Warning: spoilers ahead for the One Piece anime and manga.

A certain cast addition in Netflix’s One Piece season 2 is actually far more important to Luffy’s ending than their live-action introduction will suggest. After One Piece season 1 ended with Luffy defeating Arlong and sailing forward onto the Grand Line with his newly-assembled Straw Hat Pirates, it makes sense to assume that One Piece season 2 will end with Luffy crushing his next big opponent: Crocodile.

A member of One Piece‘s Seven Warlords and the leader of Baroque Works – an organization referenced several times throughout season 1 – Crocodile rules the realm of Alabasta. Luffy and the Straw Hats befriend Alabasta’s rightful rulers, the royal Nefertari family, and resolve to liberate the sandy island from Crocodile’s tyrannical grip. The Baroque Works and Alabasta storylines will bring many new faces into Netflix’s live-action One Piece cast, and while some of those characters play bigger roles than others, one newcomer represents a part of One Piece lore that will define Luffy’s future.

Season 2’s Vivi Is Directly Connected To One Piece’s True Main Villain

Vivi Is Way More Than Another Supporting Hero In One Piece

The Straw Hats’ mission to save Alabasta during One Piece season 2 will mostly be inspired by the island’s beloved princess, Vivi, who temporarily joins Luffy’s crew and is later considered an honorary Straw Hat pirate, despite not staying aboard the Going Merry full-time. Vivi’s character in One Piece season 2 will get a sizable role regardless, but Netflix’s new princess also carries a secret connection to a villain who emerges much later – someone destined to oppose Luffy during One Piece‘s endgame.

As of One Piece chapter 1116, the highest-ranking villain in the entire series is the mysterious Imu, who secretly sits at the very top of the World Government and is responsible for most bad things in One Piece‘s world. Imu’s backstory remains largely unknown, but Eiichiro Oda’s manga has confirmed a connection between Imu and Vivi’s ancestor, Queen Lili. One Piece has suggested this relationship was romantic in nature, but Lili betrayed Imu and ultimately sided against the World Government before mysteriously vanishing.

Not only does Imu seem to hold a grudge against the entire kingdom of Alabasta after Lili’s betrayal, he appears particularly vexed by Vivi’s strong physical resemblance to her ancestor. Because of this, Vivi has become prominent in the One Piece manga for the first time since Crocodile’s defeat. Her importance to the story will only grow as the Straw Hats’ voyage draws to a close and Imu finally clashes against Luffy.

How Netflix’s One Piece Season 2 Can Tease Luffy’s Endgame

Live-Action One Piece Can Drop The Hints The Source Material Couldn’t

The One Piece anime and manga’s Alabasta arc gave very little indication that Vivi would later become tangled in the story’s overall endgame and final villain. With the benefit of hindsight, however, Netflix’s live-action adaptation is perfectly positioned to drop clues and hints that allude towards Imu, Nefertari Lili, and Vivi’s key role in future One Piece seasons Netflix adapts. A member of the Nefertari royal household could, for example, mention Lili in passing – an easy way to foreshadow Vivi’s larger story still to come.

If Netflix’s show continues to adapt the manga faithfully, One Piece season 2 will include the first live-action appearance of poneglyphs – giant stone cubes dotted around One Piece‘s world. While not common knowledge in-universe, Nefertari Lili’s betrayal of Imu involved scattering the poneglyphs across the world for future generations to find, so whenever the first stone cube appears in live-action, Netflix’s One Piece can slyly ponder why the poneglyphs exist and who put them there, nodding towards Vivi’s ancestor.

One Piece season 2 might also make Vivi’s goodbye scene less definitive compared to the anime and manga. In the original version, the Straw Hats left Vivi in Alabasta with the silent understanding that she would always be considered a member of their crew. With the upcoming Imu in mind, however, Netflix’s live-action adaptation could make that bond more explicit, perhaps by having the Straw Hats pledge to help Vivi if she ever finds herself in trouble. Such a promise would foreshadow the day Imu attempts to abduct Vivi and seek revenge against the kingdom of Alabasta.

One Piece Season 2’s Vivi Will Have A Secret Connection To Luffy’s Name Mystery

Luffy Won’t Be The Only “D” In Town When One Piece Returns

One of the biggest mysteries in One Piece – both the manga and Netflix’s live-action series – is the “D” initial in Luffy’s name. Members of the D Clan all carry this letter, but the ancient group remains almost entirely unexplained at present, even in Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga. The only “D” characters introduced in One Piece season 1 were Luffy, his grandfather, and the briefly-shown Pirate King.

Despite not having “D” in her name, the One Piece manga eventually does confirm Vivi as a fellow member of the D clan, with her true name revealed as Nefertari D. Vivi. Again, this was not hinted at during One Piece‘s original Alabasta arc, but the live-action version has the opportunity to play with the connection.

Perhaps Vivi acts extra-interested about the initial in Luffy’s name. Maybe her father makes an ominous remark that suggests he too is a “D.” Alternatively, Netflix’s One Piece could play up the similar qualities Luffy and Vivi share as descendants of the same clan. By knowing how Vivi’s story develops later in the story, the live-action One Piece can include glimpses of her significance without giving away details that shouldn’t arrive until Netflix’s show hits season 10 or 11.