How the Wano arc defines the future of One Piece

One of the most significant commonalities amongst most of post-time-skip One Piece’s major story arcs is the incredible length at which they’re written. The recently-concluded Wano arc ended up being serialized for over four years, easily the longest in the series’ history up to this point.

Before this, the Whole Cake Island arc was serialized weekly for two years, and the Dressrosa arc for over two and a half years. Series creator, author, and illustrator Eiichiro Oda has clearly shown favoritism to longer story arcs in the post-time-skip era of One Piece, with arcs either being remarkably short or almost unbearably long.

However, the Wano arc’s excessive length, in particular, may suggest something about the series’ future approach to its story arcs as it progresses through its final saga.

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One Piece’s Wano arc suggests longer, more drawn-out arcs throughout the series’ final saga

Why does it suggest as much?

As One Piece has progressed as a story and grown as a world, Oda has subtly lengthened the serialization time of his arcs and sagas to fit a more overarching narrative style. While such increases pre-time-skip were not as extreme and, according to some fans, a perfect balance, the post-time-skip series has seen him double down on this extreme.

One of the most controversial aspects of both the Wano and Dressrosa arcs was their lengths, with each stretching years of serialization time. For many fans, this made them lose interest as it felt like Oda was introducing new plotlines before resolving or addressing previously introduced, foreshadowed, or teased story aspects.

However, this subjective opinion can differ significantly from fan to fan. Some say they prefer the longer structure Oda has displayed post-time-skip, citing that it allows readers to become fully invested in a massive arc’s vast cast of characters. As previously emphasized, however, certainly not every fan feels this way.

Regardless of opinion, however, the increased arc length is a trackable trend which suggests something that may be potentially worrying for some fans. Given Wano’s length and that the series has begun its final saga, fans can expect One Piece’s future arcs to be at least Dressrosa, if not closer to Wano’s length.

One of the biggest arguments against such a claim is that Oda recently estimated in an interview that his series has roughly three years of serialization. With such a short window, many fans feel a long arc would be impossible to fit in, especially one comparable to the likes of Dressrosa and Wano.

However, fans would do well to keep in mind that Oda has previously made similar comments, only to prove himself wrong by wanting to add more to the magnificent world he has created. This has plagued One Piece throughout its existence, with Oda originally planning to end the series after just five years of serialization.

With this in mind, it’s not only possible but somewhat likely that Oda will yet again find himself trapped by his desire to explore the world he has made entirely. This, in turn, would naturally lend itself to him creating a longer arc structure with at least one of the final saga’s subsections.

This is further supported by the continued introduction of plotlines throughout the Wano arc, such as Pluton’s location being revealed and the tease of the “Burned Man” from Kid. Especially in the latter’s case, such teases will likely be further built by Oda before their eventual reveal, necessitating a more comprehensive approach to the final stages of the narrative.

With the Straw Hats also being a Yonko crew, massive battles such as those seen in the Wano arc’s Onigashima Raid will likely become the norm throughout the final saga.

Especially if Oda chooses to once again shift from perspective to perspective every few chapters, this essentially guarantees an arc being drawn out to a longer length than otherwise necessary.

However, as seen with Wano and Dressrosa, such approaches to telling One Piece’s story can have major consequences. One prominent example of the Wano arc is that many fans feel certain plotlines have been forgotten about or not given enough time.

One instance of each in Wano, respectively, is Wano’s former name as the Land of Gold and Zoro’s skeletal visitor following his fight with King. A consequence that was seen more in Dressrosa due to its being the first of its kind in terms of length was that fans could not keep up with the plethora of characters, plotlines, and events being covered.

That being said, the longer-style arc structure, which will most likely dominate the remainder of the One Piece story, does have some benefits. In Dressrosa and Wano, nearly every Straw Hat was given at least one opportunity to shine and be in the spotlight. This is even true for the Weakling Trio, with Chopper doctoring and Usopp and Nami fighting Page One and Ulti.

Dressrosa differed slightly in its decision to split the crew up, but between the longer-format Dressrosa and Whole Cake Island arcs, each crew member was also given a chance to shine. While earlier arcs also accomplished this via one-on-one fights, the post-time-skip arcs offer the crew opportunities to shine, which are more conducive to their unique skills.

Longer arcs also provide more opportunities for engaging side characters to have flashbacks, further enhancing their character. Defining examples of this from Dressrosa and Wano are Donquixote Doflamingo, Trafalgar D. Water Law, Señor Pink, and Kozuki Oden. Being one of the series' most consistent and heavily praised aspects emphasizes how integral they can be to an arc's reception.

All of these flashbacks are lauded as some of the most impactful in the series, and the longer narrative structure of their respective arcs allows them to be given substantial time. This, in turn, made for a more emotionally engaging backstory for each character, helping to endear fans to them further, even in the case of antagonists Doflamingo and Pink.

While there are negatives to such an approach, as predominantly seen in post-time-skip One Piece, many benefits come along. It seems more likely than not that the final stages of the One Piece story will see Oda continue with more extended, drawn-out arc structures.

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