The riddle of the eyepatch: the ending of One Piece and the character to wear it
The much-loved manga and anime series One Piece by Eiichiro Oda is almost finished. Although many specifics about the ending remain unknown, Oda himself dropped one particular clue over ten years: the value of an eyepatch.
Why the ending of One Piece depends on eyepatches?
Oda has shown a great will to show the path of a character who finally wears an eyepatch, instead of merely introducing someone with one already. This implies that the conclusion of the story will depend critically on the character who will sport an eyepatch in the series finale.
Oda discussed the lack of eyepatches in the series in an edition of One Para, a set of pamphlets distributed for the tenth anniversary of One Piece, saying he wanted to show the evolution of a character leading up to that point. This suggests that the eyepatch marks a major turning point in the story and reflects a great change.
Whose Eyepatch Will Be worn?
One wonders about the identity of the person donning the eyepatch. Some supporters think it will be Monkey D. Luffy, the main character and the one who has developed most over the narrative. Oda even drew a picture of Luffy with an eyepatch in the past, so supporting this idea.
Oda has also alluded, though, that the character might be totally fresh. He indicated he really wanted to sketch this character, implying it might be a major narrative point. Inheriting Luffy's legacy upon he becomes the Pirate King, this character might stand for the next generation of pirates.
The moment the eyepatch-wearing character reveals will be absolutely dramatic for the show. It will probably be the last chapter of years of character development and narrative threads, so completing the story satisfactorially. This reveal is much awaited by fans, and the rumors about it only heighten the thrill for the series' finale.
