20 years later, One Piece is preparing for Yonko's death

Yonko was officially introduced in 2012 a piece Chapter 432, Luffy's Grandfather, by Monkey D. Garp in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump issue #48 on October 30, 2006. In their introduction, the Yonko, known as the cream of the crop in the pirating world, were said to rule the New World with such authority as absolute kings that not even the World Government would dare oppose them directly.

Over the years, Yonko has been an integral part of the overarching story a pieceEspecially in the second half, Monkey D in the New World. Covering the journey of Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates. With Yonko at the center of everything happening in the story, their time is running out, and the entire order is set to be destroyed simultaneously, as a piece Found in the last section of the story.

The Emperors Race for One Piece will officially kill the Yonko system

The last saga of a piece Chapter 1058 officially began, marking the start of the Egghead arc in Shuisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump issue #39 on August 29, 2022. The final race for One Piece officially begins here, with a brand new adventure for Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates on the horizon. At the end of the Wano arc, the Worst Generation trio of Luffy, Law, and Kid went their separate ways, each aiming for a piece. Elsewhere in the New World, meanwhile, powerful pirates were amassing the power they needed to aim for a piece.

In One Piece chapter 1121, which was officially released on July 22, 2024, in Shuisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump issue #34, Eiichiro Oda revealed the most important players in One Piece's quest. Naturally, this included the four emperors, as well as characters such as Nerona Emu, Garling, Figureland, Shamrock, and members of the Blackbeard Pirates, such as Kuzan and some marines. All of these characters are going to be important in the One Piece race, and in the end, whoever finds the One Piece will gain enough power to control the entire world.

“The fate of this world will be decided by whoever finds it. It all comes down to who claims one piece!” – Dr. Vegapunk explains the importance of another king, One Piece Chapter #1121

However, the flip side of this is that whoever finds a fragment will officially kill the Yonko system. This is because all of Yonko exists for one reason, and that is to find a piece. Each Yonko has their own territory and their own hold on different parts of the sea, as there is no undisputed king. As soon as the Pirate King is elected, the Yonko will serve no purpose and have an even bigger target to turn their eyes on. This sole undisputed king of the sea will then be the one to find a piece.

Why can't Yonko be found after a piece?

The Yonko system is the latest in the world a piece. Over the years, Eiichiro Oda has given us glimpses of the various timelines that exist in One Piece World. For example, in One Piece Chapter 1154, which was officially released on July 14, 2025, in Shuisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump issue #33, Eiichiro Oda officially introduced us to Rocks D. Xebec. During this period, there were no four emperors. The rocks were said to be the strongest in the seas, and although characters like Roger came along in the next 10 years or so, the emperors were never established.

38 years ago, following the events of God Valley, some powerful pirates were shown going their own way. In One Piece Chapter 1167, released in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #1 on December 1, 2025, Eiichiro Oda highlighted the next generation of pirates making a big name for themselves in the New World and gaining great power. These were Roger, Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, Shiki, Wang Zhi, and many other characters from the era. Again, the four emperors were nowhere to be seen. They only came into the picture after Roger's death, and the entire world of One Piece was thrown into turmoil.

“The pirates who went their separate ways after God Valley continued to rise to prominence, and would grow in power over the next decade or two until they reached their prime and became the face of the era.” — Narrator Confirms the Beginning of a New Age, One Piece Chapter #1167

In other words, the establishment of the Four Emperors coincided with the beginning of the Great Pirate Age. By claiming the One Piece, this era will officially close as a new Pirate King will be elected, meaning the quest for the One Piece will officially die. As such, four emperors simply cannot exist because there would be no equal status among them.

Monkey D. Luffy will be at the very top of One Piece's New Era

Image via Toei Animation

When it comes to the identity of the person who found the piece, we all know that it is none other than Monkey D. Luffy, the hero of the series. Luffy set out on a quest to claim a piece at the beginning of the story, 29 years ago. Since then, he has made great progress, and now has four Road Ponglyphs. With another Road Poneglyph, Luffy will officially be able to travel to the final island, Laugh Tail.

In his latest Jump Festa message, which was officially published on December 21, 2025, Eiichiro Oda mentioned that after the events of Elbaf, the Straw Hat Pirates would set foot on an island that had only been visited by the Pirate King, meaning that Luffy would make great strides in claiming a piece. One way or another, the Straw Hat Pirates will find the piece and make Luffy the Pirate King. With Luffy claiming this top spot, the era of the Four Emperors will officially end, and the sole undisputed King of the Seas will be declared.

“We're going to 'that island' that only the Pirate King could reach!!? The man marked by fire will also appear. Characters who never had the chance to meet will finally meet each other. The two of them will meet, and the two of them will meet.” — A piece on Jump Festa 2026 by author Eiichiro Oda

Of course, there is much more to be revealed a pieceSuch as the Holy Knights and several major battles against the World Government led by Nerona Emu. At the same time, the Marines are also in the equation, as are other powerful factions such as the Cross Guild, the Blackbeard Pirates, and the Red Hair Pirates. Every powerful organization has a big stake in the power play that is currently going on in the world in one piece, but the man who stands at the top of it all is the pirate king, Monkey D. It would be none other than Luffy.

All new manga chapters of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece are available to read through Manga Plus and Viz Media.