After 28 years, One Piece's Next Arc finally takes Luffy to the end of the Grand Line

Eiichiro Oda's One Piece has continued serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump for 28 years nowafter officially starting his journey in July 1997. Luffy's journey has seen him embark on an adventure to claim the grand treasure that is One Piece and become the Pirate King. Undoubtedly, it is an admirable journey and one that has been brilliantly enhanced by the author over the past 28 years.

In 2022, Eiichiro Oda's One Piece officially marked the beginning of its final stretch by entering the Final Saga. Over the past four years, the Final Saga has continued to increase the pace, raise the intensity, and make this final part of the story more exciting than ever before. Currently, with the latest issue of the One Piece manga in issues 22-23 of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump, One Piece is moving closer to the end of the Elbaph arc at lightning speed. After the end of Elbaph, Luffy's journey comes to the end of the Grand Linewhich was officially teased by the author himself through his comments during Jump Festa 2026 in late December.

Eiichiro Oda's Jump Festa announcement confirms that the next arc will take the Straw Hats to the final island

Image by Toei Animation

One Piece's The Elbaph Arc has been an absolutely brilliant journey for all fans of the series so far. This arc began in Weekly Shonen Jump issue 41, chapter 1125 of One Piece2024. Since then, it has continued to increase in intensity, brilliantly delivering one exciting twist after another. It goes without saying that the Elbaph Arc is now nearing its end, with the final battle against Nerona Imu having officially begun in Chapter 1180 of the manga, which officially came out on April 19, 2026.

With this arc now coming to an end in the next few months, One Piece will officially mark the beginning of its third arc in the Final Saga, which Eiichiro Oda himself hyped during Jump Festa 2026. According to Oda's very own comments, Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates will be heading to the island where only the Pirate King has previously set foot. Taking this route means the crew will officially reach the end of the Grand Line this year.

“We're headed to 'that island' that only the Pirate King could ever reach!!? The man marked by flames will also appear. Characters who never had the chance to meet will finally meet. The two will meet, and the two will meet too.” — One Piece Author Eiichiro Oda at Jump Festa 2026

As indicated by Oda's own comments from Jump Festa 2026, the Straw Hats will take a very significant step towards claiming One Piece this year, following the conclusion of the Elbaph Arc. At the same time, this also means that the crew will be heading towards one of the two most important islands in the entire story. Considering Oda made it very clear that the Straw Hats will reach the place only the Pirate King has set foot in, there are only two possibilities for the next arc after Elbaph's ending. The first of these two arcs is Laugh Tale, which is there One Piece is at the moment. The other option is for the Straw Hat Pirates to reach Lodestar Island, which is one of the most important places in the world. One Piece total.

Why Lodestar Island will likely be the next arc in One Piece

Given that the Straw Hat Pirates don't have the last Road Poneglyph right now, the war against the World Government hasn't officially started, and the introduction of the Man with the Burn Scar hasn't happened in the story yet, it's increasingly likely that the next arc won't be Lodestar Island, and this arc meets the requirements and meets the criteria based on Oda.

It all started 13 years ago, when we landed at the destination of the last Log Pose, where no one had ever reached before…a place called Lodestar Island! But when we disembarked, giddy at what we could find… we realized it wasn't the last island! — Gold D. Roger, One Piece Chapter 966

Lodestar Island was first mentioned in chapter 966 of the manga by Gol D. Roger. According to Roger himself, this island is at the end of the Grand Line and is the last that Log Pose can take one more. Roger officially reached the Lodestar 39 years ago, which is one year before the God Valley incident. There he learned everything there was to learn about the existence of Poneglyphs, the secret messages inscribed on them, and the existence of a final island hidden somewhere in the world of One Piece. The existence of this last island is what drove Roger to claim One Piece and become the Pirate King.

So far, Luffy and the Straw Hats are nowhere close to claiming One Piece, despite having three Road Poneglyphs. Meanwhile, the fact that the man with the burn scar hasn't appeared means that the final Poneglyph will remain a mystery for quite some time. Essentially, this means that it is Lodestar Island that will take up the vast majority of focus after Elbaph.

The Narrative Significance of One Piece's Lodestar Arc After the End of Elbaph

Lodestar Island arc of One Piece will be extremely important, especially considering the fact that Eiichiro Oda himself hyped this part of the story to consist of two important components. The first component is the introduction of the Man with the Burn Scar. Right now, this individual's whereabouts are unknown, but it is very clear that he is tied directly to Lodestar Island and holds the key to the final Road Poneglyph. The likes of Blackbeard, Kid, and Law were also searching for this individual, but his identity remains unknown, as is his whereabouts.

Meanwhile, Eiichiro Oda's comments made it abundantly clear that 2026 will be the year of reunions. Many characters, both friends and foes, will meet and face each other again, and this means that the crew's adventures against the Lodestar will be joined by many others, such as the Blackbeard Pirates, the Red-Hair Pirates, and possibly even the likes of the Cross Guild. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Army will also be on the move, opening up some of the most incredibly intense reunions. No matter how the fans see it, One Piece will get more exciting as it nears the end.

All chapters of the One Piece manga can be read on Manga Plus.