Is Eiichiro Oda Hinting the Return of a God-Like Villian With a Subtle Zoro Reference in Elbaf Arc?

SUMMARY

• The second phase of the final saga in One Piece has finally started and fans are really excited.
• However, there is a chance that their excitement might increase even more because a major villain might make a return in Elbaf.
• This villain is none other than Enel, the former lightning god of Skypiea.

The final saga of One Piece has entered its second phase with the beginning of the Elbaf arc. The rumor among fans is that the Elbaf arc will be the most thrilling arc in the entire series as it holds many mysteries and would unravel different foreshadowed moments that Eiichiro Oda placed throughout the narrative.

Enel from One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation

One mystery that fans are waiting to witness getting solved is the return of one of the most dangerous villains in the history of One Piece, Enel. The former God of Skypiea was defeated by Luffy at the beginning of the series, but he made a promise that he would return once again and take his revenge. And with the final saga currently going on, there is a good chance that Oda might write his comeback after all.

Fans believe that Oda has been secretly dropping hints about Enel’s return in the Elbaf arc as one of the antagonists. These hints have been referenced through the swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates, Roronoa Zoro.

Subtle Zoro Reference Hints At Enel’s Return

Luffy’s bout with Enel during the Skypiea arc is considered to be one of the most vicious battles in the history of One Piece. It took almost everything from the Straw Hat Pirates to take down the “God” of Skypiea, but they eventually defeated him. And now, fans believe that he might make a return, and Oda is hinting at it through Zoro.

According to @Rexplorer on X, Zoro’s attire in Elbaf is quite similar to the one he was wearing in the Sky Island saga.

He is wearing similar ski goggles as Skypiea, and this might be Oda’s way of referencing the return of Enel from his endeavors on the moon.

Zoro in One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation

Enel’s return was bound to happen one way or the other. The character was one of the strongest villains in the series, but he was introduced too early. Thus, Oda created his narrative in a way that he could write his return during the most crucial moment in One Piece. And as of now, Elbaf holds the most importance in the entire story.

Enel’s Connection With Elbaf

While there has been no official connection established by Eiichiro Oda between Elbaf and the Skypiean God, some theories developed by One Piece fans hint at it. The most prominent one is his relation to Loki, which originates from Norse mythology.

Loki in Elbaf | Credit: Toei Animation

The theory states that as Oda has been using Norse mythology’s references in One Piece for the longest time, there is no way he would leave the Gods, Thor, and Loki out of it. While Loki’s character has already been established as the prince of Elbaf, the only character that can parallel Thor is Enel.

This assumption comes from the fact that he is a god and has the Devil Fruit ability to use lightning. Thus, Enel returning to Elbaf is a good possibility, but eventually, it all depends on Oda and how he plans the Elbaf arc to play out in the grand scheme of things.

One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.

Written by Tarun Kohli

Articles Published: 1658

Konichiwa! With a Master's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a 2-year experience in Digital media writing, I am on my way to becoming one of the biggest anime content writers in my country. My passion for writing and Anime has helped me connect with Fandomwire, and share my love and experience with the world.