Warning: Contains manga spoilers for One Piece.
As the excitement surrounding the Elbaph Arc continues to mount, an ominous warning suggestsOne Piece’s latest arc may not be all fun and games, with asecond time skippossibly on the horizon. Amidst the excitement of finally reaching Elbaph and the many long-awaited reunions, a popular theory thatOne Pieceis headed for another time skip has begun to take root, and it could either make or break the series.
Chapter #1132 ofOne Pieceends on an ominous note with a warning from Louis Arnot cautioning readers not to linger too long on Elbaph, for reasons not stated. This warning from Louis Arnot has given rise to a popular theory thattime flows differently on Elbaphand theStraw Hats staying on Elbaph too long could unwittingly bring about a second time skip.Unlikely as it may seem, implementing a second time skip at this point in the story could make sense from a storytelling perspective while also kicking the Final Saga into high gear.
One Piece’s Elbaph Arc Could Bring About A Second Time Skip
One Piece’s Arcs Have Been Following a Pattern
Eager as the Straw Hats may be to explore Elbaph at long last, chapter #1132 seemingly dampened the mood withLouis Arnot’s mysterious warning. Admittedly, other than suggesting the presence of some form of threat on the island, the warning alone does not directly point toElbaph having its own unique temporal characteristics.
Rather, what really drives the time skip theory is the structure ofOne Piece’s latest arcs, or better yet, the manner in which they have been mirroring previous arcs. The Egghead Arc was the first to establish this trend by mirroring the events of Sabaody, albeit on a greater scale, with Luffy facing the Five Elders and the Seraphim instead of the Pacifista.
Besides bringing back old foes like Kizaru and Kuma,One Piece’s Egghead Arc also sawGarp being captured much like Ace, setting the stage for a possible rescue mission or full-blown war just like Marineford. However, if the Final Saga is to follow the same order of events as those after Sabaody, a time skip would have to take place first to keep up the parallels.
One Piece’s Second Time Skip May Be Shorter Than the First
Theories surrounding the possibility of a second time skip mostly speculate that the Straw Hats could end up spending only three days on Elbaph only to find out two years have passed in the outside world, calling back to the first time skip and Luffy’s “3D2Y” message in particular. That said, a time skip that long would likely complicate things by allowing the other contenders inthe race to Laugh Tale, like Blackbeard to catch up and maybe even beat Luffy to theOne Piece.
One Piece Reveals the Fate of A Major Character Setting Up the Final Saga to Mirror the Series' Best Arc
Monkey D. Garp’s fate in One Piece perfectly sets up the Final Saga to potentially surpass onee of the best story arcs of the series to date.
Vegapunk’s broadcast has reignited interest in the titular treasureand inserted a sense of urgency that would be wasted by a time skip as long as the first one. It is also unlikely that Garp will survive that long or that the Navy and SWORD will sit by quietly for two years and let Garp be used for Blackbeard’s schemes. As such, the length of the time skip will be key if it is indeed to take place.
Does One Piece Even Need A Second Time Skip?
Luffy Could Always Use More Time to Get Stronger
While implementing a second time skip will undoubtedly be tricky, the current situation more than calls for it. Just like Sabaody, Egghead served as a testing ground for Luffy’s strength, particularly Gear Five. Although he was able to make quick work of old opponents like Lucci and Kizaru,Luffy noticeably struggled against the Five Elders, proving that Gear Five still has ways to go, especially with enemies like Blackbeard, Imu, and the God’s Knights on the horizon.
As such, a time skip couldgive Luffy just the time he needs to get strongerto face the Five Elders again, while also giving other plot elements like Garp’s storyline time to develop just enough. Nonetheless, given the sheer size of the island, it seems like Elbaph is about to be yet another long arc, regardless of whetherOne Piecechooses to include another time skip.
One Pieceis available on Manga Plus and Viz Media.
One Piece
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
