The One Piece Creator Has Disclosed That He Retcons Storylines Rather Than Pre-planning Them.

According to a recent tweet quoting one of Eiichiro Oda's interviews, the creator of One Piece has revealed that some of the manga's most memorable plotlines were not pre-planned, but rather retconned later on. Despite the series being known for its interconnected storytelling, Oda admitted that major character reveals, such as Ace's identity as Gol D. Roger's son and Rob Lucci's villain status, were not initially planned.

Additionally, seemingly insignificant story elements, like the Worst Generation Supernovas, were not intended to have a significant role in the saga. Similarly, the character of Trafalgar Law was not meant to play as large of a role in Luffy's journey as he ultimately did. Despite some criticisms and inconsistencies, many of the retcons in One Piece have been successful, such as the resolution to the Marineford arc featuring the beloved yonko Shanks. However, some fans have noticed flaws, including Shanks losing an arm to a sea monster and the sudden increase in characters with awakened Devil Fruits during and after the Wano arc. This may be due to Oda changing the story on the fly or writing himself into a corner. Despite these faults, One Piece is still praised for its masterful foreshadowing. The East Blue saga established the dangers of the Grand Line, while the Egghead Arc showcased Oda's skill in setup and payoff. With the manga ongoing and no signs of slowing down, Oda has ample opportunity to surprise fans with callbacks to overlooked or forgotten moments throughout the series.