One Piece may have revealed Elbaph's true secret via several hidden details

Modified Feb 05, 2025 07:30 GMT

One Piece may have revealed more of Elbaph than what people thought (Image via Toei Animation).

One Piece chapter 1139 was recently leaked. It continues what has been a rather strong start to the Elbaph arc, although fans have missed some details thus far. This was exemplified by a theory made on X by a fan named @MistaZod, who analyzed the concept of time used by the Elbaph Giants and how that could be influencing the events of the current arc.

That theory reminds fans of what was mentioned in One Piece chapter 116 during the events of the Little Garden arc, with Dorry stating that Giants have a three-times longer lifespan than the average human. This has influenced their perception of time and how it passes, which is currently affecting the main cast and even Shanks when he stayed in Elbaph.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinions and contains spoilers for the series.

Explaining how time flows differently in Elbaph, as per the evidence of the One Piece manga

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As mentioned, this theory goes back to chapter 116 of the manga, where Dorry states that Giants can live at least three times longer than humans. This means that if a Giant has lived for 300 years, a human would have lived for 100 years.

However, the theory goes a step further by stating that their perception of time is also three times shorter, hence why Dorry and Brogy spent so much time fighting in Little Garden without a care in the world.

It is also worth pointing out that author Eiichiro Oda stated in the series that Giants can drink for three whole days. This fits Dorry's claim and what was mentioned in chapter 1136 about Shanks being at Elbaph a while ago.

Many fans assumed they were referring to Shamrock because of their physical similarities as twins. However, it was the actual Yonko and just so happened to have left two days ago, which is shorter for Giants.

Therefore, the bulk of the theory is that time flows differently for Giants, and the other species who go to Elbaph begin to process the passage of time similarly. This fits with Shanks' comment about how he lost track of time. This could explain why Elbaph is so grand in scale for Luffy and his crew, but they manage to reach certain points without taking too long.

Shamrock, as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha).

Another element that validates this theory in the One Piece manga is the fact that Luffy, Zoro, and Nami managed to reach the Elbaph castle in what seems to be a short amount of time. The same can be argued for the Holy Knights as they reached Loki in the Underworld, even with the help of a bird, meaning that perhaps the time that passed has been longer than what readers might think at first.

There is an argument to be made that this doesn't mean much, and Oda could have done this for comedic effect in the near future, but it could also play a role. The universe of this franchise is quite alive, and many things are happening, meaning that the passage of time could have negative ramifications for Luffy and his friends.

Final thoughts

The current Elbaph arc in One Piece has been quite celebrated by the fandom thus far, and Oda seems to be returning to his best, which makes theories like this one all the more valid. Moreover, it seems like a consistent element regarding the Giants, so it wouldn't be surprising if time is happening faster than people may think.

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Edited by Shreya Das