The Jump Festa is always filled with exciting announcements about the different manga and anime series. At this year's event, Oda talked about the future of the One Piece series. One of the more interesting comments from Oda was about an upcoming fight between two unnamed characters. In his statement, Oda stated, "That person and that person are going to fight."
It is evident from the statement that Oda is planning something big for the One Piece manga this year. However, Oda kept things laconic, as he obviously couldn't reveal too much about the manga. The statement has led to many debates within the community as people are trying to guess who the characters are.
Who Could They Be?
Considering One Piece has entered the final saga, there are many characters that might soon be involved in a major fight. One of the names being thrown around is that of Shanks. He holds a position in the Four Emperors, which makes him one of the strongest characters in the series. Shanks' screen time has been very limited, and he has hardly made any appearances in the manga. He did play a part in the One Piece Film: Red, although that doesn't count toward his time in the canon material. Shanks appeared toward the end of the Wano Country arc, and he told Benn Beckman, "Let's claim the One Piece."
Aside from Luffy and Shanks, the person who is closest to reaching Laugh Tale is Blackbeard. The last time fans saw Blackbeard, he was involved in a skirmish with Trafalgar Law. The purpose behind Blackbeard's attack was to get ahold of the Road Poneglyphs in Law's possession. The Emperor has already kidnapped Pudding from Whole Cake Island and plans to make her read the Poneglyphs using her Third Eye. If Blackbeard wins the fight (which he most likely will), he will have at least two Road Poneglyphs in his possession.
But, it is possible that he already has the one that was in Big Mom's possession. This would bring his overall total to three, putting him on the same number as Luffy. It is important to remember that Blackbeard seems to have a great deal of knowledge about the various mysteries in One Piece, so it is entirely plausible that he knows about the location of the final Road Poneglyph, and that he might head there after beating Law.
Blackbeard and Shanks have some kind of history between them. In the past, Blackbeard somehow gave Shanks a scar above his left eye. If Blackbeard and Shanks are heading to the same place, it is possible that there is going to be a massive fight between the two pirate crews. Oda also added that he hopes no one dies, which further backs up the claim of Shanks and Blackbeard fighting as they harbor a lot of animosity toward each other.
Is It Time For Dragon To Step In?
For a long time, One Piece fans have been waiting for Monkey D. Dragon to get involved in the action. He has only made a handful of appearances, and much about his past remains unknown. Given the fact that Sabo is dead or at least gravely wounded, Dragon has to take some kind of action. While Dragon might not want to rush things, there is not much time left before the series concludes, so he will have to make a move. Also, it is possible that Vegapunk might ask the Straw Hats to leave him at the same place as Dragon. Having Vegapunk in his corner would certainly boost Dragon's confidence.
If Dragon finally gets involved in a war, fans will get to see what kind of powers he possesses. Many people have speculated about Dragon's possible opponent, and while there are many theories available, the most sensible one features the leader of the Revolutionary Army clashing against Akainu, the current Fleet Admiral of the Marines. Akainu attempted to kill Luffy at Marineford, and the fact that he is at the top of the Marines makes this matchup more likely to happen.
Will There Be Deaths?
Oda's comments hint toward possible death(s). While Oda said he hopes that no one dies, it would be foolish to rule out the possibility considering it will be a war in the final saga of One Piece. So, who has the highest chance of dying? While many believe Shanks might die, going along with this idea would rob the readers of an emotional reunion between Shanks and Luffy. This rules out Shanks from dying. Naturally, Blackbeard won't be the one to die either. He is supposedly Luffy's final opponent, and it won't make any sense to kill him off before they even meet for their last confrontation.
On the other hand, Akainu's death is necessary for the story to move forward. He is a nuisance for all the pirates and other criminals, so he had to die in order for there to be a change within the Marines. If Akainu stays as the Fleet Admiral, he will continue to hunt and kill pirates and any innocent people who try to come between his goals. So, Akainu is most likely to die before the series ends.