The Meaning of the Final Scene in One Piece: Why Fans are Divided

For over 25 years, we’ve asked one question: What is the One Piece? But as the final saga accelerates, a more terrifying question has emerged: How will the very last scene look?

The fanbase is currently fractured into two camps, and this divide reveals a deeper cultural clash between Western storytelling expectations and Eastern philosophy. Why are we so afraid of the ending? Because we’ve been burned before.

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The Bridge: Western fans, traumatized by the finales of Game of Thrones and Lost, crave a "Definitive Conquest" ending. Eastern storytelling often favors "Mono no Aware"—the beauty of impermanence—where the journey's end is quiet, cyclical, or symbolic. This clash is fueling the debate.

Theory A: The "Red Line Destruction" (The Western Epic)

This is the ending most Western fans want. It’s tangible, mechanical, and definitive.

• The Scenario: Luffy uses the Ancient Weapons to destroy the Red Line, physically uniting the oceans into the "All Blue."
• The Appeal: It solves every plot thread with a sledgehammer. Fishman Island is saved, the oppressive World Government geography is shattered, and freedom is physicalized.
• Why It Fits: It matches the scale of a Western epic. The hero conquers the environment to change the world. It’s a "Victory" in the traditional sense.

Theory B: The "Joy Boy's Laugh" (The Meta-Ending)

This is the ending fans fear—not because it's bad, but because it feels "anticlimactic" to a culture obsessed with winning.

• The Scenario: The One Piece is a funny story, a comic book, or a bottle of sake. The series ends not with a world-shattering explosion, but with the crew laughing, just like Roger did.
• The Fear: Western audiences often equate "Simplicity" with "Trolling." If the treasure is "The friends we made along the way" (metaphorically), internet riots will ensue.
• The Reality: Oda loves subversion. Ending a battle manga with a party instead of a war would be the ultimate pirate move.

The "Luffy Dies" Debate: A Hero's Requiem?

Another flashpoint is Luffy's lifespan. He has sacrificed years of his life using Gear 2nd and hormonal treatments.

• The Pirate King's Curse: Many believe the final scene will mirror the first: a dying Luffy passing the hat to a new generation (maybe Coby or Shanks' child).
• Why It Hurts: We've grown up with Luffy. Watching him die at 20, even after achieving his dream, feels cruel. But in samurai cinema and Greek tragedy, a legend only becomes immortal in death.

Ending Probability Scorecard

The Meaning of "The Laugh"

Ultimately, the divided fanbase proves how much this story matters. We are terrified of the end because we don't know who we will be without One Piece in our lives.

Whether the final scene is a global cataclysm or a quiet sunset party, one thing is certain: Oda intends to make us struggle with the meaning of "freedom" until the very last panel.

Which ending are you rooting for? Do you want the Red Line to fall, or are you just here for the final party? Let us hear your theories!