Oda Confirms The Legendary Pirate After Elbaph Who Changes One Piece Forever

The Jump Festa festival has always been a revealing and hyped moment for One Piece as the mangaka Eiichiro Oda himself delivers news on the coveted series, and Jump Festa 2026 was no different. The mangaka delivered a letter, probably the most important one ever; the official translation of which was posted by @pewpiece (via X):

THE OFFICAIL TRANSLATION FOR ODA'S NEW MESSAGE FOR JUMP FESTA 2026 pic.twitter.com/9MHwZxcZcw

— Pew (@pewpiece) December 21, 2025

If you are still confused about why we’re calling it the most important letter in One Piece, there is a part that reveals that after the Elbaph Arc ends, the series will likely progress to the Laugh Tale island, the final destination. But more importantly, the mysterious and legendary pirate finally appears.

The Man Marked in Flames Confirmed to Appear After Elbaph Ends

As confirmed by Eiichiro Oda’s letter at the Jump Festa 2026, the infamous and legendary “Man marked in Flames” will make his appearance in the final saga of the One Piece anime and manga series, which starts right after the Elbaph Arc. As of now, there are no images or hints as to who this legendary pirate is, apart from a few mentions in the manga series.

In Chapter 1056, Kid first mentions the Man Marked in Flames, popularly known as Hinokizu, in a conversation regarding the Road Poneglyphs. Continuing to Chapter 1081, Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard) mentions that the man holds the last Red Poneglyphs. Hinokizu has been a mysterious, legendary character in the series for a long time now, and with Oda’s confirmation, it seems like we’re only a few months away from finally catching a glimpse of him.

But a few questions remain: When and where will he appear, and how is Oda planning to reveal him? Was he there during the God Valley Incident? Was he part of any major pirate crew like the Rocks Pirates or the Roger Pirates? All these questions add curiosity and anticipation to the eventual reveal of the mysterious man marked in flames, Hinokizu.

Is Hinokizu the Final Hurdle in One Piece Before Laugh Tale?

While Oda has yet to reveal any further information about Hinokizu, we can make some assumptions of our own as to when and how he will appear in the series. Oda also revealed that the final island is Laugh Tale, where Gol D. Roger buried his treasure; Hinokizu possesses the last Road Poneglyphs, so he is probably somewhere near Laugh Tale.

The Road Ponelyghys are basically the roadmap to Laugh Tale, and the only one missing was the one from Fishman Island, so it’s safe to presume that Hinokizu stole it. If we are on the arc of theories, would it be really far-fetched if we consider that it has some Devil Fruit ability that manipulates the sea itself?

According to Eustass Kid, Hinokizu sails on an all-black ship and creates whirlpools to swallow enemies. If that’s not a Devil Fruit ability, then it is likely Haki, which actually ties him to the God Valley Incident indirectly, as all the members from that time were extremely efficient Haki users.

What makes the theory even more solid is that Imu, who up until now was considered a separate god-like entity, also revealed the Devil Fruit and an alternate form of Haki, Maki. So explorations of other powers aren’t completely out of the question.

TITLE	One Piece
CREATOR	Eiichiro Oda
RELEASE DATE	October 20, 1999
IMDb RATING (As of May 12, 2026)	9/10
MAL RATINGS (As of May 12, 2026)	8.73/10 (Anime) 9.21/10 (Manga)
WHERE TO WATCH	Crunchyroll

What are your thoughts on Oda’s letter and our theories on Hinokizu? We’d love to hear your opinions in the comments below.

The One Piece anime series is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll. You can also read the manga officially on the Viz Media and Manga Plus website and app.