The deaths in One Piece are one of the most despised aspects of the story, both by the fans and even by the creator, Eiichiro Oda. Oda has been quite vocal about not wanting to include character deaths in his magnum opus, but sometimes the story demands it, and because of this, the narrative has lost some major characters.
The most known deaths in the entire series are those of Luffy’s brother and Gol D. Roger’s son, Portgas D. Ace, and his captain, Edward Newgate, also known as Whitebeard. Both of these deaths took place during the Marineford arc, and it was heartbreaking for One Piece fans, but now fans sadly await the next major death in the series.
While the fans wait for the next death, a recent One Piece theory points out that Oda might have already foreshadowed the next major death and the connection between the three deaths is Red-Haired Shanks. According to the theory, the next death will most likely be of the former Warlord of the Sea, Dracule Mihawk.
The Saddest Deaths in One Piece
Ever since One Piece started in 1997, it has primarily focused on the adventure, the journey, and the fun that the Straw Hat Pirates have been a part of. While the series has its dark moments, deaths are rarely a part of it. However, whenever there is a death in the series, Oda makes sure that the character does not die in vain and has some importance to the future of the series.
Major deaths in the series include those of characters like Gol D. Roger, Mont Blanc Noland, Kozuki Oden, Kuina, etc. While these deaths had a huge impact on the series, none of them compares to the deaths of Ace and Whitebeard. The sad part is that both characters died for someone they loved. Ace died protecting Luffy, and Whitebeard died trying to save Ace.
Their deaths might be the saddest deaths in One Piece history, but they ignited a flame in Luffy and also marked the beginning of the time skip, where the Straw Hat Pirates trained and got stronger to fight against the upcoming dangers of the Grand Line. Oda did not let their deaths be in vain, and they are still remembered by the characters and the One Piece fans.
One Piece Theory Hints at Another Major Death
According to a theory posted by 1pieceop on Instagram, the next major death in One Piece would most likely be that of the strongest swordsman in the world, Dracule Mihawk. The theory states that Eiichiro Oda foreshadowed the upcoming death of Dracule Mihawk by developing a connection between Mihawk, Whitebeard, and Ace.
This connection has been developed through the Emperor of the Sea, Shanks. According to the theory, Ace and Whitebeard’s commonality was that both drank with Shanks. Ace shares a drink with Shanks when he finds him to talk about Luffy, and Whitebeard shares a drink with Shanks when the Yonko asks Whitebeard to stop Ace from hunting Blackbeard.
Now the only other person who has ever drunk with Shanks other than Whitebeard and Ace is Dracule Mihawk. Both Mihawk and Shanks are rivals, and when Mihawk goes on to inform Shanks about Luffy’s first-ever bounty as a pirate, Shanks is so happy that he offers Mihawk a drink, which could ultimately become the cause of his death, foreshadowed by Oda.
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