We can safely assume that Netflix’s live-actionOne Piecewill not have the privilege of adapting the manga’s ending, creating a problem without an obvious solution. The 2023One Pieceseries surprised the world by punching a hole straight through Hollywood’s infamous anime adaptation curse, and a crucial factor in that success was following Eiichiro Oda’s manga faithfully and authentically. By the timeOne Pieceseason 1 ended, roughly 95 manga chapters had been translated into live-action. Unfortunately, the Going Merry’s streaming service voyage has a very long way still to go.
At the time of writing,One Pieceis on chapter #1145, and while Oda has promised the story is in its final stages, there remains much for Monkey D. Luffy to do. Even at a conservative estimate, Netflix’sOne Piecewould, at its current rate, need to hit double-figure seasons in order to have any hope of adapting everything.One Piece’s producers have set a target of 12 seasons, but it’s impossible to say whether this would be sufficient while Oda is still churning out fresh chapters, and that raises big questions about the live-action show’s ending ahead ofOne Pieceseason 2.
Netflix’s One Piece Will Most Likely End Without Covering The Full Story
Live-Action One Piece Fans Should Prepare For A Premature Ending
To avoid future disappointment, it makes sense to accept the very probable reality thatNetflix’sOne Piecewill not be running 20 years from now, adapting Luffy’s battle against Kaido and the shocking reveal of Shanks' evil twin brother. Even if one assumesOne Piece’s 12-season goal would actually be enough - a huge “if” in and of itself - reaching such a milestone would require a number of improbable factors to neatly line up.
One Pieceseason 1 was a hit, sure, but adapting the whole story would mean breaking the Netflix mold altogether.
Firstly,One Piecemust bring Netflix sustained success. The platform has earned something of a reputation for canceling popular shows, withGLOW,Shadow & Bone, andThe OAall painful memories of Netflix’s hungry guillotine. Even the streamer’s most successful releases, however, have failed to last as long asOne Piecewould need to.Stranger Thingsis ending with season 5,Squid Gamewith season 3, and the longest-running Netflix original is currentlyVirgin Riverwith seven seasons.One Pieceseason 1 was a hit, sure, but adapting the whole story would mean breaking the Netflix mold altogether.
Even if Netflix is happy to keep the Straw Hat flag flying for 12 seasons,it is entirely possible thatOne Piececomes to an end of its own accord. PerhapsOne Piece’s castbegin seeking new adventures on other projects, or start aging too fast for their characters. Maybe the production team moves on and Netflix opts to end the series on a high rather than risk creative collapse under a new regime.
One Piece Season 2 Release Window Teases How Long Netflix’s Show Will Take To Adapt The Entire Story
As One Piece season 2’s potential release date sails closer, it’s possible to figure out roughly how long Netflix will take to adapt the entire story.
ForOne Piece’s live-action adaptation to keep running until the manga’s end, therefore, it would need the following: Oda wrapping the story up relatively soon, huge continuing critical and commercial success on Netflix, a solution to the cast getting older than their characters, and a willingness to keep plugging away at the project for another 20+ years. Those elements almost certainly won’t align in the wayOne Pieceneeds them to.
Option 1: Does Netflix’s One Piece Create An Ending Of Its Own?
A.K.A. Luffy Riding A Dragon & Burning The People Of Raftel
Mirroring the manga,One Pieceseason 1 set up a number of plot threads that are destined to be resolved at the very last stage of Luffy’s journey. These include Luffy becoming the Pirate King,Zoro beating Dracule Mihawk, Luffy surpassing Shanks, and Sanji finding the All Blue - none of which have happened in the manga yet.If Netflix’sOne Piece, for whatever reason, concludes early, audiences will be denied resolutionto all of these important stories, which would come as an especially frustrating development for viewers whose only exposure toOne Pieceis the live-action version.
An inconclusive climax would be infinitely preferable to a bad one.
Netflix may, therefore, be tempted to write its own endingthat ties off all the major plots. Maybe Luffy reaches the final island of the Grand Line in season 5 or 6, after the Water 7 and Enies Lobby arcs. He battles Shanks to become Pirate King, Zoro takes on Mihawk just for fun, and the All Blue is conveniently nearby to keep Sanji happy. This way, at least, the live-actionOne Pieceseries could exist as a story in its own right with a proper ending.
Dracule Mihawk later becomes Zoro’s mentor in theOne Piecemanga.
A custom ending would, however, be a terrible idea. Such a rushed finale risks ruining an adaptation that has thus far been praised for only making tasteful adjustments to the source material.Game of Throneshas already demonstrated how badly things can go when writers tack their own endings onto an existing piece of ongoing fiction, and forOne Piecein particular, an inconclusive climax would be infinitely preferable to a bad one.
Option 2: Where Would Be A Good Place For One Piece To End?
There Are Two Places One Piece Could End On A Satisfying Note
The other option is thatOne Piecesimply continues to adapt Eiichiro Oda’s manga accurately, then ends wherever it ends, knowing and accepting the story will be left incomplete. The same happened for Prime Video’sThe Expanse, which came to a halt after six seasons of closely following the books, and even in its final season, was still sowing seeds for an endgame that wasn’t going to materialize. Netflix’sOne Piececould do something similar - the big problem would be finding a sensible point to stop the story.
One possibility is to use Enies Lobby as the series finalecircaOne Pieceseason 5. The Straw Hats' battles against CP9 - especially Luffy vs. Rob Lucci - are by far the most epiccombat sequences inOne Pieceup until that point, allowing the live-action series to finish with a bang. Enies Lobby could work as a thematic ending too. The Straw Hats rescuing Nico Robin and cementing her as a true member of the crew, then also getting a brand-new ship to replace Going Merry, would represent the closing of a chapter and giveOne Piecea logical place to end.
The Summit War would be live-actionOne Piece’s best possible ending.
The more exciting option would be to stretch untilOne Pieceseason 7 or 8 and make the Summit War Netflix’s live-action showstopper. An epic battle pitting Luffy, backed up by numerous allies that include the Whitebeard Pirates, against the full might of the marines, the Summit World is still considered by many to beOne Piece’s finest moment. Furthermore,the Summit War leads directly into a two-year time skip, creating a natural break inOne Piece’s timeline.
How Many One Piece Arcs Will Netflix’s Live-Action Show Cover?
Netflix’s live-action One Piece is already 5 story arcs into adapting the original manga, but it’s not yet clear where in the story it will end.
If it can last long enough to get there, the Summit War would be live-actionOne Piece’s best possible ending. Quitting before the time skip would also allow some brave soul to reviveOne Pieceyears down the road, meaning Netflix could recast the Straw Hats, pick up where the original show left off, and adapt the second half of Oda’s gargantuan tale for the next generation.
One Piece
Cast
One Piece follows young pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his diverse crew as they embark on a daring quest for treasure. Released in 2023, the film brings the adventurous world of the popular manga to life, capturing Luffy’s relentless pursuit of the legendary One Piece treasure.
