One Piece has been going on for over 20 years; and besides wanting to see a pirate with an eye patch, the fans are still waiting to see what the One Piece actually is. It's supposed to be the grand accumulation of all of Gol D. Roger's adventures; and according to creator Eiichiro Oda, it isn't gonna be a fake prize like friendship but an actual reward.
While that may be comforting to some, it still leaves a lot to interpretation as to what the grand treasure actually is. There have been some very compelling fan theories within the past few years, as well as some half-baked ones and a few that are genuinely surprising. This list will be breaking down a few possibilities that the community already expects, and a few options that could genuinely shock them.
10 Expects: Treasure
One of the more obvious guesses as to what the grand treasure could be is that it's exactly as advertised. It's treasure. It's treasure chests, crowns, gold doubloons, and jewel encrusted everything. The One Piece is enough beli to satisfy even Nami's greed, and it'll be more than enough to actualize all of the Straw Hats' dreams.
Franky can take some gold to fuel Iceburg's next big project, Chopper can research a variety of new medicines, and Luffy can afford all the meat he can possibly eat. While it is cliche, the Straw Hats are not gonna say "No" to a massive payday.
9 Shocks: A Straw Hat
During the Reverie Arc, fans were shocked to find that the true ruler of the World Government, Im, is keeping a massive Straw Hat preserved within a safe. This made a lot of fans speculate as to what the meaning behind the Straw Hat really is and why are so many important people hanging unto it.
Given this wide speculation, some may be shocked to find that Luffy's precious straw hat or some other one could be the grand treasure. Not only that, but it houses an incredible power that Luffy has yet to unlock. Or, more disappointingly, these hats could just have sentimental value. Getting a hat is technically a reward.
8 Expects: The Lost Ancient Kingdom
Ever since the series revealed that there was a lost civilization tied into the Void Century, fans have been speculating that one of the cleanest ways to tie in all of the series' lore is to have the One Piece be the kingdom itself. The Straw Hats reach Laugh Tale and gawk at how surprisingly large it really is.
As they dig in a little deeper, they not only find castles, homes, and strange technology but remnants of the great war that overthrow the once great empire. This would certainly help Nico Robin learn more about the Void Century and give Luffy on last but grand adventure.
7 Shocks: A Hidden World Of People
If there's anyway to top finding the last empire, it would be to find that it's not exactly abandoned. The D. clan is one of the biggest mysteries in the series. While the story has revealed some people that share Luffy's middle initial, it's done a great job of not revealing what it means. Perhaps the One Piece is the last remaining members of the D. clan who have been in hiding for centuries.
It could also just be a lost colony of people who were meant to be the true inheritors to the world. It could even be a strange yet exciting race that needs to see the light of day again. While treasure is pretty good, finding an entire group of people is even more exciting.
6 Expects: The Ancient Weapons
When Whitebeard revealed that the One Piece was real, he not only shook up the pirating world once again, but he made Sengoku and the rest of the World Government very nervous. How would the One Piece shake up the entire world? One way that it could poise a direct danger to the current regime is if the One Piece is a great weapon that can be pointed directly at the current regime.
The series has teased the Ancient Weapons through various pockets of the story. And, aside from Poseidon, it has yet to reveal Pluton or Uranus. The One Piece could be the final two weapons that could individually threaten the world government or, as some have theorized, could work in conjunction with one another and Poseidon to pull off a long destined deed.
5 Shocks: Gol D. Roger
The Ancient Weapons are already plenty dangerous; but if there's a surefire way to really shock the fans and the World Government, it would be to reveal that Gol D. Roger is actually alive. Whitebeard did say that Roger was waiting for somebody. While that initially sounded nostalgic and metaphorical at first, the old pirate could have been speaking literally; and through some strange circumstances, Gol D. Roger could be waiting on Laugh Tale to welcome the next King of the Pirates.
Whether he's revealing the lost secrets that he spent years investigating or is being resurrected for the final battle, Gol D. Roger could be a really exceptional twist for the story.
4 Expects: A Poneglyph
While finding Gol D. Roger could be a really exciting way to learn the world's secrets, it's also a pretty convoluted way to go about it. The more natural and expected route would be to make the One Piece the last Poneglyph. The Poneglyphs themselves are heavily tied to the One Piece and learning the true events of the Void Century from it could really shake up the world.
However, some other possibilities include Joy Boy's will, Roger's will, some even more exciting truths that fans didn't even expect, or even another treasure map. It's not exactly a profitable treasure, but it'll definitely give the fans the last bits of lore that they've been hungry for.
3 Shocks: A Joke
Recently, the story brought the fans closest to learning what the One Piece truly is; and as always, it inspired more questions than answers. All fans got was Roger's reaction to finding what was on Laugh Tale, and the reception has been mixed. All he did was laugh; and while this excited fans to learning that the One Piece must be a one-of-a-kind experience, others became worried.
Was Roger's laugh genuine or was it the crazed reaction to a faulty reward? Given Joy Boy's moniker, could the One Piece just be one big joke? It could be a Poneglyph revealing some lame knock knock joke or a massive prank treasure to waste everybody's time. All fans can think about is what can make Roger laugh.
2 Expects: The All Blue
One of the most legendary fan theories is the idea that the One Piece is somehow going to be the All Blue. The most detailed explanation so far is that the Straw Hats are gonna use the Ancient Weapons to destroy a section of the Red Line and end up connecting all of the Blues together, creating the All Blue and making the entire world "One Piece."
It's an interesting and complicated theory that would involve a really exciting story to accomplish.
1 Shocks: The Moon
Perhaps even more convoluted and creative of an idea than the All Blue fan theory is the idea that the One Piece has something to do with the moon. In a One Piece Podcast blog post written back in 2015, Zach Logan inspired a huge fan discussion that posited that the One Piece is the moon if not, at least, something that has to do with the moon. Eneru's cover story adventure hinted that there may be some connection between the Skypeians and the lost civilization on the moon.
This lost civilization could be the very ancient kingdom that the World Government tried to wipe out long ago. As such, to get to the moon and learn its secrets, Laugh Tale could be hiding some mechanism, perhaps an entire spaceship, that could take some brave adventurers to an even grander adventure.