Upcoming One Piece figures hint at possible Elbaf Arc release window

The island of Elbaf holds great significance in the vast and diverse world of One Piece. This island is the cherished home of the formidable Giant Race and was introduced during the Arabasta Saga. While on an island called Little Garden, the Straw Hat Pirates formed a bond with Dorry and Brogy, two mighty Giants who shared stories about their homeland.

This encounter served as an obvious hint to the future travels of the Straw Hat crew to Elbaf. The entire crew was filled with excitement at the prospect of reaching the island, particularly Luffy and Usopp who were eager to explore the homeland of the Giants. However, since then, Elbaf has only been shown in flashbacks or as a backdrop.

After patiently anticipating for many years, the highly anticipated moment has finally arrived. The Straw Hat crew’s next destination after Egghead is confirmed to be Elbaf. And the excitement only grows as the official website of Shonen Jump, the publisher of One Piece, hints at November 2024 as the potential start date for the highly-awaited Elbaf Arc.

Please note: This article includes significant spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1114.

One Piece fans excited as Shonen Jump official website allegedly reveals the Elbaf Arc’s start date

Elbaf as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The current plot of the One Piece manga centers on the Egghead Arc, where the events taking place on the island hosting Dr. Vegapunk’s advanced laboratory are the main focus. As the Straw Hat Pirates become entangled in the World Government’s plot to kill Vegapunk, the situation rapidly intensifies.

The Straw Hats, barricaded on Egghead, opt to escape the island in order to make their way to Elbaf. However, the situation becomes more complicated when the Five Elders make an appearance on Egghead to prevent Vegapunk’s message from being broadcasted to the world.

As Egghead becomes a chaotic battleground, a surprising ally comes to the aid of the Straw Hat Pirates. Dorry, Brogy, and the rest of the Giant Warrior Pirates appear on Egghead to help the Straw Hats break through the encirclement and escape to Elbaf. This solidifies the speculation that the upcoming One Piece arc will take place on Elbaf.

Some of Elbaf's mighty Giants (Image via Toei Animation) — Some of Elbaf’s mighty Giants (Image via Toei Animation)

In his address at the Jump Festa 2024, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda reaffirmed this idea. Although he did not specifically mention Elbaf, his statement strongly hinted at the Straw Hats’ future journey to the island, as it echoed Luffy’s enthusiasm to explore the Giants’ homeland.

“If Luffy and everyone are able to make it out of Egghead safe and sound… do you think they might go… to THAT island? I thought up a route that doesn’t involve it, but… I don’t think I can stop Luffy, even if I wanted to!”

Fans are eagerly anticipating the release date for the long-awaited Elbaf arc now that the Straw Hat crew has arrived. As pointed out by popular One Piece influencers @sandman, @Pew, and others on X (formerly Twitter), it seems that Shonen Jump, the publisher of the series, may have indirectly confirmed the release window for the Elbaf Arc.

The official website of Shonen Jump has confirmed that they will be launching Elbaf-inspired figurines of the Straw Hat Pirates in November 2024.

Given this information, it can be inferred that the events of the upcoming Elbaf Arc will take place after the chapters published during that time. Therefore, the Elbaf Arc is expected to commence sometime between October and November 2024, while the Egghead Arc is set to conclude in late summer or early autumn.

Undoubtedly, this theory is not only incredibly fascinating, but it is also logically sound. The primary objective of the Straw Hat crew is not to engage in lengthy battles with the Five Elders, but rather to evade Egghead and ultimately reach Elbaf. Furthermore, the timely arrival of the Giant Warrior Pirates serves to assist them in achieving this goal.

Ultimately, with the aid of both the Straw Hats and the Giants, they should be able to make a timely escape. In conclusion, it is estimated that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda will need approximately twelve chapters to conclude the current arc. Based on Oda’s typical pace in recent years, it is expected that he will release no more than fifteen chapters before November, aligning with the previous calculation.

Dorry and Brogy as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Despite the excitement for the upcoming release of Elbaf-themed figures by Shonen Jump in November 2024, it is important to wait for further information before beginning the celebrations. It is possible that these figures are not related to the start of the arc in the manga, but instead to the release of specific anime episodes set in Elbaf.

By November 2024, the anime should have portrayed the clash between the Red Hair Pirates and the Kid Pirates, which occurred in the waters near Elbaf. The confrontation ended in the complete defeat of Kid and his crew by the formidable “Red Hair”Shanks, who dominated them single-handedly.

In retaliation for the attack on their homeland, Dorry and Brogy, who were unexpectedly close with Shanks, demolished Kid’s ship. Typically, the manga is not strictly followed, and the anime adaptation of this particular scene, which took place in chapter 1079, is likely to occur in October or November 2024. It is also plausible that this is what Shonen Jump was alluding to.