One Piece: Eiichiro Oda’s Latest Break Might be the Best Thing as Elbaf Fails to Hit the Mark for Final Saga 

SUMMARY

• Elbaf Arc has started shaky, with too many things happening simultaneously, fans have noticed some major inconsistencies in the first few chapters of the arc.
• With that, Eiichiro Oda taking a break to plan out Elbaf seems like a good decision, as it will hopefully lead to a cohesive plot progression that lives up to the standards set by Egghead.
• Not just the manga, but the anime has also gone on a six-months break, which should prove beneficial for the pacing and quality of the final saga of One Piece.

The beginning of an arc in One Piece is often both relaxing and exciting; it acts as a breather after a huge battle and gives way to several new possibilities. While most arcs start with a clear objective, and the subsequent events expand the narrative and build upon it, Elbaf started off quite shaky. After considering how narratively strong Egghead Arc was, Eiichiro Oda has a greater responsibility to keep up the momentum with Elbaf. 

Lilith’s introduction during Egghead arc | Credits: Studio Toei Animation

The placement of the arc in the grand scheme of things makes it even more crucial. Before things could get worse, Oda made the right decision to take a break. This doesn’t apply just to the manga, but to the anime as well. One Piece going on a break signifies an agonizing wait and no updates for a while, but it might be the best decision for the series’ future. 

Elbaf is Off to a Rough Start in One Piece

After setting up Elbaf for more than a decade, Eiichiro Oda has significantly raised fans’ expectations for what it has to offer. Both fans and the characters were excited about their arrival on the island. However, what transpired once it happened somewhat complicated things. The first few events on what was supposedly Elbaf made fans question if the Straw Hats were hallucinating.

Luffy rushes towards danger in Elbaf | Credits: Viz Media

Later, it was revealed that everything they experienced was real. Luffy’s fighting style was evidently different from usual, with a mix of Gear 3 and Gear 4 attacks. The confusion led fans to question if Oda made significant mistakes that went unnoticed by the editor of One Piece. Moreover, the Straw Hats have split up once again and there’s too much happening at the same time. 

The last few chapters are not as cohesive and the inconsistencies are dampening the excitement of fans. With how things were progressing, it’s good that Oda announced a longer break than usual after chapter 1130. It’ll give him and his team some time to plan things out before diving into the Elbaf lore. 

A still from Egghead Arc | Credits: Studio Toei Animation

Elbaf is a crucial arc as Egghead excellently establishes the menace and mystery of the Final Saga. Anything can happen and no one is truly safe. Imu Sama and the Five Elders have set their sight on Luffy and his crew, and are actively hunting them. Big News Morgan is further sabotaging while also establishing Luffy’s glory as a pirate. Elbaf needs to live up to the standard set by Egghead, not just in the manga but in the anime as well. 

The Manga and Anime Break is the Best Decision For Now 

A still from the ending theme of Egghead Arc | Credits: Studio Toei Animation

Right before the manga break was announced, One Piece anime announced a long break of six months. Egghead was going strong with the Aokiji vs. Garp fight. Those up-to-date with the manga know that things were only about to get better. But with how close the anime was to the manga, it wouldn’t have taken long to catch up to the current chapters. 

Animating the chaos that is unfolding in Elbaf, plus bombarding it with fillers, would have further ruined the experience. Taking some time for chapters to pile up might finally give us fair pacing for One Piece anime for the first time since the time skip. So, as challenging as it’s going to be to wait for the next developments in One Piece, the breaks might be the best decision to ensure that Oda can do justice to whatever he has set up for years. 

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

Written by Laveena Joshi

Articles Published: 194

Laveena holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism with a keen interest in entertainment journalism. Known to defend Naruto with her life, her love for anime has turned into great appreciation for the Japanese Culture. Besides considering herself a veteran weeb, she's also a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur. Better if the perfect brew is paired with a random video essay from YouTube. Blending her love for anime with the know-hows of content writing, she is now an anime content writer at FandomWire.