This is why the One Piece time skip lasted 2 years.

Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is one of the most incredible mangas to have ever run in Shonen Jump. Having gone for more than 2 decades, it is incredibly amazing for a series to maintain consistency on the same level as One Piece. This is one of the many reasons why this particular story is believed to be the pinnacle of fiction by many. For those who have enjoyed the journey thoroughly, it is no surprise that One Piece is divided into two parts. The first part of the series focuses on Luffy’s journey from the East Blue to the Grand Line and the end of the Paradise half of this giant stretch of ocean.

The second half of the series sees Luffy go to the other half of the Grand Line, called the New World. These two halves of the story are divided by a 2-year timeskip, which happens right after the Paramount War. While timeskips are not all that uncommon in anime and manga, Oda’s 2-year timeskip has a specific reason behind it.

The Events Leading to One Piece’s Timeskip

When it comes to the One Piece timeskip, fans know that it came on the back of a very grueling arc that saw Luffy trying to rescue his brother. Essentially, the timeskip of One Piece happened after the Summit War arc, which saw Ace, after having lost to Blackbeard, being handed over to the World Government. Ace’s execution date was set and, as a result, he needed rescuing. On the island of Sabaody Archipelago, Luffy, and the Straw Hat Pirates faced utter annihilation at the hands of Kuma. The crew was separated, and Luffy, the captain of the crew, ended up being sent to Amazon Lily. There, Luffy finally heard about his brother’s execution date and decided to go rescue him.

Thanks to help from Hancock, he successfully snuck into Impel Down, where his attempt to save his brother failed. Luffy did, however, manage to free many prisoners and take a battleship to Marineford, which is where the execution was supposed to take place. Eventually, he ended up joining the Paramount War, which saw the mighty pirate, Whitebeard, collide with the full force of the World Government, with both the Navy and the Shichibukai ready to meet this incredibly Yonko crew. In the midst of it all, Luffy was thrown in, and it was clear for the fans to see that he was out of his depth. Yet, Luffy persevered and, through one way or another, found his way to Ace, successfully freeing him as well.

One Piece’s 2-Year Timeskip

While Luffy successfully managed to free Ace, his joy did not last long as, moments later, Ace ended up sacrificing his life to save his little brother from Admiral Akainu. He used his back to shield Luffy from a punch that would most certainly have taken his life. In doing so, Ace ended up dying, making Luffy realize that he was way too weak to protect the ones who were dear to him. Fans also got a detailed flashback surrounding Luffy’s very own life and here, fans also saw that Luffy’s very reason for becoming strong was so that he could protect the ones he loves and always keep them close to him.

Quite clearly, Luffy had admirable reasons to become strong, and this also tied in brilliantly to the realization that, even after all these years, he was still weak. As a result, there was a need for Luffy to grow stronger. This is something that Oda highlights in his message.

According to Oda, the two-year timeskip in One Piece was simply because he believed that Luffy was not strong enough to fight the Yonko at the moment. Oda had always envisioned One Piece to be a story where Luffy fought against the powerful Emperors of the Sea. When the timeskip happened, Oda believed that this break was needed so that Luffy could reach that level. For Luffy to make such a massive jump and defeat an Emperor before the timeskip would have made absolutely no sense. As a result, Oda needed Luffy to grow stronger, and, the perfect opportunity to grow stronger was provided through Ace’s death.

This made sure that Luffy reached the next level as a pirate and grew strong enough to ensure that he never loses anything or anyone close to him ever again.

Luckily for Luffy, Rayleigh, the right-hand man of the Pirate King, offered to train him for 2 years on the island of Ruskaina. Luffy sent out a message to his entire crew, telling them that they would meet on the island of Sabaody after 2 years and that they needed to grow stronger. As such, the basis for the timeskip was set. Rayleigh ended up training Luffy in the ways of Haki, and thankfully, he grew very strong following this training.

Why 2 Years?

As most fans know, One Piece’s timeskip lasted for 2 years. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates were separated on Sabaody, and 3 days and 2 years after that, they finally met on this island once again, setting out on their journey for the New World. However, this 2-year time period wasn’t an arbitrary number decided by Oda. Essentially, the reason for Oda choosing a 2-year timeskip period ties in directly to Luffy’s very character. At the beginning of his journey as a pirate, Luffy was 17 years old. This age was chosen by Oda likely because 17 is basically walking a thin line between adulthood and childhood. It was undeniable at this point that Luffy would eventually grow into a mature pirate with the years. However, to Oda, Luffy’s childish nature and carefree personality are a core aspect of his character.

More importantly, he still wanted many people around the world to resonate with Luffy being a kid. As such, he did not want Luffy to return from the timeskip too old. In Oda’s very own words, he chose two years because he did not want to make Luffy too much of an adult when he returned. As such, having Luffy return at 19 was the perfect solution for him. This way, Luffy was certainly more mature and stronger than before, however, he was not so old that the audience that grew up watching him would feel disconnected from him.

It is safe to say that Oda’s decision to have a 2-year timeskip was the perfect one. Luffy returned stronger than ever before, and ever since then, has conquered quite a significant portion of the Grand Line already. Luffy has even defeated one of the Yonko, Kaido, recently and become an Emperor of the Sea himself. Now, he is only one step away from claiming the One Piece for himself and becoming the Pirate king. Fans are eagerly waiting in anticipation to see his dream come true, and it appears to be edging closer with each passing chapter.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1107, is set to be February 18, 2024.