u/Effective_War7678

In the translation I watched in the anime, during the fight with Kaido, Luffy says: "I don't really like alcohol."

Is this line in the manga? Is it canonical?

When we think about what the One Piece treasure might be – it’s always helpful to have at least an inkling of faith in Oda’s competence as an artist. If he is not a complete hack, as I’m sure most of you don’t think he is, then the One Piece is not something that will feel like it came out of nowhere. It will be something that had hints, clues and foreshadowing in the story. Hints that can, if we pay enough attention to them right now, possibly help us figure out what the ultimate treasure is.

The first major foreshadowing happens right at the beginning of the series, in Orange Town. Here we are given four different concepts of what “treasure” means. One of these chapters where treasure is discussed is even titled “Treasure”. It’s hard to imagine that this was inserted here, at the beginning of the story, and that it’s not meant to be taken as a hint about what the One Piece is. So – for Luffy, his treasure is a simple straw hat. For Chouchou, it was a pet shop left behind by his owner. For mayor Boodle, treasure was his community and the town they all built together. These simple, modest concepts of what treasure means are contrasted with Buggy, for whom treasure meant something vastly different. It meant wealth, gold, silver, jewels. Buggy is, in other words, a paradigmatic materialist. But since Luffy is the main character who embodies the themes of the story, while Buggy is a villain who opposes them, we can correctly deduce that the concept of treasure advocated by Luffy is the “correct” one. Correct in the sense that it establishes what “treasure” truly means for the story of One Piece.

What does this all mean? I use everything I just said to arrive at one conclusion: the One Piece has to be something simple in nature. It will not be a world-ending weapon or anything of that sort.

But, of course, the biggest clue about the nature of the One Piece to date remains Roger’s reaction in Chapter 967 when he witnessed the treasure. How he reacted, and most importantly, the words he used to describe what he witnessed, are of tremendous significance. As I’m sure you’re well-aware, he laughed. He laughed to tears. Then he said: “Joyboy, I wish I’d been born in your era”. To me, this reaction strikes me as deeply personal. It doesn’t sound like someone who merely uncovered a historical record. Those sound like the words of a man who had a real, meaningful interaction with another human being. This is why I conclude that the One Piece must be an object that allowed Roger to establish something that almost felt like a real communication with Joyboy.

Not convinced so far, are you? I think the argument I presented makes sense. But, of course, you can argue against it. You can say that Roger laughed because he saw a really funny-looking ashtray. I admit that there is some room for interpretation here.

However, we have to turn to the way Roger actually describes the treasure, which leaves virtually no room for speculation:

“What a wonderful treasure you left behind, a tale full of laughs”.

The vast majority of theories on what the One Piece is that I have seen do not adequately address this line in my opinion, even though its importance cannot be overstated. I’ve seen people try to explain this away by saying that a tale is not the One Piece itself. It’s something along the lines of, the history Roger and the crew learned across their journeys, the content of the Rio Poneglyph or something like that.

But that just ignores the plain, obvious, explicit meaning of that line I quoted. Roger specifically refers to the treasure Joyboy left behind (the One Piece) as a tale full of laughs.

And with that observation in mind, we can begin to try to deduce what the treasure actually is. Realizing that it’s a tale, we need to ask ourselves: what mechanisms in the One Piece world exist that can allow a man from 800 years ago to tell a tale to someone living in Roger’s time? It turns out, there aren’t that many candidates. We can actually narrow down the nature of the One Piece to basically only several options, and then try to figure out which one makes the most sense.

One option that is often mentioned is that it’s a written document. A journal of some sort. And I admit: this definitely meets the criteria of simplicity I established at the beginning. It also explains both Roger’s reaction and his description of the treasure. People can and do make emotional connections with characters in, for example, novels. Novels are also capable of making a person laugh and cry. And novels can be funny, so calling a book that is packed with jokes “a tale full of laughs” works.

But there is a serious problem with this hypothesis because Luffy is a barely literate dummy with a short attention span. And Oda stated that the treasure will be something rewarding to the main character. The notion of Luffy becoming interested in reading a book seems completely out of his character. Even if we say that someone else reads it aloud  for him, it still seems like a stretch.

So if it’s not a book or a journal, what is it? Like I said, there are basically only a few options. But the one I will be defending here is that it will be a comic book/manga. A story drawn by Joyboy, depicting his many adventures.

I know this theory is not new. But I think I have things of value to say on the topic.

Why does this theory work?

1)      It meets the criteria of simplicity. There’s nothing grandiose about a comic book.

2)      It perfectly explains Roger’s reaction and his words. A manga can make people laugh, and it can be called a tale.

3)      It could work for Luffy, unlike a novel or a journal. This is assuming that the sentences this manga contains are not complex, and that it’s written and drawn in such a manner that someone with a limited intellectual capacity like Luffy can follow. And comic books like that exist.

4)      It serves a fascinating meta-narrative function. This is perhaps the most interesting point. What I’m suggesting is not merely that the Straw Hats will find a comic book, and then we’ll get a flashback from the Void Century that is vaguely similar to what they’re reading. No, I think that we will be reading Joyboy’s comic book, exactly as it’s being presented to the Straw Hats.

 What does this mean? It means that the line separating the reader from the characters (Straw Hats) becomes erased. We are literally seeing the same thing they are seeing. We are holding in our hands what they are holding. And the line separating the author (Oda) from his character (Joyboy) is also similarly erased. Because from the real-world perspective, it is Oda who drew the manga that the Straw Hats found on Laugh Tale, but from the perspective of the One Piece world, it was Joyboy. The author literally becomes merged with his own character.

 Now consider this. Not as an argument for the truth of this theory, but as something I personally find really cool, and I hope you will too. Oden’s flashback was 15 chapters long. The Elbaf/Harald/God Valley flashback was 20 chapters. For something that has such narrative significance as the Void Century flashback, we can reasonably speculate that it will be something like 30 chapters long. Why am I saying this? Because we sometimes get triple-volume books (Omnibus), containing 30 chapters or so. In other words, if Joyboy’s story spanned over the course of, say, 30 chapters, and this was released as an Omnibus, you could literally go to a store and get yourself the One Piece treasure itself. Not a toy, or a game, or a cheap imitation. No, the exact same book that the Straw Hats are holding in their hands in the story. Wouldn’t that be interesting?

 Reality enters fiction, because the story that Oda draws becomes something that his characters in the story end up reading. And then fiction enters reality, because we can hold in our hands the exact same book that the Straw Hats found on Laugh Tale.

 

5)      The mural from the Elbaf arc can be seen as an anticipation of the ultimate treasure. It was said that it looks like it was drawn by a child. We can speculate that perhaps this was Joyboy’s experiment, a rough sketch, a test of his drawing skills, before he ultimately used them to draw what he truly wanted in the comic book he left on Laugh Tale.

It’s perhaps also relevant to note that we already had small meta-narrative moments in the One Piece series, with the “Noland the Liar” and “Sora, Warrior of the Sea” comic book. These could also be seen as small anticipations of what’s to come in the final stage of the series. It’s interesting that the Sora comic book features stories about Sora fighting the evil Germa kingdom, while the most popular notion of what the Void Century flashback will contain is that it will be a battle between Joyboy and the evil kings who would eventually come to form the World Government. So there’s a parallel there.

 

 

Now you might ask: alright, a comic book, but what will be contained on its pages? What is it about? And here I basically have to say, I don’t really know. I can speculate. It’s much easier to guess what the physical object is (the One Piece), than what it means. In other words, I think we can correctly guess what the form is, but the substance is much more difficult. I think it will be about the three worlds drawn on the mural, primarily about the first and the second world - the Void Century, featuring mostly Joyboy and his life journey. And somehow, this will help Luffy figure out how to achieve his ultimate dream and defeat the World Government. But the specifics? I can only speculate. I encourage you to write down your opinion on what will be contained in Joyboy’s story in the comments down below.

Why is it called “One Piece”? Because the story that Joyboy wrote, that we get to read when the One Piece manga gets to that point, is only one piece, one part of the whole thing (the manga “One Piece” by Eichiro Oda).

Appendix: What else could the One Piece be?

I think this is by far the most interesting and artistically powerful theory on what the One Piece is. But it has some problems.

For example, logistical problems. How are they all going to read the comic book at the same time? Perhaps it’s a giant comic book and Joyboy was a giant. But even then, how are they all going to be reading at the same pace? How are they going to be flipping pages if it’s so large? But alright, with a little bit of “manga logic”, I suppose we can imagine how this can end up working despite these issues.

But the bigger problem is this: I already explained how only a manga with simple sentences and drawings is something that can be appealing to Luffy. But Oda isn’t that kind of artist. The problem isn't that his art is particularly complex. It's that his paneling has become extremely dense. He often packs a lot of information, characters, dialogue, background details and actions into relatively small panels, which can make it difficult to immediately distinguish what is happening and in what order. Early One Piece was different. Oda's paneling was much more spacious and readable, with a very clear visual flow. The problem is, in short, that the manga's visual grammar is much harder to parse than something like Toriyama's, especially in the later chapters. If the treasure literally were a comic book drawn by Oda, we would have to explain why Luffy, who has no experience reading manga, would be able to understand these extremely dense pages.

Perhaps we have to lower our expectations and say that we won’t get to be reading exactly the same thing as the Straw Hats are as I alluded to earlier.

So even though I very much like this theory, I actually don’t think it’s true. I give it about a 10% chance of being true. My opinion is that the One Piece is actually a Tone Dial, containing an audio recording from Joyboy. I think it’s far more straightforward and easier to accomplish than the manga theory. I go into detail elaborating on this thesis here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/onepiecetheories/comments/1uy9v45/i_figued_out_what_the_one_piece_is/

Credits for both of these theories go to my friend. I just helped him articulate his thoughts.

When we think about what the One Piece treasure might be – it’s always helpful to have at least an inkling of faith in Oda’s competence as an artist. If he is not a complete hack, as I’m sure most of you don’t think he is, then the One Piece is not something that will feel like it came out of nowhere. It will be something that had hints, clues and foreshadowing in the story. Hints that can, if we pay enough attention to them right now, possibly help us figure out what the ultimate treasure is.

The first major foreshadowing happens right at the beginning of the series, in Orange Town. Here we are given four different concepts of what “treasure” means. One of these chapters where treasure is discussed is even titled “Treasure”. It’s hard to imagine that this was inserted here, at the beginning of the story, and that it’s not meant to be taken as a hint about what the One Piece is. So – for Luffy, his treasure is a simple straw hat. For Chouchou, it was a pet shop left behind by his owner. For mayor Boodle, treasure was his community and the town they all built together. These simple, modest concepts of what treasure means are contrasted with Buggy, for whom treasure meant something vastly different. It meant wealth, gold, silver, jewels. Buggy is, in other words, a paradigmatic materialist. But since Luffy is the main character who embodies the themes of the story, while Buggy is a villain who opposes them, we can correctly deduce that the concept of treasure advocated by Luffy is the “correct” one. Correct in the sense that it establishes what “treasure” truly means for the story of One Piece.

What does this all mean? I use everything I just said to arrive at one conclusion: the One Piece has to be something simple in nature. It will not be a world-ending weapon or anything of that sort.

But, of course, the biggest clue about the nature of the One Piece to date remains Roger’s reaction in Chapter 967 when he witnessed the treasure. How he reacted, and most importantly, the words he used to describe what he witnessed, are of tremendous significance. As I’m sure you’re well-aware, he laughed. He laughed to tears. Then he said: “Joyboy, I wish I’d been born in your era”. To me, this reaction strikes me as deeply personal. It doesn’t sound like someone who merely uncovered a historical record. Those sound like the words of a man who had a real, meaningful interaction with another human being. This is why I conclude that the One Piece must be an object that allowed Roger to establish something that almost felt like a real communication with Joyboy.

Not convinced so far, are you? I think the argument I presented makes sense. But, of course, you can argue against it. You can say that Roger laughed because he saw a really funny-looking ashtray. I admit that there is some room for interpretation here.

However, we have to turn to the way Roger actually describes the treasure, which leaves virtually no room for speculation:

“What a wonderful treasure you left behind, a tale full of laughs”.

The vast majority of theories on what the One Piece is that I have seen do not adequately address this line in my opinion, even though its importance cannot be overstated. I’ve seen people try to explain this away by saying that a tale is not the One Piece itself. It’s something along the lines of, the history Roger and the crew learned across their journeys, the content of the Rio Poneglyph or something like that.

But that just ignores the plain, obvious, explicit meaning of that line I quoted. Roger specifically refers to the treasure Joyboy left behind (the One Piece) as a tale full of laughs.

And with that observation in mind, we can begin to try to deduce what the treasure actually is. Realizing that it’s a tale, we need to ask ourselves: what mechanisms in the One Piece world exist that can allow a man from 800 years ago to tell a tale to someone living in Roger’s time? It turns out, there aren’t that many candidates. We can actually narrow down the nature of the One Piece to basically only several options, and then try to figure out which one makes the most sense.

One option that is often mentioned is that it’s a written document. A journal of some sort. And I admit: this definitely meets the criteria of simplicity I established at the beginning. It also explains both Roger’s reaction and his description of the treasure. People can and do make emotional connections with characters in, for example, novels. Novels are also capable of making a person laugh and cry. And novels can be funny, so calling a book that is packed with jokes “a tale full of laughs” works.

But there is a serious problem with this hypothesis because Luffy is a barely literate dummy with a short attention span. And Oda stated that the treasure will be something rewarding to the main character. The notion of Luffy becoming interested in reading a book seems completely out of his character. Even if we say that someone else reads it aloud  for him, it still seems like a stretch.

So if it’s not a book or a journal, what is it? Like I said, there are basically only a few options. But the one I will be defending here is that it will be a comic book/manga. A story drawn by Joyboy, depicting his many adventures.

I know this theory is not new. But I think I have things of value to say on the topic.

Why does this theory work?

1)      It meets the criteria of simplicity. There’s nothing grandiose about a comic book.

2)      It perfectly explains Roger’s reaction and his words. A manga can make people laugh, and it can be called a tale.

3)      It could work for Luffy, unlike a novel or a journal. This is assuming that the sentences this manga contains are not complex, and that it’s written and drawn in such a manner that someone with a limited intellectual capacity like Luffy can follow. And comic books like that exist.

4)      It serves a fascinating meta-narrative function. This is perhaps the most interesting point. What I’m suggesting is not merely that the Straw Hats will find a comic book, and then we’ll get a flashback from the Void Century that is vaguely similar to what they’re reading. No, I think that we will be reading Joyboy’s comic book, exactly as it’s being presented to the Straw Hats.

 What does this mean? It means that the line separating the reader from the characters (Straw Hats) becomes erased. We are literally seeing the same thing they are seeing. We are holding in our hands what they are holding. And the line separating the author (Oda) from his character (Joyboy) is also similarly erased. Because from the real-world perspective, it is Oda who drew the manga that the Straw Hats found on Laugh Tale, but from the perspective of the One Piece world, it was Joyboy. The author literally becomes merged with his own character.

 Now consider this. Not as an argument for the truth of this theory, but as something I personally find really cool, and I hope you will too. Oden’s flashback was 15 chapters long. The Elbaf/Harald/God Valley flashback was 20 chapters. For something that has such narrative significance as the Void Century flashback, we can reasonably speculate that it will be something like 30 chapters long. Why am I saying this? Because we sometimes get triple-volume books (Omnibus), containing 30 chapters or so. In other words, if Joyboy’s story spanned over the course of, say, 30 chapters, and this was released as an Omnibus, you could literally go to a store and get yourself the One Piece treasure itself. Not a toy, or a game, or a cheap imitation. No, the exact same book that the Straw Hats are holding in their hands in the story. Wouldn’t that be interesting?

 Reality enters fiction, because the story that Oda draws becomes something that his characters in the story end up reading. And then fiction enters reality, because we can hold in our hands the exact same book that the Straw Hats found on Laugh Tale.

 

5)      The mural from the Elbaf arc can be seen as an anticipation of the ultimate treasure. It was said that it looks like it was drawn by a child. We can speculate that perhaps this was Joyboy’s experiment, a rough sketch, a test of his drawing skills, before he ultimately used them to draw what he truly wanted in the comic book he left on Laugh Tale.

It’s perhaps also relevant to note that we already had small meta-narrative moments in the One Piece series, with the “Noland the Liar” and “Sora, Warrior of the Sea” comic book. These could also be seen as small anticipations of what’s to come in the final stage of the series. It’s interesting that the Sora comic book features stories about Sora fighting the evil Germa kingdom, while the most popular notion of what the Void Century flashback will contain is that it will be a battle between Joyboy and the evil kings who would eventually come to form the World Government. So there’s a parallel there.

 

 

Now you might ask: alright, a comic book, but what will be contained on its pages? What is it about? And here I basically have to say, I don’t really know. I can speculate. It’s much easier to guess what the physical object is (the One Piece), than what it means. In other words, I think we can correctly guess what the form is, but the substance is much more difficult. I think it will be about the three worlds drawn on the mural, primarily about the first and the second world - the Void Century, featuring mostly Joyboy and his life journey. And somehow, this will help Luffy figure out how to achieve his ultimate dream and defeat the World Government. But the specifics? I can only speculate. I encourage you to write down your opinion on what will be contained in Joyboy’s story in the comments down below.

Why is it called “One Piece”? Because the story that Joyboy wrote, that we get to read when the One Piece manga gets to that point, is only one piece, one part of the whole thing (the manga “One Piece” by Eichiro Oda).

Appendix: What else could the One Piece be?

I think this is by far the most interesting and artistically powerful theory on what the One Piece is. But it has some problems.

For example, logistical problems. How are they all going to read the comic book at the same time? Perhaps it’s a giant comic book and Joyboy was a giant. But even then, how are they all going to be reading at the same pace? How are they going to be flipping pages if it’s so large? But alright, with a little bit of “manga logic”, I suppose we can imagine how this can end up working despite these issues.

But the bigger problem is this: I already explained how only a manga with simple sentences and drawings is something that can be appealing to Luffy. But Oda isn’t that kind of artist. The problem isn't that his art is particularly complex. It's that his paneling has become extremely dense. He often packs a lot of information, characters, dialogue, background details and actions into relatively small panels, which can make it difficult to immediately distinguish what is happening and in what order. Early One Piece was different. Oda's paneling was much more spacious and readable, with a very clear visual flow. The problem is, in short, that the manga's visual grammar is much harder to parse than something like Toriyama's, especially in the later chapters. If the treasure literally were a comic book drawn by Oda, we would have to explain why Luffy, who has no experience reading manga, would be able to understand these extremely dense pages.

Perhaps we have to lower our expectations and say that we won’t get to be reading exactly the same thing as the Straw Hats are as I alluded to earlier.

So even though I very much like this theory, I actually don’t think it’s true. I give it about a 10% chance of being true. My opinion is that the One Piece is actually a Tone Dial, containing an audio recording from Joyboy. I think it’s far more straightforward and easier to accomplish than the manga theory. I go into detail elaborating on this thesis here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/onepiecetheories/comments/1uy9v45/i_figued_out_what_the_one_piece_is/

Credits for both of these theories go to my friend. I just helped him articulate his thoughts.

As you can see on the cover story below, Wapol, using his Munch-Munch fruit created a toy looking virtually identical to Emet. In the other cover story, we see a local town scientist investigating how that toy came into being, much like how Vegapunk wanted to learn how Emet was created. Given Emet's large size compared to the size of Wapol's toy, I believe that it's plausible that he was created by a giant who had the same power as Wapol.

Picture speaks more than a thousand words:

https://preview.redd.it/f3638eslfjkh1.jpg?width=716&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36e6041b795fcafa696c27711fb39838e117f755

https://preview.redd.it/vvd1ob7ofjkh1.jpg?width=716&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4823918b7f912803595b231021a35ca3ffb3ac5

When it comes to the question of Luffy’s mother, I see two possibilities. Either she will never appear, seeing as how biological parents in general aren’t all that relevant in One Piece anyway. Dadan is Luffy’s true mother because she is the one who raised him. The other possibility is that she will appear (or has already appeared), and in that case, we can look for possible narrative clues and hints that can help us uncover her identity. Also, bear in mind that while I will be exploring the possibility that we can identify Luffy’s biological mother – I am not saying that she will necessarily have any kind of integral role in the plot, merely that she may have been inserted into the story and that we can guess who she is.

It’s already been suggested in the fandom, but I think there is a strong chance that the person we’re looking for is Tritoma.

https://preview.redd.it/cgt37dh8xckh1.png?width=350&format=png&auto=webp&s=c087cb263fb53a021b804e884c5b61e833f4109e

And I am not saying this because of similar vibe, facial expressions, or anything like that.

And to understand how I came to that conclusion, I need you to ask yourself the simple question of: why in the world did Kuma send Luffy to Amazon Lily? With every other Straw Hat, he sent them to places that were perfectly suited to help them sharpen their skills, learn about the things that interested them and become stronger.

Perhaps Kuma speculated that Hancock would be able to help Luffy rescue Ace from Impel Down, but why in the world would Kuma assume that Hancock would be willing to do that? How could he possibly predict that Hancock would fall in love with him?

And the line of reasoning I had in mind is this: every previous Amazon empress we know had a tendency to fall in love with a great man. Gloriosa fell for Roger. Shakky fell for Rayleigh. If my theory is correct, Tritoma fell for Dragon. If this pattern continued, Hancock would do the same. And if the previous empress (as I speculate) had fallen for Dragon, it is entirely within the realm of reason that Kuma bet his money on Hancock falling in love with Dragon’s son, the boy whom he had been watching over for so long and become endlessly fascinated with.

Then there’s this: we know that Tritoma is deceased, and she died of “love sickness”. It’s possible that she did not merely die because of her love for a lover that she had (which I speculate is Dragon), but also because she was separated from her child, seeing as how men are not permitted to live on Amazon Lily.

You may notice that I made the assumption that Kuma knew the identity of Luffy’s mother. That is, indeed, an assumption, but one that can be defended with reasonable arguments. Consider the fact that not even Ivankov, Dragon’s closest subordinate, had any idea that Dragon had a son. And yet Kuma somehow knew about this. If he knew that Dragon had a child, it is reasonable for us to speculate that he also knew that he had a lover, and who that lover was.

But, you may protest, the Kuja only give birth to females. And this actually goes to support my point, because if Luffy had been the first ever boy to be born of a Kuja, this would go on to emphasize his characteristic uniqueness. Luffy is no ordinary person, and it would make sense if this pattern of doing the extraordinary began at his moment of birth.

One final thing I’ll mention is this (and this is not a thought that is original to me): Oda loves assigning meanings and words to numbers. And Tritoma appears in Chapter 1156. Number 5 is read as “Go” in Japanese. In the ancient Japanese counting system, 6 is read as “Mutsu”, and sometimes simply the shortened version “Mu” is used. Put them together, and you get “Gomu”. This is not the only time Oda has used the number 56 in the story to allude to Luffy’s devil fruit. For example, when the Grand Fleet formed at the end of Dressrosa, the total number of men who swore loyalty to Luffy was exactly 5,600.

None of this is 100% conclusive, but I believe I had a thought or two that was worth sharing. Let me know what you think.

What we first need ask ourselves is, what do we know about the Hinokizu (the Man with the Burn Scar)? One, he has a severe burn scar somewhere on his body. Two, he sails on a completely black ship. Three, anyone who tries to get close to his ship is swallowed by massive ocean whirlpools. Four, Shiryu theorizes that he is someone working for the government.

As I see it, there are two possibilities. Either these pieces of information I just mentioned are meant to be seen as narrative hints for the reader to figure out who the Hinokizu is – in other words, he is someone we already know from the story. That, or he is a completely new character.

I would say both possibilities are equally strong. But here, I’ll be working on the premise that he is someone we already know and that these are, in fact, meant to be seen as narrative clues.

And I would suggest that the person who best explains all the data is Aokiji, even though the story tried to lead us into believing otherwise. But more on that below.

Why Aokiji? First, when the Hinokizu is first mentioned, consider this peculiar reaction of Robin. She is the only one from the Straw Hats besides Luffy who has any kind of reaction upon hearing this information:

https://preview.redd.it/1xed2fx5m5jh1.png?width=180&format=png&auto=webp&s=6a32d32c175e78765e65779a675b02bbdb7574de

Considering Robin’s distinctive relationship with Aokiji, it would make sense that she would be curious if right here, after the Hinokizu is mentioned, she began to suspect that his true identity is, in fact, the man who had saved her life twenty years ago.

Next, when Blackbeard mentions the Hinokizu, before Aokiji facetiously suggests that it may be him, Aokiji is shown with a suspicious look in one frame before he speaks:

https://preview.redd.it/4lh4g8k9m5jh1.png?width=1225&format=png&auto=webp&s=7049c2c04682790a5d51bb79c3b8db3147d3b261

So then, to address the issue: why does the story seem to deny that he is the Hinokizu if he is? In other words, why do the Blackbeard pirates say that it’s not him? Well, it could be seen as an intentional narrative misdirect by Oda. Furthermore, the observation that he had “just” got the burn scar and therefore, cannot be the Hinokizu, can be explained by saying that he, in fact, got the scar earlier and the Blackbeard pirates were just speculating about its origin (maybe the one we saw was not from the fight with Akainu), or perhaps he has multiple scars, some of which he did get from Akainu, but the one he showed them was from before.

But either way, he has a burn scar and he is one of the few characters in the story who fits that criteria, so this is another reason why we can suspect that he is the Hinokizu.

In any case, Aokiji being the Hinokizu creates the logistical problem of how he could simultaneously perform his job as an admiral and occasionally be seen riding the black ship through the grand line. Considering Aokiji’s power, the ability to freeze water and travel between islands on a bicycle, this doesn’t seem like something which is physically impossible. However, it does seem like something that would require a tremendous amount of energy. Being forced to constantly shift between two duties, two jobs. But then, you remember that there is another character in the story who was faced with a similar struggle: Denjiro, the “Witching Hour Boy”, who had to shift between his nighttime activity as the Robin Hood of the One Piece world, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, and his daytime identity as a Yakuza boss and money changer.

And if Aokiji is the Hinokizu, he would be very similar to that. Remember that Aokiji’s slogan used to be “Lazy Justice”. He constantly complained about being tired and acted lethargic, he would fall asleep while standing upright. This is very much like Denjiro who was nicknamed “Kyoshiro the Sleep-Monger” because he always looked like he was about to fall asleep.

On a final note, Shiryu speculates that the Hinokizu is working for the government. It’s hard to imagine that this kind of information would be inserted into the story if it’s not true. Aokiji, of course, used to work for the government, and as far the public knows, he no longer does. But it’s entirely possible that he is still helping the government behind the curtains even though he is not an admiral anymore. Him joining the Blackbeard pirates, for example, is without a doubt not him deciding to become evil all of a sudden; he is almost certainly planning to double-cross them at some point, and it’s entirely plausible that he is a double agent working for the government.

So to address one final counterargument, one could say that Aokiji shouldn’t be able to create whirlpools because that’s not what his devil fruit specifically does. However, dismissing this ignores standard One Piece "manga logic." Oda frequently allows characters to manipulate secondary elements through their primary powers (e.g., Nami using temperature differences for weather control).

I am not saying that this is absolute fact or that the theory doesn’t have problems, but it makes sense to me, so I wanted to share it with you. What do you think?

What we first need ask ourselves is, what do we know about the Hinokizu (the Man with the Burn Scar)? One, he has a severe burn scar somewhere on his body. Two, he sails on a completely black ship. Three, anyone who tries to get close to his ship is swallowed by massive ocean whirlpools. Four, Shiryu theorizes that he is someone working for the government.

As I see it, there are two possibilities. Either these pieces of information I just mentioned are meant to be seen as narrative hints for the reader to figure out who the Hinokizu is – in other words, he is someone we already know from the story. That, or he is a completely new character.

I would say both possibilities are equally strong. But here, I’ll be working on the premise that he is someone we already know and that these are, in fact, meant to be seen as narrative clues.

And I would suggest that the person who best explains all the data is Aokiji, even though the story tried to lead us into believing otherwise. But more on that below.

Why Aokiji? First, when the Hinokizu is first mentioned, consider this peculiar reaction of Robin. She is the only one from the Straw Hats besides Luffy who has any kind of reaction upon hearing this information:

https://preview.redd.it/aj98gbbfl5jh1.png?width=180&format=png&auto=webp&s=4d7e74c53c0bae75f10a11caf08d1fbaa2f19d53

Considering Robin’s distinctive relationship with Aokiji, it would make sense that she would be curious if right here, after the Hinokizu is mentioned, she began to suspect that his true identity is, in fact, the man who had saved her life twenty years ago.

Next, when Blackbeard mentions the Hinokizu, before Aokiji facetiously suggests that it may be him, Aokiji is shown with a suspicious look in one frame before he speaks:

https://preview.redd.it/krk03u9jl5jh1.png?width=1225&format=png&auto=webp&s=8a4ae7534d915ba8b59bfb8a5880994ea7c8d98a

So then, to address the issue: why does the story seem to deny that he is the Hinokizu if he is? In other words, why do the Blackbeard pirates say that it’s not him? Well, it could be seen as an intentional narrative misdirect by Oda. Furthermore, the observation that he had “just” got the burn scar and therefore, cannot be the Hinokizu, can be explained by saying that he, in fact, got the scar earlier and the Blackbeard pirates were just speculating about its origin (maybe the one we saw was not from the fight with Akainu), or perhaps he has multiple scars, some of which he did get from Akainu, but the one he showed them was from before.

But either way, he has a burn scar and he is one of the few characters in the story who fits that criteria, so this is another reason why we can suspect that he is the Hinokizu.

In any case, Aokiji being the Hinokizu creates the logistical problem of how he could simultaneously perform his job as an admiral and occasionally be seen riding the black ship through the grand line. Considering Aokiji’s power, the ability to freeze water and travel between islands on a bicycle, this doesn’t seem like something which is physically impossible. However, it does seem like something that would require a tremendous amount of energy. Being forced to constantly shift between two duties, two jobs. But then, you remember that there is another character in the story who was faced with a similar struggle: Denjiro, the “Witching Hour Boy”, who had to shift between his nighttime activity as the Robin Hood of the One Piece world, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, and his daytime identity as a Yakuza boss and money changer.

And if Aokiji is the Hinokizu, he would be very similar to that. Remember that Aokiji’s slogan used to be “Lazy Justice”. He constantly complained about being tired and acted lethargic, he would fall asleep while standing upright. This is very much like Denjiro who was nicknamed “Kyoshiro the Sleep-Monger” because he always looked like he was about to fall asleep.

On a final note, Shiryu speculates that the Hinokizu is working for the government. It’s hard to imagine that this kind of information would be inserted into the story if it’s not true. Aokiji, of course, used to work for the government, and as far the public knows, he no longer does. But it’s entirely possible that he is still helping the government behind the curtains even though he is not an admiral anymore. Him joining the Blackbeard pirates, for example, is without a doubt not him deciding to become evil all of a sudden; he is almost certainly planning to double-cross them at some point, and it’s entirely plausible that he is a double agent working for the government.

So to address one final counterargument, one could say that Aokiji shouldn’t be able to create whirlpools because that’s not what his devil fruit specifically does. However, dismissing this ignores standard One Piece "manga logic." Oda frequently allows characters to manipulate secondary elements through their primary powers (e.g., Nami using temperature differences for weather control).

I am not saying that this is absolute fact or that the theory doesn’t have problems, but it makes sense to me, so I wanted to share it with you. What do you think?

As many popular theorists state, the symbol D draws a parallel to the Straw Hats’ X mark, the symbol of their friendship formed in Alabasta. Therefore, the D would be a secret sign used by Joyboy and his crew to signal their loyalty and friendship during the Void Century.

As we know, people who bear the D. are considered the enemies of the “gods” (Celestial Dragons). Simply, I think that the Will of D. is the inherited will of Joyboy and his crew (the first people with the “D” in their name), and the present-day D. clan members are descendants of the first-ever pirate crew. Therefore, they bear the inherited will—the Will of D.

I think I discovered something fascinating. There aren’t many last names with the D. In fact, there are a total of 9 at the moment of writing this. Therefore, my thesis is this: that the members of Joyboy’s original crew, with their occupation and role on the ship, could each be mirroring one of the members of the Straw Hats.

 

To illustrate:

 

Captain -> Luffy

Swordsman -> Zoro

Navigator -> Nami

Sniper -> Usopp

Cook -> Sanji

Doctor -> Chopper

Archaeologist -> Robin

Shipwright -> Franky

Musician -> Brook

Helmsman -> Jimbei

Vivi (Vivi was officially recognized as a member of the Straw Hats by Oda)

 

Joyboy’s crew:

 

Captain -> Davy D. Jones (I think he and Joyboy are the same person, but that’s a different theory).

Swordsman -> unknown

Navigator -> a character with the last name Gol. D.

Sniper -> Unknown

Cook -> a character with the last name Portgas D.

Doctor -> a character with the last name Trafalgar D. Water

Archaeologist -> a character with the last name Clou. D.

Shipwright -> a character with the last name Jaguar. D.

Musician -> a character with the last name Monkey D.

Helmsman -> unknown

Nefertari D. Lily -> corresponds with Vivi

 

As you can see, some of these connections are obvious (Trafalgar being a doctor, and Clou being an archaeologist). However, I boldly put Monkey as a musician, not a captain, but Davy D. Jones instead. I will elaborate my reasoning for these decisions. You can feel free to disagree with the connections I made.

Gol D. The first argument I will put forward in favor of Gol D. being a navigator is that “Gol” sounds the same as “goal” (as in, destination). In other words, he is someone who guides his crew from one island to the next destination.

Furthermore, Roger’s character is centered around his grand feat of having circumnavigated the planet, having gotten to the end of the world, to the final destination. Even though he wasn’t a navigator himself, a minor detail worth considering is that Roger is shown with a Log Pose on his wrist.

https://preview.redd.it/588d0xzayshh1.jpg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b37ddf9a370d30b7f52970eeef7878cf428a29b

Portgas. At first glance, him being a cook seems completely arbitrary. But when you think about it, it makes sense. However, I will point out first that I’m not saying that Ace is the equivalent to Sanji in the cooking department itself. It’s not so much about cooking; it’s about nurturing, providing, kindness. Our first formal introduction to Ace is when we see him with his face buried in a plate full of food, as he was sleeping. Moreover, Ace is someone who was shown providing and cooking meat for Luffy during a flashback. He was also the one to give food to Tama, and Yamato also. Further, the only one of the Straw Hats that Ace had a one-on-one interaction with (besides Luffy, of course) is Sanji (when he lit up his cigarette).

https://preview.redd.it/0xkdpwmfyshh1.png?width=440&format=png&auto=webp&s=4eba6eb2eb89bc5b1f8cd9c91b3b7898a9adad69

It’s very interesting to consider the thematic parallels between Sanji and Ace. Forget even about this whole theory for a second. Both had mothers who sacrificed themselves for their children during pregnancy, and those are the only two such instances in the story. Also, both of them had a different father figure compared to their biological father. Moreover, both of them had tremendous problems with self-worth. They both grew up struggling with feelings of worthlessness. Ace was wrestling with the question of whether it is a good thing that he was born because of whose son he was. Sanji, similarly, struggled with feeling like a failure because of how Judge treated him. In the end, both of them were saved by being unconditionally accepted by the people they ultimately came to acknowledge as their real family.

Jaguar D. The first thing I’ll say, though this is a minor detail, is that Saul tells Robin, in passing, as a throwaway line, that he wants to build a raft to get off Ohara. The biggest clue, however, is that during the Elbaph arc we learn that there existed a famous shipwright group of giants, Galley La. It’s entirely possible that those are the same giants that we see frozen during the Punk Hazard arc, as many people suspect.

https://preview.redd.it/i4wuodylyshh1.png?width=768&format=png&auto=webp&s=c7333fad40bb954594c9f9a106810b16891ebb39

And Saul was also similarly frozen when he “died”. It’s also plausible to thematically connect the character of Saul with Franky. Saul was the one who told Robin to keep on living, that she will find friends who will accept her, and that she had value as a person. Franky reinforces that idea when he famously tells her that “existing is not a crime” and that she doesn’t need to sacrifice herself.

 

Monkey D. Why I think that he was a musician, and not a captain. From the beginning of the series, one of Luffy’s greatest wishes was to find a musician for his crew. And Brook, the musician he eventually found, is tied to some very important symbolism connected to the nature of the One Piece treasure which Monkey (Luffy) is after, which I discussed at length here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/onepiecetheories/comments/1uy9v45/i_figued_out_what_the_one_piece_is/

But the biggest point is that Luffy’s Nika form is thematically and narratively connected to rhythm, music, and having fun, which is what being a musician is all about. So why do I primarily think that Monkey was not a captain? Because it ties in perfectly with one of the major themes of the story, which is inherited will. It’s not being a biological descendant of someone that matters; it’s inheriting their will and ideology, which is the already mentioned inherited will. Therefore, Luffy does not need to be a descendant of Joyboy. Related to all this, we all know the argument that the World Government supposedly made a grave mistake because they did not immediately go after Luffy after he ate the Nika fruit. But this theory can explain this, because it is plausible that Imu expected that a true inheritor of Joyboy’s will would be a direct descendant of Joyboy, someone with the last name Davy D.

 

As you can see, I left out Rocks and Marshal. This was intentional. As far as we know, Rocks and Marshal are not actual last names. They were created to protect Rocks and Teach because of their true identity—being members of the Davy D. clan. It would be a great irony if it were Blackbeard who was Joyboy’s direct descendant, but that he was someone who fundamentally misinterprets his will.

 

Finally, I left some spots missing. If we suppose this theory is true, maybe we can use it to predict who the remaining members of the D. clan are (swordsman, sniper, helmsman). I leave it for you to give me your opinion about that in the comments down below.

What is Luffy’s dream? The first thing we have to consider is that Luffy was only seven years old when he told his dream to Ace and Sabo. Moreover, when Roger tells that same dream to Whitebeard, Whitebeard laughs and asks him if he is a child. Therefore, we can conclude that there is something peculiarly childlike about this dream.

What could possibly a seven-year-old child dream about? To answer that question, we need only ask ourselves: what do children in general dream about? What did you, yourself, dream about when you were seven? And perhaps the most common answer children give is, that’s right, to be an astronaut.  To explore the universe. But before we get to Luffy, it’s important to establish why that specific dream is something that fascinates kids so much. And the answer is probably that they feel incredible wonder and curiosity at the prospect of exploring the infinite vastness of the space they observe above them. They are attracted by the awesome mystery that the universe is. This brings us to Luffy. I contend that nothing except the apparent infinitude of the universe and the endless opportunities for exploration it provides can possibly satisfy Luffy’s immense drive for freedom. The dream to travel and explore the infinite universe is the perfect encapsulation of Luffy’s boundless desire to be free. To be clear, I am not just saying that Luffy wants to “go to space” (Enel already did that); I am saying that he wants to travel the whole universe.

To back this idea up, we will look at the reactions of the Straw Hats as Luffy tells them his dream.

https://preview.redd.it/r8ddlbqrntgh1.png?width=157&format=png&auto=webp&s=0fdbd27ef64b4316ac84d88f6cd017bda38df23d

That’s Chopper after hearing Luffy’s dream. This is kind of a typical Chopper reaction whenever he hears something futuristic, like things about robots and such. And of course, it makes sense, because for Luffy to realize his dream, he will most likely need some kind of cool futuristic spaceship.

https://preview.redd.it/480aux8xntgh1.png?width=84&format=png&auto=webp&s=930a2888b4392c593c54b7d2996c109769253d4e

This is Franky’s reaction. He loves it. Nothing strange about it, right? Well, not all the Straw Hats immediately loved the dream. Some thought he was crazy, some were bewildered, some looked worried, some thought it was impossible. But if my assumptions about Luffy’s dream are correct, this reaction is exactly what we would expect from a man so much in love with technology and science.

https://preview.redd.it/x3k3pfe4otgh1.png?width=73&format=png&auto=webp&s=f2d0e66797c4f2028e0bb0c954e13ce71ab86d0f

Nami has kind of a worried look on her face. Probably because (if this theory is true) she knows she will have to be the navigator on this next grand journey.

Usopp insists that it’s an impossible dream, Sanji thinks Luffy needs his head checked, Brook is amused so much that he laughs himself to tears. All of these reactions make perfect sense if Luffy said something as outrageous as wanting to travel the whole universe, when presently there doesn’t exist any known technology that could make that dream a reality. On the other hand, these reactions don’t really make sense if he just wants to make “the world’s biggest party” as is popularly believed. While that would be a challenge to pull off, it’s not nearly enough “out there” to warrant this sort of bewildering reaction.

We move on to the next argument. We know that during the Void Century, there existed an ancient kingdom which surpassed Egghead in the scientific/technological department. Now, it’s important to note that only the content of a single century was erased from history (the so-called Void Century). Everything before and after that is publicly available knowledge. From this, we can deduce that the technology that existed before the Void Century is not something that should be unknown or unattainable to the people living in that world. What does this mean? It means that somehow, during the Void Century, this kingdom went from a technological level that was at best on the level the One Piece world currently is (but most likely, significantly lower, because this was 900 years ago), to a level that surpassed Egghead, which is the absolute scientific pinnacle of everything we have seen in the series. How did this happen? I essentially see only two options. The first option is that the citizens of this kingdom accomplished this on their own, through their own efforts. Going from a technological level from 900 years ago to a level surpassing that of Egghead. By themselves. Through sheer will and talent. I see this idea as extremely implausible, borderline impossible.

And thus, to quote the most popular detective in fiction, once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. And this “improbable”, but the only remaining logical option, is that this technology that the ancient kingdom possessed is extraterrestrial in origin. We already know that aliens exist in One Piece, so this is not as absurd as it might strike you at first glance. I contend that, at present, this is the best explanation we possess to account for the technological level of the ancient kingdom.

But where am I going with this? What does this have to do with Luffy’s dream? Simply, you have to ask yourself, what would be the narrative purpose of incorporating the concept of extraterrestrial technology into the story? What’s the endgame there? Is it just because it’s cool? Because it’ll make Franky and Chopper happy?

I submit to you, that the best reason that explains why Oda would come up with something like that is that it’s all a build-up for the conclusion of Luffy’s character arc and the ending of One Piece, which will involve locating or constructing a spaceship of some sort, which will lead Luffy and friends into their ultimate journey through space (on a purely speculative note, it is possible that the Mother Flame’s real purpose is to be a fuel with an effectively limitless supply in order to make travelling through space possible).

Which leads to one of my final points. All of this so far may not be particularly convincing to you. It might strike you as speculation. But then, just ask yourself: what is the logical conclusion of Luffy’s character arc? He will circumnavigate the planet, become the Pirate King, and then what? Then comes the final war. He defeats the World Government, Imu, Blackbeard, and then what? Then he throws the “world’s biggest party”, and then what? Luffy just retires? He goes back to the East Blue and becomes a fisherman? He marries Hancock, has children, and goes on to live a quiet, mundane life? No, we all know very well that that’s not Luffy.

The only thing that makes sense, the only thing that accounts for Luffy’s characteristic drive for freedom and adventure, is that his journey does not end when the series does. In fact, the ending is just the beginning of another journey. But since he will have already circumnavigated the planet by this point, the only place he has yet to explore is the universe.

That’s how I think Luffy’s character arc will conclude. But what is the evidence for this, and how will One Piece itself end? I think the key clues to this are the final verses of “Binks’ Sake”:

Never-Ending,

Ever-wandering,

Our funny Traveling tale!

 If the journey is “never ending”, how can that be if the journey ends once Luffy circumnavigates the planet? How can the “wandering” be endless if it ends once the series does?

The answer is that the journey doesn’t end there. The series ends with Luffy and most, if not all, of the Straw Hats departing for the next adventure. But there is also a bittersweet element to this, because, as one of the concluding verses of “Binks’ Sake” also says:

Waving our goodbyes, we'll never meet again!

If the Straw Hats are leaving this world to travel the universe, they will most likely never be back, which means they will have to say goodbye to some people forever: Sabo, Kaya, Zeff, Shirahoshi, Momonosuke, Kin’emon, Hiyori, and others. Perhaps some of the Straw Hats will choose to stay as well. Brook’s journey, for example, is closely tied to Laboon, for whom I don’t think it will be possible to leave the planet.

And there you have it. That’s how I think One Piece ends. And a few years later, we will have the introduction of “One Piece Super”, a sequel featuring the adventures of Luffy in space. 😄

Credits for a good portion of this theory goes to this YouTuber:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkblxS5G3MA&t=678s

I recommend that you watch his video if you wish to see a further elaboration of some of the points I raised here. But it’s important to note that I do not agree with his theory on what the One Piece is – only with the portion of the video dedicated to the nature of Luffy’s dream. Click here if you want to see my theory on what the One Piece is:

https://www.reddit.com/r/onepiecetheories/comments/1uy9v45/i_figued_out_what_the_one_piece_is/

Finally, of course, I am aware that this is hardly the first time that the “Luffy wants to go to space” idea has been brought up, but I wanted to give my own elaboration of that theory.

What is Luffy’s dream? The first thing we have to consider is that Luffy was only seven years old when he told his dream to Ace and Sabo. Moreover, when Roger tells that same dream to Whitebeard, Whitebeard laughs and asks him if he is a child. Therefore, we can conclude that there is something peculiarly childlike about this dream.

What could possibly a seven-year-old child dream about? To answer that question, we need only ask ourselves: what do children in general dream about? What did you, yourself, dream about when you were seven? And perhaps the most common answer children give is, that’s right, to be an astronaut.  To explore the universe. But before we get to Luffy, it’s important to establish why that specific dream is something that fascinates kids so much. And the answer is probably that they feel incredible wonder and curiosity at the prospect of exploring the infinite vastness of the space they observe above them. They are attracted by the awesome mystery that the universe is. This brings us to Luffy. I contend that nothing except the apparent infinitude of the universe and the endless opportunities for exploration it provides can possibly satisfy Luffy’s immense drive for freedom. The dream to travel and explore the infinite universe is the perfect encapsulation of Luffy’s boundless desire to be free. To be clear, I am not just saying that Luffy wants to “go to space” (Enel already did that); I am saying that he wants to travel the whole universe.

To back this idea up, we will look at the reactions of the Straw Hats as Luffy tells them his dream.

https://preview.redd.it/jypws6remtgh1.png?width=157&format=png&auto=webp&s=d741934208b9053a514bb087b538f6e5a3c27ce6

That’s Chopper after hearing Luffy’s dream. This is kind of a typical Chopper reaction whenever he hears something futuristic, like things about robots and such. And of course, it makes sense, because for Luffy to realize his dream, he will most likely need some kind of cool futuristic spaceship.

https://preview.redd.it/wznhkw7jmtgh1.png?width=84&format=png&auto=webp&s=8c7e7f471413464e7df9656006de6ffb79f04c5c

This is Franky’s reaction. He loves it. Nothing strange about it, right? Well, not all the Straw Hats immediately loved the dream. Some thought he was crazy, some were bewildered, some looked worried, some thought it was impossible. But if my assumptions about Luffy’s dream are correct, this reaction is exactly what we would expect from a man so much in love with technology and science.

https://preview.redd.it/gx86v6wnmtgh1.png?width=73&format=png&auto=webp&s=54dd4ae137d8d8765547b20343920b2768879247

Nami has kind of a worried look on her face. Probably because (if this theory is true) she knows she will have to be the navigator on this next grand journey.

Usopp insists that it’s an impossible dream, Sanji thinks Luffy needs his head checked, Brook is amused so much that he laughs himself to tears. All of these reactions make perfect sense if Luffy said something as outrageous as wanting to travel the whole universe, when presently there doesn’t exist any known technology that could make that dream a reality. On the other hand, these reactions don’t really make sense if he just wants to make “the world’s biggest party” as is popularly believed. While that would be a challenge to pull off, it’s not nearly enough “out there” to warrant this sort of bewildering reaction.

We move on to the next argument. We know that during the Void Century, there existed an ancient kingdom which surpassed Egghead in the scientific/technological department. Now, it’s important to note that only the content of a single century was erased from history (the so-called Void Century). Everything before and after that is publicly available knowledge. From this, we can deduce that the technology that existed before the Void Century is not something that should be unknown or unattainable to the people living in that world. What does this mean? It means that somehow, during the Void Century, this kingdom went from a technological level that was at best on the level the One Piece world currently is (but most likely, significantly lower, because this was 900 years ago), to a level that surpassed Egghead, which is the absolute scientific pinnacle of everything we have seen in the series. How did this happen? I essentially see only two options. The first option is that the citizens of this kingdom accomplished this on their own, through their own efforts. Going from a technological level from 900 years ago to a level surpassing that of Egghead. By themselves. Through sheer will and talent. I see this idea as extremely implausible, borderline impossible.

And thus, to quote the most popular detective in fiction, once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. And this “improbable”, but the only remaining logical option, is that this technology that the ancient kingdom possessed is extraterrestrial in origin. We already know that aliens exist in One Piece, so this is not as absurd as it might strike you at first glance. I contend that, at present, this is the best explanation we possess to account for the technological level of the ancient kingdom.

But where am I going with this? What does this have to do with Luffy’s dream? Simply, you have to ask yourself, what would be the narrative purpose of incorporating the concept of extraterrestrial technology into the story? What’s the endgame there? Is it just because it’s cool? Because it’ll make Franky and Chopper happy?

I submit to you, that the best reason that explains why Oda would come up with something like that is that it’s all a build-up for the conclusion of Luffy’s character arc and the ending of One Piece, which will involve locating or constructing a spaceship of some sort, which will lead Luffy and friends into their ultimate journey through space (on a purely speculative note, it is possible that the Mother Flame’s real purpose is to be a fuel with an effectively limitless supply in order to make travelling through space possible).

Which leads to one of my final points. All of this so far may not be particularly convincing to you. It might strike you as speculation. But then, just ask yourself: what is the logical conclusion of Luffy’s character arc? He will circumnavigate the planet, become the Pirate King, and then what? Then comes the final war. He defeats the World Government, Imu, Blackbeard, and then what? Then he throws the “world’s biggest party”, and then what? Luffy just retires? He goes back to the East Blue and becomes a fisherman? He marries Hancock, has children, and goes on to live a quiet, mundane life? No, we all know very well that that’s not Luffy.

The only thing that makes sense, the only thing that accounts for Luffy’s characteristic drive for freedom and adventure, is that his journey does not end when the series does. In fact, the ending is just the beginning of another journey. But since he will have already circumnavigated the planet by this point, the only place he has yet to explore is the universe.

That’s how I think Luffy’s character arc will conclude. But what is the evidence for this, and how will One Piece itself end? I think the key clues to this are the final verses of “Binks’ Sake”:

Never-Ending,

Ever-wandering,

Our funny Traveling tale!

 If the journey is “never ending”, how can that be if the journey ends once Luffy circumnavigates the planet? How can the “wandering” be endless if it ends once the series does?

The answer is that the journey doesn’t end there. The series ends with Luffy and most, if not all, of the Straw Hats departing for the next adventure. But there is also a bittersweet element to this, because, as one of the concluding verses of “Binks’ Sake” also says:

Waving our goodbyes, we'll never meet again!

If the Straw Hats are leaving this world to travel the universe, they will most likely never be back, which means they will have to say goodbye to some people forever: Sabo, Kaya, Zeff, Shirahoshi, Momonosuke, Kin’emon, Hiyori, and others. Perhaps some of the Straw Hats will choose to stay as well. Brook’s journey, for example, is closely tied to Laboon, for whom I don’t think it will be possible to leave the planet.

And there you have it. That’s how I think One Piece ends. And a few years later, we will have the introduction of “One Piece Super”, a sequel featuring the adventures of Luffy in space. 😄

Credits for a good portion of this theory goes to this YouTuber:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkblxS5G3MA&t=678s

I recommend that you watch his video if you wish to see a further elaboration of some of the points I raised here. But it’s important to note that I do not agree with his theory on what the One Piece is – only with the portion of the video dedicated to the nature of Luffy’s dream. Click here if you want to see my theory on what the One Piece is:

https://www.reddit.com/r/onepiecetheories/comments/1uy9v45/i_figued_out_what_the_one_piece_is/

Finally, of course, I am aware that this is hardly the first time that the “Luffy wants to go to space” idea has been brought up, but I wanted to give my own elaboration of that theory.

I’m going to say right from the get-go, I think that Laugh Tale is located in the “left eye” of Jaya. I’m going to guide you through the logic and arguments that led me to this conclusion.

 

I will start things off by pointing your attention to something we already know - the “right eye” of Jaya turned out to contain Shandora - the City of Gold. I think that immediately begs the question: what’s in the “left eye”?

If Oda made one eye of the skull hide something as significant as Shandora, isn't it possible that the other eye also hides something equally important?

Oda rarely builds symbolism like this without giving both sides meaning. Even if it isn’t Laugh Tale, I contend that the “left eye” necessarily must also contain something important. However, we’re too close to the end of the story for there to be time for a build-up for something other than Laugh Tale.

 

What is the significance of Jaya? Why would Oda, of all places, choose to put the ultimate treasure there? Jaya, as it turns out, has immense narrative significance.  It is the place where Luffy and Blackbeard first met.  

These are the two pirates who ultimately stand as the greatest contenders for the One Piece.

If Laugh Tale is connected to Jaya, then it would mean Oda introduced the final rivalry at the very place where the final destination has been hiding all along.

That would be classic Oda.

 

The next thing we will consider is the importance of Mock Town – the first place the Straw Hats arrive at when they come to Jaya.

Why is that important? Mock Town functions as a motif of negation. Consider the scene where Vegapunk reveals the truth about the world which had sunk into the sea—as he is saying this, we are shown (among other places), the pirates of Mock Town laughing at his message.

It exists to ridicule what is ultimately true, thereby reaffirming the convictions of those who continue believing despite the mockery.

When the Straw Hats arrive there, they firmly believe in the existence of the Sky Island, but Luffy is mercilessly ridiculed by Bellamy and his crew. However, this is important:  Bellamy doesn't merely laugh at the existence of the Sky Island.

He says:

"The City of Gold? The Emerald City? The secret treasure, One Piece?"

Notice how Oda deliberately groups these myths together.

Later, the City of Gold is proven to be completely real—and it was hidden inside the right eye of Jaya.

If one impossible legend turned out to be true...

Could the other legendary treasure be hidden in the left eye?

https://preview.redd.it/9c11zsalvzeh1.png?width=309&format=png&auto=webp&s=04ff462c0f6312668c71a82bd603870b7dcd09c1

Now, I would like you to look at this picture above.

 

The “right eye” was blasted into the sky, where the City of Gold remained hidden for centuries. And as you can see, the “left eye” looks like a gulf. Is that coincidental, or has Laugh Tale sunk into the ocean? As you know, many great theories suggest that Laugh Tale might be under the ocean. Let’s take a moment to look at the words Roger uses at his execution when he talks about where he left the treasure. When Roger says 'Soko ni oite kita' (I left it all there), the word 'Soko' (そこ) is typically translated as 'there'. However, in Japanese, 'Soko' (底) is also a homophone that literally means 'bottom', 'floor', or 'depths' (like the ocean floor). Given Oda’s love for wordplay, Roger saying he left everything 'soko ni' could be a massive double entendre meaning 'at the bottom' or 'down there'. 

If it’s not entirely beneath the sea, it’s possible that most of it is.

If true, that would be the perfect inversion. The “right eye” was lifted to the sky island, while the “left eye” hides the world’s greatest treasure beneath the sea.

 

Another inversion already established in the One Piece fandom is the one between Noland and Roger. Both of them found treasures of supreme worth. And both of them were executed in the same manner afterwards. But the inversion becomes apparent as we observe their reactions as they were publicly executed. Noland died in despair because the truth couldn't be proven, while Roger smiled after (if I’m right) he discovered the truth of the “left eye”.

https://preview.redd.it/09lxrqapvzeh1.png?width=492&format=png&auto=webp&s=8c0f03215de3b6c6048b9a49ebb9952ad2eed50b

The next thing that we’ll consider is visual symbolism.

The Road Poneglyphs work by marking four separate locations. By connecting all four points, their paths ultimately reveal the location of Laugh Tale.

If that intersection were located on Jaya, something interesting happens.

Jaya itself is shaped like a skull.

In other words, the final destination of the world's greatest treasure would literally be found at the center of a giant Jolly Roger (a skull with crossed bones).

Considering how much Oda loves long-term thematic payoffs, that would be an incredibly fitting reveal.

 

One of the final things I’ll leave you to ponder is this: it may be just linguistic coincidence, but what if it could be a cryptic message left by Oda?

Laugh Tale -> left eye.

Sounds quite similar, doesn’t it?

 

Finally, a picture speaks more than a thousand words:

https://preview.redd.it/l2qva4evvzeh1.png?width=509&format=png&auto=webp&s=8f6699548f0f7a84923632d3e588941620a3577f

Before finally concluding this, I will address one potential objection that one could raise. Namely, Laugh Tale is supposed to be impossible to locate with a Log Pose. But if this theory is true, there’s a perfectly fitting explanation for that: the “left eye” is a part of Jaya and therefore, part of Jaya's magnetic field. The needle can't point towards Laugh Tale specifically because it already points towards Jaya.

 

Appendix: What is the One Piece?

 

I’ve argued elsewhere that the One Piece is a Tone Dial, containing a message which Joy Boy recorded. A message about his life journey.  There are many clues and hints that point to that possibility, but here I will just mention one, because it is directly relevant to what I’ve been arguing here.

Jaya is shaped like a skull, and as I’ve argued here, the greatest treasure in the world might be located inside the skull. The right eye used to contain the city of gold, the left eye contains the One Piece. In other words, enormous treasure is contained inside the skull.

There’s one more place in the series where something precious is hidden inside a certain other skull.

That’s right, Brook. At the end of Thriller Bark, what does Brook pull out from his skull? A Tone Dial.

While that, on its own, may not strike you as particularly convincing, when you realize that we have other, powerful, independent reasons to think that the One Piece is a Tone Dial, then the “Brook argument” becomes harder to ignore.

 

This is not the first time this theory (about Laugh Tale) has been proposed on the internet, but I’ve never seen it elaborated properly before. This text was an attempt to fix that.

I will leave you with this.

https://preview.redd.it/zjtq4ci6wzeh1.png?width=227&format=png&auto=webp&s=bf130785d847ab8934f8761f91a7620cba46284e

This is the mouth in the skull-like depiction of Jaya. What do you think the animal-like creatures on it represent? How do you think that could potentially be connected to the theory I presented above? Do you perhaps have a theory of your own that explains this?

I’m going to say right from the get-go, I think that Laugh Tale is located in the “left eye” of Jaya. I’m going to guide you through the logic and arguments that led me to this conclusion.

 

I will start things off by pointing your attention to something we already know - the “right eye” of Jaya turned out to contain Shandora - the City of Gold. I think that immediately begs the question: what’s in the “left eye”?

If Oda made one eye of the skull hide something as significant as Shandora, isn't it possible that the other eye also hides something equally important?

Oda rarely builds symbolism like this without giving both sides meaning. Even if it isn’t Laugh Tale, I contend that the “left eye” necessarily must also contain something important. However, we’re too close to the end of the story for there to be time for a build-up for something other than Laugh Tale.

 

What is the significance of Jaya? Why would Oda, of all places, choose to put the ultimate treasure there? Jaya, as it turns out, has immense narrative significance.  It is the place where Luffy and Blackbeard first met.  

These are the two pirates who ultimately stand as the greatest contenders for the One Piece.

If Laugh Tale is connected to Jaya, then it would mean Oda introduced the final rivalry at the very place where the final destination has been hiding all along.

That would be classic Oda.

 

The next thing we will consider is the importance of Mock Town – the first place the Straw Hats arrive at when they come to Jaya.

Why is that important? Mock Town functions as a motif of negation. Consider the scene where Vegapunk reveals the truth about the world which had sunk into the sea—as he is saying this, we are shown (among other places), the pirates of Mock Town laughing at his message.

It exists to ridicule what is ultimately true, thereby reaffirming the convictions of those who continue believing despite the mockery.

When the Straw Hats arrive there, they firmly believe in the existence of the Sky Island, but Luffy is mercilessly ridiculed by Bellamy and his crew. However, this is important:  Bellamy doesn't merely laugh at the existence of the Sky Island.

He says:

"The City of Gold? The Emerald City? The secret treasure, One Piece?"

Notice how Oda deliberately groups these myths together.

Later, the City of Gold is proven to be completely real—and it was hidden inside the right eye of Jaya.

If one impossible legend turned out to be true...

Could the other legendary treasure be hidden in the left eye?

https://preview.redd.it/zatfqah1tzeh1.png?width=309&format=png&auto=webp&s=2eba7d1f06c5bd5a71e6b2da8a008f9555d02c4d

Now, I would like you to look at this picture above.

 

The “right eye” was blasted into the sky, where the City of Gold remained hidden for centuries. And as you can see, the “left eye” looks like a gulf. Is that coincidental, or has Laugh Tale sunk into the ocean? As you know, many great theories suggest that Laugh Tale might be under the ocean. Let’s take a moment to look at the words Roger uses at his execution when he talks about where he left the treasure. When Roger says 'Soko ni oite kita' (I left it all there), the word 'Soko' (そこ) is typically translated as 'there'. However, in Japanese, 'Soko' (底) is also a homophone that literally means 'bottom', 'floor', or 'depths' (like the ocean floor). Given Oda’s love for wordplay, Roger saying he left everything 'soko ni' could be a massive double entendre meaning 'at the bottom' or 'down there'. 

If it’s not entirely beneath the sea, it’s possible that most of it is.

If true, that would be the perfect inversion. The “right eye” was lifted to the sky island, while the “left eye” hides the world’s greatest treasure beneath the sea.

 

Another inversion already established in the One Piece fandom is the one between Noland and Roger. Both of them found treasures of supreme worth. And both of them were executed in the same manner afterwards. But the inversion becomes apparent as we observe their reactions as they were publicly executed. Noland died in despair because the truth couldn't be proven, while Roger smiled after (if I’m right) he discovered the truth of the “left eye”.

https://preview.redd.it/ug40sky5tzeh1.png?width=492&format=png&auto=webp&s=d536be54599fd18be752cade1684b4dbbc0bf289

The next thing that we’ll consider is visual symbolism.

The Road Poneglyphs work by marking four separate locations. By connecting all four points, their paths ultimately reveal the location of Laugh Tale.

If that intersection were located on Jaya, something interesting happens.

Jaya itself is shaped like a skull.

In other words, the final destination of the world's greatest treasure would literally be found at the center of a giant Jolly Roger (a skull with crossed bones).

Considering how much Oda loves long-term thematic payoffs, that would be an incredibly fitting reveal.

 

One of the final things I’ll leave you to ponder is this: it may be just linguistic coincidence, but what if it could be a cryptic message left by Oda?

Laugh Tale -> left eye.

Sounds quite similar, doesn’t it?

 

Finally, a picture speaks more than a thousand words:

https://preview.redd.it/a0r6y91ftzeh1.png?width=509&format=png&auto=webp&s=30a33b7b632be494b632b00342bc9fad30127792

Before finally concluding this, I will address one potential objection that one could raise. Namely, Laugh Tale is supposed to be impossible to locate with a Log Pose. But if this theory is true, there’s a perfectly fitting explanation for that: the “left eye” is a part of Jaya and therefore, part of Jaya's magnetic field. The needle can't point towards Laugh Tale specifically because it already points towards Jaya.

 

Appendix: What is the One Piece?

 

I’ve argued elsewhere that the One Piece is a Tone Dial, containing a message which Joy Boy recorded. A message about his life journey.  There are many clues and hints that point to that possibility, but here I will just mention one, because it is directly relevant to what I’ve been arguing here.

Jaya is shaped like a skull, and as I’ve argued here, the greatest treasure in the world might be located inside the skull. The right eye used to contain the city of gold, the left eye contains the One Piece. In other words, enormous treasure is contained inside the skull.

There’s one more place in the series where something precious is hidden inside a certain other skull.

That’s right, Brook. At the end of Thriller Bark, what does Brook pull out from his skull? A Tone Dial.

While that, on its own, may not strike you as particularly convincing, when you realize that we have other, powerful, independent reasons to think that the One Piece is a Tone Dial, then the “Brook argument” becomes harder to ignore.

 

This is not the first time this theory (about Laugh Tale) has been proposed on the internet, but I’ve never seen it elaborated properly before. This text was an attempt to fix that.

I will leave you with this.

https://preview.redd.it/tfk6f3myuzeh1.png?width=227&format=png&auto=webp&s=cafb1074b8e25bf0b22a3594a560b04e33ae1913

This is the mouth in the skull-like depiction of Jaya. What do you think the animal-like creatures on it represent? How do you think that could potentially be connected to the theory I presented above? Do you perhaps have a theory of your own that explains this?

 I’m going to say right from the get-go, I think that Laugh Tale is located in the “left eye” of Jaya. I’m going to guide you through the logic and arguments that led me to this conclusion.

 

I will start things off by pointing your attention to something we already know - the “right eye” of Jaya turned out to contain Shandora - the City of Gold. I think that immediately begs the question: what’s in the “left eye”?

If Oda made one eye of the skull hide something as significant as Shandora, isn't it possible that the other eye also hides something equally important?

Oda rarely builds symbolism like this without giving both sides meaning. Even if it isn’t Laugh Tale, I contend that the “left eye” necessarily must also contain something important. However, we’re too close to the end of the story for there to be time for a build-up for something other than Laugh Tale.

 

What is the significance of Jaya? Why would Oda, of all places, choose to put the ultimate treasure there? Jaya, as it turns out, has immense narrative significance.  It is the place where Luffy and Blackbeard first met.  

These are the two pirates who ultimately stand as the greatest contenders for the One Piece.

If Laugh Tale is connected to Jaya, then it would mean Oda introduced the final rivalry at the very place where the final destination has been hiding all along.

That would be classic Oda.

 

The next thing we will consider is the importance of Mock Town – the first place the Straw Hats arrive at when they come to Jaya.

Why is that important? Mock Town functions as a motif of negation. Consider the scene where Vegapunk reveals the truth about the world which had sunk into the sea—as he is saying this, we are shown (among other places), the pirates of Mock Town laughing at his message.

It exists to ridicule what is ultimately true, thereby reaffirming the convictions of those who continue believing despite the mockery.

When the Straw Hats arrive there, they firmly believe in the existence of the Sky Island, but Luffy is mercilessly ridiculed by Bellamy and his crew. However, this is important:  Bellamy doesn't merely laugh at the existence of the Sky Island.

He says:

"The City of Gold? The Emerald City? The secret treasure, One Piece?"

Notice how Oda deliberately groups these myths together.

Later, the City of Gold is proven to be completely real—and it was hidden inside the right eye of Jaya.

If one impossible legend turned out to be true...

Could the other legendary treasure be hidden in the left eye?

https://preview.redd.it/2p0mu7gepzeh1.png?width=492&format=png&auto=webp&s=dfedcbbf07249404d8a85e4d8d7ffaef44207a90

Now, I would like you to look at this picture above.

 

The “right eye” was blasted into the sky, where the City of Gold remained hidden for centuries. And as you can see, the “left eye” looks like a gulf. Is that coincidental, or has Laugh Tale sunk into the ocean? As you know, many great theories suggest that Laugh Tale might be under the ocean. Let’s take a moment to look at the words Roger uses at his execution when he talks about where he left the treasure. When Roger says 'Soko ni oite kita' (I left it all there), the word 'Soko' (そこ) is typically translated as 'there'. However, in Japanese, 'Soko' (底) is also a homophone that literally means 'bottom', 'floor', or 'depths' (like the ocean floor). Given Oda’s love for wordplay, Roger saying he left everything 'soko ni' could be a massive double entendre meaning 'at the bottom' or 'down there'. 

If it’s not entirely beneath the sea, it’s possible that most of it is.

If true, that would be the perfect inversion. The “right eye” was lifted to the sky island, while the “left eye” hides the world’s greatest treasure beneath the sea.

 Another inversion already established in the One Piece fandom is the one between Noland and Roger. Both of them found treasures of supreme worth. And both of them were executed in the same manner afterwards. But the inversion becomes apparent as we observe their reactions as they were publicly executed. Noland died in despair because the truth couldn't be proven, while Roger smiled after (if I’m right) he discovered the truth of the “left eye”.

https://preview.redd.it/dqpdaipqpzeh1.png?width=492&format=png&auto=webp&s=021362bd0f745573b5baad1e11a90ca32ffc0d8e

The next thing that we’ll consider is visual symbolism.

The Road Poneglyphs work by marking four separate locations. By connecting all four points, their paths ultimately reveal the location of Laugh Tale.

If that intersection were located on Jaya, something interesting happens.

Jaya itself is shaped like a skull.

In other words, the final destination of the world's greatest treasure would literally be found at the center of a giant Jolly Roger (a skull with crossed bones).

Considering how much Oda loves long-term thematic payoffs, that would be an incredibly fitting reveal.

 

One of the final things I’ll leave you to ponder is this: it may be just linguistic coincidence, but what if it could be a cryptic message left by Oda?

Laugh Tale -> left eye.

Sounds quite similar, doesn’t it?

 

Finally, a picture speaks more than a thousand words:

https://preview.redd.it/0pi5e4fvpzeh1.png?width=509&format=png&auto=webp&s=f7bbafa6eb319e47f3d58ed86543ed5b07a495d9

Before finally concluding this, I will address one potential objection that one could raise. Namely, Laugh Tale is supposed to be impossible to locate with a Log Pose. But if this theory is true, there’s a perfectly fitting explanation for that: the “left eye” is a part of Jaya and therefore, part of Jaya's magnetic field. The needle can't point towards Laugh Tale specifically because it already points towards Jaya.

 

Appendix: What is the One Piece?

 

I’ve argued elsewhere that the One Piece is a Tone Dial, containing a message which Joy Boy recorded. A message about his life journey.  There are many clues and hints that point to that possibility, but here I will just mention one, because it is directly relevant to what I’ve been arguing here.

Jaya is shaped like a skull, and as I’ve argued here, the greatest treasure in the world might be located inside the skull. The right eye used to contain the city of gold, the left eye contains the One Piece. In other words, enormous treasure is contained inside the skull.

There’s one more place in the series where something precious is hidden inside a certain other skull.

That’s right, Brook. At the end of Thriller Bark, what does Brook pull out from his skull? A Tone Dial.

While that, on its own, may not strike you as particularly convincing, when you realize that we have other, powerful, independent reasons to think that the One Piece is a Tone Dial, then the “Brook argument” becomes harder to ignore.

 

This is not the first time this theory (about Laugh Tale) has been proposed on the internet, but I’ve never seen it elaborated properly before. This text was an attempt to fix that.

Disclaimer: the following analysis contains spoilers for the nature of the One Piece treasure. This doesn't mean that this post contains references to anything past the Wano arc, so anime-onlies are safe. However, it is possible that reading this theory may reduce the enjoyment you will feel once the mystery gets revealed in the series. Read at your own risk.

With that out of the way, let's begin.

Whatever the One Piece is, I contend that it cannot be something that for which there exist no prior hints, clues and foreshadowing. Every decent artist leaves hints to the reader so he can put the puzzle pieces together by himself before final reveal. Even if the reader doesn't figure it out, on a reread of the manga after the series has concluded, he can have a moment of "Aha! The clues were there all along, I just wasn't paying enough attention". The final mystery cannot be something that's retroactively explained with no prior hints. While it could be argued that Oha has done retcons before, he will not do that for the mystery among mysteries of his series. This is something he has been planning since nearly 30 years ago, and if you have any faith at all that he is a decent artist, it must be the case that the reveal will not be something that will feel like it came out of nowhere.

This text will focus on exactly that: clues, hints, logic and symbolism. I will begin, however, with a short thematic analysis.

One of the very first themes Oda establishes in One Piece is that not everyone means the same thing when they say the word "treasure." This is reflected through the philosophical divide between Luffy and Buggy, depicted through their conversation about this very topic in Orange Town.

For Buggy, treasure is exactly what you'd expect: gold, jewels, wealth, pearls, something tangible.

For Luffy, his greatest treasure is a simple straw hat.

For Chouchou, it was a pet shop left behind by his owner.

From the very beginning, Oda quietly tells us that treasure is not objective. Its value depends entirely on the person searching for it. The relevance of this conclusion will become slowly apparent as we progress through this analysis.

So, let's cut to the chase and examine probably the most important clue with regards to the nature of the One Piece that we have from the series: the reaction of Roger as he "interacted" with the treasure. As we all know, he laughed. He laughed to tears. He referred to the treasure as a "tale full of laughs".

Several things to note. First, Roger doesn't react like he discovered an inanimate object, a historical record, or an ancient weapon. He reacts as though he had met someone. He says: "Joyboy, I wish I'd been born in your era". He laughs, cries and regrets that he hadn't been born in the same era as Joyboy. That sounds as though Roger had a real, personal interaction with him. It sounds like someone who spent time with another human being.

Another thing to note is that the One Piece is referred to as a "tale". A tale full of laughs. Hence the name Roger gave the island. There's only a handful of ways someone can tell a "tale" to another person.

So we learn two important things. First, Roger speaks as though he actually met Joyboy. Second, he speaks as though he heard a story from him.

So how does Roger "meet" a man that died 800 years ago and hear a tale from him? Some people assume that he left behind a written message. The problem with that is that this would be infinitely boring to someone like Luffy, and Oda has repeatedly stated that the final treasure will be something rewarding to the main character. And it doesn't account for the deeply personal reaction that Roger has upon interacting with the One Piece.

This leads me to the main point of this analysis. So, without beating around the bush for any longer:

I think the One Piece is a Tone Dial.

A Tone Dial containing a story which Joy Boy recorded.

While this is not the first time this theory has been brought up on the internet, this analysis differs from previous attempts in two ways. First, I do not claim that this is merely a vague possibility, I am claiming that this is the only logical conclusion one can arrive at when you examine Roger's reaction as well as the foreshadowing and symbolism that we'll get to in a minute. Second, I feel that this theory has never been elaborated on properly before.

Think about what Tone Dials actually do.

They preserve voices across time. They allow people long gone to speak to future generations. In other words, they are the only mechanism in One Piece that can create a direct connection between people separated by centuries.

Now look at the symbolism Oda keeps repeating.

Jaya is shaped like a skull.

According to Noland's journal, the City of Gold—-which effectively can be seen as a treasure (Noland's men even refer to it as a "city of treasure")--is located inside the skull (the right eye of the skull).

Where else do we find a skull hiding something precious?

Brook.

And what is hidden inside Brook's skull?

A Tone Dial.

What is recorded on that Tone Dial? The song "Binks' Sake".

Not just any song.

The song which has generated perhaps some of the most popular and well-respected theories about Joy Boy, the Void Century and the ending of the series. In fact, there is even somewhat of a consensus among One Piece theorists that Binks' Sake is an allegorical story about Joyboy and his life journey. If I am correct, and the One Piece is a Tone Dial containing the narration of Joyboy's life from his mouth, then the fact Brook's Tone Dial is a poetic retelling of that same life corroborates my thesis further.

There's another piece of symbolism that feels oddly fitting.

Tone Dials are shells.

And throughout mythology and literature, shells are often associated with pearls—treasures hidden inside something ordinary.

If Oda wanted to hide the world's greatest treasure inside a shell, it would be strangely poetic. And to go even further, there's yet another layer to this. Hold a shell to your ear, and people often say you can hear the sea. The sea is one of the most powerful and universal symbols of freedom. And freedom is the goal Luffy is ultimately after.

Now, in the opening passage I mentioned Buggy and Luffy's diverse philosophies on what treasure is. It's time to dive into that a little more. There's a popular theory in the fandom that I personally subscribe to:

Buggy will be the first person to reach Laugh Tale.

At first, it sounds ridiculous.

But then you remember Buggy's entire story.

He accidentally became a Shichibukai.

He accidentally became an Emperor.

His entire career has been one long joke where luck repeatedly elevates him to positions he never earned.

Narratively, accidentally becoming the "Pirate King" before Luffy almost feels like the logical conclusion of that running gag.

And Oda loves ironic inversions. He constantly mirrors characters and flips expectations.

Roger smiled at his execution and inspired the world.

Noland cried at his execution while telling the truth, yet history remembered him as a liar.

So what if Roger's laughter on Laugh Tale is mirrored by Buggy's disappointment?

Roger laughs.

Buggy's face shows utter disappointment (think Robin, Franky and Usopp when they learn Luffy had been defeated by Kaido).

Because Buggy is searching for the wrong kind of treasure.

One thing I think many theories get wrong is that they assume the One Piece has to be something overwhelmingly grand on the surface.

A world-ending weapon.

The mechanism that destroys the Red Line.

A mythical artifact.

The equivalent of Excalibur waiting to be pulled from the stone.

But that's not how Oda usually writes.

Oda loves taking ordinary, almost laughably simple objects and revealing extraordinary meaning hidden beneath them.

A straw hat isn't just a hat.

A pirate flag isn't just a flag.

A poneglyph isn't just a stone.

A simple song isn't just a song.

Their significance isn't obvious at first glance—it unfolds as the story unfolds.

That's why I don't think the One Piece has to look spectacular.

In fact, I think its apparent simplicity could be exactly what makes the final revelation so powerful.

The greatest treasure in the world might be something that appears almost mundane... until you understand what it truly contains.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Appendix: The Voice of All things

The following is admittedly the most speculative part of the theory.

Although Buggy is drawn primarily by gold, wealth and other material treasure, that doesn't quite fully explain why he would be as disappointed as I theorize.

Even Buggy would surely realize the significance of hearing the true history of the world.

Unless...

What the One Piece Tone Dial contains isn't a recording that just anyone can hear.

We already know that certain individuals like Luffy possess the Voice of All Things, a mysterious ability that has never been fully explained.

Could Joy Boy's final message have been left in such a way that only those capable of hearing the Voice of All Things can truly receive it?

If so, Buggy could reach Laugh Tale first and find... silence.

Then Luffy arrives.

And finally, 25 years after Roger first arrived on Laugh Tale, Joy Boy's voice is finally heard again.

But there is a potential problem with the "Voice of All Things" aspect of this theory. Namely, the fact that Roger's crewmates, other than Oden, were able to interact with the One Piece treasure. In defense of the theory, we could say that, perhaps, it's not impossible that someone who has "The Voice of All Things" can somehow share this ability with the people who are around him. If that seems like a stretch to you - that's fine, this is not an essential piece of the puzzle. It is also possible that Buggy may arrive at the island, but will be unable to interact with the treasure for reasons currently unknown to us.

That would be all, folks. Thanks for reading this.

Credits for this theory (the whole thing) goes to my friend. He figured all this out all the way back in 2020, right after Chapter 967 was released (the one where Roger reaches Laugh Tale). The only reason why he didn't publish this on the internet earlier is that he was concerned that, if the message somehow reached Oda, he would change his mind. However, as the years passed, he realized that Oda will not change his mystery of mysteries just because of an internet theory.

On a final note, while we are confident in the truth of this theory, we do not mean to come across as arrogant. Although these are the conclusions we've reached, we encourage you to post any differing interpretations that you might have in the comments down below.

Disclaimer: the following analysis contains spoilers for the nature of the One Piece treasure. This doesn't mean that this post contains references to anything past the Wano arc, so anime-onlies are safe. However, it is possible that reading this theory may reduce the enjoyment you will feel once the mystery gets revealed in the series. Read at your own risk.

With that out of the way, let's begin.

Whatever the One Piece is, I contend that it cannot be something that for which there exist no prior hints, clues and foreshadowing. Every decent artist leaves hints to the reader so he can put the puzzle pieces together by himself before final reveal. Even if the reader doesn't figure it out, on a reread of the manga after the series has concluded, he can have a moment of "Aha! The clues were there all along, I just wasn't paying enough attention". The final mystery cannot be something that's retroactively explained with no prior hints. While it could be argued that Oha has done retcons before, he will not do that for the mystery among mysteries of his series. This is something he has been planning since nearly 30 years ago, and if you have any faith at all that he is a decent artist, it must be the case that the reveal will not be something that will feel like it came out of nowhere.

This text will focus on exactly that: clues, hints, logic and symbolism. I will begin, however, with a short thematic analysis.

One of the very first themes Oda establishes in One Piece is that not everyone means the same thing when they say the word "treasure." This is reflected through the philosophical divide between Luffy and Buggy, depicted through their conversation about this very topic in Orange Town.

For Buggy, treasure is exactly what you'd expect: gold, jewels, wealth, pearls, something tangible.

For Luffy, his greatest treasure is a simple straw hat.

For Chouchou, it was a pet shop left behind by his owner.

From the very beginning, Oda quietly tells us that treasure is not objective. Its value depends entirely on the person searching for it. The relevance of this conclusion will become slowly apparent as we progress through this analysis.

So, let's cut to the chase and examine probably the most important clue with regards to the nature of the One Piece that we have from the series: the reaction of Roger as he "interacted" with the treasure. As we all know, he laughed. He laughed to tears. He referred to the treasure as a "tale full of laughs".

Several things to note. First, Roger doesn't react like he discovered an inanimate object, a historical record, or an ancient weapon. He reacts as though he had met someone. He says: "Joyboy, I wish I'd been born in your era". He laughs, cries and regrets that he hadn't been born in the same era as Joyboy. That sounds as though Roger had a real, personal interaction with him. It sounds like someone who spent time with another human being.

Another thing to note is that the One Piece is referred to as a "tale". A tale full of laughs. Hence the name Roger gave the island. There's only a handful of ways someone can tell a "tale" to another person.

So we learn two important things. First, Roger speaks as though he actually met Joyboy. Second, he speaks as though he heard a story from him.

So how does Roger "meet" a man that died 800 years ago and hear a tale from him? Some people assume that he left behind a written message. The problem with that is that this would be infinitely boring to someone like Luffy, and Oda has repeatedly stated that the final treasure will be something rewarding to the main character. And it doesn't account for the deeply personal reaction that Roger has upon interacting with the One Piece.

This leads me to the main point of this analysis. So, without beating around the bush for any longer:

I think the One Piece is a Tone Dial.

A Tone Dial containing a story which Joy Boy recorded.

While this is not the first time this theory has been brought up on the internet, this analysis differs from previous attempts in two ways. First, I do not claim that this is merely a vague possibility, I am claiming that this is the only logical conclusion one can arrive at when you examine Roger's reaction as well as the foreshadowing and symbolism that we'll get to in a minute. Second, I feel that this theory has never been elaborated on properly before.

Think about what Tone Dials actually do.

They preserve voices across time. They allow people long gone to speak to future generations. In other words, they are the only mechanism in One Piece that can create a direct connection between people separated by centuries.

Now look at the symbolism Oda keeps repeating.

Jaya is shaped like a skull.

According to Noland's journal, the City of Gold—-which effectively can be seen as a treasure (Noland's men even refer to it as a "city of treasure")--is located inside the skull (the right eye of the skull).

Where else do we find a skull hiding something precious?

Brook.

And what is hidden inside Brook's skull?

A Tone Dial.

What is recorded on that Tone Dial? The song "Binks' Sake".

Not just any song.

The song which has generated perhaps some of the most popular and well-respected theories about Joy Boy, the Void Century and the ending of the series. In fact, there is even somewhat of a consensus among One Piece theorists that Binks' Sake is an allegorical story about Joyboy and his life journey. If I am correct, and the One Piece is a Tone Dial containing the narration of Joyboy's life from his mouth, then the fact Brook's Tone Dial is a poetic retelling of that same life corroborates my thesis further.

There's another piece of symbolism that feels oddly fitting.

Tone Dials are shells.

And throughout mythology and literature, shells are often associated with pearls—treasures hidden inside something ordinary.

If Oda wanted to hide the world's greatest treasure inside a shell, it would be strangely poetic. And to go even further, there's yet another layer to this. Hold a shell to your ear, and people often say you can hear the sea. The sea is one of the most powerful and universal symbols of freedom. And freedom is the goal Luffy is ultimately after.

Now, in the opening passage I mentioned Buggy and Luffy's diverse philosophies on what treasure is. It's time to dive into that a little more. There's a popular theory in the fandom that I personally subscribe to:

Buggy will be the first person to reach Laugh Tale.

At first, it sounds ridiculous.

But then you remember Buggy's entire story.

He accidentally became a Shichibukai.

He accidentally became an Emperor.

His entire career has been one long joke where luck repeatedly elevates him to positions he never earned.

Narratively, accidentally becoming the "Pirate King" before Luffy almost feels like the logical conclusion of that running gag.

And Oda loves ironic inversions. He constantly mirrors characters and flips expectations.

Roger smiled at his execution and inspired the world.

Noland cried at his execution while telling the truth, yet history remembered him as a liar.

So what if Roger's laughter on Laugh Tale is mirrored by Buggy's disappointment?

Roger laughs.

Buggy's face shows utter disappointment (think Robin, Franky and Usopp when they learn Luffy had been defeated by Kaido).

Because Buggy is searching for the wrong kind of treasure.

One thing I think many theories get wrong is that they assume the One Piece has to be something overwhelmingly grand on the surface.

A world-ending weapon.

The mechanism that destroys the Red Line.

A mythical artifact.

The equivalent of Excalibur waiting to be pulled from the stone.

But that's not how Oda usually writes.

Oda loves taking ordinary, almost laughably simple objects and revealing extraordinary meaning hidden beneath them.

A straw hat isn't just a hat.

A pirate flag isn't just a flag.

A poneglyph isn't just a stone.

A simple song isn't just a song.

Their significance isn't obvious at first glance—it unfolds as the story unfolds.

That's why I don't think the One Piece has to look spectacular.

In fact, I think its apparent simplicity could be exactly what makes the final revelation so powerful.

The greatest treasure in the world might be something that appears almost mundane... until you understand what it truly contains.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Appendix: The Voice of All things

The following is admittedly the most speculative part of the theory.

Although Buggy is drawn primarily by gold, wealth and other material treasure, that doesn't quite fully explain why he would be as disappointed as I theorize.

Even Buggy would surely realize the significance of hearing the true history of the world.

Unless...

What the One Piece Tone Dial contains isn't a recording that just anyone can hear.

We already know that certain individuals like Luffy possess the Voice of All Things, a mysterious ability that has never been fully explained.

Could Joy Boy's final message have been left in such a way that only those capable of hearing the Voice of All Things can truly receive it?

If so, Buggy could reach Laugh Tale first and find... silence.

Then Luffy arrives.

And finally, 25 years after Roger first arrived on Laugh Tale, Joy Boy's voice is finally heard again.

But there is a potential problem with the "Voice of All Things" aspect of this theory. Namely, the fact that Roger's crewmates, other than Oden, were able to interact with the One Piece treasure. In defense of the theory, we could say that, perhaps, it's not impossible that someone who has "The Voice of All Things" can somehow share this ability with the people who are around him. If that seems like a stretch to you - that's fine, this is not an essential piece of the puzzle. It is also possible that Buggy may arrive at the island, but will be unable to interact with the treasure for reasons currently unknown to us.

That would be all, folks. Thanks for reading this.

Credits for this theory (the whole thing) goes to my friend. He figured all this out all the way back in 2020, right after Chapter 967 was released (the one where Roger reaches Laugh Tale). The only reason why he didn't publish this on the internet earlier is that he was concerned that, if the message somehow reached Oda, he would change his mind. However, as the years passed, he realized that Oda will not change his mystery of mysteries just because of an internet theory.

On a final note, while we are confident in the truth of this theory, we do not mean to come across as arrogant. Although these are the conclusions we've reached, we encourage you to post any differing interpretations that you might have in the comments down below.

Well?

After Seiko's flashback, Seichi says something along the lines of, that he understands now that she killed him because she was killed too. In other words, he understands that she did what she did because she also had been hurt in the past

He took care of her while she was sick. But he continues to say that he'll be "watching". Watching why? Did he want to see her get destroyed?

He took care of her.

Yet, at one point, he says something along the lines of "Die already, a shitty parent like you should just drop to hell".

And he laughs when she dies.

So I'd say... he may have forgiven her... a little, but not entirely.