One Piece Officially Lines Up Two Big Issues After Elbaf

one piece It is currently at the climax of the Elbaf Arc, and series writer Eiichiro Oda aims to complete it in 2026. Now, as the series moves deeper into the Final Saga, one piece will conclude its adventures in the Land of Giants and begin an entirely new story arc later this year, marking the beginning of a new era in the story.

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

Eiichiro Oda's Jump Festa Messages make up the Lodestar and Laugh Tale Arcs in the final saga.

Lake Elbaf one piece It officially began with episode 1125 in the 42nd issue of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump on September 16, 2024. This new story continues and is already in its second year of serialization. The Elbaf arc will likely last a few more months, but Eiichiro Oda plans to start a new arc by the end of 2026. This is what the author teased himself in his Jump Festa message on December 21st, at the end of 2025. Eiichiro Oda explained exactly what he wants the manga to look like in 2026 and clearly emphasized his plans to start a new issue. According to Oda, One Piece will begin an entirely new arc this year, which will bring the series much closer to its end.

“We are heading to ‘that island’ that only the Pirate King could go to!!? A man with a flame mark also appears. Characters who have never had a chance to meet finally meet. Two people meet, and those two meet.” — One Piece author Eiichiro Oda at Jump Festa 2026

As Oda's message suggests, One Piece's next island will take Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates to an island where only the Pirate King has ever set foot. This means there are already two major arcs lined up for the story, Lodestar Island and Laugh Tale. Most fans will immediately assume that Laugh Tale is the island Oda is referring to, but Lodestar Island can't be ignored either. Lord Star was first mentioned in Issues 4-5 of Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump immediately after the clash between Roger and Whitebeard in One Piece Chapter 966, released on December 23, 2019. There, Roger explained how he discovered the truth about the Poneglyphs and why he began his journey across the Grand Line all over again to collect the Poneglyphs and find the final island.

Roger arrived on Lodestar Island a year before the fight at God Valley. This means that Luffy will continue to follow Log Pose and will also reach Lodestar. Currently, Luffy already has three Road Poneglyphs, and Kaido's Stone was 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 that no one had reached before… a place called Lodestar Island! But when we got there and were dizzy with what we would discover, we realized it wasn't the final island!” — Roger explains Lodestar Island, One Piece Chapter #966.

Currently, Luffy has already set foot on the final island, but he must find a way to obtain the final Road Poneglyph. Doing so will not be easy. Because a large-scale war will begin. Potentially the next Lodestar Island arc will likely focus on the war for this final Road Poneglyph, and we're very excited to see what Eiichiro Oda delivers with it.

At the same time, by ensuring a battle for the final Lord Poneglyph, Oda lineups the second major arc of the One Piece Final Saga, that is, the Raftail Arc. The Laughter Story arc will be one of the final installments of the story, and will take Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates directly to the final island where the Pirate King also set foot some 26 years ago. With this, Roger became the first pirate to arrive on the island in 800 years since Joyboy, which was officially confirmed in One Piece Chapter 967 Weekly Shonen Jump Issues 4-5 on January 4, 2020, properly showing the end of the Roger Pirates' journey. These two arcs take place after Elbaf, and just by looking at what they entail, you can tell it's only going to get more intense from here.

The next issue of One Piece will be a 'reunion festival' according to Eiichiro Oda

There's a lot to get excited about as creator Eiichiro Oda already has two major arcs lined up, and Oda has already outlined what the next arc will entail. According to Eiichiro Oda, one piece The next issue will be like a reunion festival. Several characters will face off against each other, some of whom have deep histories. This issue will likely be resolved in two different ways, as this reunion will have both positive and negative aspects. For example, the reunion of Luffy and Shanks would be seen in a positive light. A reunion between Shanks and Blackbeard would definitely be opposed and seen in a negative light. It will be a showdown with both huge stakes and excitement.

“Two people who have never met before finally meet!! And they also run into each other!! Will next year be a full-fledged meeting festival?” — Eiichiro Oda prepares for a big reunion after Elbaf, Jump Festa 2026.

Eiichiro Oda's words clearly highlight that next year will be a big year for the likes of the Four Emperors, meaning that many exciting clashes will be on the cards. Centered around the Four Emperors, one piece This will probably be the first time we see Luffy and Shanks face to face. At the same time, we can't ignore Shanks and Blackbeard, as well as Shanks and Buggy coming together. Luffy and Buggy may also have their own reunion, as it fits what Oda intends to do in the next arc.

Another reunion that can never be ignored is that of Luffy and Vivi. One Piece Chapter 1130 already shows Vivi sending a large-scale message to Luffy and the Straw Hats on October 21, 2024 in Shueisha Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 47. Following Elbaf's adventure, Luffy is likely to head straight to Vivi's location, which is likely to provide another excitement to fans.

“When Luffy transforms into freestyle, do X marks appear on his arms? It looks unnatural to me. The hands appear blurry, but the marks are very clear.” — Nico Robin highlights Vivi's message. One Piece Episode 1130

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

As is already clear, the next issue of One Piece will shed a lot of light on certain characters, with characters like Shanks and Luffy, and potentially Buggy and Blackbeard, at the center of it all. Other characters who will be central to the next issue of One Piece include Monkey D. Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army, and a man with burn scars who Oda himself said would appear after the end of Elbaf.

“Two of the four path poneglyphs are with Big Mom and Kaido. But the other two are the ones we can't find, and one of them is with the man with the burn scar!” — Blackbeard emphasizes his interest in the Burn Scar. One Piece Episode 1081

All of these characters will play an important role in the story, giving fans some of the most exciting battles while also providing a grand reunion. All of this happens as Luffy and the Straw Hats set foot on an island that only the Roger Pirates have reached. This island will most likely become Lodestar Island, followed by Laugh Tail. Things will definitely heat up in the next two issues of One Piece and we absolutely can't wait to see what comes next.

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