One Piece: Why The Manga Will End Sooner Than You Expect

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The following article contains spoilers for One Piece.

One Piece is really hitting its stride as the author, Oda, prepares for the epic final battle. Now that the Elbaph arc has concluded with some huge reveals, fans are eagerly anticipating what happens next. There’s been a lot of discussion not just about what will happen in the final storyline, but also when the manga will end.

Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, hasn’t always been accurate with his predictions about when the manga would end. Because of this, many fans doubted it would finish before 2030. However, there’s now some evidence suggesting One Piece might actually be nearing its conclusion sooner than expected.

Oda Wants to End One Piece “Soon”

Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the series, has often said he wants to finish the story relatively soon, and he’s given estimated completion dates in the past. For instance, he predicted the story would end within five years back in 2018, but it’s taken longer than expected. He also mentioned that the Wano Arc would bring the story to about 80% completion. It’s common for authors to have a general idea of how things will end, and Oda clearly has many of the final details planned. However, as they write each chapter, the story often expands, and the final arc ends up being larger than originally anticipated.

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So, One Piece is officially in its final story arc now. The big question is how much longer it will run. Eiichiro Oda has hinted at what’s to come, mentioning a huge war that will dwarf even the Summit War in scale. While it might still be a while before the series concludes, it is heading towards an ending.

Imu Descending Upon Elbaph is a Major Twist

Following the significant events on Egghead, fans anticipated the Elbaph Arc would reveal major story details and build towards a larger conflict. While many expected this arc to set the stage for war without immediately launching into it, recent chapters have taken an unexpected turn. Imu, the mysterious ruler, has left Mary Geoise and is now heading directly to Elbaph.

I will be leaving… the Holy Land for a time.

— Saint Imu Nerona in Chapter 1178

The Elbaph arc in One Piece has always been intense, but fans were confused by the lack of a clear villain. Most arcs have a central bad guy, and with Imu already established as the story’s main villain, people expected him to appear later in this arc. Now that Imu is officially taking the lead as the villain, a huge fight seems unavoidable. The result could go one of two ways: either Imu will be forced to fall back, as he appears weakened, or he’ll be powerful enough to make the Straw Hats retreat. Either way, the situation will become even more critical, potentially pushing Luffy to actively try and dismantle the World Government.

Will One Piece End Before 2030?

Considering how quickly the final part of One Piece is unfolding, many fans now believe the story won’t conclude until 2030 or beyond. Eiichiro Oda, the author, has stopped offering predictions about the ending, probably because his earlier estimates proved inaccurate. The story itself has also become more expansive in recent years. This growth could mean the series will continue for a while longer, but it’s also increasing excitement for the conclusion of the current anime, the upcoming anime reboot (which is expected to skip filler episodes), and the live-action adaptation. All three of these projects are reliant on Oda finishing the manga. Extending the series for another decade would likely create significant challenges for both the new anime and the live-action show.

Imu’s appearance on Elbaph seems to be speeding things up, strongly suggesting the Final War is about to begin. Many fans expected a quieter arc to follow, but now it looks like the war will start immediately after the Elbaph arc ends. Creator Eiichiro Oda has said this arc will finish in 2026, possibly even sooner than expected. Although it hasn’t been officially confirmed, it feels like Oda is planning to wrap up the entire series within the next four years, and we might even see the finale before 2030.

The Anime Has Started Covering the Elbaph Arc

The anime adaptation of the Elbaph arc has begun just as the manga is nearing its end. The first episodes are currently airing as part of the Spring 2026 anime season, with the premiere on April 5th. After this initial set of episodes finishes, another batch is planned for release around September. Currently, only subtitled versions are available, but an English dub is likely to be released in a few months.

One Piece is available to stream on Netflix and Crunchyroll.

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2026-04-10 04:05