The One Piece manga is particularly spicy right now. It’s been serialized since 1997, and 27 straight years of world-building and storytelling definitely makes it count as an “epic tale” in my book. And every “epic tale” eventually reaches a moment where you realize you’re in the endgame.
One Piece is currently very much in that moment.
Major spoilers for One Piece chapters 1113 and 1114 ahead!
In chapter 1113, Vegapunk’s message to the world began in earnest, and we learned the bombshell truth that the entire world is sinking. In the following chapter, 1114, Vegapunk indicated he wanted to explain why a recent earthquake raised the water levels one meter.
This explanation necessitates finally learning what happened in the Void Century, 900 years ago. In the final panels of the chapter, he said the main character in his story will be someone whose name has popped up in One Piece again and again: Joyboy—who we learn also happened to be the first pirate.
In other words, this is a huge moment for One Piece fans. But why, and when will we learn more? After a lot of breaks recently, One Piece returned on Mother’s Day, May 11, to tell us about the Mother Flame. But it won’t be returning again next week. Chapter 1115 will drop on Sunday, May 26, 2024. The chapters tend to drop on Shonen Jump around 10AM EST.
So yes, we’ll have to wait an extra week to find out more about what happened during the Void Century. But compared to 22 years, a week is nothing.
Why chapter 1115 is going to be a big deal
The mystery of the Void Century has been dangled before us since we encountered our first Poneglyph in the Alabasta arc and gained Robin as the Straw Hats’ resident archeologist, over twenty years ago. And the name “Joyboy” first came up during the Fishman Island arc, over a decade ago. Plus, we know Joyboy is deeply involved with the ancient weapons and the One Piece itself. And we learned this week that he’s a citizen of the lost civilization.
One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has made fans wait 22 years to learn about what happened in the Void Century. The World Government has worked very hard to keep what happened between 900 and 800 years ago a complete secret. We just know that, at the end of it, twenty rulers from twenty countries came together, and the World Government as we know it today was formed.
That may even be fairly literal, as it very much seems like the Five Elders and Imu are immortal and have been with the World Government from the get-go, with Imu ruling over the so-called “Empty Throne” in secret. There’s a high likelihood none of them are even human. Which is all to say, the Five Elders personally rushed to Egghead and are doing everything in their freakish power to stop Vegapunk from divulging the history of the Void Century.
Here’s hoping they fail. Professor Clover was shot before he could divulge the major secrets of the Void Century, and I’ll be damned if the Government pulls that trick again. We’re staring down the reality that we’re finally going to learn the answer to One Piece’s central mystery—a mystery fans have been eagerly theorizing about for over two decades. Just writing about this is literally making me shiver with excitement.
At the end of chapter 1114, Doctor Vegapunk finally began telling the entire world what happened during the Void Century. But we the readers will have to wait just a little longer for the big reveal.
(featured image: Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha)
