Summary
Currently,One Pieceis poised at a crucial juncture in the last stretch of its serialization, with only a few story arcs remaining until the end ofLuffy and the Straw Hat Pirates' journey. Of late, series creator Eiichiro Oda has been fueling the excitement surrounding this Final Saga of his epic manga, with his recent comments about the climactic final war which is expected to bring the story to a close.
While it has been well-known for quite a long time thatOne Piecewould end with a massive war on a scale evenlarger than the Battle of Marineford, it is hard to fathom how a conflict of such proportions would play out in the series. Beyond the question of which characters would align with the opposing sides in this battle, the larger query revolves around where this earth-shattering confrontation could even take place?
How Could The Final War Take Place?
As far as fan theories go, there is no shortage of ideas floating around online about how the final war could commence, as per the current state of affairs all over the world ofOne Piece. While there were once notions of a repeat of Marineford — whereeither Luffy or Sabo would be capturedand sentenced to death by the Marines — a new twist has inverted the premise of this beloved pre-time skip war arc.
Naturally, the main factor in this switch up was the capture of Monkey D. Garpby the Blackbeard Pirates on Hachinosu. Just as Blackbeard was the one who handed Ace over to the Marines, his crew are now the ones responsible for Garp’s abduction, and this event could set up a major conflict between the Straw Hat Pirates and Marshall D. Teach’s crew.
If he were to learn of Garp’s capture,Luffy would drop everything and rushto his aid without any shred of doubt, which could potentially be a trigger for the war to start. Alternatively, there are other avenues, such as the Blackbeard Pirates attacking Elbaf, a climactic showdown at Mary Geoise against the Five Elders and Imu, or perhaps even a battle on the island of Laugh Tale itself.
A Battle Royale For Laugh Tale
The War To Decide Who Becomes The Next Pirate King
One possible path towards the final war inOne Piece, could see the confrontation take place on the Grand Line’s final island, as the newly crowned Four Emperors of the Searace to claim Gol D. Roger’s treasure. Shortly after the Wano Country Arc, both Buggy the Clown and Shanks indicated their intent to compete for the title of Pirate King, turning the scenario into a four horse race.
Right now, Luffy and his crewpossess the most Road Poneglyph copies, having acquired three of them during their travels. After defeating the Heart Pirates and the Kid Pirates respectively, Blackbeard and Shanks have also acquired at least two Road Poneglyphs of their own, if they did not already have more in their possession. Currently, all of these factions are seeking out the mysterious “Man Marked by Flames,” who is said to be the one in possession of the fourth and final Road Poneglyph.
Prior to his death, the great pirate Whitebeard stated that the world would be turned upside down when the One Piece is claimed, and this may finally come to pass if all of these pirate groupsmeet on the island of Laugh Tale. There is also a chance of the World Government sending its forces to prevent more people from learning the truth about the Void Century, which would have disastrous consequences on their right to rule.
The Conflict Makes Its Way To Mary Geoise
An All-Out Assault To Take Down The Celestial Dragons
Now that the Five Elders have revealed their true forms toeveryone on Egghead Island, including the Straw Hat Pirates and the Giant Warrior Pirates, it is only a matter of time before these two factions will have to contend with the full might of the Marines. Even if they manage to stop Vegapunk’s message from being broadcast to the world, there is no way the Five Elders will simply allow Luffy and his allies to escape with Vegapunk and the critical information about their transformations.
On one hand, theWorld Government may launch an attackon Elbaf itself, although the risks of doing so are far too high given the giants' truly formidable military might. Furthermore, the Marines' also incurred heavy losses during both the Egghead siege and the incident with the Blackbeard Pirates on Hachinosu.
With the authority of the Marines' currently diminishing, as trust in the World Government wanes,Vegapunk’s message could be the final nailin the coffin of the Celestial Dragons' downfall. Hence, another plausible route would be for the Straw Hats and their allies to launch an assault on Mary Geoise itself, to take on the Five Elders and Imu on their home turf. This outcome would also fulfill another theory about the series' end, which foretells the destruction of the Red Line.
What Are Some Of The Alternatives?
Aside from these two options, there is also a prophecy regarding the destruction of Fish-Man Island, made by the mermaid fortune-teller, Shyarly. In a vision within her crystal ball, Shyarly foresaw a figure with a straw hatwalking amid the ruins of Fish-Man Island. If this vision does indeed come true, then a final battle at this location could be on the cards. Alternatively, this may also be a scenario where the battle takes place in Mary Geoise, since Fish-Man Island is located directly beneath it under the Red Line.
With respect to other potential locations, there is always a chance that the estimated timeline of events may be accelerated, and the final warmay be coming directly to Elbaf’s shores, given how Vegapunk’s message could send the world into turmoil. Lodestar Island is another option, as it directly precedes Laugh Tale on the Grand Line, and can be reached without the Road Poneglyphs. In the end, the choice of venue forOne Piece’scolossal final battle is a matter that is entirely in Eiichiro Oda’s hands, and if anything, he may have a few more surprises in store about how this could all pan out.
One Pieceis available to stream onCrunchyroll.
One Piece
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.
