This article contains spoilers for the Final Saga of One Piece.
Eiichiro Oda is quite easily the greatest mangaka of all time, and also the most successful one. Oda has managed to do what few others have done and that is to maintain incredibly high levels of quality even after nearly three decades of manga serialization. If anything, One Piece just keeps getting better with each passing year, and that is truly commendable. While One Piece has enjoyed a phenomenal run and will most certainly go on to reach even higher levels of fame in the Final Saga, it must also be remembered that this story is now coming to an end.
It's Time To Admit One Piece's Last Villain Could Be A Member Of The Straw Hat Pirates
The final villain of One Piece might not be Blackbeard, but a Straw Hat member.
The Final Saga is well and truly underway, and Oda even hinted at 2026 being crucial for the end of the story. As such, One Piece will end rather soon, in the next few years, which means that fans naturally start to wonder what comes after its conclusion. Thankfully, fans truly don't need to think too much because Oda has already answered this question himself, and it is safe to say that fans won't be starved of content even after One Piece ends.
Eiichiro Oda Has Already Started The Final Phase Of One Piece
- Oda Plans To End Elbaf in 2026
- The Final Island Could Be Focused On After Elbaf
The end of One Piece is something that fans truly don't like to discuss at all, and that is surprising because this is a story that has gone on for about 28 years now. Most fans of One Piece know that this story is so deep and rich in terms of lore that even 28 years is nowhere near enough to cover everything that Oda has established so far. The mysteries, the lore, and the incredibly exciting character arcs require much more than just 28 years, and that is precisely why, when the end of One Piece is brought up, fans struggle to understand how it will end as soon as Oda says it will.
From now on, this will be ONE PIECE! I will draw all the mysteries left in this world that I have been hiding until now. It's going to be really interesting. Please fasten your seatbelts. Thank you so much, I hope you keep up with me a bit longer. — Eiichiro Oda, One Piece
Regardless, fans truly don't need to take Oda's words as gospel because he is often wrong about time estimations. Oda previously stated that he would like to end One Piece by 2025, and quite clearly, in 2026, One Piece is nowhere near its true conclusion, even though it is in the final arc. One Piece's Final Saga will most definitely continue for a few more years, and that is quite clear for the fans to see.
For now, One Piece is in the Elbaf Arc, which will most likely span over the rest of this year. One Piece will truly enter a new arc either at the end of 2026, or in 2027, and fans know that it will still have about five to six years left, because it would be impossible for Oda to wrap up the story any sooner. Still, the Final Saga is already here, and fans know that Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates are now incredibly close to reaching their end goals, and as that happens, the story will truly come to an end.
Once One Piece does end, fans know that questions about its future will start to rise, and while there is an apprehension among the fans that they would lose this incredible franchise forever, that might not truly be the case because Oda certainly does not want to detach himself from this story that he created forever either.
After One Piece, Oda Would Like To Draw One Piece Spin-off Stories
While most fans think that One Piece will end forever after Oda wraps up Luffy's journey, that might not truly be the case. Oda has previously stated that he wants to draw side-stories of many characters. This makes sense just because of how rich and deep the lore of the One Piece world runs, and how many characters have their own stories to tell. One Piece is specifically Luffy's story, and it makes sense for Oda to put the vast majority of the focus on the main character.
With him, the Straw Hat Pirates also get the vast majority of the focus, but that doesn't mean there aren't other main characters in the story that deserve attention as well.
For instance, there are characters with exciting POVs that exist in the Marines or in the Revolutionary Army. There are also other characters that might not even be all that strong but have interesting POVs of their own that fans would absolutely love to follow. Oda recognizes this, and that is precisely why he wants to write side stories after One Piece is over.
Oda Plans A Story On The Revolutionary Army
- Dragon's Goals Will Be Focused On
- An Early Look At The Revolutionary Army
One thing that Oda has already confirmed is that he would love to write a side story on Monkey D. Dragon and the Revolutionary Army after the end of One Piece. This is incredibly exciting for the fans because the Revolutionary Army is one aspect of the story that Oda has severely underlooked so far. Fans see them building in terms of strength but always in the background, and that is truly unfortunate. One can truly understand why Oda has to resort to doing this, as the story is simply too vast to be told in full.
One Piece: Eiichiro Oda Reveals His Original Plans For One Piece's Ending
Oda has some exciting plans for One Piece's ending. He reveals his original plans for the series.
But after One Piece is over, Oda would like to revisit some parts of the story and expand upon them, with Monkey D. Dragon and his Revolutionary Army being one of the biggest frontrunners in that regard. Dragon's story would give fans a new perspective on the character, his motivations, and even the creation of the Revolutionary Army itself. It would also show the fans the many battles that Dragon and his army fought against the World Government and the many kingdoms under their control. This would truly be exciting as it would flesh out Dragon's character, his motivations, and of course, allow fans to see him and his revolution in a completely different light.
Oda Would Also Love To Draw A Story On Garp
Along with Dragon and the Revolutionary Army, Oda has also stated that he wants to draw a story about Monkey D. Garp. Specifically, Oda said that he wants to draw his relationship with different members of the Navy, including Kuzan, Borsalino, and, of course, Sakazuki. Garp's relationship with Kuzan was recently explored in the Egghead Arc, but his exact relationship with the other two admirals of the Navy is not clear yet. Of course, it could be that Oda simply ended up incorporating Garp's story in the short flashback that fans got in the Egghead Arc, but fans know very well that there is a lot to tell here.
About spin-offs, I came up with a magnificent story about Garp. I'd like to draw his relationship with Akainu, Aokiji, Smoker, Hina, Coby, Cipher Pol, and Roger. — Eiichiro Oda
This is especially true because Garp's motivations are always questioned by the fans, given that he knew about the corrupt nature of the Marines and decided to stay with them anyway. Oda is slowly giving Garp more spotlight through the many flashbacks of One Piece, but a true side story on him would be completely different and allow fans to see him in a new light. Garp's character is one of the most exciting in One Piece, and fans absolutely cannot wait for his true side story to begin once the main manga is over.
Eiichiro Oda's One Piece focuses on the journey of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail the seas to lay claim to the grand treasure known as the One Piece. The manga is currently in its Final Saga. One Piece will be featured in this week's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1171 is January 18, 2026. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday, which is 11:00 AM EST, or 8:00 AM PT. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps. Doing so will ensure that fans always support the author.