This article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga.
One Piece’s Final Saga will present some very interesting challenges for the Straw Hat Pirates. For each member of the crew, the biggest challenge is to make Luffy the Pirate King, and on top of that, fans know very well that they all have their own individual ambitions as well that they want to fulfill. The biggest focus, as far as personal challenges go, will be on the protagonist of the series, Luffy.
One Piece: Oda Has Already Revealed Luffy's Fate At The End Of One Piece
Luffy's fate has already been decided. Oda reveals his plans for this beloved character in One Piece.
Fans know very well that Luffy wants to become the Pirate King, but that he also has a goal that goes beyond just that. However, there are many obstacles in his way, such as other powerful individuals, both Pirates and Marines. That said, the biggest obstacle that Luffy will likely face in the Final Saga will actually be neither. It is highly likely that Luffy will contract an incurable disease in the final Saga of One Piece, just like Roger did. Oda has already heavily hinted at this in the story on multiple occasions, and all the strain that Luffy has put on his body over the years will eventually catch up to him, giving him the same illness as Roger.
Luffy Could Contract Roger's Sickness In One Piece
One Piece fans know Gol D. Roger to be one of the most influential figures in the entire world. In modern history, he can be easily called the most influential figure, and his death ushered in a new era of piracy. Roger handed himself over to the Marines shortly before his death, but he was already dying at this point.
As Oda revealed more details about Roger, it became clear that he was suffering from an incurable disease. This disease was eating away at his life, and it is one of the main reasons why Roger could not become Nika.
Four years before the day of his execution, Roger was afflicted with a terminal illness. It was a sickness that no one could treat. Roger was in a lot of pain, but Crocus, the lighthouse worker, known to be one of the best doctors in the world, lessened the pain. Three years later, while prolonging his life, we did the impossible and conquered the Grand Line. — Silvers Rayleigh about Gol D. Roger
At the time, even skilled doctors could not cure Roger, and even though he most likely tried to fight it, he could not win. This is why he used whatever remaining life he had to usher in a new age of pirates and ensure that his legacy was carried on by the next generation. Now, the same illness could target Luffy.
This might seem far-fetched to some fans, but Oda has already hinted at this in multiple instances in the story. In Enies Lobby, when Luffy pushed himself beyond his limits with Gear Second and Gear Third, Lucci clearly told him that doing so would eventually kill him. In Thriller Bark, when Luffy used Gear 2 and Gear 3 at the same time, once again, the Straw Hats highlighted the fact that Luffy was slowly killing himself.
In Dressrosa, Luffy's overuse of Haki clearly put him on death's door. In Wano, Kaido once again stated that Luffy overusing his Haki and Gear 5 was going to kill him, to which he said that he would one day become bones anyway so he did not care. Clearly, the hints are there and it is building up towards Luffy's incurable illness.
Roger And Luffy's Disease Could Come From Haki Overuse
Fans often wonder what disease Roger had, and Oda has not given any answer to that. All fans know is that this disease was incurable and that it eventually consumed most of his life. Even a skilled doctor such as Crocus could not save him.
While there has been no official answer from Oda concerning this disease, it is highly likely that just like Luffy, he was pushing his body beyond its limits. Roger was at the pinnacle of the era and he did it all with Haki. The key lies and Kaido's words when he stated to Luffy that abilities can only take you so far, in the end, Haki reigns supreme.
Listen, Luffy. Haki is a power that is dormant in everyone everywhere. The ability to sense spiritual energy and overwhelm enemies is something everyone has to some degree. But most people never discover it. To never doubt, that is true power. Now watch! Most Haki can be divided into two types or colors. — Silvers Rayleigh to Luffy in Ruskaina
One Piece: Oda Has Officially Confirmed The Characters With Joy Boy Level Haki
Joy Boy had insane haki in One Piece. These characters have haki similar to, or just as good as his.
Roger was constantly overusing his Haki and compensating for the fact that he did not even have a Devil Fruit. This is why his Haki was the strongest in his era and why he was at the very top. However, while Roger's Haki was immense, the body itself most likely could not take the constant strain from incredibly powerful Haki.
This is likely why Roger contracted the illness because his body started deteriorating and there was no cure for it. Now, Luffy is doing something similar with his overuse of powerful Haki all the time, with Gear 5.
Chopper Will Save Luffy From Death
Luffy contracting an incurable illness is absolutely essential for the plot. Not only does it continue the very plotline that Oda established as early as Enies Lobby, but at the same time, it would also give Chopper a way to fulfill his goal.
Chopper wants to be able to cure all diseases. This means even diseases that are considered to be incurable will have to be cured by him. He could not save Hiriluk, but he will be able to save Luffy. Once the Straw Hats complete the circumnavigation of the globe and reach the Reverse Mountain again, Crocus and Chopper will most likely work together to save Luffy's life.
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 1168 is December 7, 2025. 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.