Elbaf Final War Will Do What Marineford Did to Ace, Both Shanks and Garp Will Die: One Piece Theory

As both the manga and the anime go on an extended break, One Piece fans are coming up with interesting theories in the meantime. The Elbaf Arc has just begun, and we have no clue about what it has in store for us, except that it’s a brand new adventure. With all the information at our disposal, fans have come up with interesting theories on what could happen next. From Usopp’s next power-up to Loki’s intentions, everything is being analyzed to form interesting conclusions. 

A new theory has emerged that suggests that Elbaf might be a repeat of the best arc in One Piece so far, the Marineford Arc. There are many instances that hint towards this theory’s plausibility and it’s definitely worth exploring. If it turns out to be true, then we should prepare ourselves for heavy emotional damage. 

One Piece Theory Suggests Elbaf will be a Repeat of Marineford 

The Elbaf Arc has begun, and we’ve been introduced to Loki. Besides that and what seems to be a message from Vivi, not much has happened on the island since the StrawHats’ arrival. A theory on Instagram noticed some similarities between the progression in Elbaf and pre-Marineford arcs. Similar to Ace, Garp has been captured and Luffy has no knowledge of it.

Elbaf has many menacing figures who could lead to another split between the StrawHats, giving them some time to train independently. A mysterious figure was also awaiting the StrawHats, who is speculated to be Scopper Gabban. He could play the same role as Rayleigh did, by training Luffy.

At this point in the story, Shanks is one character who has been suddenly getting more screen time than usual. Either him or Garp, if threatened, could shake Luffy up. While it’s quite hard to imagine Shanks being held captive, considering the recent events, anything could happen. 

All these similarities might be leading us to a war that is comparable to Marineford. However, if Eiichiro Oda does a repeat of Marineford, the chances of it being received well are unlikely. Moreover, if we have predicted something, there are high chances that Oda would never proceed that way, as he hates proving fan theories right. So, there are other ways in which this possibility could work well.

One Way This Possibility Could Work 

Instead of following the same events with a different outcome, fans would appreciate it more if Oda referenced past events from the story. He could draw subtle parallels in how times have changed for the StrawHats, especially Luffy. He would no longer allow anyone to hurt his loved ones. There’s another factor that needs to be considered that if the stakes are being raised for Garp, Luffy isn’t the only character who would be involved.

Koby and the other young Marines have a special equation with Garp. There’s Sengoku as well. It’s hard to imagine that they would let anyone hurt him without making an effort. However, Garp might be the key who triggers an electrifying match-up between Blackbeard and Luffy. We know that Elbaf is probably the last opportunity for the StrawHats to power up before the final war. 

If a war of this scale ensues, it’s hard to imagine how they’ll get to evolve while fending for their lives. This sort of training arc only works well for the Monster Trio, and it would be disappointing to see that they are the only ones to get good development once again. Going through these theories makes one thankful for Oda and the break he’s taking to plan ahead. As that’s the only way to ensure that Elbaf lives up to the surprising twists that Egghead had! 

One Piece is available to read on the MangaPlus app and website.