One Piece proves once again why skipping Skypeia is the worst decision you could make

One of the most controversial topics in the fandom for mangaka Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece series is its Skypiea Arc. While the arc itself is beloved by many, there are others who argue against the high ranking and the respect many show towards it. However, an even more controversial topic on the arc is whether or not fans should, or even can, skip it entirely.

Although it’s generally unadvised to skip any story arc of any anime or manga series, many argue for such an approach to the Skypiea Arc. However, as the series progressed through the post-timeskip section, Oda continued to prove why this was a mistake. Major plot points such as the Void Century, Sun God Nika, and more are either introduced or foreshadowed in it.

Once again, Oda has proven the importance of not skipping the arc with the Holy Knights’ demands in One Piece chapter 1148. Within the latest issue, fans saw Saint Shepherd Sommers demand that the Walrus Academy school and library be burned down. He also ordered all literature within both buildings to be burnt in order to destroy Elbaph’s “culture” and “history.”

As many fans have pointed out, this is eerily similar to the fate Shandora faced during the Void Century, as illustrated in the Skypiea Arc. While exploring Shandora in chapter 272, Nico Robin commented on “all the books in the city [being] burned,” and that “its entire history was lost.” Robin also pointed out that “Shandora was ruined in the service of protecting the Poneglyph.”

Obviously, there is a clear connection between Elbaph protecting the legacy of Ohara’s Void Century research and Shandora the Poneglyph. This becomes even clearer when considering that the Poneglyphs are records of the Void Century themselves. While this once again proves the Skypiea Arc’s narrative importance in One Piece, it also teases what Elbaph is truly hiding away.

One Piece chapter 118’s Skypiea Arc callback teases the final Road Poneglyph being hidden on Elbaph

Although this narrative callback alone proves the Skypiea Arc’s importance, there’s also a potential foreshadowing within this callback. As of the Elbaph Arc’s events, the Straw Hats only need one more Road Poneglyph to complete the set and reach Laugh Tale. However, the last one is being hidden by a person known only as the Man Marked by Flames.

While there are plenty of theories as to who this person is, two of the most widely agreed upon candidates are Jaguar D. Saul and Scopper Gaban. Coincidentally, both are not only present in One Piece’s Elbaph Arc, but major characters for its events thus far. With this latest callback in mind, it seems certain that one of the two will give the Straw Hats the final Road Poneglyph.

What so heavily suggests this is the Skypiea Arc callback, and the fact that Shandora was protecting a Poneglyph. While the original, black-colored stones are still important, the bright red Road Poneglyphs have become the series’ true prize. The similarities between the Holy Knights’ intended destruction of Elbaph and that of Shandora thus suggest this to be the case.

Final thoughts

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While the Road Poneglyph being on Elbaph is certainly speculative, One Piece chapter 1148’s Skypiea Arc callback is clear. At the very least, it yet again proves that skipping the arc will deprive fans of an enriched reading experience from Oda’s masterstroke. However, there is almost certainly more to this latest Skypiea Arc callback than meets the eye.

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