One Piece now has over 108 Tankobon volumes and has been airing since July 1997. Eiichiro Oda over the span of almost 27 years, has introduced fans with over 1000 characters through the series, that fans can get behind.
However, despite having over a thousand characters and the series being in the final saga, Oda has revealed that there are still characters that have yet to debut in the manga. One such is the highly anticipated character with an Eye Patch. But it might seem that the character with the eye patch had already made its appearance back in the Dressrosa arc.
Did Dressrosa Arc hint at the One Piece‘s Eye Patch Pirate?
The Eye Patch is often stereotypically associated with pirates in pop culture. However, One Piece, the most famous anime and manga about pirates is yet to include a pirate wearing an eyepatch. Though Eiichiro Oda had promised fans, the character is yet to make its debut. However, Eiichiro’s word has led many to make assumptions about who the character could be.
A user on Reddit started an interesting conversation, suggesting that the character with an eyepatch might just be a character from the past. Specifically, the captain of the Donquixote Pirates, Donquixote Doflamingo given how Kid’s comments at the end of the Wano arc and Law being the only character to see Doflamingo without his iconic glasses on.
However, there is some flaw to this theory as Kid doesn’t mention a character with an eyepatch as the user suggests, but a man with a burn scar. The man with the burn scar was said to have information about the final road poneglyph for the One Piece. The character who Kid is probably talking about at that particular moment is most likely Kuzan. Especially given how Kuzan is associated with all the characters and has massive burn scars after his fight against Akainu.
But given how unpredictable Eiichiro Oda has been in the past, the man marked by flames could be a completely new character. Also, there are chances of the character possibly being the Pirate with the Eye Patch, with the flame marks being the reason for how he lost his eye. The only thing fans can be sure of as of now is the character will play a big role in the series.
Eiichiro Oda’s forshadowing of the Eyepatch Pirate and the secrets of Laugh Tale
During the celebration of One Piece‘s 10th anniversary all the way back in 2007, Eiichiro Oda released “One Para” where he shared his thoughts about the series and the direction it was heading. However, one comment about the eye patch pirate seemed to grab the attention of fans. Afan reposted a translation of the quote on X. The translation wrote;
Oda (2007): A pirate with an eye-patch will appear in the final phase of One Piece. I’m itching to draw that character as soon as possible.😍 Maybe people have a preconception that many pirates wear eye patches, but actually I’ve never drawn any pirates with eye patches. pic.twitter.com/B2ZiM5shAm
— sandman (@sandman_AP) April 30, 2024
Given that One Piece is now at the final saga, fans are certainly curious to know who and what role the character promised by Eiichiro Oda will play. There are quite a lot of speculations as to who the pirate with the eye patch could be. From Luffy, to Teach, to Doflamingo. But fans will most likely get the answer soon given how the series is already in its final phase.
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Frequently asked questions
Did Eiichiro Oda really promise an eye-patch pirate would appear in One Piece?
Yes. During One Piece’s 10th anniversary in 2007, Oda said, ‘A pirate with an eye-patch will appear in the final phase of One Piece,’ adding that despite the pirate stereotype he had never actually drawn a pirate with an eye patch. The character has not yet debuted, so any specific candidate is fan speculation.
Could the eye-patch pirate be Donquixote Doflamingo?
Probably not. A Reddit theory floated Doflamingo, the Dressrosa Warlord known for his iconic sunglasses, but the article points out a flaw: at the end of Wano, Eustass Kid referenced a man with a burn scar, not an eye patch. Oda has confirmed nothing, so this remains unverified fan speculation.
Why do fans connect Kuzan (Aokiji) to the burn-scarred man Kid mentioned?
Near the end of the Wano arc, Eustass Kid referenced a man with a burn scar who supposedly has information about the final Road Poneglyph. Because former admiral Kuzan carries heavy burn scars from his duel with Akainu, fans link the two, but the manga never names him, so the connection is reader interpretation rather than confirmed fact.
