Oda Drops A Major Hint About Elbaf’s Destruction

This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf Arc.

Key Takeaways

• Elbaf’s destruction is hinted at through foreshadowing of Yggdrasil’s fate.
• Imu is set to destroy Elbaf in an attempt to eliminate Nika.
• Luffy may step in as Nika to save Elbaf from impending ruin.

The Elbaf Arc of One Piece is well underway, and fans know that this particular story arc is going to be incredibly intense, with bigger wars only getting closer than ever before. Elbaf is the first major arc in the final Saga. Of course, that certainly doesn’t take away anything from Egghead, but it was only the gateway to many important things to come in the Final Saga.

Elbaf is where things will truly kick off and One Piece fans will see a completely different scale. Naturally, Elbaf will have a major villain of its own, just as every other One Piece arc has. So far, it is unclear as to who the major villain of this arc is going to be, because Elbaf has only just begun, and there are many things about this particular country that still need to be explored. That said, Oda might have already dropped a major hint about what could follow in the Elbaf arc, and fans should prepare themselves for the destruction of this country.

The Importance Of Elbaf In One Piece Is Massive

• Elbaf was teased over two decades ago
• Elbaf connects to the Sun God Nika

Elbaf’s importance in One Piece is absolutely paramount. For one, this arc was set up over two decades ago in the story, which makes it the most anticipated arc in all of the story. Elbaf was first mentioned in Little Garden, which is where the Straw Hat Pirates met Dorry and Brogy. There, Usopp took a special interest in the prideful warriors of Elbaf, as did Luffy. It was already established in the story that the Straw Hats would head to Elbaf at some point later down the line, and now, that time is here.

Elbaf! I wanna go there someday! – Usopp

At the same time, Oda has continuously added more depth to the idea of Elbaf over the years. For instance, with Big Mom’s flashback in the story, Oda revealed that the lore of the Sun God stems from Elbaf as well. Oda also connected Big Mom to Elbaf, and there certainly is an element at play here that could be explored further in the arc. More importantly, Nika was connected by Oda to Elbaf as well, and it was revealed to the fans that this entity actually stems from the land of the Giants. Elbaf itself is called the warland and it is believed to be a place perpetually in chaos. The mightiest race in the world exists on Elbaf, and, at the same time, they hold many secrets pertaining to the history of the world. This makes sense, given that the lifespan of the giant is over 300 years.

The Giants of Elbaf also hold some major secrets of their own, and they even had a legendary Devil Fruit that was being passed down the royal line. More than that, the island of elbaf hosts individuals like Saul, who have continued studying the Void Century and possess tremendous knowledge. If all that wasn’t enough, then fans should also keep in mind the Shanks is connected to Elbaf as well, and this character is most likely going to meet Luffy here, which just adds another layer to how important this arc is going to be. No matter which way fans look at it, Elbaf is going to be a massive arc in One Piece, the importance of which could even exceed Wano Country, which is a massive statement, but it is one that could potentially hold true later down the line.

Because of all these important elements at play, fans are extremely curious to see how the Elbaf arc will shape up to be and who the big bad guy of this arc will be. At the same time, fans are also interested to know how Elbaf will affect the overarching plot of One Piece, and how it will eventually go on to tie itself into the final Great War that is upcoming. It is safe to say that Oda has already hinted at it through the potential destruction of Elbaf.

How Oda Hinted At The Destruction Of Elbaf

Oda Implied That Yggdrasil Faces An Existential Threat

Oda has dropped quite a few hints about the destruction of Elbaf. First and foremost, fans know that Elbaf is based on Norse mythology and many elements from Nordic countries are present in this particular arc. As such, the concept of Ragnarok was always going to be written into One Piece, which it certainly has. Just as Ragnarok is the doomsday of the world, Elbaf will have its own version of Ragnarok in One Piece.

If the World Tree Yggdrasil falls, it will be the end of the world! – People of Block City

When it comes to Oda, fans know that he foreshadows things long before they happen, and this happened in the fake Lego block version of Elbaf, although some fans might not have paid attention to it. When the Straw Hat Pirates woke up in the fake Elbaf, the giant tree there, which was claimed by the people to be the Yggdrasil, caught fire. The people there clearly stated that if the giant tree of Yggdrasil is harmed, it will be the end of the world, or, in other words, they alluded to the Ragnarok happening. This is foreshadowing from Oda for the attempted destruction of Elbaf, which is inevitable at some point in the future.

If this wasn’t enough, then fans should also keep in mind that Loki, the Accursed Prince of Elbaf, who was recently introduced in the story claims himself to be the Sun God and, at the same time, the destroyer of the world. He believes he will destroy the world, and of course, the people of Elbaf believe that if Loki is freed from his chains, it will be the end of the country. Once again, Oda is hinting at the destruction of this country, and, at the same time, the end of the world. Oda has dropped more than enough hints about Elbaf being destroyed and it certainly will come at some point later down the line. The question remains as to how Elbaf could face this threat, and who, if any, will go on to save it.

Will Luffy Save Elbaf From Ruin?

Luffy Will Step Forth As Nika To Save Elbaf

Before the question of who will save Elbaf is answered, fans need to know who is going to destroy it in the first place. As things stand, Loki might be on the top of the list for the fans as the destroyer of Elbaf. But, this will likely be a red herring from Oda. The person who’s going to destroy Elbaf, or, at the very least, try to destroy Elbaf, is going to be none other than Imu. Fans might wonder as to how and why that is the case. The answer is quite simple. Imu wants to destroy Nika. The whole reason why Imu killed Saturn on Egghead was because he let Nika escape. But, the entirety of the Marines, and with that, the World Government, know where Luffy is headed next. The Giants of Elbaf took Luffy with him and they are headed for Elbaf. Imu knows this as well, and he has the means to destroy Luffy. The weapon that Imu will be utilizing to pull this off is going to be Mother Flame.

As to why Imu did not do this in the past, the reason is stated in the manga. Imu did not have access to the Mother Flame until recently, and held only a small portion of it. He utilized it to test the power of the Ancient Weapon at first. Due to the successful test, Imu now knows that he possesses the power of an Ancient Weapon that has truly been awakened, and since the World Government secured more Mother Flame from Egghead, now, Elbaf can become the next target. As such, Elbaf’s destruction will be brought about by Imu, who would want to destroy Nika, and it would be up to Luffy, and potentially even Loki, to save the country from doom, or in other words, Ragnarok.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1132, is set to be December 1, 2024.