot, Vivi, Smoker
"ONE PIECE, IT EXISTS" - The Great Pirate Edward Newgate
Wondering if Lodestar is the location of one of the Road Poneglyphs, hence what tipped Roger off and why the Straw Hats need to go there if they hope to reach Laugh Tale?
@The:
Wondering if Lodestar is the location of one of the Road Poneglyphs, hence what tipped Roger off and why the Straw Hats need to go there if they hope to reach Laugh Tale?
No, we know where all the Road Poneglyphs were during Roger's era.
That's the order Roger got them I believe.
Roger also couldn't read the Poneglyphs when they reached Lodestar as Oden hadn't joined him yet. So I would assume there is someone on the island who knows, perhaps the mystery eyepatch character that Oda has been teasing.
The Fishman Island one is gone in the present day though, possibly stolen by giants (which might put it on Elbaf) or somehow pulled away via a super powerful curent meaning its on the bottom of the sea somewhere (meaning Law might find it using his submarine).
Lodestar could be a Wano or Enies Lobby situation where it is really hard to get to physically.
No, we know where all the Road Poneglyphs were during Roger's era.
- Whole Cake Island
- Fishman Island
- Wano
- Zou
That's the order Roger got them I believe.
Roger also couldn't read the Poneglyphs when they reached Lodestar as Oden hadn't joined him yet. So I would assume there is someone on the island who knows, perhaps the mystery eyepatch character that Oda has been teasing.
The Fishman Island one is gone in the present day though, possibly stolen by giants (which might put it on Elbaf) or somehow pulled away via a super powerful curent meaning its on the bottom of the sea somewhere (meaning Law might find it using his submarine).
But luffy was bound to come back to FI.
Madam shirley's prediction that luffy gonna wrecked that place in havoc. Though, we're not clear by that prediction, could be something else.
Seeing as Fishman Island once fell under Whitebeard's protection, there's good odds he may've hidden it away. If so, could spell bad news for the good guys if he's got it stashed somewhere on Sphynx. That place is gonna get raided, if it hasn't already. Not that I'd imagine Marco would've left it unguarded – I think he may've called in a favor from Jozu -- but I don't think even Jozu will prove up to the task of holding back Weevil and Bakkin.
Oda did mention Weevil would do something pretty cool some point soon; methinks it's gonna involve cracking Jozu's diamond shell, perhaps even cutting it using Whitebeard's weapon. Just to cement Weevil's threat level and the very real danger this supposed son of Whitebeard truly does pose.
Straight up, I think Bakkin is working behind the scenes with an old former Rocks colleague of hers, so it'd make much sense if she and other partners in crime were to begin gathering the Road poneglyphs together and so bring these to the fore of the current ongoings.
@Vongola_Boss_XI:
Yes. Crocus told them to go there and Nami and Inuarushi discussed this discrepancy directly. Inu said Croocus would not lie to them. The purpose isn't clear yet, but the Straw Hats need to go to Lodestar for some reason. And Oda would not skip the final island on the Logpose path, which is in many ways as big of a mystery as Laugh Tale. Roger somehow learned about the importance of the Poneglyphs at that location and began his journey anew. We know why Laugh Tale can't be easily reached, but Lodestar should in theory be much easier as it is simply a matter of following the Log path to its end, yet Roger was also the first to reach Lodestar in centuries. Whitebeard and the rest of the world shared Roger's assumption that Lodestar is the final island of the Grand Line. What makes reaching Lodestar so difficult? How did Roger manage the seemingly impossible? How did Roger learn about the Poneglyphs on Lodestar? And what is that Crocus wants the Straw Hats to encounter on the apparent final island of the Grand Line?
All of these questions need to be answered. Nami and Inuarushi's conversation acts as a sort of promise that they will be answered.
It is clear, Inuarashi says thats where you discover about Laughtale and the poneglyphs, then you start a new adventure searching for Laughtale. They don't even imply the strawhats must go there, quite the opposite actually.
It is clear, Inuarashi says thats where you discover about Laughtale and the poneglyphs, then you start a new adventure searching for Laughtale. They don't even imply the strawhats must go there, quite the opposite actually.
That's not the full extent of the conversation. Also Inuarushi is only relaying secondhand information. Crocus knows more than Inuarushi and told the Straw Hats to go there. When Nami asked Inuarushi about this, he said Crocus wouldn't have lied to them and says 'continue on your way'. Which means 'go there.'
Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook, Jimbei, Carrot, Vivi, Smoker
"ONE PIECE, IT EXISTS" - The Great Pirate Edward Newgate
There is an efficiency problem that comes from just putting more people in a project that can't be easily fixed. The more people you add, the more difficult control and communication becomes, to the point there you have to actually stat putting managers and a chain of command in the middle of it, and the boss becomes more of an overseer than an actual manual labor worker. And to a mangaka, that's likely a no-no, as Oda would just manage his assistants and not create much of the story. I believe Oda is already outsourcing to assistants everything he can without actually losing creative control of the manga beyond the desirable level.
I'm seeing something similar with Toby Fox, the creator of Undertale who is currently working as its sequel. I think he hired 3 or 4 people to help, and he says he can't hire more because at this point his own work speed is already dictating the speed of the whole team, since he is the lead creative guy.
I have shared this belief for a while but at this point the Wano plot is so advanced that I think it's more likely that Oda will allow the arc to end witha subpar dramatic flow than that he will actually stop and do the asspulls necessary to make the Beast Pirates win against the Alliance.
That said I don't think we are ending with a straight "Luffy goes to the roof, beats Kaido" sequence. I can see some twists and turns going. I think Oda is setting up the entire strawhat crew to fight against Kaido/BM next, in a Thriller Bark like fashion.
That would be a good way of concluding the face-off (maybe Luffy bests Kaidō which doesn't take him out but weakens him to the point that he can barely fight back. Luffy's crew show up to reinforce that you can have allies that you trust with your life rather than they stab you on the back). Kaidō stubbornly acknowledges Luffy, then someone else swoops in to take Kaidō down (wouldn't it be a good time for Teach's crew to waltz in at the end as the did with Whitebeard at Marineford?)
@Vongola_Boss_XI:
That's not the full extent of the conversation. Also Inuarushi is only relaying secondhand information. Crocus knows more than Inuarushi and told the Straw Hats to go there. When Nami asked Inuarushi about this, he said Crocus wouldn't have lied to them and says 'continue on your way'. Which means 'go there.'
Nami raises the point, because they haven't been following the logpose, Inuarashi answers this by saying, and I quote:
"Yes, I understand your point. If you are curious to see where the log leads you, you are free to follow it…there is a point where all three needles point you the same location!!HOWEVER, on yourgara travels you have already begun the next adventure."
Nami then questions what he means by that, and he answers that is in the last island that you come to a realization about the mystery of the ancient writing on the Ponegliffs, and the civilization that gave birth to them and the existence of Laughtale.
then he talks about Crocus and reassure Nami that this path they are on(not following the log pose) is not the wrong way, just keep going.
The chapter is 820 you can check yourself.
If Whitebeard took the Poneglyph from Fishman Island and hid it somewhere it's safe to assume Teach knows about the location. He spent a long time getting to know Whitebeards territory
Nami raises the point, because they haven't been following the logpose, Inuarashi answers this by saying, and I quote:
"Yes, I understand your point. If you are curious to see where the log leads you, you are free to follow it…there is a point where all three needles point you the same location!!HOWEVER, on yourgara travels you have already begun the next adventure."
Nami then questions what he means by that, and he answers that is in the last island that you come to a realization about the mystery of the ancient writing on the Ponegliffs, and the civilization that gave birth to them and the existence of Laughtale.
then he talks about Crocus and reassure Nami that this path they are on(not following the log pose) is not the wrong way, just keep going.
The chapter is 820 you can check yourself.
I have read it many times.
If the Straw Hats weren't going to go there, it would have been explained exactly how Roger learned those things on Lodestar. They're going there. That mystery won't be left unanswered.
And your interpretation of what Inuarushi said to Nami is incorrect. He said Crocus would not have lied. They need to go to Lodestar for something. Inuarushi didn't go to Laugh Tale and learn the True History. Crocus knows more than him. If the advice he gave the Straw Hats pointed them in the direction of Lodestar, it's important they visit that island.
I think it's absurd to think Oda's not going to show us the island that exists at the end of the Log's path - a place only Roger has been able to reach as far as we're aware.
Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook, Jimbei, Carrot, Vivi, Smoker
"ONE PIECE, IT EXISTS" - The Great Pirate Edward Newgate
@Vongola_Boss_XI:
If the Straw Hats weren't going to go there, it would have been explained exactly how Roger learned those things on Lodestar. They're going there. That mystery won't be left unanswered.
You just forgot to justify why it matters to go through the bureaucratic details of how Lodestar explains things that the SHs already know, when they're already doing the tasks that Lodestar reveals to laymen. Yours is just completionist mentality.
And your interpretation of what Inuarushi said to Nami is incorrect. He said Crocus would not have lied. They need to go to Lodestar for something. Inuarushi didn't go to Laugh Tale and learn the True History. Crocus knows more than him. If the advice he gave the Straw Hats pointed them in the direction of Lodestar, it's important they visit that island.
Of course, because Crocus was not advertising shortcuts in Reverse Mountain. For any layman-pirate, the only path in order to reach Laugh Tale is to first learn about the Poneglyphs, which only happens in Lodestar if the pirate doesn't have privileged information, which the SHs have thanks to Inuarashi and Nekomamushi (and Robin).
Btw, I don't think it's impossible they'll visit the island because I think the SHs will reach the Red Line from behind the Reverse Mountain, so Lodestar (as the last island in the Grand Line geographically) could be the pit-stop before they complete the entire circuit around the world.
So if I get this right, some think Lodestar island is going to be skipped cuz for the strawhats its an arbitrary stop to learn about poneglyphs since they already know all about that via Nico Robin?
Yeah, I think that's off. We don't entirely know what else there is to learn or discover on Lodestar. Don't think Oda is skipping it at all.
@Zik:
So if I get this right, some think Lodestar island is going to be skipped cuz for the strawhats its an arbitrary stop to learn about poneglyphs since they already know all about that via Nico Robin?
Yeah, I think that's off. We don't entirely know what else there is to learn or discover on Lodestar. Don't think Oda is skipping it at all.
That was literally spelled out by Oda via Inuarashi, and then made even more obvious by Roger's comprehensive explanation to Newgate and Oden of what he found in Lodestar. To believe otherwise (that there's something fundamental to still be discovered there) starts from the premise that Oda was misleading us with Inu's comment, or that Oda changed his mind. You can still believe they'll visit Lodestar for whatever reason, like adventure or completionism or just convenience (since it's the last island geographically), but I wouldn't be expecting new lore revelations to be done there.
!
Oda would not have been vague about what's on Lodestar island if the Straw Hats weren't going to go there. He would have spelled out exactly what Lodestar contains and how one learns about the Road Poneglyphs.
Inuarushi says Crocus is one of the people who knows the truth of the world. He would not have misled the Straw Hats. He directed the Straw Hats to Lodestar for a reason. Perhaps seeing Lodestar is necessary to provide context for the True History on Laugh Tale. It's still unclear.
Inuarushi hasn't been to Lodestar Island or Laugh Tale. He knows less than Crocus.
Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook, Jimbei, Carrot, Vivi, Smoker
"ONE PIECE, IT EXISTS" - The Great Pirate Edward Newgate
I think you're overthinking hard what Crocus said. He directed the Strawhats to the end of the Log Pose (Lodestar) because there's no way he knew that they would stumble in the info contained there by other means. That's the reason, as stated by the manga, he's not misleading anyone. Whether I think they will visit the island or no is unrelated to this fact (I wish they go! It's still fascinating to me that it's also incredibly hard to reach).
That was literally spelled out by Oda via Inuarashi, and then made even more obvious by Roger's comprehensive explanation to Newgate and Oden of what he found in Lodestar. To believe otherwise (that there's something fundamental to still be discovered there) starts from the premise that Oda was misleading us with Inu's comment, or that Oda changed his mind. You can still believe they'll visit Lodestar for whatever reason, like adventure or completionism or just convenience (since it's the last island geographically), but I wouldn't be expecting new lore revelations to be done there.
You're talking about Oda addressing the mystery of Laugh tale and the poneglyphs being key to that.
Lodestar could have unrelated important revelations and discoveries to the story as well as making one realize there is a mysterious final island.
You guys literally don't know who or what is on the island.
I don't agree that Oda spelled out at any point through any character that Lodestar island is inconsequential to the story.
@Vongola_Boss_XI:
Oda would not have been vague about what's on Lodestar island if the Straw Hats weren't going to go there. He would have spelled out exactly what Lodestar contains and how one learns about the Road Poneglyphs.
You speak as if Roger was talking weirdly and suspiciously to avoid revealing something special, but he went direct to the point and was not being vague at all about what mattered in Lodestar: the revelation that there's one final island not connected by Log Pose, and that the Poneglyphs are maps to that place. It was possible for Roger to have described to Newgate the entire geography of Lodestar and told what's the object which conveys that revelation to fulfill the cat's curiosity, but the content is pretty much clear. The "mystery" exists in the readers' head because of our obsession to know every single detail, thus creating questions out of empty space (especially out of empty space), but the narrative is not presenting it as a riddle, because it's just a device.
He would not have misled the Straw Hats. He directed the Straw Hats to Lodestar for a reason.
Yes, Crocus directed the SHs there to learn about the Poneglyphs and "the next adventure", which is to go around the world collecting the stones, especially the red ones.
Inuarushi hasn't been to Lodestar Island or Laugh Tale. He knows less than Crocus.
You're essentially saying that Oda wrote Inuarashi's dialogue to mislead the readers. I disagree. Inuarashi was acting very sure of his explanations, which made perfect sense, and he was quite obviously a reliable avatar for the author to transmit his message and answer the fans' worries regarding our previous mode of following the Log Pose.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
@Zik:
Lodestar could have unrelated important revelations and discoveries to the story as well as making one realize there is a mysterious final island.
That's just pure speculation because since we don't know, it could be anything. There's nothing wrong with this kind of speculation, but it's just gambling. You can even be right, since gamblers win too.
I get it. Lodestar is already a fancy island for what it is, so it plays with our desire to see it and our imagination goes wandering, so it's tempting to think about what new answers it may hold. But the island already has a defined role, and I don't see any clues in the story that it has another one.
It's always possible that reaching Laugh Tale requires one to go through Lodestar. Frankly, I'm fairly sure Lodestar and Laugh Tale exist within relative proximity to each other, making it at the very least a natural stop on the path.
That's also assuming, of course, that nothing else happens that may jeopardize the Strawhats' intel, e.g. a Road poneglyph imprint getting smudged last minute, some villain absconding with one post-Wano, etc….But I'm leaning towards the former.
More than a simple pit stop, I feel Lodestar's the "platform" necessary to cross over.
