Elbaf Is NOT the Final Arc of One Piece — It’s the Gateway to the Endgame
For years, fans imagined the moment the Straw Hats would finally reach Elbaf. The land of giants has been teased since Little Garden, whispered through giants’ legends, and hyped as one of the last great destinations of the Grand Line. Now that the story has finally arrived there, many readers assumed one thing:
Elbaf must be the final arc.
But that is not the case.
Elbaf is not the ending of One Piece.
It is the bridge that leads directly to the ending.
Think of it as the storm gathering before the world-shaking war.
The Current State of One Piece (Early 2026)
As of early 2026, the manga is fully inside the Elbaf Arc. The Straw Hats have officially reached the giants’ homeland, and the Final Saga is moving forward at full speed.
The anime is preparing to follow right behind. After the Egghead storyline wrapped up, the anime entered a production break and will return in April 2026 to begin adapting the Elbaf Arc.
This moment marks a huge shift for the franchise. After decades of weekly episodes, the anime is moving to a seasonal format starting with Elbaf, giving the arc higher production quality and tighter pacing.
In short, the entire One Piece machine is now aligned toward the final stretch.
Where Elbaf Fits in the Final Saga
Eiichiro Oda structured the Final Saga as a sequence of major arcs leading to the ultimate finale.
So far the roadmap looks like this:
- Egghead Arc — The world begins to collapse
- Elbaf Arc — The gateway arc
- The Final Island (Laugh Tale or Lodestar)
- The Great Final War
- The True Ending of One Piece
Elbaf sits right in the middle of the endgame. It is the turning point where mysteries stop being teased and start being revealed.
This arc is less about starting the finale and more about unlocking the final stage of the story.
Why Elbaf Is So Important
Elbaf is not just another island adventure. It is a narrative vault full of secrets the story has been saving for decades.
The arc is already addressing major mysteries like:
- The survival of Jaguar D. Saul
- The history of the giants
- The mysterious Prince Loki
- The role of the World Government’s God Knights
- The coming global war
This is where the lore floodgates open.
The Final Saga is no longer setting the stage. The stage lights are already on.
The Next Island After Elbaf
One of the biggest confirmations from Oda is what comes after Elbaf.
After the giants’ homeland, the Straw Hats will sail to the island that can only be reached after becoming the Pirate King.
That description points directly toward the last destinations of the Grand Line:
- Lodestar Island (the final Road Poneglyph clue)
- Laugh Tale (the island of the One Piece treasure)
This means Elbaf is the final preparation arc before the treasure hunt reaches its climax.
The road to the One Piece is now visible on the horizon.
The Great War Is Coming
Oda has repeatedly hinted that the Final Saga will end with a war that makes Marineford look small in comparison.
The pieces are already moving into position:
- The Revolutionary Army is preparing to strike
- The World Government is deploying the God Knights
- The Yonko are reshaping the balance of power
- Ancient weapons and the Void Century secrets are resurfacing
Elbaf acts as the ignition switch for this global conflict.
Once the Straw Hats leave the island of giants, the world will likely plunge into the war that ends the age of pirates.
Anime Status and What Comes Next
The anime timeline confirms how big this transition is.
After the Egghead Arc concluded, the anime took a three-month break and will return on April 5, 2026, beginning the Elbaf Arc.
This return marks:
- The start of a seasonal anime format
- The beginning of the Final Saga’s second arc
- The official lead-in to the endgame of One Piece
The anime is now entering the same final stretch as the manga.
Elbaf Is the Gateway, Not the Destination
Calling Elbaf the final arc would be like calling Sabaody the end of the first half of One Piece.
It is not the finish line.
It is the door that leads to it.
Elbaf connects the story’s biggest mysteries, sets up the last journey to the final island, and ignites the war that will decide the fate of the world.
The treasure, the truth, and the end of the Grand Line all lie beyond this point.
And the Straw Hats are sailing straight toward it.
