One Piece teases Jormungandr's existence yet again in chapter 1135

Modified Dec 31, 2024 18:21 GMT

One Piece teases Jormungandr's existence yet again in chapter 1135 (Image via Toei Animation)

As the One Piece manga continues to progress the Elbaph Arc in chapter 1135 and beyond, the influence Norse mythology is having on the story arc in general is palpable. Obviously, the physical setting itself is heavily inspired by Norse mythology, but mangaka Eiichiro Oda is also subtly including additional details in every panel and page.

One Piece chapter 1135 does this again via the appearance of a giant serpent on Jinbe’s Elbaphian outfit, which could be setting up an introduction to the series’ version of Jormungandr. While this evidence isn’t particularly strong in and of itself, there is plenty of other additional setup to pair with this latest development that suggests this to be the case.

One Piece’s world-eating snake may be on its way after literal decades of teases

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As mentioned above, One Piece chapter 1135 pitches into the Jormungandr setup by including a unique design on Jinbe’s Elbaphian outfit. His belt features a symbol of a giant serpent on its front, with these clothes being made by Gerd herself, a native Giantess of Elbaph. This would suggest that there is some significance to the symbol, especially with how eye-catching it is and how almost ceremonial it seems.

However, there is additional, earlier setup for such a plotline, starting with the Little Garden Arc. As the two prepare to attack with Hakoku Sovereignty to save the Straw Hats from being eaten by the Island Eater, they say the only thing they “can’t pierce is a snake soaked in blood.” This evokes the image of Jormungandr from Norse mythology, who is said to mark the start of Ragnarok when its tail is released.

Fans immediately linked this to the Red Line, an in-series continent that wraps around the world fully, all but insurmountably bisecting it as a result. This has been a long-standing theory in the community, with the Little Garden Arc being one of the series’ earliest. However, there is also additional setup from the series’ early stages, which further plays into the idea of a version of Jormungandr being introduced.

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The Alabasta Arc, for example, featured several pieces of giant serpent imagery in the scenes where Nefertari D. Cobra escorted Nico Robin through the Nefertari family crypt. During the Sky Island Saga, a map of Skypiea was unearthed, which saw two giant serpentine creatures on it. One took a more human form, while another was shown in the White Sea surrounding the island, similar in design to the one seen on Jinbe’s belt in One Piece chapter 1135.

These two specific pieces of evidence are also significant in that both islands have proven to be very important in the narrative of the series’ final saga. Skypiea mainly connects via setup and foreshadowing for Sun God Nika and Gear 5, whereas Alabasta’s role connects to Imu’s motivations and origins and the Void Century’s events. Given that the Elbaph Arc is also a part of the final saga, these repeated serpentine symbols seem significant.

Final thoughts

Elbaph's Giants could be hiding a world-sized secret (Image via Toei Animation)

However, this is of course still speculative as of this article’s writing. No such giant serpent has been revealed in the series yet or discussed in a literal sense rather than an abstract or referential one. That being said, there is significant evidence that this could be where the series is headed next, especially with other Ragnarok setup present in the Elbaph Arc thus far.