15 Most Anticipated Pending Plot Lines Until One Piece Finale!

One Piece isn’t just epic; it’s an epic – or at least the manga equivalent of it. With a story so fabulous, a setting so vast, and characters so heroic, One Piece has become a dominating piece of fiction in modern otaku culture. 

With the series entering the final saga, our favorite pirates have just hit Egghead Island – Vegapunk’s island of the super-future which is actually – spoiler – the island of the past. 

The latest chapter 1065 hints that Oda is ready to get into some serious lore origins, but with the end being imminent, there are still several plot points still unresolved.  

I’ve covered the most prominent ones in my list of abandoned Wano plot points which you can read here. In today’s article, I’m going to discuss the 15 most anticipated overarching story lines still pending to be explored before the finale. 

P.S.: We all want to know who Luffy’s mother is, but I’m going to avoid speculatory questions and theories in this post and focus instead on solid plot points already raised in the story. 

15. Will Usopp surpass his father? When will Usopp meet Yasopp? What happened to the Elbaf arc?

Usopp will surpass his father Yasopp after the Straw Hat Pirates meet the Red Hair Pirates. This would have happened in Elbaf but now this One Piece plot line is still pending with the Straw Hats on Egghead Island. 

We were so sure we were going to Elbaf after Wano. We were all hyped that Usopp would finally meet the giants and get his own separate arc, become the “brave warrior of the sea” as touched up in Little Garden. 

Usopp reuniting with his dad, Yasopp and surpassing him is something that all One Piece fans have been waiting for.

Elbaf would’ve been the perfect place to see Usopp conquering his fears and rising to truly take up the mantle of God Usopp. 

14. What was the God Valley incident? 

The God Valley incident was a battle that took place 38 years ago on God Valley Island. It involved all the big guns: the Rocks Pirates, Roger Pirates, Monkey D. Garp, and the World Nobles, but we don’t know what exactly happened during it. 

Ever since chapter 1060, we know that Im is capable of wiping away entire kingdoms. It’s highly likely that Im erased God Valley to either hide some greatly guarded secret (One Piece, Sun God Nika?) or quell a rebellion. 

The God Valley incident had huge repercussions: Garp became the Hero of the Marines, Rocks was killed, Roger’s involvement was hushed, God Valley itself was wiped off the map.

Only a few veterans know of what exactly went down during that battle, and god, do I want to know. 

13. Will Zoro become the best swordsman and defeat Mihawk? 

Zoro has to become the world’s greatest swordsman by the end of the series, after he defeats Dracule Mihawk in a 1v1. 

Zoro didn’t get any backstory during the Wano arc, which is one of the most critical abandoned plot points in Wano. I still cannot believe that we didn’t get any Shimotsuki lore in the land of the samurai. 

Zoro should have gotten the Nidai Kitetsu in Wano and figured out how to create black blades before his confrontation with Mihawk, which is bound to happen soon. 

Mihawk, Crocodile, and Buggy are now part of the Cross Guild, and this Yonko crew is bound to bump into the Straw Hat Pirates sooner than later. 

Zoro’s swordsmanship has already almost reached its peak and getting a confirmation that he is the greatest swordsman in the world will be definitely worth the wait. 

12. What exactly happened during the Reverie? Who killed Cobra? Where is Sabo?

The Reverie incident has been a constant topic of debate ever since chapter 956. In chapter 1054, we found out that King Cobra indeed was killed, and the newspapers reported that he was murdered by Sabo, the Emperor of Flames. But the true story is still a secret. 

It’s obvious that the World Government is trying to frame him, but it would be nice to know the whole story. Sabo went to Mary Geoise to rescue Kuma and was apparently successful but is still on the run. 

Sabo also used Entei on Blackbeard sometime somewhere. In 1059 it’s revealed that Blackbeard went to Amazon Lily after the Reverie to steal Boa Hancock’s Devil Fruit. 

So when did Blackbeard and Sabo bump into each other? Was Blackbeard involved during the Reverie incident? What exactly happened during the ill-fated Reverie? 

11. What does Blackbeard want? What are his mysterious abilities? 

Marshall D. Teach is one of the final antagonists in One Piece. Like Luffy he dreams of being Pirate King. He’s hunting down the most powerful Devil Fruits across the seas, but after he gains all that power, what does he want to do with it? 

It’s been hinted throughout that there is something strange going on with Blackbeard and his body; he’s the only one who can use 2 Devil Fruits at the same time; some think he has 2 – or even 3 hearts – and that he will get a third powerful Devil Fruit before the final battle. 

But what exactly is Blackbeard’s deal? How did he become so nihilistic, so power-hungry, so cruel? Why? What’s with his obsession with Devil Fruits? 

Marco mentioned he had an “atypical body structure” and this makes him more endurant than others and capable of utilizing the powers of multiple Devil Fruits. A glimpse into his history or past is needed to satisfy all our questions. 

10. What’s the significance of the straw hat? What’s the giant Straw Hat at Mary Geoise? 

Shanks gave Luffy the straw hat he wears today. It once belonged to Pirate King Gol D. Roger, who Luffy wants to be one day. The whole series resonates with the symbolism of the straw hat. But why?

The mystery is intensified because of the giant straw hat in Mary Geoise. In the fleeting scene in chapter 906, Im holds the wanted poster of Luffy and is staring at the Straw Hat, which is apparently kept in a freezing room.

Madam Shyarly had made a prediction that a man wearing a straw hat would one day destroy Fish Man Island. 

With the close ties of Joy Boy with the first Poseidon and Fish Man Island, some people believe that the Straw Hat belonged to Joy Boy, who might have been a giant. Some think the Straw Hat is the tombstone for Joy Boy, whose body lies underneath. We need answers!

9. What is the story and fate of Rocks D. Xebec?

All we know about Rocks D. Xebec is that he was a part of the D. Clan and was the enemy of vice-admiral Garp and Pirate King Gol D. Roger. 

Kaido envisioned Xebec as part of the elite class of powerful pirates to have ever existed. He was the one to lead his crew to God Valley Island where they were intercepted by Roger and Garp, who had formed an alliance. 

Xebec died during that battle but what was so important at God Valley that he was ready to give his life for? 

He is known as one of the most legendary pirates in the world, but some of the Marines don’t even know who he is. What did Rocks D. Xebec want and what happened to him? 

8. What is Shanks’s role in the story? 

Red-Haired Shanks has been our favorite character even though we’ve hardly ever seen him in action. We know he was on the ship with Roger, and he’s had a huge role in motivating Luffy become who he is today. 

Being the strongest Yonko, Shanks is about to break hell in the final battle. He already scared off Admiral Ryokugyu out of Wano with his immensely powerful Conqueror’s Haki. 

Shanks’s effect on the final outcome of the story is going to be massive. 

7. What is the Will of D.?

The Will of D. is probably as big of a mystery as the One Piece itself. Oda has hinted that the mystery surrounding “D.” will connect the whole story together in the end. 

Jaguar D. Saul was the first person to mentioned that the initial D was passed down through generations. Monkey D. Luffy is the son of Monkey D. Dragon, and the grandson of Monkey D. Garp. 

But there are others with the initial D who aren’t biologically related, like Gol D. Roger, Trafalgar D. Law, and hell, even, Marshall D. Teach. 

The Will of D. also has something to do with the concept of “will” in general. It is also connected to the Void Century and possibly Joy Boy, too. 

When Robin asked Rayleigh about the Will of D., he did not answer the question, but simply stated that the Roger Pirates uncovered details about the Void Century at Laugh Tale. 

Void Century was when Joy Boy was active, so the D-Clan probably is related to him in some way or the other.

6. What is the history of Devil Fruits?

Devil Fruits make up one of the 3 main sources of the power system in One Piece in addition to Haki and race/species. They are of 3 basic kinds – Logia, Paramecia, and Zoan, and encompass several different powers. 

But how did they come into existence? Why are some more powerful than others? Who was the first person/animal to consume a Devil Fruit and did they drown due to the unfortunate side-effect?

Shanks had mentioned that Devil Fruits are believed to be incarnations of Sea Devils, but whether or not they have something to do with actual “devils” is still to be seen. What I want to know is, what is the tree the first Devil Fruit came from and can it be regrown? 

5. How strong is Monkey D. Dragon? How did he become the World’s Most Wanted?

Monkey D. Dragon, Luffy’s dad and infamous leader of the Revolutionary Army, is possibly the most enigmatic character in the whole of One Piece. All we know is that he is the world’s most wanted criminal and that he’s extremely powerful.

But how powerful? What led him to become a revolutionary? What is his relationship with Garp like? Does that badass face tattoo have some significance? And most importantly, does he secretly play a role in Luffy’s life of piracy? 

He’s helped and saved Luffy plenty of times before – he saved him from Smoker in Loguetown – or at least that’s what we hope happened. Truth is, Oda has given us close to nothing on Dragon. 

4. How did Im become the ruler of the world? What happened during the Void Century?

Im is the secret ruler of the world. He’s the holder of the Empty Throne and bears the highest sovereignty within the One Piece world. He’s the one truly in charge of the Marines, and the commander of the Gorosei. But how did he reach this position and when?

Im-sama is supposedly thousands of years old with the power to destroy entire islands. Recently, he wiped Lulusia Kingdom off the map. 

He likely erased God Valley as well, along with the Great Kingdom that opposed the 20 Kingdoms that currently constitute the World Government. The latter was an ancient kingdom that existed during the Void Century – a period of 100 years that was purposefully forgotten at the command of Im.

The Void Century recorded the events of 900 years ago, the time when Joy Boy was last active. It was also when the Poneglyphs were written and when Shandora fell, but apart from that, we know almost nothing about it.

The latest chapter of the manga gives some hint about the Void Century in connection to Egghead Island, which is actually the land of the past. 

But as for Im, we know nothing about their true identity and how he became so powerful. A probable guess is that Im acquired the Ancient Weapon Uranus early on, which is how he gained all his power. 

3. Who made the Ancient Weapons? What is Uranus?

The Ancient Weapons are 3 weapons of wide-scale destruction, allegedly made during the Void Century. So far, only Poseidon has been revealed; we know what Pluton is, but Uranus is an absolute mystery. 

The current Poseidon is Princess Shirahoshi, the mermaid daughter of King Neptune. Pluton is a huge battleship physically connected to Wano. As for Uranus, most fans think it is some air-borne weapon under the control of Im. 

It is probably how they remotely destroyed an entire island with a single flash of light from the sky.

But who created them and why is a plot line I am very interested to see. 

2. What is the One Piece?

The One Piece is the great treasure located on Laugh Tale, the last island on the Grand Line. It was originally the treasure owned by Joy Boy and then obtained by the Pirate King Gol D. Roger.

Upon reaching the treasure, the Roger Pirates simply laughed. The theories stemming from this one piece of information we have about the One Piece are innumerable. 

Before Whitebeard died, he announced that a grand battle would engulf the world before the One Piece is found, which leads me to believe this will be the final battle of the series. 

This plot point would be #1 if it weren’t for the fact that too many expectations are weighing it down. There will definitely be one half of the fandom that is displeased with what the One Piece turns out to be. 

1. Who or what is Joy Boy?

The true identity of the enigma that is “Joy Boy” is the most anticipated pending plot line in One Piece. Everybody knows of Joy Boy but nobody knows who he is. Zunesha, Joy Boy’s companion from 800 years ago, confirmed that Luffy was Joy Boy when he activated Gear 5: Nika.

This means Joy Boy might not have been a person but a title or a name held by at least two people before Luffy, the same ones who had consumed the Gomu Gomu no Mi aka the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. 

Joy Boy might be like Poseidon, a title that someone inherits, not necessarily through blood, but through will. 

But since we know that Luffy is intricately connected to Joy Boy, the ending, whatever it is, is sure to definitely satisfy all of us. 

About One Piece

One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.

The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!

Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.