In the latest chapter of the Weekly Shonen Jump series, Luffy and his friends finally set sail from Egghead and head to Elbaf. After 27 years of serialization, the story has finally landed on the island that has been mentioned since the beginning of the story, and this has excited readers, with “Elbaf” trending on X (formerly Twitter) for a day.
What kind of developments await in the highly anticipated new chapter, the Elbaf arc? In this article, we will summarize what will happen in Elbaf, which is expected to be the core of the story of “ONE PIECE”, along with predictions and expectations that are being whispered about on the street.
*This article contains spoilers up to the latest episode of “ONE PIECE” (episode 1127). Please be careful if you are a comic book or anime fan, or if you have not read Jump.
In chapter 1066 of the Egghead arc, it was revealed that a group of giants from Elbaf had brought back a large amount of documents left behind in the ruined city of Ohara. The captain of that group was none other than Hagwar D. Sauro, and it was still fresh in our memory that readers were moved to tears when Nico Robin broke down in tears upon learning that he had survived and was hiding in Elbaf.
In other words, if the Straw Hat Pirates land in Elbaf, we can expect a reunion event between Saul and Robin.
In the latest episode, Luffy and his friends continue to commit acts that unintentionally incur the hatred of the Titans, so it is difficult to predict what kind of relationship they will build with the people of Elbaf in the future. However, I can’t help but hope that Saulo and Robin’s reunion will be a touching one, where they can embrace each other face to face.
Also, if Saul reappears, his conversation with Robin will inevitably center on Ohara. During the Buster Call, what is written in the documents left behind by Ohara’s scholars at the risk of their lives will be revealed, and we may be getting closer to the mystery of the “100 years of void.”
Furthermore, according to Vegapunk, Saulo had bandages all over his body. This is likely due to frostbite caused by the “Ice Time Capsule” technique that Kuzan (Aokiji) used to freeze him all over on the day of the Buster Call, but some speculation has pointed out that he may be the “man with the burn scars” who left those burn marks.
The “Fire Scar Man” is a mysterious character whose name was first mentioned in episode 1056, the final episode of the Wano Country arc. According to the Blackbeard Pirates, it is rumored that this man has the final red stone, the “Poneglyph,” which is essential to seizing One Piece. There is no information on his appearance apart from his burns, but he is said to be aboard a black ship that has the unique ability to create giant whirlpools that engulf enemy ships.
The burns and being on a boat seem to match Saul, but there has been no information to date that he is a person with special powers, so the special power to create a giant whirlpool may not be Saul’s.
However, even if Saulo was not “the man with the Fire Scar,” it is safe to say that there is a high possibility that he knows something about the “Main Text of the Road History (Poneglyph),” including the fact that he was deeply involved in the Ohara incident.
Another point is that Saulo is currently the only Titan from the “D Clan.” He is one character to keep an eye on in the future.
In the Egghead arc, it is revealed that Elbaf has a legend of the sun goddess, Nika.
In episode 1111, when Dorry and Brogy are reunited with Luffy and the others, they describe Gear 5 Luffy as “a god in Elbaf.”
Joy Boy, who is almost identical to the Sun God Nika, is rumored to be a Titan due to the giant straw hat that rests in Mariejois, and it seems that Titans are a rivalry between the Five Elders.
Taking all this into consideration, it seems highly likely that the former “Sun Goddess Nika” or “Joy Boy” was a Titan and that his roots lie in Elbaf.
Regarding the “giant kingdom” that fought against the 20 kingdoms that became the World Government during the “100 years of void” mentioned by Professor Clover, many readers seem to think that Elbaf holds a secret.
Due to the existence of the giant straw hat mentioned above and the giant robot that existed 900 years ago and appeared in the Egghead arc, there is a growing theory these days that the “giant” in “a certain giant kingdom” refers to its physical size.
「世界最大の頭脳」と言われたベガパンクの頭が物理的に大きかったように、「ある巨大な王国」も規格外のサイズを誇る巨人族の国だったのかもしれませんよね。前項でも触れた通り、「太陽の神ニカ」「ジョイボーイ」のルーツである可能性も考慮すると「ある巨大な王国」とは900年前のエルバフに存在していたのかも。
また、エッグヘッド編ではベガパンクの演説により「世界が海に沈む」ことと過去に一度「世界が海に沈んだ」という衝撃事実が明らかになりましたよね。いざ世界が沈むとなれば、重要になってくると考えられるのが魚人島で登場した巨大船「方舟ノア」です。
壊れたノアは「ある一族が直せる」と語られていましたが、船体の巨大さを鑑みても、もとは現在のエルバフに位置した「ある巨大な王国」の古代巨人族の技術により作られたという線も考えられるのではないでしょうか。
エルバフのモデルとされる北欧の海賊「ヴァイキング」といえば、特徴的な「ヴァイキング船」に乗っていたことが知られていますが、実はこれは彼らの高度な造船技術によって作られたもの。かつてのエルバフ……もとい「ある巨大な王国」にも、ヴァイキングと同じような高い造船技術があったのかもしれません。その建造には、名前が明かされたばかりの象徴的な大木「世界樹（ユグドラシル）」も関わってくるかも？
「方舟ノア」は「空白の100年」に実在したジョイボーイと魚人島の人魚姫との関係にも大きく関与する部分なので、エルバフでどんなことが語られるのか、展開を見守っていきたいですね。
そして、エルバフでは未だシルエットでしか登場していない謎の王子・ロキの全貌が明かされることにも期待が高まっています。エルバフと確執のあるビッグ・マム（シャーロット・リンリン）の娘であるローラに求婚した経緯やいかに……。エルバフの王家の人間であるはずなので、重要キャラクターとして物語に関わってくる可能性も高そうです。
そのほかにも「来い…」とエルバフで麦わらの一味を待つ人物の正体や、長い間エルバフに憧れてきたウソップの活躍など、この地でも怒涛の超展開が待ち受けているはず。これまで以上に最新話の更新が楽しみですね。
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