“I didn’t expect it to be so popular”: Eiichiro Oda’s Marineford Arc in One Piece Becomes His Greatest Enemy as Mangaka Vows to Surpass it in Final Saga

Final saga of One Piece promises to reveal deepest secrets and resolve key plot points.

SUMMARY

The Marineford arc remains a pinnacle of emotion and intensity in One Piece lore.
Post-timeskip arcs challenge the Marineford arc’s legacy with their depth and impact.
Eiichiro Oda anticipates the final saga to surpass all previous arcs in brilliance.

Over the years, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece anime and manga have created remarkable story arcs. These arcs hold a special place in the hearts of One Piece fans.

One arc that is widely regarded as the pinnacle of One Piece is the Marineford arc. This arc represents the climax of the first major part of the story in One Piece.

In this arc, Luffy’s brother, Portgas D. Ace, is faced with execution at the Marine Headquarters. The formidable Whitebeard Pirates and their crew members launch an all-out war effort to rescue Ace from this terrible fate.
Luffy in One Piece (Credits: Toei Animation)
Luffy bravely rushes into the chaotic battle to save his brother. Regardless of Luffy’s best efforts, Ace ultimately sacrifices himself to protect Luffy.

Eiichiro Oda Vows One Piece‘s Final Arc Will Surpass Marineford

The Marineford arc is considered by many fans to be one of the most powerful and impactful story arcs in the entire One Piece series.
Luffy in One Piece
However, in the post-timeskip part of the story, Eiichiro Oda has already written arcs that may surpass even the acclaimed Marineford.

Oda himself believes that the upcoming final saga of the series will prove to be greatly superior to what has come before.

Previously Eiichiro Oda said,

“One thing that motivates me to keep drawing One Piece is that I want to draw the Final Saga. The Final Saga will be so amazing that it makes the Marineford arc look like nothing. Marineford arc was just a side trip to me. I didn’t expect it to be so popular.”

For instance, the recently concluded Wano Country arc is widely viewed as the finest in the series. The incredible depth of the storytelling and character development in Wano has left readers more fascinated than ever.

There’s a clear reason why Oda Sensei is so eager to tackle the Final Saga of the story,  it represents the climax of the deepest secrets and most important characters in the One Piece world.
Luffy in One Piece (Credits: Toei Animation)
It is in the final saga that Luffy will finally fulfill his grand dream, and where all the remaining plot points will be masterfully answered together.

Why The Final Saga Will Be One Piece‘s Greatest Arc

The Egghead arc has already proven to be an incredible story arc in the series. When you look at the huge scale of events that have happened in the Egghead arc, it makes sense that people would consider it to be the best.
Luffy in One Piece (Credits: Toei Animation)
For example, the East Blue saga got more exciting as it built up to the Arlong Park arc. And in the Water Seven and Enies Lobby arcs, the story really peaked in the second half.

Of course, the Summit War saga reached its climax with the epic Marineford arc. The same trend continued after the time skip, with the Four Emperors saga reaching a pinnacle in the Wano Country arc.