The God Valley Incident has become one of the most captivating storylines in One Piece history, and many fans aren’t ready for it to end. Eiichiro Oda’s exploration of this long-mysterious event has brought together legendary figures like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the enigmatic Imu — creating a flashback that feels more like a grand historical epic than a side story.
The arc dives deep into the power struggles that shaped the modern world of One Piece, revealing long-hidden secrets about the Celestial Dragons and the early days of piracy. For many, it’s a rare glimpse into the “true history” of the world, something fans have been waiting for since the manga’s earliest chapters. Every chapter in this flashback feels loaded with implications for the present, from the origin of certain Devil Fruits to the political foundations of the World Government.
Fans Don’t Want to Return to the Straw Hats Yet
Surprisingly, many readers say they don’t want to go back to the Straw Hat Pirates just yet. Social media platforms are full of fans expressing that this arc feels like the most thrilling part of One Piece in years — with its dark tone, intense storytelling, and lore-heavy revelations.
While Luffy and his crew are the heart of the series, the God Valley storyline offers something entirely different: a look at the legends and events that shaped everything we know. One fan summed it up best on X (formerly Twitter): “If we return to the Straw Hats now, it’ll feel like waking up from a dream.” The sentiment highlights a unique moment in the fandom, where the past has become more captivating than the present adventure.
A Testament to Oda’s Storytelling and Legacy
The enthusiasm surrounding the God Valley flashback underscores Eiichiro Oda’s enduring genius as a storyteller. After more than two decades, he continues to surprise fans by revealing layers of history that connect generations of pirates, marines, and rulers.
The arc’s pacing, emotion, and scope have reminded readers of One Piece’s golden era — a blend of mystery, world-building, and drama that few series can match. Even as some fans fear that returning to the Straw Hats will slow the story’s momentum, others believe this balance between past and present is what makes One Piece timeless. Whether the flashback ends soon or continues, the God Valley saga has already cemented itself as one of the most powerful and defining chapters in the series’ history.
And now, in the middle of all this hype, Oda has done something few expected: he’s already pointed toward what comes after Elbaf.
Oda Officially Reveals the Next Arc After Elbaf
In a new message to fans, Eiichiro Oda has officially revealed that the next major arc after Elbaf is planned to begin in 2026, and it won’t just be another island-hopping adventure — it’s being described as a world-shaking, endgame-level storyline.
According to Oda’s comments, the post-Elbaf arc will serve as the “true convergence point” of the series. All the threads that have been slowly pulled together — the secrets of the Void Century, the Will of D, the Ancient Weapons, and the World Government’s darkest crimes — will begin colliding on a global scale.
While Oda stopped short of giving an official title, he hinted that this next saga will be structured less like a single island visit and more like a massive, interconnected war arc spanning multiple locations, factions, and battles. If Wano felt big, this arc is being positioned as something far beyond it — a storyline where almost every major character still alive in the series could realistically appear.
How Elbaf and God Valley Lead Into the 2026 Arc
What makes this reveal hit even harder is how clearly God Valley and Elbaf are now being framed as direct set-up for the 2026 arc.
God Valley is exposing the original sin of the world: the brutal foundations of the World Government, the Celestial Dragons’ unchecked power, and the kind of threat a figure like Imu truly poses. At the same time, Elbaf — the land of giants — has already been teased as a place filled with ancient knowledge, powerful warriors, and ties to the Void Century.
Put together, these arcs are doing three big things:
- Rewriting the past – God Valley reframes the history fans thought they understood, showing how close the world has already come to total collapse.
- Powering up the present – Elbaf gives Luffy and his allies new strength, new allies, and possibly new pieces of the truth.
- Aiming at the future – The 2026 arc Oda teased looks to be where all of that information and power finally gets unleashed against the World Government.
In other words, we’re no longer just inching toward the end of One Piece — we’re sprinting toward it.
A “Global War” Style Arc
One of the most exciting parts of Oda’s reveal is how he described the structure of the next arc. Rather than the Straw Hats simply landing on a new island and dealing with a local conflict, the 2026 storyline is said to feel closer in spirit to Marineford, but on an even larger, more complex scale.
Fans can expect:
- Multiple fronts of conflict happening at the same time across the world.
- Pirate crews, Revolutionary forces, and certain kingdoms finally taking open positions for or against the World Government.
- Long-teased characters and factions, like Shanks, Blackbeard, the Revolutionary Army, the Holy Knights, and the remaining Warlords, being forced into action.
- A shift from “adventure” to open, ideological war — not just for treasure, but for what the world will look like when the dust settles.
For years, One Piece has teased a “great war” that would make Marineford look small. Oda’s 2026 tease feels like confirmation that this isn’t just marketing language anymore — that war arc is finally on the horizon.
Fandom Reactions: Hyped for 2026, Not Ready to Let Go
The reaction from fans has been a mix of pure hype and quiet dread. On one hand, a confirmed 2026 start date for the next big saga gives everyone something concrete to look forward to. On the other, it makes the reality of One Piece’s approaching ending feel more real than ever.
Some fans are celebrating the news as the moment everything finally clicks into place. Threads are already exploding with predictions:
- Who will fall first in the coming war?
- How will Blackbeard move once Elbaf wraps up?
- Will the final arc involve the destruction of Mariejois, or something even bigger?
Others, though, are more nostalgic than excited. For them, hearing about the “next arc after Elbaf” doesn’t just mean new hype — it means counting down the last few major chapters of a series that’s been part of their lives for years, even decades.
What This Means for One Piece’s Endgame
If Oda sticks to the 2026 timeline he’s teased, the next arc after Elbaf won’t just be another pit stop on the way to Laugh Tale — it will likely be the beginning of the true final act of One Piece.
The God Valley flashback has shown us what the old world looked like. Elbaf is poised to reveal how much of that history has been buried and how vital the “giants’ truth” is to understanding everything. The newly revealed 2026 arc seems ready to answer the last big question:
Once the truth is finally out, who will stand to protect it — and who will try to erase it forever?
Whether fans are ready or not, Oda has made one thing clear: after Elbaf, there are no more detours. The next arc is where the story stops circling around the truth and charges straight into it.
