'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAF/9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAACW0HV//8QAJBAAAQEGBgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMAAgQREiETIiMxQlNxkdH/2gAIAQEAAT8AiYV9JfQfoVWfOIoc3KdhK2wHhqUeoeh8b//EABcRAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAESH/2gAIAQIBAT8ANC5//8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECQf/aAAgBAwEBPwBXS0//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Within the multifaceted, boundless world of One Piece, the island of Elbaf is of paramount importance. The homeland of the mighty Giant Race, Elbaf was first mentioned during the Arabasta Saga. Upon arriving on an island named Little Garden, the Straw Hat Pirates met and befriended Dorry and Brogy, two powerful Giants who told them about their native country.
This encounter clearly foreshadowed the Straw Hat crew's future travel to Elbaf. The entire crew was enthusiastic at the thought of reaching the island, with Luffy and Usopp being especially excited to visit the homeland of the Giants. Since then, however, Elbaf has only appeared in flashbacks or as a background scenery.
After so many years of waiting, the long-cherished moment has finally arrived, as Elbaf is set to be the Straw Hat crew's next destination right after Egghead. Things only get more interesting as the official site of Shonen Jump, the magazine that publishes One Piece, is allegedly hinting at November 2024 being the exact start date of the upcoming Elbaf Arc.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1114.
One Piece fans are excited as Shonen Jump's official website allegedly reveals the Elbaf Arc's start date
The One Piece manga's current storyline is focused around the Egghead Arc, which follows the events unfolding on the island that houses Dr Vegapunk's futuristic laboratory. As the Straw Hat Pirates get involved in the World Government's attempt to assassinate Vegapunk, the situation quickly escalates.
Barricaded on Egghead, the Straw Hats decide to get away from the island in order to head to Elbaf. However, things get increasingly complex as the Five Elders arrive on Egghead to stop the broadcast of Vegapunk's message to the world.
As Egghead turns into a messy battlefield, an unforeseen ally shows up to assist the Straw Hat Pirates. Dorry, Brogy, and the rest of the Giant Warrior Pirates arrive on Egghead to help Straw Hats break the encirclement and flee to Elbaf. Of course, this confirms that the next One Piece arc will be set on Elbaf.
In his message for the Jump Festa 2024, One Piece author Eiichiro Oda further validates this concept. While the mangaka didn't explicitly mention Elbaf, his words clearly implied that Straw Hats will soon reach the island, as they were a callback to Luffy expressing his excitement to visit the homeland of the Giants:
"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!"
With the Straw Hat crew's arrival on Elbaf being a given, fans can't wait to know the start date of this long-awaited arc. As @sandman, @Pew, and other One Piece popularizers pointed out on X (formerly Twitter), the very same Shonen Jump, which publishes the series might just have confirmed, although indirectly, the Elbaf Arc's release window.
The Shonen Jump's official website has, in fact, revealed that they will release Elbaf-themed figures of the Straw Hat Pirates starting from November 2024.
Based on this, it's easy to speculate that, as of the chapters published around that time, the Straw Hats will be on Elbaf. Hence, the Elbaf Arc should begin between October and November 2024, with the Egghead Arc ending between late summer and early autumn.
Admittedly, this hypothesis is not only quite intriguing, but it makes perfect sense. The Straw Hat crew's goal is not to engage in prolonged fights with the Five Elders, but to escape Egghead in order to reach Elbaf. Moreover, the Giant Warrior Pirates have arrived to help them precisely for this.
Together, the Straw Hats and the Giants should be able to escape, although in the nick of time. To wrap things up, One Piece author Eiichiro Oda should take about a dozen of chapters. Considering Oda's average pace during the previous years, the mangaka shouldn't release much more than 15 chapters before November, which also matches the aforementioned calculation.
However, before letting the celebrations begin, it seems mandatory to wait for some more information. There is indeed the possibility that the Elbaf-themed figures that the Shonen Jump will release in November 2024 aren't related to the beginning of the arc in the manga, but to the release of certain anime episodes set in Elbaf.
By November 2024, the anime should adapt the fight between the Red Hair Pirates and the Kid Pirates, which took place in the waters around Elbaf. The battle resulted in the immediate annihilation of Kid and his men at the hands of "Red Hair" Shanks, who single-handedly crushed them.
As payback for having assaulted their homeland, Dorry and Brogy, who were revealed to be great friends of Shanks, destroyed Kid's ship. Generally, figures don't follow the manga, but the anime, and it makes sense for this scene, which happened in chapter 1079, to be adapted between October and November 2024. So, it's also possible that this is what the Shonen Jump was referring to.
Related Links
- One Piece chapter 1114 official release date and time
- One Piece manga to go on a break after chapter 1114
- 8 major developments to expect from Elbaf, explained
- One Piece chapter 1114 spoilers confirm Joy Boy and Sun God Nika are not the same
