One Piece Creator Eiichiro Oda Confirms The Introduction Of A New Legendary Pirate After Elbaph

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The latest arc of One Piece, called the Elbaph Arc, reached a major turning point with chapter 1171, which came out on January 19, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump. This chapter finished the story about Loki’s past. Now, the arc is centered around a fight between the world’s ruler, Nerona Imu, and Loki, and it looks like the main character, Monkey D. Luffy, will be joining the battle soon.

The current battle, which seems to be a showdown between powerful figures, will likely wrap up this storyline. This is because the creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, has announced plans for a new story arc to begin in 2026. This new arc will introduce a highly anticipated character known as the Man With the Burn Scar, or Hinokizu – a figure first hinted at in chapter 1056 of the manga back in August 2022. After four years, Oda intends to fully reveal this legendary character and his story.

Eiichiro Oda’s Jump Festa 2026 Message Confirms Burn Scar Will Appear After Elbaph

Eiichiro Oda has big plans for One Piece in 2026, and he’s aiming to finish the Elbaph Arc this year. The arc is already reaching its most exciting point, with a battle currently underway between Loki and Imu, which began in chapter 1081. So far, Imu has been winning against Loki, and Luffy is preparing to join the fight. With these three characters at the center of the action, the Elbaph Arc appears to be heading towards a conclusion soon.

The story arc focusing on Elbaph is expected to finish within the next 10 to 20 chapters, according to creator Eiichiro Oda, who announced this at Jump Festa 2026. He also revealed that in 2026, the Straw Hat Pirates will travel to a mysterious island that no other pirate has ever reached. This signals that Oda plans to move beyond the Warland setting this year and begin a new part of the adventure.

Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, announced at Jump Festa 2026 that the story is progressing towards the legendary island that only the Pirate King has ever reached! He also teased the appearance of the character with the burn scar and hinted at long-awaited encounters between characters who have never met before, promising several key meetings will finally take place.

The creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, has announced that the mysterious character with the burn scar – first hinted at in chapter 1056 – will appear this year. This character is currently the biggest enigma in the series, but he’s crucial to finding the legendary treasure of Gol D. Roger, as he possesses the final Road Poneglyph that Luffy is seeking.

One Piece’s Four Emperors Will Fight Over The Last Road Poneglyph

The most powerful pirates in the world of One Piece, the Four Emperors, have long been searching for the mysterious man with the burn scar. His elusive nature has prevented many, including powerful figures like Big Mom and Kaido, from reaching the final destination, Laugh Tale. Even if Big Mom and Kaido had combined their knowledge of the Poneglyphs, or defeated each other to gain more, they still wouldn’t have been able to find him.

If we want to join the fight for the One Piece, we absolutely have to focus all our efforts on finding the Man with the Burn Scar! — Killer, One Piece Chapter 1056

In the latest chapter of the manga, Lafitte from the Blackbeard Pirates revealed that the Four Emperors have been relentlessly searching for a mysterious man with a burn scar. Blackbeard, who rose to power as one of the Emperors around the same time, still doesn’t know who this man is, even after a year. Shiryu suspects the Burn Scar man is connected to the World Government, but others believe he’s a pirate captain sailing a completely black ship. This pirate is said to create massive whirlpools that sink any vessel that comes near.

Currently, the Four Emperors in the One Piece world are Luffy, Shanks, Buggy, and Blackbeard. Luffy and both Shanks and Blackbeard each possess three Road Poneglyphs, bringing them very close to finding the final island, Laugh Tale. Buggy doesn’t have any Poneglyphs yet, but is likely to obtain them soon. With almost all the Emperors so close to their goal, a major competition to reach Laugh Tale – and the legendary Burn Scar – is expected to begin after the events of the Elbaph Arc in 2026.

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Who Is The Legendary Man With the Burn Scar In One Piece?

The Man with the Burn Scar is a secretive figure known to very few people, including the government and pirates like Eustass Kid, Killer, and Trafalgar Law. He was first mentioned by Kid and Killer in chapter 1056 of the manga One Piece. While details about his appearance are scarce, he is identifiable by a burn scar. He’s incredibly important to pirates because finding him is essential to discovering the One Piece treasure. Kid believes this man holds the key to the final war for the One Piece, suggesting his importance will increase when the Great War – hinted at in chapter 1000 – begins.

There are rumors that he has a Devil Fruit power allowing him to create whirlpools, but the specifics of this ability are still a mystery. It’s also unknown how he managed to steal the Road Poneglyph from Fishman Island. His connections to groups like the Ryugu Kingdom and the Red-Haired Pirates are also unclear. Some fans believe he is actually Scopper Gaban, and his solitary travels as a skilled navigator who knows the location of all the Poneglyphs certainly support that theory. However, his true identity remains unconfirmed. Fortunately, Eiichiro Oda plans to reveal all the details about this character in 2026, so fans won’t have to wait much longer for answers.

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

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2026-05-09 19:10