In 2019, Eiichiro Oda, the esteemed creator of the globally popular One Piece manga series, made a bold prediction that he would conclude his sprawling pirate epic within five years, meaning the story would wrap up in 2024.
This statement generated major buzz among diehard One Piece fans who were eager yet anxious to see how Oda would satisfactorily tie up all the narrative threads he had carefully woven over 25+ years.
However, as 2023 drew to a close, it became increasingly apparent to close observers that Oda’s self-imposed deadline was unrealistic.
While the current Egghead Island arc has enthralled fans with its quickening pace and high stakes, there is simply too much ground left to cover before Luffy achieves his ambition of becoming Pirate King.
Respected voices like Oda’s former editor, Takuma Naito, once reiterated confidence in the 2024 endpoint, but now accept that another few years will likely be required.
Though the exact final chapter is unclear, Oda deserves latitude given his consistent delivery of captivating new storylines and hidden lore ever since Chapter 1 appeared in 1997.
Whenever the concluding saga ultimately arrives, fans trust Oda will stick the landing in signature style and complete his life’s work on One Piece properly, not hurriedly. The grand adventure still has significant miles left to sail.
Oda’s Five-Year Plan
In August 2019, Eiichiro Oda made headlines in the anime/manga world when he welcomed Fischer’s YouTube channel into his home and casually declared his ambition to conclude his sprawling One Piece epic within 5 years.
This tantalizing tidbit instantly ignited speculation among diehard fans as to whether Oda could truly wrap up 25+ years of intricate worldbuilding and character arcs in such a short timeframe.
Initially, Oda’s bold pronouncement was given credence by his longtime editor Takuma Naito in an interview with Oricon.
Naito raved about the breakneck pace of the current Wano Country narrative arc, expressing confidence that Oda could maintain this accelerated storytelling tempo and satisfactorily tie up all loose ends by 2024.
In Naito’s words: “If Mr. Oda said it would be five years, I think he would finish it in exactly five years.”
Yet in retrospect, Oda’s proclamation seems over-optimistic. As 2023 passes into 2024, it has grown undeniably clear, even to Naito, that the sheer scale of the One Piece universe cannot be condensed quite so abruptly.
While fans continue enjoying thrilling new arcs like Egghead Island, most now accept that several more years will likely pass before the final chapter is drafted.
Whenever the end arrives, Oda has more than earned patience and trust that he will eventually cap his masterwork properly.
Former and Current One Piece Editors Drop Cryptic Hints About Endgame Secrets
In his telling 2019 interview with Oricon, former One Piece editor Takuma Naito covered ample ground, even disclosing confidential details like the decision to finally reveal the canonical spelling for “Laugh Tale” in the One Piece: Stampede film.
This revelation underscored Naito’s unique insights into Eiichiro Oda’s endpoint plans.
Since then, Naito has stepped aside, succeeded by new editor Kaito Anayama. Anayama recently sparked fresh speculation by casually announcing he is privy to what the pivotal One Piece treasure actually is.
His coyness serves as a reminder that although Oda’s storytelling remains engrossing, the finish line is gradually coming into sight after 25+ years, albeit not quite as rapidly as Oda first forecasted.
Interestingly, on the very same day, Anayama hinted at internal knowledge of One Piece’s climactic secrets, the editor of competing manga Jujutsu Kaisen likewise teased that he knows the planned finale for that series too.
Further stoking anticipation, he described the Jujutsu Kaisen ending as guaranteed to be “wonderful.”
These tandem editor remarks in late 2022 fan the flames of the timeless debate over which modern Shonen phenomenon – One Piece or Jujutsu Kaisen – will stick the landing most impressively whenever they ultimately conclude.
But for now, fans can enjoy both adventures as they head toward their destined resolutions.
Eiichiro Oda’s Long-Term Planning
Eiichiro Oda’s inability to meet his bold 2019 prediction of concluding One Piece by 2024-2025 may reinforce a questionable narrative that he has struggled to map out his sprawling masterwork.
However, the well-researched Library of Ohara blog persuasively argues otherwise, noting Oda had the broad strokes of a two-decade game plan sketched out as early as 2002.
So while Oda’s precise endpoint has proven elusive, he has not been guiding his epic completely blind. On multiple occasions from 2014 to as recently as 2020, he reiterated ambitions to wrap up by 2025. For anxious fans, these projections felt solid.
With those deadlines now expired, followers feel no frustration or urge to rush towards an ending. In 2023, One Piece again topped Japan’s bestselling manga list, underscoring its enduring popularity.
At 107 volumes and counting as of January 2024, it also boasts one of manga’s longest continuous runs.
