Anime and manga fans know One Piece has earned the title as one of the longest-running series that is still ongoing. However, it was recently announced that the manga would be going on a month-long hiatus to prepare for the final saga. With that, what will be One Piece's final arc?
Through the years, fan theories and predictions consistently pop up around social media, from Reddit to YouTube. Although, it's pretty known among One Piece followers that creator Oda Eiichiro's mind is difficult to figure out to the point that he continuously keeps debunking fan theories.
With the Wano Country arc concluding, let's break down some of the One Piece final saga rumors and predictions.
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Will There Be a Final Arc After Wano?
The official One Piece Twitter account reported that the manga would be going on a month-long hiatus starting June 27, 2022. The series will return to Weekly Shonen Jump on July 25, 2022.
The hiatus will give time to prepare for One Piece's upcoming 25th anniversary and the final arc. Fans shouldn't be too disappointed with the thought of One Piece ending immediately. As seen in previous arcs, a story arc can run for more than three years.
One Piece Wano Arc: The Ending So Far
Many things happened during the aftermath of the raid at Onigashima. Everyone has gotten stronger, especially Luffy since he awakened his Devil Fruit abilities. The story finally revealed more about the mysterious Joy Boy and Nika.
Two Emperors of the Sea, Big Mom and Kaido, have been defeated. Their loss will set a new path for the world as the Worst Generation continues to rise to the top.
The Ninja-Pirate-Samurai-Mink Alliance's victory has definitely caught the watchful eyes of the Gorosei and the World Government. With the country's borders still closed, they can't make a move.
As for how it is with the end of major battles in One Piece, the events made it to the newspapers. New bounties and new Emperors of the Sea have been announced, although the specifics haven't been revealed just yet.
Ultimately, we know everything that happened in Wano is major news that will significantly affect the world.
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Will the Straw Hats Go to Elbaf After Wano?
There are a lot of theories and predictions online revolving around where the Straw Hats will go next after Wano. One of the more popular guesses is Elbaf, the kingdom of the giants.
Elbaf was mentioned early into the series, starting from the Little Garden arc. Usopp has said that he would like to go there someday.
It is also likely that the Straw Hats will go to Elbaf since the place is closely tied to Usopp's character. The giants' culture revolves around honor and warriors.
Plus, we have yet to learn more about their prince, Loki, and the army of giants. These would be relevant in fulfilling Usopp's dream of becoming a brave warrior of the sea.
Another possible reason for the Straw Hats to go to Elbaf is the Road Poneglyph. The fourth Road Poneglyph still needs to be found, and there may be a lead in Elbaf.
Other rumors state this might be where Luffy will encounter Shanks and his crew. Either way, Elbaf has been mentioned numerous times in the story. We have seen several giant characters already that contributed to the development of the plot.
Elbaf also plays a significant role in Big Mom's backstory. It's only a matter of time until the story focuses on the giants.
The Road to Laugh Tale
Supposedly, Laugh Tale is the island where the One Piece treasure is located. It is the last island on the Grand Line, and its location can only be found through the Road Poneglyphs.
Laugh Tale is a highly significant island in the story since this is where the Roger Pirates found Joy Boy's treasure and uncovered the numerous mysteries about the world. The secrets behind the Will of D, the Void Century, and the Ancient Weapons are on this island.
Surely, the Straw Hats will one way or another end up on this island to find the One Piece.
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Luffy and Shanks Meeting
Back in Punk Hazard, when Luffy and Law were forming their alliance, Luffy mentioned that he planned to take down all four Emperors of the Sea. This includes Shanks, which means that these two captains facing each other in the future would be inevitable.
With the final arc coming up, we have yet to see a Luffy and Shanks encounter. Shanks is an integral character not just in the overall story of One Piece but especially to Luffy since he's the one who inspired him to become a pirate.
In-depth knowledge about Shanks' character remains a mystery, and perhaps we'll find out more in the upcoming One Piece Film: Red. We know so far he's a powerful and influential pirate, but we don't know to what extent yet.
It's possible that the Straw Hats and the Red Hair Pirates might face each other concerning the last Road Poneglyph.
At this point, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about many things surrounding the One Piece series. We don't know much about Blackbeard's Devil Fruit yet, the God Valley incident, what happened to Sabo, and more. Years later into the story, Shanks has yet to make a move.
One Piece fans better buckle up because it's probably not going to be smooth sailing from now on as the story enters its final saga.