This article contains spoilers forGod of War: RagnarökandOne Piece’s Wano arc and onward
One Piecehas included gods in its vast mythos since the earlier days of the franchise, yet its latest arc is cementing a particular type of god into its canon. Oda has expanded the role of gods inOne Piece, showcasing new beings and how their powers affect existing characters like Luffy. With the development of characters like the sun god Nika leaving more questions than answers, the franchise’s latest arc could change the role of gods entirely.
In a world clearly inspired by Norse mythology, the Elbaf arc lends itself as not just another great world for aOne Piecevideo game installment, but for developers to adapt the world into the franchise’s version ofGod of War: Ragnarök. Though the setting is the most obvious comparison,new twists on characters in Norse mythologyhave been rumored to appear inOne Piece, giving game developers more reason to look atGod of War: Ragnarokfor inspiration.
Yggdrasil the World Tree and Its Nine Realms
At the beginning of the Elbaf arc, half of the Straw Hat piratesdiscover a tree called Yggdrasil. Fans of Norse mythology will be quick to recognize this tree as the World Tree. As host of the nine realms, Yggdrasil houses Norse mythology’s universe and acts as one of several ways to travel between realms.
With ten Straw Hats and nine realms in Norse mythology, the realms aren’t perfectly divided between One Piece’s main crew. However,the Straw Hats have a string of allies traveling to Elbafwith them that will also be thrown into the mix.
Thoughchapter 1128 ofOne Piece’s mangarevealed that Luffy and his allies haven’t arrived at Elbaf like they’d presumed, the common hypothesis that the Straw Hats will be separated and sent to Yggdrasil’s nine realms seems to still be in play. With the arc so early into publication, speculation on Elbaf’s plot is all that can be offered.
Exploring the nine realms is part of another long-standing installment in a franchise.God of War: Ragnaroksees Kratos and his son Atreus, revealed to be Loki, attempting to prevent Norse mythology’s doomsday – Ragnarok. The Straw Hats may not be on Elbaf to prevent Ragnarok, but they will also have to explore each of the realms if they want to gain powerful allies, expand their individual power sets, and defeat the trickster Loki.
If a futureOne Piecegame adaptation takes inspiration fromGod of War: Ragnarok, Luffy will likely act as a stand-in for Kratos.God of War: Ragnarokforces players to unlock each realm by completing certain quests. Certain quests also occur in specific realms, making players visit each realm to complete the game.
The Straw Hats' Destinations
A hypothetical Elbaf adaptation could easily follow this path, making Luffy (the player) travel to each realm to re-recruit the other Straw Hats and his allies. Oda has yet to reveal which Straw Hat will end up in each realm, but many believe that the pairings will end up as follows:
What a One Piece Game About Elbaf Could Entail
Thehistory behind Joy Boy and Nika, who Oda has confirmed has an association with Elbaf, is still hazy. Bonney and Luffy have both awakened power sets from the sun god Nika, making training in the realm of the gods a likely story beat. However, in a video game setting, Asgard would work much better as the scene of a final battle.
While Asgard will be used to conclude the arc’s vast story,Bonney and Luffy’s connectionto Asgard needs to be explored. Unlocking skills on Asgard is necessary toOne Piece’s story, but could mess up the pacing of a video game. If this short bit of training is included right before the final battle, the momentum of the story would grind to a halt.
Therefore, players will likely start off as Luffy in Asgard before getting kicked out of the realm. From there, Luffy will travel to the other realms and recruit allies before returning to the realm, only to lose. This second attemptcould be where Luffy’s training beginsunder a god in the realm, maybe even Odin. After recruiting the rest of his allies, Luffy and his crew could return to Asgard again and this time be victorious.
Travel in this hypothetical game would be a huge aspect of game play, considering the number of realms Luffy would have to travel to. After the first battle on Asgard, players should begin at the base of Yggdrasil, with Luffy choosing one out of a handful of realms to begin recruiting his allies.Using a similar model toGod of War’s, players travel to realms using Mystic Gateways, which could take less travel time than forcing players to return to Yggdrasil every time. However, a main-stay portal on Yggdrasil is necessary as the tree could act as a home base for the Straw Hats.
Recruiting more powerful members of the Straw Hat pirateslike the rest of the Monster Triowould likely happen further along in the game, with Zoro defeating the goddess of death, Hel, to truly earn the title “King of Hell”, acting as a good penultimate battle. The other realms will likely see the Straw Hats developing new skills, like Usopp training with the giants, as this story beat will probably occur inOne Piece’s main story line.
A Reunion with Jaguar D. Saul
A video game adaptation of Elbaf would likely include allies on the island that have not yet been introduced intoOne Piece’s canon. However, the end of the series’ Egghead Island arc reveals that Robin’s childhood mentor,Jaguar D. Saul, is hiding in Elbaf.
Considering both of their roles as scholars,Saul is likely hiding in Vanaheim, home to the Vanir. As gods of wisdom, prophecy, and fertility, Saul, Robin, and Lilith could learn about Elbaf itself, unlocking secrets about the world that could prove useful in battle. Egghead Island also reveals that Lilith and Saul have a history that she does not remember. Depending upon the nature of their history, Lilith could possibly unlock more or even regain powers.
These allies, new and old,would be vital in a final battle against Loki. Recruitment may take time and specific choices, but could cementOne Piece’s Elbaf arc as a story to rivalGod of War: Ragnarok.
One Piece
Cast
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
