One Piece: Oda Drops A Major Hint About Aging Up Luffy

One Piece: Oda Drops A Major Hint About Aging Up Luffy

As a long-time fan of One Piece, I can confidently say that I’ve sailed through more than my fair share of Grand Line storms and Sabaody Archipelago swamps alongside the Straw Hats. From East Blue to New World, we’ve grown together, these characters and I, witnessing their triumphs, heartaches, and transformations.

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

Summary

  • Luffy’s rapid growth in power has led to him becoming a Yonko at just 19.
  • Oda hints at aging up Luffy, possibly showing him in his older years.
  • A potential timeskip in One Piece post-Great War could reveal a more mature Luffy.

Eiichiro Oda consistently exceeds anticipation as the climactic chapter of “One Piece,” namely the Elbaf Arc, unfolds. Previously, Egghead Island, initiating the Final Saga of “One Piece,” surpassed all predictions and attained a degree of quality that fans scarcely envisioned. In essence, the Final Saga of “One Piece” is merely getting started, and fans are well aware that Oda will escalate the excitement even further as the story progresses.

From where I stand, the voyage Monkey D. Luffy has embarked on across the vast oceans is nothing less than astonishing. At seventeen, he ventured forth on this grand adventure, and in merely two years, he’s risen to the rank of Yonko – a feat rarely heard of. Yet, there’s still much more to Luffy’s story, it seems; Eiichiro Oda has hinted at many more tales yet to unfold for our beloved Straw Hat pirate, perhaps even into his later years.

Luffy’s Growth In One Piece So Far

One Piece: Oda Drops A Major Hint About Aging Up Luffy
  • Luffy continued to surpass all odds
  • Luffy is already a Yonko

In the world of “One Piece,” the main character, Luffy, was well-known for embarking on an extensive voyage. His ultimate goal: to become the Pirate King by amassing a crew of 10 and claiming the legendary treasure called the “One Piece.” Although his aspirations appeared grandiose initially, he eventually proved himself worthy to everyone. That’s why Luffy currently stands among the Four Emperors. However, Luffy’s path to empirehood wasn’t an effortless one.

I’m Monkey D. Luffy. The man who will surpass you guys and become the King of the Pirates! – Luffy

In due course, Luffy carried on his epic voyages and instigated a colossal upheaval in Enies Lobby. During the mission to save Robin, Luffy leveled the entire area, skillfully evading capture by the government. Subsequently, he persisted in his grand journey and defeated Gecko Moria, followed by the events around the Paramount War. Notably, he infiltrated Impel Down, orchestrating its largest prisoner breakout, and attacked Marine HQ, miraculously surviving. Given his notorious status as a pirate, it was only natural that he would achieve extraordinary success.

One Piece: Oda Drops A Major Hint About Aging Up Luffy

Following a time gap, Luffy saw significant growth in strength and status, vanquishing Doflamingo as the first step, then overpowering stronger adversaries like Cracker and Katakuri. This escalated to his triumph over Kaido, earning him the title of an Emperor. Remarkably, Luffy achieved all this within a span of two years. Currently, he’s 19 years old, leaving many in disbelief at how much he’s accomplished in such a short period.

Oda’s Plans For Luffy’s Journey

Oda Intends To Draw Luffy’s Whole Life

One Piece: Oda Drops A Major Hint About Aging Up LuffyOne Piece: Oda Drops A Major Hint About Aging Up LuffyOne Piece: Oda Drops A Major Hint About Aging Up LuffyOne Piece: Oda Drops A Major Hint About Aging Up Luffy

Discussing where the story of One Piece may head next, fans are well aware that creator Oda will likely depict Elbaf and then probably have Luffy obtain the One Piece within a couple of arcs or so, followed by the Great War. However, Oda’s comments seem to be somewhat contradictory, hinting at the possibility of a time jump in One Piece. This could mean that fans may get a glimpse of an older version of Luffy. Although Oda has not explicitly confirmed this, he made a statement in 2016 that strongly suggests it. Here is what Oda has said about illustrating an adventure featuring an older Luffy:

Isn’t it astonishing that, even after twenty years, I’m still not done illustrating ONE PIECE? But rest assured, I will see the full story of the pirate Luffy through to completion. – Oda (2016)

Delving into this statement uncovers a trove of insights for the dedicated One Piece fans like myself! In essence, there are only two possible interpretations of Oda’s words. The first interpretation suggests that Luffy’s entire journey as a pirate will be depicted in One Piece, implying that our beloved protagonist will mature and eventually retire from piracy – just as venerable figures like Rayleigh have done before him. After all, once Luffy achieves his ultimate dream (of which we, the fans, are yet unaware), there would no longer be a need for him to roam the seas aboard a pirate ship and he’d simply desire to live life freely as he chooses.

To accomplish this feat, Luffy might need to grow older since creator Oda intends to depict the entire lifespan of the pirate Luffy right up until his conclusion. This could potentially mean that fans will witness Luffy at various stages in life, such as a 40-year-old or even a 60-year-old Luffy, as Oda has already designed these age progressions for One Piece.

An alternate way to understand this is that Luffy’s adventure might not be complete and could end tragically with his death in the story of One Piece. However, it’s unlikely as the creator, Oda, prefers a joyous ending with a grand celebration rather than a somber one involving character deaths, especially since such events would prevent him from drawing delightful banquets. Given that Luffy is the main character, his death could mean no banquet scenes at all, which Oda would like to avoid.

Will One Piece Have Another Timeskip?

One Piece Will Likely Skip Time In The Final Saga

One Piece: Oda Drops A Major Hint About Aging Up LuffyOne Piece: Oda Drops A Major Hint About Aging Up LuffyOne Piece: Oda Drops A Major Hint About Aging Up Luffy

Considering that Oda has no plans to kill off Luffy in “One Piece”, his statement can be seen as hinting towards another timeskip event. This would offer fans the opportunity to witness an older and wiser version of Luffy in the series. The prospect of a timeskip is thrilling because it means we’ll see a more experienced Luffy who has not only gained knowledge about piracy, but also significantly grown in strength.

Personally, as an ardent One Piece fan, I’ve been pondering about the possible ways a timeskip could unfold in our favorite series. Here are my thoughts:

In simpler terms, it seems more logical for a time jump to occur in the story after the Great War, considering Luffy’s journey is currently focused on his 19-year-old self. The Great War appears imminent in the world of One Piece, so a time jump isn’t likely at this moment. This implies that Oda will provide several time jumps following the Great War and once Luffy has claimed the title of Pirate King. This structure mirrors the earlier timeline of One Piece, where the time skip took place post-Paramount War. Once the Great War ends, fans might be treated to an Epilogue Arc of One Piece, offering glimpses of the mature Straw Hat crew members.

Fans can legally access and read One Piece for free on the Shonen Jump and Manga Plus applications provided by Viz Media. The upcoming chapter, One Piece Chapter 1134, is slated for release on December 22, 2024.

Read More

2024-12-15 07:04