In the world of One Piece, the Straw Hat Pirates’ visit to the sky island of Skypiea is a memorable adventure early in their voyage. Skypiea offers a fantastical landscape high above the clouds, new enemies to battle, and the chance to explore the mysteries of the sky. It’s a fan-favorite arc due to its creative setting and thrilling conflicts. This raises the question – do the Straw Hats ever return to Skypiea later in the series?
Quick Answers
As of the current story arc in the One Piece manga, the Straw Hats have not yet returned to Skypiea after their initial visit. However, it’s possible they could travel back to Skypiea at some point in the future before the end of the series. The door has been left open for Oda to bring the crew back to the sky island if he chooses to do so. There are also a few story reasons why revisiting Skypiea would make sense at a later point in the manga.
Summary of the Straw Hats’ First Visit to Skypiea
To understand if the Straw Hats might return to Skypiea, it’s helpful to summarize their original adventure in the sky:
- The Straw Hats discover an ancient ship falling from the sky and use it to ride an ocean current into the sky to the island of Skypiea.
- They meet the native Shandia tribe, who are at war with Skypiea’s rulers over their homeland.
- The Straw Hats get drawn into the conflict when they explore the Upper Yard and discover the Shandia’s ancient homeland.
- They clash with various enemies like God Eneru who wield unique lightning abilities.
- Luffy finally defeats Eneru, rings the golden bell to announce the end of the war, and discovers a poneglyph.
- The Straw Hats raid Eneru’s massive gold stash before returning to the Blue Sea below.
This adventure stands out due to the mysterious sky setting, powerful enemies like Eneru, story revelations about Noland the Liar, and the discovery of the poneglyph. For those reasons, it remains a memorable and momentous point early in the Straw Hats’ voyage.
Do the Straw Hats Have Any Reason to Return?
Looking at the events of the Skypiea arc, there are a few story elements that could provide reasonable motivation for the Straw Hats to return someday:
- The Poneglyph – Robin was able to partially decipher the poneglyph discovered in the Upper Yard, but was unable to fully decode it before they left Skypiea. She is searching for the Rio Poneglyph, so may want to revisit this one.
- Eneru’s Return – The final scene shows Eneru returning to the sky after his defeat, so he could resurface as a threat in the future.
- The Golden Bell – Ringing the bell was treated as an important milestone, so it could play a role if the Straw Hats return.
- Unresolved Plot Threads – Oda introduced lots of lore about Skypiea and its history that could be expanded on later.
While not definite reasons for the Straw Hats to return, these story elements provide possible motivations Oda could use to bring the crew back to Skypiea later in the manga’s run.
Clues in the Story Since Skypiea
Looking at the story arcs in One Piece after Skypiea, there aren’t any major hints or foreshadowing indicating that the Straw Hats will return to the sky island. However, there are a few minor connections worth noting:
- Occasional mentions of sky islands or characters like Eneru in cover stories.
- The technology and artifacts of Skypiea remain influential, like dials.
- Some fans speculate the final island Laugh Tale could be in the sky.
While not overt clues, these sparse connections keep Skypiea somewhat relevant even hundreds of chapters later. Oda hasn’t completely moved on from those events and settings.
Reasons Supporting Their Return
Looking at the story so far, there are some solid reasons why having the Straw Hats revisit Skypiea would make logical sense:
- Nostalgia – It would tap into fans’ nostalgia and love for that classic adventure.
- Oda’s Writing Style – Oda enjoys bringing back old characters/plot threads.
- Unresolved Story Beats – As noted earlier, there are poneglyphs and other hooks.
- Final Island Location – If Laugh Tale is a sky island, they may stop at Skypiea first.
Oda is skilled at tying together past and present story elements, so the prospect of revisiting Skypiea has merit based on his writing tendencies.
Arguments Against Their Return
However, there are also some valid reasons why the Straw Hats may not need to return to Skypiea:
- Closed Story Arc – Skypiea had a pretty self-contained plotline that resolved.
- Too Much Time Passed – Hundreds of chapters have passed reducing its relevance.
- Laugh Tale’s Location – It may not be in the sky, negating the need to pass through.
- New World Adventures – The crew is focused on deeper New World threats now.
From a narrative standpoint, Skypiea’s major plot threads were wrapped up cleanly already. And there are more pressing matters for the Straw Hats in the New World.
Conclusion
In summary, as of now in both the One Piece manga and anime, the Straw Hat Pirates have not returned to Skypiea since their initial adventure there early in the Grand Line. There are certainly some story reasons why revisiting Skypiea could make sense at some point before the end of the series. However, Oda may opt to leave it as a classic, self-contained adventure. Ultimately, only Oda knows whether the Straw Hats will ever see the sky island again.
For fans, Skypiea will always hold a special place as an iconic early adventure for the crew regardless of whether they return. It introduced themes and lore that remain relevant even hundreds of chapters later in One Piece’s ongoing story. And the Straw Hats gained important skills, experiences, and memories during their first sky-bound voyage. So Skypiea represents an important formative adventure in their journey to become the Pirate King’s crew.
Other Questions Fans Have About Skypiea
Beyond the main question of whether the Straw Hats will revisit it, Skypiea remains a fan-favorite arc that generates many other questions even years later. Here are some additional common questions about Skypiea:
Did Skypiea exist before the Blue Sea?
It is unclear whether Skypiea existed before the Blue Sea. Skypiea residents have lived there for generations, but the origins of the sky island remain mysterious. The architecture and ruins suggest an ancient advanced civilization, implying Skypiea is quite old.
How did the Skypieans learn to live in the sky?
The details of how Skypieans came to live in the sky are unknown. As part of the White Sea’s native population, they likely gradually adapted to life on the sky islands over many years. With how long Skypiea has existed, its people evolved naturally to thrive in the atmospheric habitat.
Why did Eneru want to go to the moon?
After being defeated by Luffy, Eneru expressed a desire to travel to the moon. He aimed to reach it using his flying ship, Maxim. Eneru likely wished to rule over the moon after losing Skypiea, hoping to exert control and find followers on the moon.
Will Eneru return to the main story?
Eneru’s return to the core One Piece story remains a possibility, though not confirmed. Given his immense power, unique lightning abilities, and ambition, Eneru could become a threat if he returned stronger from his journey. However, the moon trip may have written Eneru out of the story.
Could Skypiea play a role in the endgame?
Some fans theorize Skypiea may factor into the manga’s endgame due to lingering plot threads like the poneglyph. It’s unlikely to play a major role though since it was an isolated early adventure. But Skypiea could provide lore details that inform later revelations.
Thematic Significance of Skypiea
Beyond specific plot questions, Skypiea holds strong thematic significance in One Piece’s broader story. A few key themes embodied by Skypiea include:
- Exploration – Journeying to the sky captures One Piece’s spirit of exploration into the unknown.
- Friendship – The residents put their faith in the Straw Hats, showing power of bonds.
- Injustice – The Shandia’s struggle highlights common themes of inequality and corruption.
- Adventure – Thrill of discovering new places reflects One Piece’s sense of adventure.
These core themes help make Skypiea such an impactful arc early in the Straw Hats’ voyage. The sky island embodies the romanticism of sailing towards ambitious dreams into uncharted territory, making the arc especially evocative.
Lasting Impacts on the Characters
On a character level, Skypiea also had significant impacts on the Straw Hats that continue to shape them:
- Luffy developed greater control over gears.
- Zoro increased his combat skills and techniques.
- Nami gained wavers to fly across the sky seas.
- Usopp grew more courageous in intense battles.
- Sanji debuted powerful kick techniques like Diable Jambe.
- Chopper expanded his doctor skills treating new injuries/illnesses.
- Robin decoded a poneglyph, inching towards her dream.
Their development in Skypiea informed their skills, abilities, confidence and motivations as pirates moving forward in their voyage.
Conclusion
Skypiea represents an important early adventure that saw the Straw Hats grow together as a crew. They overcame fierce adversaries, explored wondrous locales, and discovered new mysteries in their swashbuckling journey through the sky. While it’s unconfirmed if they will ever return, Skypiea will always hold nostalgic value for fans as a iconic setting in One Piece’s world. And it helped establish core themes and character growth central to the overarching story. So whether the Straw Hats ever see the angelic island again, their first sky-bound voyage will forever soar through One Piece history.