It’s Time To Say Goodbye To The Straw Hat Pirates For Now

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This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf arc.

Fans of One Piece are really enjoying the current Elbaf arc and the direction Oda has taken the story. Many feel it’s the most captivating part of the series since the incredible Wano War. Currently, Oda is delving into the Loki flashback within the Elbaf arc, which is proving to be very engaging as it reveals details about the God Valley Incident. Fans generally love Oda’s flashbacks, often considering them the highlights of the story. However, when these flashbacks take center stage, fans naturally start to eagerly await a return to the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates. The Loki flashback has been ongoing for a few months now, and it seems we’re still quite a ways off from seeing the Straw Hats back in action.

The recent Loki flashback revisits events from about 38 years in the past. Because of this, and with plenty more story to tell, fans shouldn’t expect to see the Straw Hat Pirates back in action anytime soon – definitely not in 2025.

The Straw Hat Pirates Likely Won’t Return In 2025

The Loki Flashback Will Continue For Now

  • A big chunk of the story remains to be uncovered
  • Big reveals will follow

While the Straw Hat Pirates are central to the story of One Piece, the series has proven it can captivate audiences even when focusing on other characters. The recent Loki flashback, which made Rocks D. Xebec the main focus and revealed his life story leading up to the God Valley incident, is a perfect example of this.

Don’t say a word, Chopper! I know exactly what’s going on. — Luffy in Elbaf after sensing Imu

Loki and Harald are expected to become central figures in the story again, and fans will probably see them featured prominently in Elbaf. It’s important to remember that the current flashback focuses on Loki’s story and Harald’s death at August Castle fourteen years ago.

The story is currently focused on events that happened 38 years ago, and the flashback arc, God Valley, will likely continue for at least two more chapters. Beyond that, there are still important plot points to address, like Harald’s actions and the stories of key characters such as the Roger Pirates, Garp, and Dragon. We also know Harald returns to Marijoa and encounters Shanks after Roger’s death, meaning this flashback has a lot of exciting details yet to be revealed.

The story will eventually rewind to events from 14 years ago, specifically Loki killing King Harald. Following that, we’ll see the fight between Loki and Shanks, which happened 6 years ago. These events will likely unfold over more than 10 chapters, meaning it will probably take Oda 3 to 4 months to write them. As a result, we shouldn’t expect to see the Straw Hat Pirates return to the present storyline for quite a while.

Luffy, only Red-haired Shanks has ever managed to defeat him before! — Scopper Gaban

The Straw Hats Will Return in 2026

Harald’s Death Is Far Away

The next part of the One Piece story, focusing on the Elbaf arc, will delve deeper into the histories of Roger, Shanks, Loki, and Harald, especially following the defeat of Rocks D. Xebec. This means Luffy and the Straw Hat crew will take a backseat for a while. Fans wondering when they’ll return can expect to wait until 2026. While a precise return date is uncertain, considering everything still left to explore in the story, it’s unlikely the Straw Hats will reappear before January of that year.

The next chapter of One Piece, Chapter 1165, will be released next week on Sunday. While it becomes available in Japan at midnight on Monday, most fans around the world will be able to read it on November 9, 2025. You can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus.

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2025-11-03 02:34