It goes without saying that Oda is one of the greatest writers of all time and that One Piece is one of the greatest stories to have ever been told.

Not only has One Piece delivered incredibly high quality, but it has done so for over a period of two decades. This is what makes One Piece incredibly special and earns it A position among the greatest stories of all time, potentially being the greatest there is. That said, One Piece is now close to ending and the story is already in the Final Saga.

At this point, it is only natural that fans are wondering when the series will end, and more than that, how the ending of the series will go. Given how often the endings of stories get ruined, it is only natural for fans to be careful about what to expect from One Piece. But, they need not be worried, because Oda has revealed already how much of the story he has already planned and what he intends to do next in the story.

Oda Has Already Planned Most Of What Will Happen

Oda has an idea of how to handle the Final Saga

Oda will likely make some changes in Elbaf moving forward

When it comes to writing stories, in general, there are two types of authors. There are authors that plan the story meticulously right from the beginning all the way up until the end, and don’t deviate from what their initial plan is. Then, there are authors who plant seeds, observe different elements within the story, and take it from there based on how they feel about the direction of the story. When it comes to Oda, most fans believe that Oda falls into the former category. After all, over the years, Oda has made a reputation for himself for being one of the greatest planars of stories, and at the same time, a master of foreshadowing. Oda himself has said on many occasions that he has planned for most of the things that are going to happen in One Piece and he knows how his ending is going to be already. Naturally, to most people, this simply sounds like Oda falls into the former category of writers who have everything planned right up until the very end and who tend to not deviate too much from their original plans.

However, Oda is actually a mix of both the writing styles. While it is true that Oda plans for most things to happen in the story long before they even happen, he has, on many occasions, decided to take different paths based on how his story was going at the time. In fact, a few years ago, in an interview with the Japanese vocal group Yuzu, Oda clearly stated that he had decided most of what was going to happen in the future of One Piece. That being said, Oda did not expect for the Wano Arc to go in the direction that it did. Simply put, Oda had imagined Wano to be different at first, but he later changed his plans in some way or form which is unknown to the fans.

It is for this reason that Oda does not want to talk about the story building up to the final chapter. This was back in 2022. Since then, Oda has likely made many other changes to his story as well. But, fans can be sure that the core is, at the very least, something that Oda has planned long ago and his own words are proof of that fact.

Oda Has The Ending Planned Down To The Final Panel

Oda Has The Last Panel Of One Piece Already

It is no surprise for the fans to know that Oda has already got a vision of what the Final Saga One Piece is going to be like. He knows what major events to expect, and, at the same time, he also knows what the ending is going to be like. But, fans should also keep in mind that there will be deviations from Oda’s original plan here and there, just as they were in the Wano Country Arc of One Piece. But, that certainly doesn’t mean that the core of One Piece is going to change. Oda has already planned for it long ago, and he will most likely stick to it right up until the very end. In fact, Oda has planned One Piece so meticulously that he already knows what the last panel of his manga is going to be.

Back in 1999, Oda confirmed already having plans for the final panel, and this remains a popular statement among the fans right up until this day.

I’ve already decided on the last panel and how the last chapter will be. In the final saga, I’ll focus on not only Straw Hats but also on events happening in the whole world. The problem is how many years it will take to start the final saga. – Oda (1999)

Oda’s words couldn’t be clearer. He knows what the final panel of the story is going to be, and he expects the Final Saga to be the most interesting part of the story where not only the Straw Hats take center stage. That is precisely what fans are observing in One Piece right now. While the Straw Hats are one of the main drivers of the plot, so are other individuals, such as Sabo, Dragon, GARP, and the other Yonko of the One Piece world. Things are only getting more exciting, and everything is building up towards that final panel that Oda has already planned from his college days.

When Will One Piece End?

One Piece Is Expected To Continue For Over 5 Years

Looking back at Oda’s words from 1999, his biggest concern was getting to the Final Saga. Now, the difficult part for Oda is over and One Piece is in the final saga. This is where everything comes together, and Oda delivers what he has himself hyped up to be the best part of One Piece. Fans have thoroughly enjoyed the Egghead Island arc, and with the beginning of Elbaf, things are only going to get more exciting. One Piece will continue to grow in terms of quality from here onwards, and fans absolutely cannot wait to see what Oda has to deliver next.

As for how long One Piece has left, based on how the series has been developing over the last few years, fans don’t need to be too worried. One Piece is only at the beginning of the Elbaf Arc, which is going to last for 3 to 4 years, at the very least. After Elbaf, the series is likely going to enter the very final phase, where the Straw Hats will finally go on to claim the One Piece and the Great War will begin.

So, fans should be looking at One Piece lasting for about 6 more years, give or take. This means that the story will end around 2030, at the earliest, and, depending on how many details Oda plans to tackle in the final saga, perhaps even a few years longer.