Any series as long as One Piece is going to have several hanging plot threads. What makes One Piece unique is that you can never tell whether a plot thread is unfinished, or just unfinished for now. Eiichiro Oda, the unfathomably genius creator of One Piece, is a master of slow-burn narrative and loves to resolve plot beats years after being introduced.
Even so, there are some plot points that - while it's impossible to say definitively - are probably never going to be finished. Whether it's intriguing characters that mysteriously disappeared for two decades or unexplained powers, several One Piece fans want some answers.
10 Kano Was Built Up As A Land Of Powerful Warriors For Nothing
Oda spent years building up the mythical land of Wano, the One Piece equivalent of Japan. However, Wano has a companion island that Oda dropped hints about in the arc after establishing Wano's prominence in the new world. In Dressrosa, fans meet numerous warriors from Kano, which is essentially China, during the gladiator tournament. One of the warriors even joins Luffy's grand fleet. Even so, it looks like the Straw Hats have no intention of ever visiting Kano. Oda could surprise fans, but it seems unlikely.
9 How The Supernovas Escaped Kizaru
In the final chapters of Sabaody, Kizaru touched down on the archipelago and decimated the hottest rookies in the pirate world. Since they're the protagonists of the series, Oda spent a great deal of time focusing on Kizaru's battle with the Straw Hats.
Before tangling with them, Kizaru pummeled the rest of the supernovas with ease. Presumably, capturing the pirates would be easy for the Marines. Once the Supernovas returned to the story, Oda did not explain how they escaped the clutches of the World Government.
8 What Was The Relevance Of Captain John's Treasure?
Outside of the titular One Piece, another treasure has captivated the pirating world of the battle manga. Throughout the series, the master of schemes known as Buggy the Clown has been searching for the fabled treasure of the late Captain John. Usually, that wouldn't be enough to merit that Oda resolves the plot beat, but fans have met Captain John, albeit his zombie, back in Thriller Bark. Also, with the introduction of the Rocks pirates, Captain John's treasure no longer seems as irrelevant as before.
7 What Ever Happened To Tequila Wolf?
When the Straw Hats separate after the Sabaody Archipelago incident, Nico Robin, the perpetual hard-luck Charlie of the group, lands on an immense bridge that stretches for thousands of miles and is still unfinished.
The enslaved citizens that live on and currently build the bridge, known as Tequila Wolf, claim to be the distant descendants of the original slaves tasked with starting the project. Before fans could sink their teeth into the mystery, Oda whisked Nico Robin away by the Revolutionary Army, leaving the mystery unresolved.
6 Where Is Captain Kuro Post Time-Skip?
One of Oda's best traits as a storyteller is his ability to humanize every character he creates - even the villains. After they've been bested by Luffy, Oda will often devote cover stories that detail the ongoing adventures of the series' most despised villains. One villain that hasn't made it into the cover stories is Captain Kuro. Introduced alongside Usopp in Syrup Village, Kuro was, to that point, the most brutal villain Luffy faced. Ironically, Kuro's subordinate Django appears in the background of the manga frequently.
5 Why Was Whitebeard's Illness Never Explained?
It seems no coincidence that two of the strongest pirates ever to grace One Piece - Roger and Whitebeard - contracted an illness that played a part in their deaths. Knowing Oda, a detail this coincidental has to have some significance. Moreover, fans never learned what the sickness was and the severity of it. Now that Marco, the doctor of the former Whitebeard Pirates, is fighting alongside the Straw Hats - in an arc that has detailed the backstories of Roger and Whitebeard - maybe fans might get answers.
4 How Strong Are The Foxy Pirates Now?
Most fans may never want to see Foxy again, as his debut arc is considered one of the worst in all of One Piece. But he does still have one dangling plot point that bears some resolution: his Devil Fruit. Since arriving in the New World, Blackbeard has been hunting down characters with powerful Devil Fruits, and it would seem peculiar to avoid Foxy's.
With the power to slow down the time around an opponent, Foxy's Devil Fruit should be considered elite tier in One Piece, so it would make sense for Blackbeard to be after it.
3 Viola And Sanji's Mutual Attraction Was Never Expanded Upon
Sanji's lovesick nature has inspired debates throughout the history of One Piece. Rarely ever does the character's swooning equate to a romantic entanglement. Viola is one of the few exceptions. During their brief time together, Sanji's chivalrous demeanor is the trait that pulls Viola away from her ties to the Doflamingo family. The two express a mutual attraction to each other before Sanji is drawn away from Dressrosa to Zoa. Though it was brief, a small resolution to Sanji's first on-screen "romance" would be interesting to see.
2 How Did Jinbei Escape Big Mom At The End Of Whole Cake Island?
At the climax of Whole Cake Island, hordes of Jinbe's loyal Fishman pirates confronted a rampaging Big Mom. Aiming to give Luffy cover, the arc ends on a cliffhanger as fans are left to wonder if Jinbe survived. When the affable whale shark returned, questions of Jinbe's status found their way into Wano and got answered almost immediately afterward. The central question is how? Was Jinbe the only Fishman to survive? Did Big Mom kill her Fishman daughter that stood to oppose her in battle?
1 How Did Ms. Goldenweek Get Her Powers?
In the Little Garden arc, Oda introduces fans to the enigmatic Ms. Goldenweek. Unlike other characters in the series, Ms. Goldenweek's abilities don't come from haki or Devil Fruits. Using her stage paint set, Ms. Goldenweek controls Luffy's body and emotions by applying different colors to her paintbrush. In One Piece, powers that don't come from a Devil Fruit are exceptionally rare. If and when they show up, they get some explanation. Ms. Goldenweek is the exception that will probably never see a resolution.