Does Luffy Find the One Piece? (& When)

The long-running epic pirate series One Piece focuses on the battle to find the One Piece, a mystical and powerful pirate treasure. But does Monkey D Luffy find the One Piece and when does he do it?

Luffy is still trying to get his hands on this elusive treasure and doesn’t know exactly where it is or what it looks like. While he is close, it is likely there is still quite a lot of the show to come before Luffy ends up finding it.

We’ll look at what clues we’ve received about the One Piece, where it is, as well as how close Luffy is to getting his hands on it and becoming the new Pirate King. We’ll also discuss some characters who may know its location or are stopping Luffy from getting the final piece of the puzzle.

What Is the One Piece That Luffy Is Looking For?

The One Piece is known as the grand treasure. Anyone who finds it will be deemed the Pirate King. This is a primary reason why Luffy is so interested in getting a hold of it.

Joyboy left the treasure behind on the Final Island, Laugh Tale, and this is the location so many pirates have tried (and failed) to find. Eventually, Gol D Roger apparently got his hands on it, although even this is not entirely clear.

It is not so easy just to set out for Laugh Tale, as there are certain objects which must be acquired and even starting on such a journey will draw the attention of many hostile forces, not the least of them being the Marines, Cipher Pol, and the Yonko.

That’s not to mention every pirate who’s got a ship.

Roger found all of the 4 Poneglyphs, and also had the crew and expertise necessary to finally reach Laugh Tale at the end of Episode 966. 

However, the flashback that revealed exactly what One Piece is was not ever shown, and so we’re still none the wiser as to what it actually is. There have been some cryptic references to the treasure being funny or at least causing the crew to laugh, but not much more.

Some theories involve the fact that treasure in Mariejois was a giant straw hat, which just so happens to be exactly what Luffy already has.

Where Is the One Piece?

The journey to get to the One Piece is not a straightforward piece of navigation to where it is located. The features of Laugh Tale have not been revealed, but it is thought to be the original location for the Ancient Kingdom.

In essence, there are several locations that must first be visited and objects or information obtained before Laugh Tale will be available to visit.

To get to the final island, first the four Road Poneglyphs must be read, and they are said to be at the following locations: Fishman Island, Zou, Totto Land, and Onigashima/Wano Country.

Luffy has been able to grab three of the four Road Poneglyphs, but it seems that the last one is going to be the hardest. Some think that the clue to its location is somehow contained within Luffy’s iconic hat.

While a few characters may know the location of this final Road Poneglyph, not many of them are going to willingly give it to Luffy’s crew.

For example, the Marines are not wanting another extension or strengthening of the Great Pirate Era that started with Roger. They may have destroyed or hidden the final Road Poneglyph to prevent this outcome from happening.

The suspicious last known location of the final Road Poneglyph is thought to be Fishman Island, and is being protected by the Ryugu Kingdom and the Fishman. Whitebeard is also thought to be related to this, and it is possible he has hidden it on Sphinx.

Roger apparently tried to destroy any means that would make it straightforward for other pirates to reach Laugh Tale, and there are rumors he threw such objects into the All Blue. Another installment of a Straw Hats underwater adventure, anyone?

Speaking of Whitebeard and hiding the final Road Poneglyph, Blackbeard is also a very likely choice for holding onto it, also setting up a final epic showdown with the Straw Hats.

The ‘obvious’ choice, however, is Red Haired Shanks. Being the pirate who inherited Roger’s power and one of the Four Emperors, Shanks is perfectly positioned to both know where the Road Poneglyph is and would’ve had time to hide it.

Shanks could currently be protecting the last Road Poneglyph. Shanks does have prior knowledge of its location and may very well be the person who moved it long ago. Never forget that it was Shanks who gave the straw hat to Luffy in the first place.

How Is Luffy Supposed To Get the One Piece?

Luffy and his crew will need to take down several enemies, conquer some regions, keep his crew together, and find the remaining Road Poneglyph.

Luffy will need to take out the Yonko, the four most powerful pirates or Four Emperors who all know about the One Piece and are trying to get it (or at least prevent others from getting it).

The Straw Hats will also have to avoid the Marines, who have a huge network of spies and allies, let alone being the biggest organization with ties back to the World Government.

It’s also vitally important that Luffy maintains his crew’s skills and abilities to deal with the upcoming tasks, notably he needs to ensure Nico Robin stays alive and able to help him, as she is the only person who can read the ancient text that is written on the Poneglyphs.

Without being able to read this, one can never hope to find Laugh Tale.

Cipher Pol is also dedicated to stymieing anyone who even looks like they’re slightly interested in getting their hands on the One Piece. This has resulted in them targeting Nico Robin, with her removal spelling almost certain failure for Luffy’s quest.