8 ‘One Piece’ Season 2 Theories We Can’t Stop Thinking About

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Published Mar 27, 2024

CASEY CRAFFORD/NETFLIX

*Warning: One Piece spoilers ahead*

It's been a while since we caught up with Monkey D. Luffy and his trusty crew, the Straw Hat Pirates. After going up against villains like Arlong and Buggy the Clown, Luffy finally made his mark as a wanted pirate by getting his own bounty poster. But now that he's reached this milestone, he'll have to fight even harder to become King of the Pirates in One Piece season two.

Matt Owens, co-showrunner of the Netflix series, told Deadline, "Season one ends with Luffy gaining notoriety. And while it’s something that he wants—he wants to be taken seriously as a pirate in this world—as Nami and Zoro say, this is putting a target on your back. A lot of people are going to know you and know your face. And so that tag at the end is really reinforcing that idea that there are people who now know of Luffy’s existence, and they’re going to try to put a stop to him."

Since the season one finale, fans have been sharing their biggest One Piece theories and predictions, from potential new villains to surprising character twists. Naturally, we combed through our social feeds and Reddit threads to find the best of the best. Keep reading for eight One Piece season two theories we can't stop thinking about.

1. Season Two Will Adapt the Arabasta Manga Arc

The first season ended with the Arlong Park arc, and showrunners have already confirmed they will adapt the manga's Loguetown arc. However, Iñaki Godoy (aka Luffy) shared a post that suggests season two will also focus on the Arabasta Saga.

While speaking with Digital Spy at the beginning of February, One Piece star Taz Skylar (Sanji) confirmed that filming would begin soon. And just a few days later, a One Piece fan account tweeted a new photo and footage of Godoy hanging out with some camels. Although Godoy attended Middle East Film & Comic Con in Abu Dhabi around the same time, longtime fans of the manga series immediately speculated that his recording of the camels may be hinting at Eyelash—an animal character from the Arabasta Arc. In the comments, followers responded by posting images of Eyelash from the animated series. One fan said, “Alabasta arc here we go!”

Courtesy of Netflix

2. Crocodile Man Is Actually Crocodile Woman

Remember the opening scene of season one, where Gold Roger got sentenced to death in front of a crowd of witnesses? Well, if you looked closely at the crowd, you may have noticed a few familiar faces, like the younger versions of Shanks and Mihawk. However, there was also a mysterious young woman wearing a distinct gold earring. Since her identity has yet to be revealed, fans are thinking that she will emerge as Crocodile, the main antagonist, in season two.

Showrunner Steven Maeda didn't exactly deny the theory. While speaking with IGN, he said, "I have heard that. I've been approached about that issue before, and all I have to say is, read into it what you like."

He added, "A lot of thought was put into the Easter eggs. And some of it is future planning, and a lot of it was: 'Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we saw this character?' We know that character was there in the background of, particularly Loguetown at Gold Roger's execution. So a lot of thought was put into bounty posters and seeing characters in the crowd."

Courtesy of Netflix

3. Luffy Is Related to Gold Roger

We wouldn't be too surprised if Gold Roger and Luffy shared the same DNA. After all, they both share the same spirit, and Luffy is determined to follow in Roger's footsteps by becoming the next King of the Pirates.

One Reddit user theorized that Luffy could be his secret son. They wrote, "Shanks was a long-time member of the Roger Pirates. He didn't know Ace, but he knew Luffy and was protective of him from the start. He sacrifices his arm for Luffy, so it's definitely like a favor back to Roger or keeping the secret to protect Luffy."

They added, "A minor detail, but if you see how Roger's personality is and how he laughs in prison, it's similar to Luffy."

4. Gold Roger Planned to Get Caught

Speaking of Roger, we have a nagging feeling that there's more to his execution than meets the eye—and we're not the only ones. One fan wrote on Reddit, "I highly suspect Roger wanted to be captured, and am curious to find out how it happened and why."

If you recall the scene, Roger looked completely unfazed and even laughed before he told the crowd his last words: "Free yourselves. Take to the seas. My treasure is yours to find." Could it be that he wanted to continue his legacy through dozens of young pirates? Was this his plan all along?

Courtesy of Netflix

5. Luffy Will Add More Crew Members

So far, in the Netflix live-action series, there are a total of five Straw Hats, including Luffy, Sanji, Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu Arata), Nami (Emily Rudd) and Usopp (Jacob Romero Gibson). However, in the manga, there are ten. So, in addition to these five, there's Tony Tony Chopper, the doctor; Nico Robin, the ship's archaeologist; Franky, the shipwright; Brook, the musician; and Jinbe, the ship's helmsman. Most of these characters will likely be introduced in season two.

Courtesy of Netflix

6. Buggy Will Get Revenge on Shanks

When the Straw Hat Pirates crossed paths with Buggy the Clown in that terrifying town, the villain hinted that something went down between him and Luffy's mentor back in the day. So, something tells us that Buggy will use his new connections to track down Shanks and get even.

Director Marc Jobst told Variety, "[Buggy] has a history. There’s that big moment where he’s holding the straw hat and he’s saying, ‘Shanks,’ at the hat. He feels betrayed by him, and then he turns to Luffy and says, ‘Did he betray you, too?'”

He added, "[Buggy is] carrying some hurt and that, whilst we didn't go heavily into what that is, somehow you see that he's also the product of a life experience that has made him who he is."

7. Monkey D. Dragon Will Make His Grand Debut

Fans caught a glimpse of the Smoker, one of Luffy's most formidable foes, at the end of season one when he spotted the young pirate's bounty poster. If you're familiar with the manga, then you already know that the marine vice-admiral can manipulate and transform into smoke. Luffy is no match for this villain, but he still managed to escape the Smoker's clutches with the help of his dad, Monkey D. Dragon.

Since both characters are introduced in the Loguetown arc—which, according to Owens, will be covered in season two—it won't be long before fans get to meet Luffy's dad.

Regarding rumors of the arc getting skipped, Owens told ComicBook.com, "It wasn't included in season one because our episode number got reduced. And to try to cram it in would not have done service to it or the story it had to share space with. Lougetown is not 'cut,' we just haven't gotten there yet."

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

8. Luffy Will Develop More Powers

As of now, we know that Luffy's devil-fruit powers allow him to stretch and manipulate his rubber-like body into many forms. According to the manga, he continues to hone that ability by trying new moves and major power-ups—which we can't wait to see in the live-action series. But will the writers put a spin on his abilities and give him new powers? (Perhaps by having him accidentally eat another devil fruit?)

Since season one didn't exactly follow the original manga to a T, we wouldn't be too surprised if Luffy broke out a few new moves in season two.

Nakeisha Campbell

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Nakeisha has been interviewing celebrities and covering all things entertainment for over 8 years, but she has also written on a wide range of topics, like career...

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