Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece story imposed itself as a record-breaking shonen franchise that revolutionized the world of pop culture over the years. The One Piece manga debuted in 1997 on the pages of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump, followed shortly after by the likewise successful anime adaptation curated by Toei Animation.
Over nearly three decades, One Piece has become a cultural phenomenon, followed by millions of fans worldwide. With his masterful blend of epic adventures, surreal humor, and captivating lore, Oda’s story has been instrumental in legitimizing and expanding the global reach of anime and manga.
One Piece shows no signs of slowing down, but its extreme longevity may be a point of debate as in 2019, Oda stated that the manga had four or five years of serialization left, thus suggesting that it would end before 2025. Five years after this statement, it seems that Oda completely missed his prediction, as One Piece is still far from ending.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1125 and has the author's opinion.
Despite Eiichiro Oda’s own claims, One Piece won’t end anywhere soon
The story is only approaching its climax
As of the time of this article’s writing, One Piece counts about 1125 chapters, published over the course of 27 years of serialization, which is a testament to Eiichiro Oda’s exceptional storytelling. The author managed to keep the story fresh and engaging, building a vast, intertwined fictional world in constant turmoil.
The Straw Hat crew’s journey in search of Gol D. Roger’s legendary treasure promotes a message of courage, friendship, and perseverance, and its length only maximizes the hype. Even though Monkey D. Luffy and his comrades are now getting closer to concluding their adventures, the series is far from revealing its secrets.
If anything, the complexity of the narrative is only increasing in magnitude, with the struggle for freedom and ambition getting the highest stakes ever. With the start of the franchise’s final saga, fans can’t wait to see the long-established big names reveal their true colors and the plot tie up loose ends.
After Kaido and Big Mom’s downfall in Wano, which resulted in Luffy becoming a Yonko, the Straw Hat Pirates arrived at Egghead, where they got involved in a conspiracy with unforeseeable consequences. The Egghead Incident, during which Dr Vegapunk revealed the fate of the world, has triggered a series of developments.
The upper echelons of the World Government will now have their hands full, keeping tabs on the population, and even the Navy will never be the same again. A full-scale conflict to reach Laugh Tale and claim Roger’s treasure is only a matter of time, especially as the Four Emperors are making their moves, and so is the Revolutionary Army.
Still shocked by Vegapunk’s revelations about the Void Century and the story of Joy Boy, the Straw Hat Pirates are now headed to Elbaf, one of the most anticipated destinations of their journey around the Grand Line. Taking this into account, it’s safe to say that Egghead was just a taste of what Eiichiro Oda has been preparing for the climax of the series.
In an interview in 1999, Oda declared he had already decided what would happen in the last chapter of One Piece and what the story’s last page would look like. Hence, the mangaka always had a precise idea of how he wanted his story to end. Interestingly, he doesn’t seem to have the same certainty about the length of the story itself.
The franchise's future perspectives
Over the past years, Eiichiro Oda has released several statements about the serialization of One Piece. Funnily enough, he disregarded all of them. For example, in 2004, he told his wife he would finish the story within ten years. After all, this manga has been running for more than 25 years, with its end still far away, even though it was originally supposed to last about five years.
In an interview in 2019, Oda declared his intention to conclude the serialization within five years at most, around 2024, and in any case, not later than 2025. Five years have passed since this interview, and as of the second half of 2024, it’s clear that this deadline cannot be met. In all fairness, it will be impossible to conclude the story before the next few years properly.
Eiichiro Oda has spent entire decades teasing out the intriguing backgrounds of several characters and building up several compelling subplots. It would make little sense for him to rush everything suddenly, ruining the story that has captured fans’ interest for decades, to which he devoted most of his life.
In addition to the Elbaf Arc, which hasn’t even started yet, it’s reasonable to expect several other story arcs. The final saga will bring the Straw Hats closer than ever to Laugh Tale, sparking an apocalyptic conflict between the protagonists, their allies, and the remaining antagonists.
The endgame promises to be absolutely thrilling. The story has to uncover the final Road Poneglyph, reveal the One Piece treasure, and outline the decisive confrontation with the World Government, all while disclosing the secrets of the Void Century and showing how the Straw Hat Pirates will realize their dreams.
Naturally, fans also expect to learn everything about the likes of Marshall D. Teach “Blackbeard,” “Red Hair” Shanks, Dracule Mihawk, Monkey D. Dragon, and Sakazuki “Akainu,” as well as to see these big names in action. Considering the many unanswered questions and narratives to be developed, One Piece can’t wrap up all of this in a short time.
That’s not even counting the breaks between chapters, which have now become a constant and would only slow down the serialization, delaying it even further. Especially considering Eiichiro Oda’s habit of dragging things longer and longer, which significantly slowed the pacing of certain parts of the story, it’s hard to see the long-awaited climax of One Piece concluding quickly.
Granted, Oda might opt for a rushed ending, but after so many years, such a thing would leave fans terribly disappointed. The series deserves to fulfill its full narrative potential, and the author himself knows it. It took hundreds of chapters to see secondary characters get defeated and minor subplots to be explained. It would be unforgettable to suddenly hasten the narrative just when every detail matters the most.
At this point, the cultural relevance of One Piece extends far beyond Japan. The series has touched the hearts of millions worldwide, inspiring and entertaining entire generations. Even prominent international media, such as the BBC, have celebrated the influence of Oda’s masterpiece, further cementing it as one of the most appreciated and iconic fictional works of all time.
Related Links
- One Piece anime reveals official episode titles for September 2024
- One Piece: The Straw Hats' journey is shorter than anyone thinks, and it doesn't make much sense
- One Piece: 3 Straw Hats who could use Haki before the timeskip (& 3 who can't use it even now)
- One Piece chapter 1125: Release date and time, where to read, and more
- One Piece chapter 1124 confirms early September release schedule