It’s been a good time to be a One Piece fan this month — the long-running manga masterpiece has recently concluded the final battle of the Wano arc, the single longest storyline in the series so far at over 140 chapters. So naturally, the question on every fan's lips is which new locale Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates will head to next.
Fueling the fires of the countless fan theories is the recent revelation that author and artist Eiichiro Oda will be taking a month-long hiatus in order to prepare for the final saga of One Piece. This decades-long epic is soon to reach its closing act, and while the stage isn’t quite set for the grand finale just yet, the climax of the story is soon to be on the horizon. So with that in mind, here are some of the leading theories on where the first arc of the final saga will take place, leading the Straw Hats into the beginning of the end.
Elbaf
The most common fan prediction for the Straw Hat Pirates’ next destination is Elbaf, homeland of the giants. Elbaf was first mentioned all the way back in the Little Garden arc in the early days of the manga, in which the Straw Hats crossed paths with the giant warriors Dorry and Brogy. The crew’s timid sniper Usopp instantly admired the giants’ strength and courage, inspiring his ambition to one day see the island of Elbaf for himself. Elbaf is also notable for being the kingdom where Charlotte Linlin — aka Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors of the Sea — spent her childhood. The flashbacks detailing Big Mom’s backstory provided the story’s first real look at Elbaf, inviting further speculation that a full arc would be devoted to exploring the giants’ kingdom.
But while Big Mom has already been defeated — at least for now — many fans speculate that the Straw Hats will encounter another Emperor in Elbaf. Namely, Red-Haired Shanks, Luffy’s childhood hero who first inspired him to become a pirate. As it happens, Shanks’ sniper Yasopp is Usopp’s father. Therefore, fans have theorized that the two will reunite on the island Usopp’s dreamed of reaching since the beginning of his journey. Moreover, Shanks’ ship, the Red Force, shares the giants’ viking aesthetic, inviting the possibility that Shanks is an ally of the giants. It’s also worth mentioning that one of the allied pirate crews in the Straw Hat Grand Fleet is the New Giant Warrior Pirates led by Hajrudin, meaning that the Straw Hats may already have allies waiting in Elbaf when they arrive.
With the plot of One Piece steadily approaching its climax, it’s likely that Elbaf would serve as a breather for both the Straw Hats and the readers after the massive spectacle of Wano. Much like Loguetown or Zou, the arc will probably focus on lore and plot progression rather than battle. If the Straw Hats encounter any combat at all in Elbaf, it will likely be in the form of friendly sparring against the giants or Red Hair Pirates. It’s also been theorized that Big Mom will return to her homeland for one last brawl, but she’s been such a major antagonist for so long that her defeat in Wano will probably be the last we see of her for a while.
Lodestar Island
Another common theory for the Straw Hats’ next stop is Lodestar Island, the last island on the Grand Line before Laugh Tale — the mysterious island where the legendary treasure called the One Piece awaits. As such, it’s all but inevitable that the Straw Hats will stop at this island before they reach their ultimate destination. The only problem is that before they can reach Laugh Tale, they must first collect the four Road Poneglyphs that point the way there. They’ve already gotten two from Zou and Whole Cake Island, and are soon to claim the third from Wano, but the fourth’s location remains a mystery.
It’s possible that the final Road Poneglyph could rest on Lodestar Island itself, making it the logical next step for the Straw Hats. However, that would likely be too easy, crossing off two steps of the journey at once. If anything, it’s more likely that the fourth Road Poneglyph is in Elbaf. So while the Straw Hats will likely be making their way to Lodestar Island before long, there’s a bit more work to be done before they head straight there.
Mariejois
Ever since the Wano arc began in 2018, fans have been eager to see the results of the Reverie, a massive conference between 50 major world leaders, held in the World Government’s capital of Mariejois. There are still two major cliffhangers from the Reverie that have yet to be resolved — first, the appearance of Im, the secret ruler of the World Government, who is preparing to enact a “great cleansing”. Second is the fate of Sabo, Luffy’s adoptive brother, who was last seen preparing to infiltrate Mariejois before mysteriously disappearing.
Many fans speculate that Sabo has been captured or even killed by the World Government, and that Luffy will rush to Mariejois to save him upon hearing this news. However, this would no doubt feel like a rehash of the Marineford Saga, in which Luffy tried to rescue his other brother Ace from the Marines. Plus, it would no doubt serve as a massive detour on the journey to Laugh Tale — unless, of course, the World Government is also keeping the final Road Poneglyph in its clutches. Even so, it’s more commonly theorized that Mariejois will serve as the final battleground of the entire series, and it’s unlikely that an even bigger war would kick off so soon after Wano’s conclusion.