The final saga of One Piece is currently in the Elbaph Arc, which reached its climax officially with chapter 1171 of the story, which was officially released on January 19, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 8, and marked the conclusion of the Loki flashback. Now, the Elbaph Arc is focusing on the battle between the King of the World, Nerona Imu, and Loki, with the protagonist Monkey D. Luffy looking set to join the fray soon enough.
One Piece's final clash of Gods is most certainly going to conclude this arc, especially when taking into consideration Eiichiro Oda's official plans to begin a new arc in 2026. This new arc will mark the introduction of one of the most legendary individuals in the entire world of One Piece, that is, the Man With the Burn Scar, also known as Hinokizu, who was first mentioned in chapter 1056 of the manga in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 36-37 on August 8, 2022. After four years, One Piece is set to bring this legendary character into the spotlight and reveal all there is to know about him, according to the official message of Eiichiro Oda himself.
Eiichiro Oda's Jump Festa 2026 Message Confirms Burn Scar Will Appear After Elbaph
Eiichiro Oda has massive plans for One Piece in 2026, at the top of which is concluding the Elbaph Arc for good. Given that the arc is already in its climax, it makes sense for Oda to wrap it up later this year. Right now, Loki and Imu are fighting in Elbaph, and their battle began officially in chapter 1081 of the story. This fight saw Nerona Imu dominate the Accursed Prince, and it also marked Luffy's plan to join the battle immediately after. With Luffy, Loki, and Imu at the center of the major fight in Elbaph, this arc is now looking set to close soon enough.
Over the next 10 or 20 chapters, the Elbaph arc will most likely wrap up, as Eiichiro Oda stated himself in December during Jump Festa 2026. According to Oda himself, the Elbaph arc will conclude, and in 2026, the Straw Hat Pirates will head to a new island where only the Pirate King has set foot. This means that Oda officially intends to leave the Warland behind this year and to continue towards a new destination.
“We are heading to “that island” which only the Pirate King was ever able to reach!!? The Man with the Burn Scar will also appear. Characters who never had the chance to meet will finally encounter each other. Those two will meet, and those two will meet as well.” — One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, Jump Festa 2026 Message
Most importantly, Eiichiro Oda confirmed that the Man With the Burn Scar, first teased in chapter 1056 of the manga, will officially make an appearance this year. This character is the biggest mystery in One Piece right now, and very little is known about him. Yet he holds the key to finding the treasure of Gol D. Roger, since he holds the Last Road Poneglyph that Luffy is currently searching for.
One Piece: 7 Arcs To Come After Elbaf
Elbaf is great, but even bigger arcs are coming after it in One Piece.
One Piece's Four Emperors Will Fight Over The Last Road Poneglyph
The Four Emperors of the Seas in the world of One Piece are most certainly interested in the Man with the Burn Scar, and this isn't something new. The Four Emperors have always been looking for him, and it is the mysterious persona of this individual that has kept many from reaching the final island, Laugh Tale, for so long. The likes of Big Mom and Kaido had one Poneglyph each, yet neither could find their way to Laugh Tale because they did not have the other Poneglyphs. Even if they were to fight each other and claim more Poneglyphs, the Man with the Burn Scar would never be found.
We're going to have to put all our strength into finding the Man With the Burn Scar if we want to take part in the all-out war for the One Piece! — Killer, One Piece Chapter 1056
In Chapter 1081 of the manga, Lafitte of the Blackbeard Pirates confirmed that the Four Emperors have been searching for the man with the burn scar forever. Blackbeard, who also became one of the Four Emperors around the same time, was among them, and even a year later he has no clue where the Man with the Burn Scar is. Shiryu believes that Burn Scar is affiliated with the government. However, others believe that he is a pirate who sails on an all-black ship and causes giant whirlpools, sinking any ship that gets close to him.
Right now, the Four Emperors of the One Piece world are Luffy, Shanks, Buggy, and Blackbeard. Luffy has 3 Road Poneglyphs, and Shanks has access to the Poneglyph of Big Mom, Kaido, as well as knowing the location of the Zou Poneglyph, already putting him at 3 as well. Blackbeard has the Road Poneglyph of Big Mom, which he acquired from Whole Cake Island, the Road Poneglyph of Zou, as well as the Road Poneglyph of Kaido, which he got from defeating Trafalgar Law, putting him at 3 as well. Buggy has no Poneglyph at this point in time but is sure to acquire them one way or another. This means that almost all the Four Emperors are just one step away from reaching the final island Laugh Tale, and as such, a race for the Burn Scar will officially begin following the Elbaph Arc in 2026.
GameRant Quiz
Who Is The Legendary Man With the Burn Scar In One Piece?
The Man With The Burn Scar is a very mysterious individual who is known by only a select few. The Government is most certainly aware of his existence, and so were Eustass Kid, Killer, and Trafalgar Law. It was Kid and Killer who first mentioned the man with the Burn Scar to the fans in One Piece chapter 1056. Not much is known about his appearance, other than the fact that he has some sort of a burn scar on his body. He is also incredibly popular among the pirates, as it is only through finding him that the One Piece itself can be found. Eustass Kid labels the Man with the Burn Scar as the key to the final war for the One Piece, which means that as soon as the Great War, which was teased by Nerona Imu himself in Chapter 1000, begins, Burn Scar is only going to grow in importance.
It is also said that he wields a Devil Fruit ability that allows him to create whirlpools, although what exactly this ability is remains unknown. It is also unclear how he managed to take away the Road Poneglyph which was once on Fishman Island. His relationship with the likes of the people of the Ryugu Kingdom, or even the Red-Haired Pirates is unclear. There was strong speculation that the Burn Scar is none other than Scopper Gaban. While this could very well be the case, especially given that he often sails alone and is a navigator who is well aware of the location of all the Poneglyphs, nothing can be said for sure yet. Thankfully, fans do not have to wait much longer to find out the truth about him since Oda plans to reveal everything about him in 2026.
All the chapters of One Piece are available to read officially on Manga Plus.
One Piece
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
