One piece officially ranks two large arches along the Elbaf

One piece is currently at the climax of the Elbaf arc, and series creator Eiichiro Oda intends to wrap it up in 2026. The series is now heading deeper into the Final Saga, One piece is expected to complete the Adventures in the Land of Giants later this year and begin an entirely new story arc, 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 take us significantly closer to One Piece's great treasure. The two arcs are Lodestar Island and Laugh Tale, both of which could be next in Luffy's journey through Elbafa.

Eiichiro Oda's Jump Festa Message Line Up Lodestar And Laugh Tale Arcs in Final Saga

Elbaf Arch One piece officially began with chapter 1125 on September 16, 2024 in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump #42. This new arc has continued ever since and is already two years into serialization. The Elbaf arc will probably last a few more months, but Eiichiro Oda intends to start a new arc by the end of 2026. This is something the author teased in his Jump Festa report at the end of 2025, December 21st. Eiichiro Oda has explained exactly what he intends his manga to look like for 20 and new and 2. According to Oda, One Piece is set to begin a brand new arc this year, bringing us significantly closer to the end of the series.

“We're heading to 'that island' where only the Pirate King could ever get to!!? The flame-marked man also appears. Characters who never had the chance to meet finally meet. The two meet and the two meet.” — One Piece Author Eiichiro Oda at Jump Festa 2026

As evident from Oda's report, the next One Piece Island will take Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates to an island that only the Pirate King has set foot on. This means that two main arcs have already been lined up for the story, and those are Lodestar Island and Laugh Tale. While most fans immediately assume that Laugh Tale is the island Oda is talking about, Lodestar Island also cannot be dismissed. Lodestar was first mentioned in One Piece chapter 966, published on December 23, 2019, in issues #4-5 of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump immediately after the clash between Roger and Whitebeard. It was there that Roger explained how he came to know the truth about the Poneglyphs, as well as why he restarted his journey across the Great Line from the very beginning in order to collect the Poneglyphs and find the Last Island.

Roger reached Lodestar Island a year before he fought in God Valley, meaning that as Luffy continues in Log Pose, he will also reach Lodestar. Right now, Luffy has three Road Poneglyphs, with Kaid'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 in the final destination of the Final Log Pose, a place no one had ever been before…a place called Lodestar Island! But when we got there, confused by what we could find, we realized it wasn't the last island!” — Roger explains Lodestar Island, One Piece Chapter #966

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

At the same time, by securing the battle for the final Road Poneglyph, Oda also lined up the second major arc in the Final Saga of One Piece, and that is the story arc of laughter. The Laugh Tale Arc will be one of the last arcs in the story and will take Luffy and the straw pirates directly to Final Island, which was also set foot on by the Pirate King 26 years ago. This made Roger 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 duly showcased the end of the Roger Pirates journey. These two arcs are next for Elbaf, and just by looking at what they're going to entail, we can tell it's only going to get more intense from here.

One Piece's Next Arc Will Be a 'Festival of Encounters' According to Eiichiro Oda

With creator Eiichiro Oda already lining up two main arcs, there's a lot to look forward to, and Oda has already explained what the next arcs will entail. According to Eiichiro Oda, One Piece's the next arc will be like the Festival of Encounters. Several characters will be pitted against each other and some of them have a deep history. This will probably be handled in two different ways, as the encounters will be in a positive and negative light. For example, the reunion of Luffy and Shanks will be seen in a positive light. A reunion between Shanks and Blackbeard will most certainly be the opposite and be seen in a negative light. It will be a face-off with huge stakes and excitement at the same time.

“Two people who have never crossed paths finally meet!! And the two also bump into each other! Will next year be a full-fledged reunion festival?” — Eiichiro Oda is holding a big gathering after Elbaf, Jump Festa 2026

Eiichiro Oda's words make it clear that next year will be a big one for the likes of the Four Emperors, meaning plenty of exciting clashes are on the cards. With four emperors at the center of the action, One piece probably seeing Luffy and Shanks face to face for the very first time. At the same time, Shanks and Blackbeard, as well as Shanks and Buggy, who got together, cannot be rejected either. Luffy and Buggy could also have their own reunion as it would also fit in with what Oda intends to do with the next arc.

Another reunion that definitely 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 pirates on October 21, 2024 in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump #47. After his adventure in Elbaf, it is highly likely that Luffy will head straight to where Vivi is, giving fans another exciting reunion.

“When Luffy transforms into his free form, does the X mark appear on his arm? It feels unnatural. His hands are 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 the focus of the next One Piece Arc

As is already abundantly clear, the next arc of One Piece 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 would appear after Elbaf's conclusion.

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

All these characters will play a significant role in the story and will bring fans the most exciting battles as well as big encounters. All of this happens when Luffy and the Straw Hats set foot on an island that only the Roger Pirates have been to, which is likely to be Lodestar Island, followed by the Laughter Story. Things are clearly going to heat up in the next two arcs of One Piece and we absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next.

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