One Piece officially sets up two major arcs after Elbaf

One Piece is currently in the climax of the Elbaf arc, with the writer of the series, Eiichiro Oda, intending to end it in 2026. With the series now heading deeper into the Final Saga, One Piece is expected to conclude the adventure in the Land of Giants and start an entirely new story arc later this year, showcasing the beginning of a new era in the story.

Eiichiro Oda himself has already lined up two potential arcs after the conclusion of Elbaf, and both are significant in the grand scheme of things and will bring us significantly closer to the great treasure of One Piece. These two arcs are Lodestar Island and Laugh Tale, both of which could be next in Luffy's journey after Elbaf.

Eiichiro Oda's Jump Festa Announcement Lines Up Lodestar And Laugh Tale Arcs In Final Saga

Elbaf arc off One Piece officially began with chapter 1125 on September 16, 2024, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #42. This new arc has since continued and is already two years into serialization. The Elbaf arc will likely last a few more months, but Eiichiro Oda intends to start a new arc in late 2026. This is something the author teased himself in his Jump Festa announcement at the end of 2025, on December 21st. Eiichiro Oda explained exactly how he intends the manga to look like a clear plan for 2026 and his new plan for 2026. arc. According to Oda, One Piece will begin a brand new arc this year, bringing us significantly closer to the end of the series.

“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 revealed by Oda's message, One Piece's next island will take Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates to the island where only the Pirate King trod. This means that two major arcs have already been lined up for the story, and that is Lodestar Island and Laugh Tale. While most fans immediately assume that Laugh Tale is the island Oda is referring to, Lodestar Island cannot be dismissed either. Lodestar was first mentioned in One Piece chapter 966, released on December 23, 2019, in issues 4-5 of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump right after the clash between Roger and Whitebeard. It was there that Roger explained how he discovered the truth about the Poneglyphs and, at the same time, why he restarted his journey across the Grand Line from the beginning so he could collect the Poneglyphs and find the Final Island.

Roger reached Lodestar Island a year before his battle at God Valley, meaning that as Luffy continues to follow Log Pose, he will also make it to Lodestar. Right now, Luffy already has three Road Poneglyphs, with Kaido's stone officially given to his crew in One Piece Chapter 1055, which was officially released in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #35 on August 1, 2022.

“It all started 13 years ago, when we landed on the final destination of Final Log Pose, where no one had ever reached before… a place called Lodestar Island! But when we got there, giddy with what we could find, we realized it wasn't the final island!” — Roger explains Lodestar Island, One Piece Chapter #966

Right now, Luffy already has one foot on the last island, but he needs to find a way to get the last Road Poneglyph. Doing so will not be easy, as it will see the start of a massive war. The Lodestar Island arc, which could potentially be next, will likely focus on a war for this final Road Poneglyph, and we're incredibly excited to see what Eiichiro Oda delivers through it.

Meanwhile, by ensuring a battle for the final Road Poneglyph, Oda also lines up the other major arc of the Final Saga of One Piece, and that is the Laugh Tale Arc. The Laugh Tale Arc will be one of the final arcs of the story, and it will take Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates directly to Final Island, which the Pirate King also set foot on some 26 years ago. By doing so, Roger became the first pirate in 800 years to reach this island after Joy Boy, which was officially confirmed to us in One Piece Chapter 967 on January 4, 2020, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #4-5, as it correctly showcased the end of Roger Pirate's journey. These two arcs are next up after Elbaf, and just by looking at what they'll entail, we can tell it's only going to get more intense from here on out.

One Piece's next arc will be a “Festival of Reunions” according to Eiichiro Oda

With two major arcs already lined up by creator Eiichiro Oda, there's a lot to be excited about, and Oda has already explained what the next arcs will entail. According to Eiichiro Oda, One Piece's the next arc will be like a festival of reunions. Several characters will encounter each other, and some of them have a deep history. This will likely be handled in two different ways as the reunions will be in both a positive and negative light. For example, Luffy and Shank's reunion will be seen in a positive light. The reunion between Shanks and Blackbeard will most certainly be the opposite and be seen in a negative light. It will be a meeting with huge stakes and excitement at the same time.

“Two people who never crossed paths finally meet!! And the two bump into each other too! Will the next year be a full festival of encounters?” — Eiichiro Oda arranges big reunions after Elbaf, Jump Festa 2026

Eiichiro Oda's words clearly indicate that next year will be a significant one for the likes of the Four Emperors, meaning that many exciting clashes will be on the cards. With the four emperors at the center, One Piece will likely see Luffy and Shanks come face to face for the very first time. Meanwhile, Shanks and Blackbeard, like Shanks and Buggy, cannot be dismissed either. Luffy and Buggy could also have a reunion of their own, as it would also fit in with what Oda intends to do with the next arc.

Another reunion that absolutely cannot be ignored is Luffy and Vivi. One Piece chapter 1130 already showed Vivi sending a big message to Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates on October 21, 2024, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #47. After the adventure in Elbaf, it is highly likely that Luffy will head straight to where Vivi is, thus giving fans another exciting reunion.

“When Luffy transforms into his free form, is that X mark visible on his arm? It seems unnatural to me. His hands seem blurry but the mark is crystal clear.” — Nico Robin highlights Vivi's message, One Piece Chapter #1130

Why Shanks, Vivi, Dragon, Burn Scar and the World Government will be central to the next One Piece Arc

As is already abundantly clear, One Piece's next arc will shed a lot of light on certain characters, and at the center of it all will be Shanks and Luffy, and potentially the likes of Buggy and Blackbeard. Other characters that will be central to the next arc of One Piece are: Monkey D. Dragon, the leader of the revolutionary army, as well as the man with the burn scar, who Oda himself said will appear after Elbaf finishes.

“Two of the Four Road Poneglyphs are with Big Mom and Kaido. But the other two, those are the ones we can't find, and one of them is with a man with a burn scar!” — Blackbeard highlights his interest in Burn Scar, One Piece Chapter #1081

All of these characters will play a significant role in the story and give fans some of the most exciting battles and big reunions at the same time. All of this happens when Luffy and the Straw Hats set foot on an island that only the Roger Pirates have reached, which is likely to be Lodestar Island, followed by Laugh Tale. Things are definitely going to heat up in the next two arcs of One Piece, and we absolutely can't wait to see what happens next.

The latest chapters of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga series can be found via Manga Plus and Viz Media.