Disclaimer: Copyright 2020 by Eiichiro Oda and Toei Animation. All rights reserved by the author and the animation company.

Warning: potential manga spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.

One Piece 1000 is already out this week. Thanks to the timely delivery of author Eiichiro Oda, the 1 000th chapter of the manga delivered action-packed scenes that fans around the world will surely remember as the most exciting chapter in history. Oda did a good job releasing the latest chapter this holiday season.

This week, the top two fighters of the Straw Hats have already reached the top of the skull dome of Onigashima. Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro, both members of the Worst Generation, are obviously itching to fight the two Yonko. Waiting for them are their fellow Worst Generation members Eustass “Captain” Kid, his vice-captain Killer, and Trafalgar Law.

Kaido and Big Mom may be regarded as two of the strongest creatures in the One Piece universe today but they will surely meet their match with the new generation of pirates challenging them. Luffy already went ahead and showed Kaido his new technique and planted his face on the ground.

However, the most interesting scene of the release of One Piece chapter 1000 is not the way Luffy mopped the floor using Kaido’s face. It is the fact that Yamato has finally turned over the fabled journal of Kozuki Oden to Momonosuke. What role would this journal play in the ever-deepening conflict in Wano?

The Road to One Piece

It is known both in manga and anime that the keys to unlock the path to the mysterious island called Laugh Tale are the four Road Poneglyphs. The Road Poneglyphs are supposed to show certain paths in the New World. The point where these paths intersect will reveal the location of the legendary island.

The Road Poneglyphs are supposed to be the only way to reach Laugh Tale. Gol D. Roger, the current Pirate King reached the final island using the Road Poneglyphs. As he admitted that he did not know how to read the ancient text, he recruited Kozuki Oden along to accompany him on his final journey and conquer the Grand Line. Because of this, every pirate in the world including Luffy wanted to get their hands on the legendary Road Poneglyphs to reach their ultimate goal.

So far, the locations of the Road Poneglyphs have been revealed. One is hidden in the moving island Zou. One is kept in the cavernous treasure vault of Big Mom in Cake Island where Brook has secretly made a copy. According to Kaido in the 999th chapter, the third one is hidden underneath the Shogun’s castle in Flower Capital. The final Poneglyph, though it hasn’t been mentioned yet, is implied to be found or currently in the possession of either Yonko as Big Mom and Kaido confidently declare that they can find the legendary treasure One Piece after getting the one in the Flower Capital.

How is this possible?

Since Pekoms is a member of the Big Mom Pirates (who also happened to be a member of the Mink Tribe), it is possible that he gave his captain a printed copy of the Red Poneglyph that is hidden inside the whale-shaped tree.

Luffy’s Big Reward

Come to think of it: Luffy always gets a reward after winning a major battle in the manga and anime series. Be it in the form of a lavish feast where he gets to eat most of the food (like the time in Alabasta, Water 7, or in Dress Rosa) or unlocking new skills (poison resistance and advanced Observation Haki), Straw Hat always benefits from it. So it is not far-fetched that he will receive one after winning against Kaido and Big Mom in Wano.

It is possible that the journal of Kozuki Oden will be given to the Straw Hat Pirates once they have successfully driven the Hundred Beast Pirates away from Wano. If Kaido and Big Mom were defeated, Momonosuke will be declared as the Shogun and can do whatever he wants with the journal that he received from Yamato. He may keep it as a memento from his father and learn a great deal about him. He can also give it away as a reward to anyone he chooses.

If this is the case, would the Straw Hats abandon their quest for finding the Road Poneglyphs?

Would Nico Robin’s role in the Straw Hat Pirates be diminished?

Nico Robin’s Role

Think about this: the only person in the world who can read the ancient text in the Poneglyph is Nico Robin. This is the reason why the former Shichibukai Sir Crocodile took the Devil’s Child under his wings and put her second in command in Baroque Works. Big Mom also expressed her desire to recruit Nico Robin to her crew as Pudding, her own daughter, has not awakened her ability to decipher the ancient texts yet.

However, as we may all recall, Luffy did not recruit Nico Robin because she can read Poneglyphs. He recruited her because he considers her a “nakama” despite her specialty. This was evident when the Straw Hats rescued her in Enies Lobby and fought against the elite World Government agents CP9.

So even if Luffy gets the journal from Momonosuke as a reward for fighting Kaido on his behalf, Nico Robin would still play a vital role in the crew. Aside from helping Luffy achieve his goal of becoming the Pirate King, her main goal is to learn the missing history of the Void Century. Considering the flashback in chapter 967, It would seem that the missing history of the Void Century and the legendary treasure One Piece go hand in hand. They may abandon their quest of getting the Road Poneglyphs but they still need to decipher the information written in the Rio Poneglyphs that they will encounter along their journey to Laugh Tale.

The Secret of the Journal

It is widely known that Kozuki Oden was the last generation of Poneglyph makers. Unfortunately, the ancient crafting method of the Poneglyphs was lost when he was executed by Kaido and Kurozumi Orochi 20 years prior to the current timeline. Because of that incident, Momonosuke wasn’t able to learn the skill and knowledge as he was not of age to begin his training. 

Granted that Momonosuke will give his father’s journal to Monkey D. Luffy as a token of appreciation, it would carry a secret safety measure to prevent any unwanted party from learning its contents. If this is the case, then the journal’s contents might be written using the ancient texts. Then, Nico Robin would still play a crucial role in deciphering the contents of the journal.

But one may ask: if Nico Robin is the only person in the world who can read the ancient texts, how is it possible for Yamato to decipher the contents of Oden’s journal?

There are two possible answers to this question.

First, not all entries in the journal would be written in ancient texts. Perhaps his entries about Whitebeard and Roger would be written in the common language. This is also possible for the entries expressing Oden’s love for his family and his admiration for his two beloved captains. But if there is sensitive information about them that are written in the journal, Oden might be using the ancient texts to conceal it. If this is the case, then the location of Laugh Tale and the details about One Piece itself would be written in the journal that way.

Second, if the ancient texts are involved, Yamato can still decipher some of them using the Voice of All Things. Although the skill is incredibly rare, it is still possible for some people to get it. Some of the notable persons to possess this skill are Luffy, Momonosuke, Oden, and the Pirate King himself, Gol D. Roger. The Three-Eyed Tribe to which Pudding belongs to is supposed to have this ability through their third eye.

If this really is the case, then one may think that it is possible for Yamato to have the same ability. Given the penchant of Eiichiro Oda to plot twists, it is not entirely impossible to see that Yamato knows how to read the ancient texts or has the ability to hear the Voice of All Things.

Priorities of the Series

As interesting as this new theory after One Piece chapter 1000 might really be, Oda may be focusing on the fight between the Worst Generation and the two Yonko for the time being. Surely fans will be delighted to see Luffy, Zoro, and the others show some new moves or techniques that they might have learned in Wano. Besides, if the famous Gear 5th theory comes true, then the details about the journal can wait until next time.

Another priority that Oda might be focusing on the upcoming chapters of this arc is a flashback about Kaido. One Piece manga and anime are famous for their flashback chapters when new information has been revealed or when the antagonist has been cornered. Since Kaido received a rock solid punch from Luffy, it is possible that the tough dragon will start to remember things from his past. After all, we need to see how he was like when he began his career as a pirate aboard Rocks D. Xebec’s ship, how he got his Devil Fruit from Big Mom, and until the time he became a Yonko.

One Piece 1000 and Beyond

Since the release of the manga 1 000th chapter, many fans cannot help but wonder about the contents of Oden’s journal. This is the reason why some fans are making wild theories about it on the various spoilers discussion fora across the internet.

One Piece chapter 1000 is just another clue as to how things are going on the famous manga and anime series. Future manga chapters could let us see some flashbacks from Kaido and details about how he got interested in Wano. 

Aside from a major flashback from the terrifying tyrant dragon, another thing that we can get from the upcoming chapters next year is the possible resurrection of Kurozumi Orochi. It’s not too much to hope that he did not meet his end even if he was beheaded earlier. After all, he is an eight-headed snake. He may be like a Hydra with regenerative powers for all we know.

Meanwhile, let us just sit back and relax while waiting for the new chapters to arrive. Who knows; one of the theories out there might come true next. After all, Eiichiro Oda never fails to surprise the fans. 

But if you do not like waiting for the release of new chapters, you could always start a discussion with other fans on the spoilers page or watch other anime shows.

Copyright 2020 by Eiichiro Oda and Toei Animation

All rights reserved. 

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