One Piece: How Will It End? Top Theories

Straw Hat Pirates sailing toward the final island

After more than 25 years of publication and over 1100 chapters, One Piece is finally entering its endgame. Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus has defined an entire generation of manga readers, and as we approach the conclusion of Luffy’s grand adventure, fans worldwide are theorizing about how this legendary journey will end. What is the One Piece? What happened during the Void Century? Will Luffy achieve his dream? The answers to these questions will shape anime history.

⚠️ MANGA SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers through the current manga chapters, including Egghead Arc revelations and recent Gear 5 developments.

Where We Are Now

Luffy in Gear 5 form during the Egghead Arc

The Egghead Arc has delivered some of the most significant revelations in One Piece history. We’ve learned about the true nature of the Void Century, the Ancient Kingdom, and the World Government’s desperate measures to suppress this knowledge. Dr. Vegapunk’s message to the world—though interrupted—confirmed what many suspected: the world itself will sink, and the Ancient Weapons hold the key to both destruction and salvation.

The Straw Hats have now officially been declared the most dangerous pirate crew by the World Government, surpassing even the Yonko in terms of threat level. With the Road Poneglyphs nearly collected and the final saga in full swing, Oda has confirmed we’re in the last 10% of the story.

Current narrative threads include:

The hunt for the final Road Poneglyph
The approaching confrontation with the World Government and Im
Blackbeard’s parallel quest for One Piece
The Revolutionary Army’s escalating war
The mystery of the D. Clan and the will of D.

Top Theories

Theory 1: One Piece is the Destruction of the Red Line

The most popular and well-supported theory suggests that One Piece isn’t just treasure—it’s the complete reshaping of the world’s geography. This theory posits that using the Ancient Weapons in conjunction with something at Laugh Tale will destroy the Red Line, creating the “All Blue” and connecting all the world’s oceans into one.

Evidence supporting this theory:

Roger laughed when he found One Piece, which suggests it was either something amusing or something that validated everything he believed in. If the One Piece is the means to literally unite the world by destroying the barriers between seas, it would explain why a pirate who valued freedom above all else found it so fitting.

The name “One Piece” itself may be a pun—not just referring to a single treasure, but to making the world “one piece” by eliminating the divisions caused by the Red Line and Grand Line.

Luffy’s dream (the one that made Ace, Sabo, Roger, and Oden all react similarly) is theorized to be “I want to throw the biggest party in the world where everyone can eat together.” This dream becomes achievable only if the world is united—requiring the destruction of barriers between nations and seas.

Furthermore, Fishman Island’s prophecy states that it will be destroyed by someone, and Madam Shyarly saw Luffy destroying Fishman Island. If the Red Line is demolished, Fishman Island (located beneath it) would need to be evacuated first—hence Poseidon (Shirahoshi) and Noah’s role in relocating the Fishmen to the surface.

Theory 2: The True History and the Original “D.” Kingdom

Another major theory focuses on the One Piece being the complete true history of the Void Century and the Ancient Kingdom, possibly including the Rio Poneglyph.

The evidence runs deep:

The World Government has gone to extraordinary lengths to suppress any knowledge of the Void Century. They’ve committed genocide (Ohara), created the Cipher Pol organizations specifically to silence researchers, and maintain the Gorosei and Im as immortal guardians of these secrets. Whatever happened 800 years ago was significant enough to justify building an entire world order around its concealment.

Roger stated that he came “too early” and that someone needed to carry on the will of the Ancient Kingdom. This implies One Piece includes instructions or a plan that couldn’t be executed in Roger’s time but will be possible when Luffy arrives. The Joy Boy connection—now confirmed with Luffy’s awakening as the next Nika—suggests the “treasure” might include Joy Boy’s original promise to the Fishmen and his plan to overthrow the World Government.

Dr. Vegapunk’s broadcast confirmed that the Great Kingdom had technology far beyond current capabilities and that the World Government (then the Twenty Kingdoms alliance) destroyed them out of fear. If the One Piece includes the complete historical record plus the technological knowledge of the Ancient Kingdom, it would indeed be the greatest treasure imaginable—and the biggest threat to the current world order.

Theory 3: Bink’s Sake and the Dawn of the World

A beautiful thematic theory suggests that One Piece is connected to “Bink’s Sake,” the song that appears throughout the series, and represents the concept of bringing “the dawn” to the world.

The musical connection:

“Bink’s Sake” isn’t just a pirate drinking song—it appears at crucial moments throughout the story. Brook carried it across the Grand Line, the Roger Pirates knew it, and it moved the Straw Hats to tears. The lyrics speak of delivering “sake” (often translated as “treasure” in some interpretations) to distant lands and friends.

The “Dawn” is referenced constantly in One Piece mythology. Wano was waiting for “the dawn.” The Will of D. is theorized to stand for “Dawn.” The Minks speak of the dawn that their kings will bring. Luffy is called “the Warrior of Liberation” and is associated with the sun god Nika.

This theory suggests One Piece isn’t a physical treasure but a philosophy, a plan, or even just the knowledge that freedom and joy are possible—that the “dawn” will come after centuries of World Government oppression. Joy Boy left behind not gold, but hope—and the instructions for the final D. to bring the world into a new age.

Ancient Joy Boy era temple with sun imagery

Theory 4: The Empty Throne and Im’s True Identity

While not directly about One Piece itself, the mystery of Im and the Empty Throne is crucial to understanding the endgame.

What we know about Im:

Im sits upon the supposedly “Empty Throne” that all world leaders swore never to occupy. They possess the power to order the complete annihilation of nations (as seen with Lulusia Kingdom). They have photographs of Luffy, Shirahoshi, Blackbeard, and Vivi—the major players in the coming conflict. The Gorosei refer to Im as their sovereign and master.

Theories about Im include:

Im is the immortal first World Government ruler, kept alive by the Ope Ope no Mi’s immortality surgery
Im is related to the Nerona Family (confirmed as the only family ruling since the void century without interruption)
Im personally killed Joy Boy and fears his return
Im possesses the original Ancient Weapon Uranus, explaining the ability to destroy islands from above

The final battle will almost certainly involve Luffy confronting Im directly, representing the ultimate clash between the pirate who embodies freedom and the immortal tyrant who embodies control.

Theory 5: The Will of D. and the Final War

The “D.” carriers are scattered throughout history, always appearing at pivotal moments of change: Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Luffy, Monkey D. Dragon, Portgas D. Ace, Trafalgar D. Water Law, Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard), and more.

The “D.” as God’s Natural Enemy:

The Celestial Dragons (who call themselves gods) have an ancient fear of the D. clan. Someone in the World Government once called D. “God’s Natural Enemy.” This suggests the D. clan were either the rulers or warriors of the Ancient Kingdom, opposed to whatever the Celestial Dragons represent.

The theory goes further: the Will of D. is the inherited will of the Ancient Kingdom, passed down through generations. Each D. carries the potential to overthrow the World Government and bring the world back to its pre-Void Century state—a world without Celestial Dragons, without the Red Line, without artificial division.

Blackbeard being a D. adds complexity. He may represent a corrupted or alternate interpretation of the D. will—seeking power for himself rather than liberation for all. The final conflict might not just be Luffy vs. the World Government, but also Luffy vs. Blackbeard, representing two different possible futures for the D. legacy.

What’s Most Likely

Based on Oda’s storytelling patterns and the evidence accumulated over decades, the most likely ending involves a combination of the top theories:

The One Piece is probably:

The complete true history of the world (Rio Poneglyph)
Instructions/technology from Joy Boy to destroy the Red Line
The ancient weapons’ “keys” or activation methods
And yes—probably also a massive amount of actual treasure, because Roger and Buggy both mentioned gold

The finale will likely involve:

Luffy gathering all four Road Poneglyphs and reaching Laugh Tale
Learning the true history and Joy Boy’s original plan
A final war against the World Government with all allied forces
The destruction of the Red Line, creating the All Blue
The evacuation of Fishman Island (using Noah and Shirahoshi)
The abolition of the Celestial Dragon system
Luffy throwing “the biggest party in the world”

What makes One Piece brilliant is that it’s set up multiple payoffs simultaneously. Sanji gets his All Blue. The Fishmen reach the surface. The D. clan fulfills its destiny. Every character’s dream becomes achievable once the artificial barriers fall.

The “party where everyone can eat together” dream is particularly poignant when you consider Luffy’s origins: a boy from a tiny village who befriended pirates, saw his brother killed by the government, and dreamed of a world where everyone could be free and happy together. That’s the One Piece—not just treasure, but the means to make that dream real.

When to Expect Resolution

Oda has stated we’re in the final saga, and estimates have placed the ending somewhere between 2027-2030. Given Oda’s history of underestimating his timeline (he once said One Piece would last 5 years), the later estimate seems more realistic.

Expected remaining arcs:

Elbaf (Giants, possibly Road Poneglyph)
Laugh Tale (Finding One Piece)
Final War (World Government confrontation)
Epilogue

We’re likely looking at another 150-250 chapters, or roughly 3-5 more years of serialization at Oda’s current pace (including breaks for his health).

The anime adaptation will continue for several years beyond the manga’s completion, likely ending in the early 2030s. This ensures One Piece will remain culturally relevant for another decade at minimum.

After 27+ years, the ending of One Piece won’t just conclude a manga—it will close a chapter of anime history. Whatever the treasure turns out to be, the real One Piece has always been the adventure itself. But knowing Oda, the actual reveal will somehow exceed every theory while being perfectly foreshadowed from chapter one. That’s the genius of One Piece.