In a surprise twist,One Piecehas finally acknowledged the existence of one of its best movies,Strong World, with a surprising Easter egg.Strong Worldwas created in celebration of the anime’s 10th anniversary, and with the great writing and animation, Eiichiro Oda himself writing the story, and Shiki being a canon villain, it remains one of the most popularOne Piecefilms in the franchise.
One Piece Film: Strong Worldhas always been popular with fans, and after 15 years, Eiichiro Oda has finally acknowledged it with a clever Easter egg. Ever since the beginning of the Elbaph arc, fans have noted how some of the animals on Elbaph resemble the animals featured inStrong World, andaccording to volume #112’s SBS,Eiichiro Oda reworked the animals fromOne Piece Film: Strong Worldas natives of Elbaph. Granted, this still doesn’t makeStrong Worldcanon, butOne Piecefinally acknowledging the film is nonetheless great to see.
One Piece’s Creator Answers A Big Mystery In The Only Way He Knows How
How One Piece’s Creator Resolves The Strong World Question
TheOne Piecemanga referencingStrong World’s animalsis a classic example of a manga reworking filler material into canon, and Eiichiro Oda’s reasoning is absolutely perfect. When asked about the animals, Oda tried to say they were the same because Elbaph, like Merveille, was a land where animals evolved based on strength ruling everything, but it quickly became clear that he was just too lazy to come up with new designs.
That’s right. I’ve designed a lot of animals for that movie and those animals made their appearance here on Elbaph. Well, coming up with something new is troubles… I mean, those animals were created based on the theme of “what would animals look like if they evolved in a world where strength governs everything”, so it actually made things quite eas… no, no! I also had the idea that animals raised in a warrior nation would be similar, so I made them appear here! It’s definitely not because I’m too bothered to think of something new, okay?!
An explanation like that is perfectly in line with Eiichiro Oda’s style, of course. As much as Oda might be known for his attention to detail, much ofOne Piece’s story was built around things Oda didn’t give much thought to, and his reusing animals fromStrong Worldjust because he didn’t want to come up with anything new perfectly embodies that idea. It might be disappointing for those hoping thatStrong Worldwould become canon, but overall, it’s probably for the best.
Will One Piece Film: Strong World Ever Become Canon?
What Can Fans Expect Of One Of One Piece’s Best Films?
With Eiichiro Oda officially debunking a connection between Elbaph andStrong World, that begs the question of whetherStrong Worldwill ever become canon. While the film can neatly fit within the timeline, Zoro having already recovered from his injuries in Thriller Bark greatly contradicts canon, and with it being 15 years old, the film surely would have already been made canon if there was any intention of that happening.
That doesn’t mean nothing fromStrong Worldwill make its way into canon, of course. Shiki has been explicitly canon for years now, and the Wano and Egghead arcs have both given him notable cameos, as if the story is trying to remind people of his existence, soOne Piecemight be building up a canon appearance of Shiki, even ifStrong Worldremains non-canon. That would be a perfect middle ground forOne Pieceto take withStrong World, and hopefully, it won’t be long before it comes to fruition.
