After 28 years, the next arc of One Piece is finally leading Luffy to the end of the Grand Line

of Ichiro Oda a piece has continued Ranking for 28 years in Shuisha's Weekly Shonen JumpIn July 1997, it officially started its journey. Luffy's journey sees him embark on an adventure to claim a great treasure. a piece And become the pirate king. It is, of course, an admirable journey and one that the author has pulled off brilliantly over the past 28 years.

In 2022, Eiichiro Oda's One Piece officially entered the final saga, marking the beginning of its final stretch. Over the last four years, the finale saga has ramped up the intensity, making this final stretch of the story more exciting than ever. Currently, with the most recent release of the One Piece manga in Shuisha's Weekly Shonen Jump issues 22-23, One Piece is moving towards the end of the Elbaph arc at a blazing fast pace. After the end of Elbaf comes Luffy's journey to the end of the Grand LineWhich was officially teased by the author himself through his comments during Jump Festa 2026 in late December.

Eiichiro Oda's Jump Festa message confirms that the next arc will take the Straw Hats to the final island

Image by Toei Animation

a piece The Elbaf arc has been an absolutely fantastic ride so far for all fans of the series. This arc began in Weekly Shonen Jump issue 41, chapter 1125 a pieceIn 2024. Since then, it has kept up the momentum, brilliantly delivering one exciting twist after another. It goes without saying that the Elbaf arc is now nearing its end, with the final battle against Nerona Emu officially starting in chapter 1180 of the manga, which officially came out on April 19, 2026.

Given that this arc is now coming to an end in the next few months, One Piece will officially mark the start of its third arc in the Final Saga, which Eiichiro Oda hyped during Jump Festa 2026. According to Oda's own comments, Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates will go to an island where only pirates have set foot before. Taking this route means that the crew will officially reach the end of the Grand Line this year.

“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 writer Eiichiro Oda

As evident from Oda's own comments from Jump Festa 2026, following the conclusion of the Elbaf arc, the Straw Hats are going to take a very significant step towards claiming a piece this year. At the same time, it also means that the crew is heading towards one of the two most important islands in the entire story. With Oda making it clear that the Straw Hats will only step where the Pirate King has set foot, there are only two possibilities for the next arc after the end of Elbaf. The first of these two arcs is a laugh story, where a piece is now The second option is for the Straw Hat Pirates to reach Lodestar Island, one of the most important locations in the world. a piece Overall.

Why is it possible that Lodestar Island is another arc of One Piece?

Now that the Straw Hat Pirates don't have the Last Road Poneglyph, the war against the World Government hasn't officially started, and the Man with the Burn Scar hasn't been introduced to the story yet, it's increasingly likely that the next arc won't be Lodestar Island, and this arc fulfills the requirements and comments based on Oda.

It all started 13 years ago, when we reached the destination of the last log pose, where no one had gone before… a place called Lodestar Island! But when we disembarked, worried about what we might find…we realized it wasn't the last island! – Gould D. Roger, One Piece Chapter 966

Lodestar Island was first mentioned by Gol de Roger in chapter 966 of the manga. According to Roger himself, this island is located at the very end of the Grand Line and is the last one that Log Pose can take one. Roger officially reached the Lodestar 39 years ago, which is one year before the God Valley event. There, he learns everything there is to know about the existence of the poneglyphs, the secret messages written on them, and the existence of the last island hidden somewhere in the world of One Piece. The existence of this last island prompted Roger to claim it a piece And become the pirate king.

So far, Luffy and the Straw Hats are nowhere close to claiming one piece, despite having three Road Ponglyphs. At the same time, the man with the burn scar hasn't appeared meaning that the final poneglyph will remain a mystery for a long time. Essentially, this means that it is Lodestar Island that takes the vast majority of focus after Elbaph.

The story significance of the Lodestar arc of a piece after the conclusion of Elbaph

of the Lodestar Island arc a piece is going to be extremely important, especially considering the fact that Eiichiro Oda himself made this part of the story consist of two important components. The first component is the introduction of the man with the burn scar. Right now, this man's whereabouts are unknown, but it's pretty clear that he's tied directly to Lodestar Island and is the key to the Last Road Poneglyph. The likes of Blackbeard, Kid, and Law are also looking for this man, but his identity remains unknown, and so do his whereabouts.

At the same time, Eiichiro Oda's comments made it quite clear that 2026 is going to be a year of reunion. Many characters, both friends and foes, will be met and come face-to-face once again, and that means the crew's adventure towards the Lodestar will include the likes of the Blackbeard Pirates, the Red-Hair Pirates, and possibly even the likes of the Cross Guild. At the same time, the Revolutionary Army will also be on the move, opening up the possibility for some incredibly intense reunions. Whichever way fans look at it, One Piece is only going to get more exciting as it nears the end.

All chapters of One Piece manga are available to read on Manga Plus.