One Piece Officially Lines Up Two Big Arcs After Elbaf

One Piece is currently in the climax of the Elbaf Arc, with the author of the series, Eiichiro Oda, intending to wrap it up in 2026. With the series now heading deeper into the Final Saga, One Piece is expected to finish the adventure in the Land of the Giants and start a completely new story arc later this year, and showcase the beginning of a new era in the story.

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

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

Eiichiro Oda Jump Festa Message Lodestar Laugh Tale Arcs one piece

The Elbaf arc of One Piece began officially 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 is likely to last a couple more months, but Eiichiro Oda intends to start a new arc by the end of 2026. This is something that the author teased himself in his Jump Festa message at the end of 2025, on December 21. Eiichiro Oda explained exactly what he intends for the manga to look like for the year of 2026, and clearly highlighted his plans of starting a new arc. According to Oda, One Piece is going to begin a completely new arc this year, which will take us significantly closer to the end of the series.

“We are heading to “that island” which only the Pirate King was ever able to reach!!? The man marked by flames 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 Author Eiichiro Oda at Jump Festa 2026

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

Roger reached Lodestar Island one year before he fought on God Valley, which means that as Luffy continues to follow the Log Pose, he will get to Lodestar as well. Right now, Luffy already has three Road Poneglyphs, with Kaido's stone being 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 at the final destination of the Final Log Pose, where no one had ever reached before…a place called Lodestar Island! But, when we got there, giddy at what we might find, we realized that it was not the final island!” — Roger explains Lodestar Island, One Piece Chapter #966

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

At the same time, by ensuring a battle for the last Road Poneglyph, Oda also lines up the second major arc in the Final Saga of One Piece, and that is the Laugh Tale Arc. The Laugh Tale Arc is going to be one of the last arcs in the story, and it will take Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates directly to the Final Island, which the Pirate King also stepped foot on around 26 years ago. In 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 properly showcased the end of the journey of the Roger Pirates. These two arcs are up next after Elbaf, and just by looking at what they will entail, we can tell that it is only going to get more intense from here onwards.

One Piece: 7 Arcs To Come After Elbaf

Elbaf is great, but even bigger arcs are coming after it in One Piece.

Posts 11

By Rei Penber

One Piece's Next Arc Will Be A 'Festival of Reunions' According To Eiichiro Oda

With two major arcs being lined up by the creator Eiichiro Oda already, 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 next arc is going to be like a Festival of Reunions. Multiple characters will face off against each other, and some of them have a deep history. This is likely going to be addressed in two different ways as the reunions are going to be both in a positive and negative light. For instance, Luffy and Shanks's reunion is going to be seen in a positive light. The reunion between Shanks and Blackbeard is most certainly going to be the opposite and be seen in a negative light. It'll be a face-off carrying immense stakes as well as excitement at the same time.

“Two people who never crossed paths finally meet!! And those two run into each other as well!! Is next year going to be a full-blown festival of encounters?” — Eiichiro Oda sets up big reunions after Elbaf, Jump Festa 2026

Eiichiro Oda's words clearly highlight that the next year will be significant for the likes of the Four Emperors, which means a lot of exciting clashes will be on the cards. With the Four Emperors at the center of things, One Piece will likely see Luffy and Shanks come face to face for the very first time. At the same time, Shanks and Blackbeard, as well as Shanks and Buggy, coming together can also not be dismissed. Luffy and Buggy could also have a reunion of their own, as it would also fit under what Oda intends to do with the next arc.

GameRant Quiz

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

“When Luffy turns into his free form, does that X mark appear on his arm? It seems unnatural to me. His hands appear blurred 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

Shanks Vivi Dragon Burn Scar World Government Next One Piece Arc

As is quite clear already, One Piece's next arc is going to throw a lot of light on certain characters, and at the center of it all are going to be Shanks and Luffy, and potentially the likes of Buggy and Blackbeard. Other characters that are going to 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 concludes.

“Two of the Four Road Poneglyphs are with Big Mom and Kaido. But the other two, they're 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 these characters are going to play a significant role in the story, giving fans some of the most exciting battles and, at the same time, major reunions. All this happens as Luffy and the Straw Hats set foot on an island that only the Roger Pirates have reached, which is likely going to be Lodestar Island, followed by Laugh Tale. Things are clearly going to heat up in the next two arcs of One Piece, and we absolutely cannot wait to see what's next.