Warning: Contains spoilers for One Piece chapter #1053
Fans of One Piece who were waiting for the teased, final, huge war of the series to start at some point after the end of the Wano Arc don’t have to wait for that long. An insanely strong Marine Admiral is already advancing to capture Luffy and the Straw Hats, and all the pieces are set for the beginning of what will be the biggest conflict in the history of the best-selling manga ever.
Months ago, One Piece‘s creator Eiichiro Oda teased the coming of a great battle in one of his SBS corners (Q&A sections published in each volume). After the end of the Wano Arc, Oda said, the series would show “developments on a global scale” that would lead towards “the greatest battle ever in One Piece history“. This conflict has been teased several times already in the manga, most famously by Donquixote Doflamingo, who predicted the coming of something he called the “Throne Wars”, caused by the turmoil among the major powers in the world (the Four Emperors, the Shichibukai, the Marine, and the Revolutionary Army). With the Shichibukai disbanded, the Revolutionary Army in dismay, and two of the Yonko fallen and replaced by new ones, it seems that the time for war has come, and the Marine already made the first move.
Chapter #1052 of One Piece teased the arrival of the Marine Admiral Ryokugyu on Wano. The following chapter made clear what his intentions are. After easily taking down the remnants of Kaido’s Beasts Pirates, including the two All-Star commanders King and Queen, Ryokugyu advances towards the Flower Capital, where the people of Wano are celebrating the end of Kaido’s tyrannical rule and the return of their rightful shogun, Kozuki Momonosuke. Ryokugyu is acting on his own, without direct command from the Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki, but he still declares he is going to capture Luffy to impress his superior. It appears that the Straw Hats will not have the time to rest after their gruesome battle and enjoy the festivities before they have to face a new, incredibly powerful enemy.
Ryokugyu’s attack will likely be the first shot fired in the Throne Wars. As he points out at the end of the chapter ” the Marines aren’t in a good mood because the rest of the world is a real mess right now“, so the Marines and the World Government have no intention to indulge Luffy any longer. As is always the case, the end of a One Piece arc is the moment to catch up with global developments and major events, and it could be that Ryokugyu will be the bearer of this news for the Straw Hats, who have been in the secluded country of Wano for weeks. However, the Admiral clearly has dangerous intentions, and his display of power in this chapter (even if the full extent of his plant-based abilities is still unclear) proves that he is fully confident in his ability to take Luffy and his crew down, especially now that they are wounded and recovering.
One Piece is going on a one-month hiatus to prepare for the final saga of the series, so there is a chance that (if Oda feels really cruel), fans won’t get to see the confrontation between the Straw Hats and Ryokugyu unfold, but only learn about its outcome. Anything can happen at this point. Every major power in the world is on the move, and the series will have to tie up a lot of loose ends in the next few years if Oda wants to give fans a satisfying conclusion. A huge conflict involving every major character and organization could be a great way to do that, but no one expected that Luffy and the Straw Hats would not even have the chance to leave Wano before getting caught in the greatest war in One Piece‘s history.
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