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Keeping up with the ever-expanding One Piece lore is becoming a full-time job. Between revelations about Luffy’s Devil Fruit powers and the cycle of destruction the world seems to be caught in, things are constantly changing in the manga, but One Piece Chapter 1138 had some big shake-ups even by Eiichiro Oda’s standards. From the truth of Shanks’ past to the fact that the world has been destroyed not once but twice, the Elbaf Arc is giving One Piece fans plenty to think about.

Be aware that we’ll be discussing some pretty important spoilers going ahead.

While a lot of folks are (rightly) going to be talking about the revelation that Shamrock is Shanks’ twin brother – confirming plenty of fan theories – the biggest story to come out of Chapter 1138 of One Piece is the mural that Franky finds in a cave. In it is a mural that tells the story of how the world has been destroyed twice before and hints that Luffy will have a hand in destroying it a third time.

The mural in One Piece Chapter 1138 explains that Nika, the Sun God and the original Warrior of Liberation, accompanied the first destruction of the world. The second world, usually referred to as the Void Century, saw the return of Nika’s spirit in the form of Joy Boy. When he was killed, the sea goddess was so upset that she drowned the world in water – creating the oceanic world of One Piece.

The final panel of Chapter 1138 in One Piece describes how the Sun God would return, dancing and laughing and “guiding the world to its end.” This lines up with Luffy’s status as the successor to Joy Boy, particularly with the foreshadowing that Luffy will have a key role in the oncoming destruction of the world.

However, it isn’t all bad. Oda includes a note in this mural that the destruction will bring with it “a new morning,” implying that the destruction that Luffy brings will be more focused on changing the world.
How exactly that destruction comes about is likely to be revealed as One Piece gets deeper into the Elbaf Arc, but it is already shaping up to be one of the most consequential stories in the One Piece manga’s history.

THE ONE PIECE IS REAL...ly important to Popverse! That's why we've put together the key articles to keep your fandom of the manga-turned-anime-turned-live-action-show alive:

• How to watch One Piece One Piece in chronological and release order (All 1,100+ episodes plus the movies!)
• When the next episode of One Piece is coming
• The One Piece English cast shared the life lessons they've learned playing the Straw Hats for nearly 20 years
• Why One Piece's Monkey D. Luffy is the perfect hero for the dark times ahead
• Every difference between the live-action One Piece and the original manga
• One Piece Gear 5 Form: Everything we know about Luffy's latest transformation
• Wondering what ethnicity and nationality the One Piece pirates are? Here is what Oda himself has to say
• Ranking the One Piece anime's arcs, from best to worst
• Why is One Piece more popular now that the anime is 25 years old? We asked around and found out
• The English cast of One Piece explain what they love about Eiichiro Oda's storytelling - "He's a genius!"