Eiichiro Oda Sets New Timeline for One Piece Finale, Confirms End Goal: The Biggest Party in Manga History

After nearly three colossal decades dominating the global manga landscape, Eiichiro Oda, the visionary creator behind One Piece, has provided fans with crucial updates regarding the timeline for the series' ultimate conclusion. Since its launch in July 1997, the narrative has evolved into a global phenomenon, and it has now officially entered its long-awaited final saga. This transition marks a monumental shift in the history of anime and manga storytelling.

Oda’s initial prophecy, delivered way back in 1998, is proving accurate: he stated that the appearance of Shanks with increased frequency would signal the series entering its endgame. True to his word, Shanks is now playing a more prominent role in recent chapters, indicating that the era of grand revelations is upon us and the finale is rapidly approaching.

Revised Timeline for the Conclusion

While Oda once harbored the ambitious hope of wrapping up the pirate epic by 2025, that target has been deemed unrealistic given the current depth of the storytelling. Although the creator initially expressed his intent in 2022 to conclude One Piece within a three-year window, the ongoing narrative, particularly the expansive Elbaf arc, still requires substantial coverage. Current projections suggest that devoted readers should temper their expectations, as the manga is not anticipated to conclude until 2030 at the absolute earliest. This date serves as a minimum expected timeframe rather than a firm, non-negotiable deadline.

The Conceptualized Ending and the Final War

Oda confirms that the ending has been meticulously crafted; he has already conceptualized the final visual panel and the overall structure of the climax. Intriguingly, the conclusion will expand far beyond the immediate circle of the Straw Hat Pirates, aiming to encompass the fate of the entire One Piece world.

From a purely logical perspective, Monkey D. Luffy stands just one Road Poneglyph away from identifying the route to Laugh Tale and securing the legendary treasure. This ultimate discovery is set to ignite the highly anticipated Final War, an event poised to fundamentally reshape the balance of power across the globe.

A Celebratory Finale

Perhaps the most comforting revelation for fans is Oda’s philosophy on the series' final moments. The mangaka has frequently expressed his aversion to illustrating deaths, preferring to depict a massive celebration following the decisive battle. He stated his ideal vision: "A party is my ideal form of friendship. I want to end with One Piece with a big party." This commitment ensures that the series will likely culminate not in tragedy, but in a joyous, celebratory finale, witnessing Luffy finally realize his dream of becoming the Pirate King, surrounded by his loyal nakama.

As of March 2025, the manga boasts 111 tankobon volumes released in Japan, maintaining its unstoppable serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump. Furthermore, the successful Netflix live-action adaptation is slated to launch its second season in 2026, guaranteeing that the One Piece universe will continue to captivate global audiences across multiple platforms throughout this thrilling final era.