Oda has a chance to fix One Piece's glaring time issue in the Elbaf arc, and it would be a perfect move

Modified Aug 31, 2024 18:28 GMT

One Piece could fix time issues with the Elbaf arc (Image via Shueisha). — One Piece could fix time issues with the Elbaf arc (Image via Shueisha)

One Piece has a lot of virtues but a running issue that the manga has had has been time issues. A notorious example is how the New World portion of the story takes place in a couple of weeks, thus making the rise of Luffy and the Straw Hats feel a bit more unrealistic, especially when considering that the crews of the likes of Kaido, Big Mom, and Shanks have been doing it for decades.

In that regard, there is a good chance that the upcoming Elbaf arc could address this running issue in One Piece. It has been established that this arc comes after Egghead and could lead to a training storyline where the weakest Straw Hats could get much-needed power-ups, but also make the time within the manga a bit more realistic.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

The Elba arc could fix time issues in One Piece

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A major issue that the story has faced throughout the years is that the several arcs take place in less than a day. It is difficult to process that storylines such as Dressrosa happened in one day or that the New World portion of the manga takes place in a couple of weeks.

When considering that crews such as the ones of Kaido, Big Mom, and Shanks, seasoned pirates with a lot of power and resources, have been doing it for years, Luffy's journey feels very unrealistic.

However, author Eiichiro Oda has already confirmed that the upcoming arc, after Egghead, is going to be Elbaf, the land of the Giants, which has been awaited by the fans for quite some time. In that regard, Oda has a chance to fix the time issues of the manga and deliver a training arc that could last for a couple of months within the story's timeframe.

A lot of fans have theorized that this arc could see the Straw Hats training in Elbaf get stronger before the final portion of the story, which could focus on reaching Laugh Tale and the last battle against the World Government. This training arc could give a bit more time for the main characters to get stronger in a realistic manner.

What could happen in the Elbaf arc

The Giants fighting in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

There are many different ways the Elbaf arc could go in One Piece, and one of the most notorious is that this one could connect with Shanks and his crew. It has been hinted that he is close to Elbaf and this arc could finally see his reunion with Luffy, although that is mere fan speculation at the moment.

It is also likely that the Giants' connection with Nika could be explored, which is something that has been revealed during the events of the Egghead arc. A lot of fans are also expecting Usopp to have a prominent role since his fascination for the Giants of Elbaf has been established since the Little Garden arc in the Grand Line portion of the story.

Final thoughts

There is a chance that One Piece could fix its time issues if the Elbaf arc gives the Straw Hats a few months to train and get stronger. However, it is worth pointing out that there is no information on what this storyline is going to be like, so this is mere fan speculation as of this writing.

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Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay