This article contains spoilers from the Final Saga of One Piece.
One Piece fans are eagerly waiting for the next arc of the story to kickstart. For now, One Piece is in the Elbaf arc, which focuses on Luffy and the crew's adventure in the land of the Giants. It goes without saying that the Elbaf arc of One Piece is extremely exciting, and this is also evident from the fact that sales for One Piece are starting to go up once again. But, the Elbaf arc won't last long. In his yearly message at Jump Festa, Oda made it quite clear that he intends to finish the Elbaf arc in 2026 and kickstart the next step for Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates.
One Piece: 7 Arcs To Come After Elbaf
Elbaf is great, but even bigger arcs are coming after it in One Piece.
This also means that One Piece will be heading even deeper in the final saga in 2026. In fact, what's even more surprising is the fact that Oda implied that One Piece might even tackle its next arc in 2026. This is very scary for the fans, yet exciting at the same time.
One Piece Is Already Deep In The Final Saga
- Egghead was the first arc of the final saga
- Elbaf is the second final saga arc
One Piece's final saga kicked off with the Egghead Arc, the Island of Science, where Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates met Vegapunk and discovered many secrets about the Void Century and the origin of Devil Fruits. This arc was massive and focused on the characters such as Jewelry Bonney and Bartholomew Kuma. It was easily one of the best arcs that fans have seen, as far as beginning to a saga goes, but it was only an appetizer for what was to come.
This is the land of the Giants. The ferocious warriors of Elbaf once conquered the New World long ago in the past. The World Government shall have their power, no matter what! — Shamrock Figarland to Gunko in One Piece's Elbaf Arc
So far, the final saga of One Piece has not yet heated up, but the story is still more intense than it has ever been. This means that once One Piece heads deep into the final saga, which should happen after the events of the Elbaf Arc, things will get even more exciting. In the Elbaf Arc, Oda has referred to the battles that are unfolding as the prelude to the final war that is to come. The final war, also referred to as the Great War by many, is going to kick off very soon and it seems that this will happen after the Elbaf Arc wraps up.
This also means that once this arc is over, One Piece will be taking the deepest dive it has yet in the history of the world, as well as giving the fans the biggest battles that it has ever delivered, and that is incredibly exciting. What's even more exciting is that according to Oda, the Straw Hat Pirates will head to a very special place after the Elbaf Arc that might actually be tied to the final arc of the entire story. This place could very well be Laugh Tale, the hidden island that only Pirate King Roger was able to find.
Eiichiro Oda’s Message Confirms The Final Arc Is Coming
Every year at Jump Festa, Eiichiro Oda delivers his exciting message that tells the fans what is to come in the subsequent year. This year was no different, and Oda revealed quite a lot of exciting things to the fans. Oda talked about the live-action that is to come in 2026 as well as the confirmation of season 3 for the live-action. He also spoke briefly about the WIT anime as well as the upcoming movie for One Piece.
Most of all, however, Oda spoke of the manga and what to expect from it in 2026. While Oda teased many confrontations and reunions, what fans were most excited to see was Oda confirming that One Piece will head towards an island that only the Pirate King has reached before. As fans know, this island could very well be Laugh Tale. At the very least, it is one of the two strong possibilities, so it is a 50-50 chance at the moment that One Piece's next arc might just be the Final Island, and with that, the Final Arc.
Now then, since it’s Jump Festa, let’s talk about the original Jump manga!
After a long, long flashback—more like a deep dive into history—we return to the present day, and just when your perspective on Elbaf has started to shift… boom!! It ends with a big, flashy finish. And from here on out, things get really intense.
To that island that only the Pirate King ever reached!? The man marked by flames appears!! Two people who never crossed paths finally meet!! And those two run into each other as well!! Is next year going to be a full-blown festival of encounters?
The story moves at lightning speed, but I’ve unfortunately gotten older, so while taking care of my health, I’ll continue next year to sail through One Piece at its fastest pace yet—steady and full force. Ahead lies a festival!! Please look forward to it!!!” — Eiichiro Oda
Elbaf Will Open The Gateway To The End Of One Piece
At this point, it is quite clear that whatever unfolds in Elbaf towards the end of this arc will be the gateway to the end of One Piece. Oda has teased multiple times that Elbaf will mark the beginning of the Great War, and fans know very well that it is now almost upon them. The Revolutionary Army is ready, as are the Holy Knights, Imu has also moved, and the Straw Hats are now stronger than ever before. This might just be the perfect opportunity for One Piece to enter its final arc and for the Straw Hats to head for the island that only the Pirate King reached.
The Next Member Of The Straw Hat Pirates Will Officially Be The Strongest In One Piece
The Straw Hat Pirates are about to gain a powerful member. This member will be the strongest Yonko Commander of all time in One Piece.
To be clear, this next island could either be Laugh Tale, or it could be Lodestar Island. Both of these islands have only been reached by the Pirate King before, so things will be incredibly exciting moving forward. Regardless, it matters little because both of these arcs will be the beginning of the end for One Piece, as the battle for the 4th Road Poneglyph heats up. Consequently, the One Piece will soon be acquired by someone, most likely Luffy.
One Piece Could End By 2032
Based on Oda's own comments, it appears that One Piece is rapidly heading towards its end. If the final arc begins in 2026, which is a 50-50 case at the moment, then fans might think that One Piece will end soon. That said, the thing with Oda is that he is hardly ever accurate with his time estimations. Previously, Oda had set up things to happen in the following years which took at least three to four years to come to pass. This means that even if Elbaf does somehow end in 2026, some things might take much longer than Oda anticipated.
The final arc, or even the island where only the Pirate King set foot on, will most likely not come in 2026. Even if it does, the flow of events will most likely take Oda at least four to five years, if not even longer. A fair estimation for the end of One Piece would be around 2032, which is six years from now, and that is if fans are being very generous.
One Piece is a very long story, where many plot points need to be tied up and many stories need to be revealed before the end. It goes without saying that all this will take Oda a very long time, quite easily six to seven years at the minimum. So, for now, fans have nothing to worry about.
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 1170 is January 4, 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.