10 Biggest One Piece Moments of 2025

2026 is going to be a huge year for One Piece. With the anime moving to a seasonal schedule, the manga still going strong, season 2 of the live-action series, and Wit's The One Piece adaptation potentially on the horizon, fans of the series have plenty to look forward to. But as great as 2026 is looking, let's not forget how good 2025 has been.

The Straw Hat Crew's adventures in Elbaf have included some of the best moments in the series so far, with surprise reveals, hints at what the endgame is going to look like, and an extensive flashback sequence that focuses on some of the series' most important events and characters. A lot has happened over the last 12 months, and as we get ready to say goodbye to 2025, these stand out as the most impactful One Piece moments from this year.

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By  Rei Penber

The Treasure Tree Adam’s Ancient Mural Gives Us a Look at the Endgame

We always knew that once the Straw Hats reached Elbaf, we'd learn the answers to some burning questions. The Giant homeland is a treasure trove of information. One of the most significant pieces of information to come out of the Elbaf Arc in 2025 was the introduction of The Harley, as well as the massive mural found on Elbaf's Adam Tree.

The Harley alludes to past conflicts in the One Piece world and prophesies a third conflict in the current era. Franky comes across a massive mural while exploring the Treasure Tree Adam with Ripley, which illustrates each of the three passages found in the Harley; the First, Second, and Third World. Each verse is fairly cryptic, but the mural that Franky found definitely helped fuel some fan theories and gave us a better idea of what has and will happen in the One Piece world going forward. Will 2026 be the year we find out what some of it means?

Shamrock’s Reveal Confirms Shanks’ Lineage

One Piece fans got their first look at Shamrock all the way back in 2018, when a mysterious figure resembling Shanks was shown at the end of Chapter 907 approaching the Five Elders to talk about a "certain pirate". Years later, Oda finally confirmed that this mysterious figure was, in fact, Shanks' twin brother. The two might look the same, but they couldn't be any more different.

Shamrock's full reveal confirmed two things; that Shanks has royal blood, and that he's a member of the Figarland Family. This was hinted at in One Piece Film: RED, but with Shamrock and Gunko's appearance in Elbaf, it was officially confirmed. Shanks' connection to the World Nobles continues to play a big part in the Elbaf Arc through flashbacks. With the series nearing its end, it'll be interesting to see how this connection affects the story going forward.

Gaban’s Haki Cuts Through Sommers

Scopper Gaban is another character who was introduced very briefly earlier in the series, but who didn't get a chance to really shine until the Elbaf Arc. He was somewhat visible in Buggy's flashback all the way in Chapter 19, and was seen alongside Crocus and Laboon on the "From the Decks of the World" cover for Chapter 631. As a former member of the Roger's crew, Gaban is an accomplished pirate who's played a big role in the Elbaf Arc so far.

His biggest impact in the arc so far came when he attacked Shepherd Sommers, and, using his Haki-infused Axe, cut off his arm and then sliced him in half. Sommers' immortality kept him alive, but through this, we learned that Supreme King Haki could slow down the Knights of God's regenerative abilities. Sommers did recover from his injuries, but it took much longer than it normally would have. Gaban would later on reveal to Luffy that the Knights of God weren't truly immortal and that Supreme King Haki (which both he and Zoro possess) could be used against them to great effect. With the situation on Elbaf growing more dire, we can be sure that this will play a big role in the Straw Hats' fight against Imu and the rest.

Imu's Domi Reversi

Imu has played an active role in the Elbaf Arc, giving fans a taste of what to expect as we gradually move closer to One Piece's ​​​​​​finale. So far, the World Government's leader hasn't disappointed, showing himself to be a truly unstoppable force. So far, two things have really made him stand out: being able to possess Knights of God and Five Elders like Gunko and Saturn, and his Domi Reversi technique.

On both Elbaf and God Valley, Imu was able to take control of both Gunko and Saturn, respectively, and turn things on their head. But the most impactful thing he did in both locations was make use of his Domi Reversi technique, turning those affected into evil puppets he could manipulate. So far, Imu has used this technique on notable characters like Dorry and Broggy, Rocks, and Harald, alongside some minor characters caught up in it. We have some ideas of how Luffy can overcome this technique going forward, but it'll be a tough challenge for him and the rest of the Straw Hat crew to overcome.

Rocks Breaks into the Room of Flowers

As the World Government's capital, Mary Geoise is home to the Celestial Dragons, Five Elders, and Knights of God alongside Imu. Given that so many important people reside there, it's an incredibly difficult place to infiltrate. That didn't stop Rocks, though.

In Chapter 1155, we hear that Rocks managed to kidnap five Kings during one of the Levelys held on Mary Geoise​​​​​​, while also briefly clashing with Harald. But what's most impressive about Rocks' actions that day was his breaking into the Room of Flowers and confronting Imu. Rocks promised to return one day while also claiming to worship Davy Jones​​​​​​. This sequence showed us just how brazen Rocks was, but also set him apart from many other pirates in the series. Though we all knew what his end would be long before the Elbaf Arc's flashback sequence started, Rocks' provocation earned him plenty of fans and made him an easy character to root for.

Rocks’ True Lineage Revealed

Rocks has been featured heavily throughout most of the Elbaf flashback. We've learned a lot about him, his crew, and the world at the time he was in his prime. But two particular things have stood out about him.

The first big reveal was made in Chapter 1154, with Rocks being revealed to be Blackbeard's father. The next big reveal came in Chapter 1159, with Rocks telling Harald that his real name was Davy D. Xebec, making him a member of the Davy Clan and a direct descendant of Davy D. Jones. These were huge lore drops for both Rocks and Blackbeard. It gave us a deeper look at Rocks as a character during the flashback, but it also sets a lot up for Blackbeard for the rest of the series.

The God Valley Incident Brought to Light

The God Valley Incident might be the most consequential event in One Piece's history. So much happened, with all of it affecting the way the series' world was shaped by the time Luffy set out on his journey.

From Shakky being kidnapped and held as a prize for the World Government's Native Hunting Competition, the revelation that members of the Davy Clan were living on the island, Dragon's defection from the military due to what he saw, Shanks and Shamrock being split at birth, Rocks rushing to the island to save his wife and son, Kaido stealing the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu from Big Mom (who was going to give it to Katakuri), Imu possessing Saturn, Rocks being Domi Reversi'd, and Roger and Garp joining forces to knock Rocks down, plenty happened during the eight-chapter-long flashback.

Rayleigh Rescues Shakky

Shakky's kidnapping got the Roger Pirates involved in the God Valley Incident, with the entire crew racing to save her. But when it came down to it, Rayleigh was the one who came in clutch at the last second.

Though she was intended to be the grand prize for the Native Hunting Competition's winner, Shakky didn't make things easy for the World Government. She easily managed to overpower the marines guarding her despite being at a disadvantage, but she almost fell victim to Sommers in the process. Thankfully, Rayleigh was able to arrive just in time to save her, sending Sommers flying and giving us a wholesome moment in the midst of the chaos and tragedy surrounding the island.

Garp and Roger Take on a Domi Reversi’d Rocks

We all knew what would ultimately happen to Rocks, but that didn't make his death any less tragic. Rocks managed to win plenty of fans over during the flashback sequence, proving to be an interesting anti-hero and playing an important role in providing fans with some answers to go alongside plenty more questions. But once Imu Domi Reversi'd him, everyone knew exactly how his story would end.

Rocks was already a skilled swordsman, regarded as one of the strongest of his era. But with Imu's Domi Reversi influencing him, he seemed to be nearly unstoppable. Even with their combined efforts, Garp and Roger struggled against him. They were finally able to bring Rocks down by combining their strength and increasing the mass of their Haki, landing one powerful attack that knocked Rocks out and freed him of Imu's control. Sadly, with Rocks too weak to move, Figarland Garling swept in and killed him.

The Truth Behind Harald’s Death

While the events leading up to King Harald's death were a mystery to many in-universe, many fans had a pretty solid idea of what happened to Elbaf's leader long before. As soon as Oda revealed Imu's Domi Reversi technique, many fans speculated that the technique was to blame for Harald's mysterious death.

In Chapter 1167, we see Harald become more involved with the World Government, becoming a Devoted Blade of God. In the next chapter, Harald is introduced to Imu and given a Depths Covenant, becoming a Knight of God, and later on, he starts losing control of himself to the world ruler. In the most recent and final chapter of 2025, we see the entirety of Harald's final moments, with him losing control over himself thanks to Imu's influence and ordering his guards to kill him. His immortality made this impossible, leading to the deaths of the Royal Guards, Jarul being stabbed in the head, and Loki rushing to find Elbaf's Devil Fruit and stop his rampaging father. The rest of the flashback will play out in 2026, but outside of the exact details, we can all guess that Loki's new Devil Fruit abilities were enough to put Harald down, with Loki assuming all the blame and unfairly earning his villainous reputation.

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Release Date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

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Cast

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  Mayumi Tanaka

  Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
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  Kazuya Nakai

  Roronoa Zoro (voice)

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One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga's popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.

Studio

Toei Animation

Number of Episodes

1122

MyAnimeList Score

8.72

Creator(s)

Eiichiro Oda

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