Eiichiro Oda was inspired by another animated series for Elbaf arc.

SUMMARY

With the Egghead arc slowly coming to an end, the Straw Hat Pirates’ next mission has already been planned.
Egghead’s depiction of the Giants provides evidence that Luffy’s next adventure will lead him to the well-known Elbaf village.
Oda once disclosed his true inspiration for the forthcoming arc, and after learning about it, One Piece fans believe the Elbaf arc may outperform Marineford and Wano.

Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is filled with inspiration and references to a lot of mythical and mythological narratives that are spread across the world. From Alabasta to Fish-men Island, every new arc brings with it a reference to one of the old cultural tales from different communities. The same is going to happen with the Elbaf arc.

One Piece
With the Egghead arc reaching its conclusion slowly, the next adventure for the Straw Hat Pirates is already set. The inclusion of the Giants in Egghead has given confirmation that the next step in Luffy’s journey will take him to the famous Elbaf village, which has been a mystery for One Piece fans for almost 25 years.

As fans may have already figured out by observing the characters from Elbaf (the Giants), it is based on the Viking culture from Norse mythology. However, Oda once revealed his real inspiration behind the upcoming arc, and after finding out about it, One Piece fans think that the Elbaf arc might surpass Marineford and Wano.

Eiichiro Oda Talked About His Love For Vikings

In One Piece Volume 2, pages 52 and 134, Oda discussed the Viking culture and how they are the best kind of pirates. He even talked about how proud they were of their battle lives and the TV show that inspired his love for Vikings and also made him like pirates. One of Oda’s comments about Vikings was translated and shared by @pewpiece on X(Formerly Twitter).

Oda stated:

“I want to talk someday about my favorite kinds of pirates the vikings When I was a kid I used to enjoy watching an animated tv series called “Little Viking Vicke” it aired over 15 years ago that’s probably how I started liking pirates”

Elbaf Village

According to Oda, he loved watching a TV series called Little Viking Vicke, which was based on the books by Runer Jonsson and was produced by Nippon Animation and Mushi Production. Oda’s love for pirates and Vikings originated from the animated TV show, and it may be one of the reasons anime and manga fans got the gift of One Piece.

Fans Believe That Elbaf Arc Might Be the Best Arc of One Piece

The Elbaf arc holds a lot of importance in the finale saga of One Piece. Elbaf village is home to the strongest army in the entire world. The village holds a lot of secrets about the void century and Sun God Nika. Additionally, it is a character-defining arc for the sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates, Usopp.
Straw Hat Pirates in Vikings Attire
All these aspects and Eiichiro Oda’s love for Vikings have led fans to believe that the Elbaf arc might be the best arc in the entire One Piece narrative, and it could potentially surpass the likes of the Wano arc and the Marineford arc, which are the crown jewels of One Piece in their own way.

Many One Piece fans took to X to express their excitement for the upcoming One Piece arc and talked about the reference to Little Viking Vicke in the One Piece plot.

 

 

 

When I read the first issue of OP, I immediately thought of Vicky the Viking with whom I had also grown up as a child. And it was Shanks who reminded me of him. Coincidence? 🤔🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/unT7sK9En6

— Vikas (@thunderxstorm07) May 14, 2024

While there is still a little time for the Straw Hat Pirates to reach the Elbaf village, the concluding events of Egghead Island arc will define how Oda will going to create the next narrative of the One Piece finale saga.