🚨 WARNING: AFTER ELBAF, 6 OF ONE PIECE’S STRONGEST MONSTERS WILL RETURN – THE FINAL SAGA IS ABOUT TO GO CRAZY, WHO WILL LUFFY FACE FIRST BEFORE LAUGH TALE?! 😱🔥

The Elbaf arc is slowly but surely edging towards its conclusion, which means the Straw Hats will soon head towards another island to uncover more mysteries. The speculation has been fueled further after Eiichiro Oda’s comments about the next arc. According to the author’s statement, the next possible destination for the heroes will be Laugh Tale, which means it won’t be long before all the main players in One Piece start gathering.

Aside from the debut of new characters, a lot of old ones will make their return to the story. These individuals have been away from the spotlight for quite some time, so it’s about time that they’re involved in some capacity. With that in mind, here are the One Piece characters who are likely to return after the Elbaf arc is over.

This post contains spoilers for One Piece.

Charlotte Katakuri

Affiliation: Big Mom Pirates

• Devil Fruit: Mochi Mochi no Mi
• Haki: Yes

Charlotte Katakuri’s appearance during Vegapunk’s transmission made fans happy. After all, he has not been involved in the story since the Whole Cake Island arc. Unlike most One Piece villains, he respected Luffy’s courage and was even impressed by his ambitions.

In terms of strength, Katakuri remains one of the strongest opponents that Luffy has faced. He was armed with the Mochi Mochi no Mi, a special Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to create and manipulate mochi at will. Additionally, Katakuri had access to all three types of Haki, including the Advanced version of Armament and Observation Haki. With his myriad of abilities, Katakuri might even end up becoming the new captain of the Big Mom Pirates. If that happens, there is a good chance that Katakuri will make a return after the Elbaf arc.

Gecko Moria

Affiliation: Thriller Bark Pirates, Shichibukai

• Devil Fruit: Kage Kage no Mi
• Haki: Yes (Not Confirmed)

Gecko Moria served as the main antagonist of the Thriller Bark arc. Initially, he came off as just a bitter old man, but recent revelations have changed everything. In his prime, Gecko Moria clashed with Kaido to try to protect Wano from being ruined. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that Moria is a member of the fabled Kozuki clan, so it makes sense that he knew about Ryuuma and Shisui.

In the Final Saga, Gecko Moria was freed from his imprisonment. Since he is no longer in captivity, he can start his adventure anew. He may have lost Absalom, but Perona is still loyal to him. Gecko Moria could even end up joining the Cross Guild, as the organization has three former Shichibukai. Gecko Moria may be old, but his strength will still prove to be invaluable.

Trafalgar Law

Affiliation: Heart Pirates

• Devil Fruit: Ope Ope no Mi
• Haki: Yes

Since the timeskip, Trafalgar Law has become one of the most popular One Piece characters. He has been involved in several arcs, including Punk Hazard, Dressrosa, Zou, and Wano. With so much screen time, it’s no wonder that fans warmed up to him. Unfortunately, Law’s presence came to an abrupt end after being beaten by Blackbeard. The two Worst Generation members went at it hammer and tongs. In the end, the Yonko won and took all the Road Poneglyphs in Law’s possession.

Thankfully, Bepo rescued Law, meaning the latter is still alive. The Supernova has not been seen since the Egghead arc, which is why fans are eager to see him again in the story. Hopefully, Law will reappear and get involved in the story.

Eustass Kid

Affiliation: Kid Pirates

• Devil Fruit: Jiki Jiki no Mi
• Haki: Yes

Like Trafalgar Law, Kid received the short end of the stick as he was hammered by a Yonko. In Kid’s case, it was Shanks who used his incredible Haki to crush the Supernova’s dream once and for all. To add insult to injury, Kid’s Road Poneglyphs were also taken, leaving him with absolutely nothing.

Kid’s ship was destroyed, and his right-hand man also suffered grievous injuries. While his fate remains unknown, there is no chance that Oda would kill off a character as famous as Kid. Hopefully, the One Piece author will bring back Eustass Kid after Elbaf is done.

Smoker

Affiliation: Marines

• Devil Fruit: Moku Moku no Mi
• Haki: Yes

Smoker is a Navy Vice Admiral who has been fighting the good fight. He is a proud soldier who doesn’t think highly of the World Government and the top brass of the Navy. Before the timeskip, Smoker followed Luffy everywhere and made the pirate’s life a living hell. Luffy couldn’t even lay a finger on Smoker because of the latter’s Logia-type Devil Fruit.

However, things changed drastically after the two-year break. Smoker’s growth stagnated while Luffy received several new power-ups. This tipped the scales in Luffy’s favor, and he was able to subdue Smoker without any problems. However, Oda needs to invest in Smoker and give him new skills so that he can fight stronger opponents. It would also be great if the author brought back Smoker.

Doflamingo

Affiliation: Donquixote Pirates, Shichibukai

• Devil Fruit: Ito Ito no Mi
• Haki: Yes

Donquixote Doflamingo terrorized the people of Dressrosa for years. Under his tyrannical regime, countless people suffered and lost their loved ones. Things remained the same until Luffy finally defeated him, after which the Shichibukai was sent to Impel Down.

Since then, Doflamingo has remained inside the facility. Normally, being captured by the Marines would spell the end for any pirate, but Doflamingo is not an ordinary person. If he were, the World Government wouldn’t have tried to have him killed several times. This indicates that Doflamingo is still relevant to the story. Therefore, he might make a return after the Elbaf arc.