“The Final Saga Will Be So Amazing”: Eiichiro Oda Once Said One Piece’s Ending Would Make Marineford Look Like a “Side Trip”

Eiichiro Oda once gave One Piece fans an extraordinary look into how ambitious he considered the manga’s ending. In a 2012 interview published in the Memories – Eternal Log catalog for the One Piece 15th Anniversary Exhibition, Oda said he wanted to reach the final chapter because he imagined it being powerful enough to make the Marineford Arc look like a “side trip”.

The comment has become increasingly relevant as One Piece moves deeper into its Final Saga. However, it is important to clarify that Oda was not making a new 2026 announcement about the ending. The quote dates back to 2012 and describes the ending he had already been imagining at the time.

Oda Already Viewed Marineford as Only a “Side Trip”

During the interview with musician Yasutaka Nakata, Oda was asked what motivated him to continue drawing One Piece. His answer focused directly on reaching the manga’s conclusion.

“One thing that motivates me to keep drawing One Piece is that I want to draw the final saga. The final saga will be so amazing that it makes the Marineford arc look like nothing. Marineford arc was just a side trip to me. I didn’t expect it to be so popular.”

When Nakata reacted with surprise, Oda explained that Marineford had felt like a relatively small detour from his perspective. He added that he had not expected the arc to become as popular as it did. The interview was published in Memories – Eternal Log, which contained English and Japanese versions of the conversation.

Marineford was nevertheless one of the most consequential arcs in One Piece. The war brought the Whitebeard Pirates into direct conflict with the Marines, while Luffy, the Warlords, Admirals and several of the series’ biggest figures converged at Marineford. Ace and Whitebeard’s deaths permanently changed the story, while Whitebeard’s final declaration pushed the world toward an even larger era of piracy.

Final Saga Has a Much Larger Story at Stake

Oda’s old statement becomes particularly interesting when viewed against the current manga. The story has moved far beyond the pirate-versus-Marine conflicts that defined Marineford, with the Final Saga exploring the Void Century, Joy Boy, Imu, the World Government, Ancient Weapons and the true nature of the One Piece.

Recent chapters have continued expanding that scope. According to VIZ Media’s official chapter listing, One Piece reached Chapter 1193 on September 13, 2026, with the manga currently deep into its Elbaf storyline.

That does not mean Oda has confirmed that every major character will participate in one final battle, nor has he revealed exactly how the ending will unfold. What his 2012 comments establish is that Oda had already envisioned an ending he considered substantially larger and more impactful than Marineford.

After more than a decade of additional story development, fans now have considerably more reason to wonder whether the conclusion he imagined in 2012 can actually make Marineford seem like the “side trip” he once described.