One Piece's Elbaf arc may not be next up after all, and Oda's Jump Festa 2024 message might explain why

Modified Sep 10, 2024 05:00 GMT

One Piece has recently ended the Eggheard arc in the manga and there have been a lot of speculations about the upcoming storyline to take place in Elbaf, the land of the Giants. But it is worth pointing out that author Eiichiro Oda has made detours in the past.

Oda made statements in the past saying that he thought he was going to end an arc at some point only to keep going with it and his recent comments in Jump Festa '24 highlighted something along those lines. It was during that event that Oda stated that he couldn't control where Luffy goes in One Piece, stating that the Straw Hats could detour and not go to Elbaf and that they could head to another place instead.

This had some people theorizing that it could be the protagonist trying to save his grandfather, Monkey D. Garp. The comments have also stated that there could be a long-awaited clash between two characters, with some thinking that it could be Blackbeard vs. Shanks.

Why Eiichiro Oda will not go to Elbaf for the upcoming One Piece arc, as per his Jump Festa '24 comments

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Author Eiichiro Oda usually releases a statement every Jump Festa and the recent one had him saying that he couldn't stop Luffy and his crew from moving away from Elbaf and take another path in the upcoming arc. This has led to a lot of speculations that the upcoming storyline could have another direction, with some claiming that it could be focused on the protagonist trying to save his grandfather Garp from Blackbeard and his men.

"So many characters went through some significant challenges this year. Their world can be a truly terrifying place. If Luffy and crew manage to make it out of Egghead safe and sound....do you think they might go to... THAT island?," Oda sensei wrote.

It makes a lot of sense since Luffy has a history with Blackbeard because the latter was the one who captured his brother Ace and led to his eventual death in the Marineford arc. This moment could feel like a challenge for Luffy and a payback of sorts while he obviously has an emotional connection with Garp, which can serve as a way for the Straw Hats and the Blackbeard Pirates to have their first major clash in the series.

The Straw Hats as vikings in the manga by Oda (Image via Shueisha).

Some theorize that Luffy won't go to save Garp because that was his initial reaction to Ace, but that was a different moment for the protagonist. He now has the knowledge of what happened to Ace in Marineford, which is something that could play a pivotal role in this upcoming arc.

A possible clash between Blackbeard and Shanks

Shanks and Blackbeard as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation).

Eiichiro Oda also mentioned in the Jump Festa 2024 comment that the upcoming One Piece arc could feature a long-awaited clash between two characters he didn't name, which has led to some fans speculating that it could be the Shanks vs. Blackbeard duel. Fans have been waiting for this for years, especially because there have been theories that Shanks is going to die at the hands of the evil Yonko.

"I could stop Luffy, even if I wanted to. If they do go, you know that means there's gonna be a no-holds-barred struggle to obtain... THAT THING! And last but not least... the long-awaited clash between THAT PERSON and THAT OTHER PERSON just might have an unexpected outcome!!," the mangaka wrote.

It is difficult to gauge when that is going to happen but this confrontation is bound to happen since these two crews, along with Luffy's, are heading to get the One Piece. In that regard, there is no denying that a battle between these two characters could cause a lot of hype, especially since fans want to see the full extent of the powers of Shanks and Blackbeard.

Final thoughts

There is a very good chance that the upcoming One Piece arc could focus on Elbaf but Oda's comments at the Jump Festa '24 are bound to make some people doubtful. However, this is all mere fan speculation at the moment.

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Edited by Sreerupa Das