I think it’s becoming clear that Oda used Skypia to foreshadow the main concepts of the final arc of One Piece, based on this I’m going to try a thought exercise where I predict events of the final arc and some leading up to it based on Skypia.
Skypia is crafted around multiple factions coming into conflict with each other in a battle Royal setting (Oda already indicated Final Arc would be a battle Royal). To predict the final arc, I’ll draw parallels between Skypia factions and the current ones.
Faction 1 - Evil Upper Yard = WG
God Enel = God IMU, Enel was considered a God because he couldn’t be killed due to Logia Hax, the story has moved past that being a major obstacle but immortality hax has been implied to be a trait of IMU.
Arc Maxim = IMU’s Death Star that Nuked Lulusia
4 Priests = 4 Gorosei, Saturn likely takes a dive in egghead to lower than number to 4. Ghandi Gorosei is also probably a direct parallel Ohm as a Swordsman and strongest Gorosei.
Divine Soldiers = Holy Knights
White Berets = CP0
Factions 2 - Shandians = Revolutionary Army
Wyper = Dragon, Goal to free Shandians from the rule of upper yard, is the same as Dragon wishing to free the people from the rule of the CD/Marijoa.
Wyper Weapon Sea Stone + Reject Dial = Dragon’s ???? Weapon, Wyper had a weapon that could actually kill Enel, which made him the biggest threat to Enel besides Luffy in the arc, Dragon likely has a weapon that can kill IMU, which is why he is the Most Wanted Man in the world,
Shandia Warriors = Revolutionary Army, the top Shandia Warriors got more focus and so will Sabo and the Revo Commanders
Faction 3 - Good Upper Yard (Gan Fall) = Good WG (Shanks)
Gan Fall = Shanks, Gan Fall represents the good side of Upper Yard, it’s heavily implied in film Red Shanks is a descendent of the Celestial Dragons and will be Oda’s way of representing the good side of the Celestial Dragons.
Faction 4 - Chaos Element (Nola) = Blackbeard
In skypia Nola acts as a 4th chaotic faction that just wants to consume everyone there. Blackbeard is similar in that he wants to take and consume everything. It’s even likely that Blackbeard consumed a part of Whitebeard to gain his abilities, which further ties him to Nola who has ties to the Earth God.
Faction 5 - Straw Hats = Straw Hats
Setting
1) Ancient City of Shandora = Ancient Kingdom Ruins on Laugh tale, the closest comparison that can be made to the Ruins of Shandora were most of the action takes place is Laughtale assuming it likely has ruins of the Ancient Kingdom
2) Ark Maxim = IMU’s Death Star, the final battle of Skypia ends up being the Ark Maxim, which Enel is using to try to destroy Skypia and Shandoran ruins, it’s likely IMU will be defeated on his Death Star while he tries to destroy Laughtale and the Ruins of the Ancient Kingdom.
Conflict
Straw Hats being aligned primarily with Gan Fall caused them to come into conflict with the Shandians somewhat as they didn’t trust anyone from Upper Yard. Straw Hats also were in conflict with Nola since Nola was an agent of Choas and Enel/Upper Yard as the main villain.
Translating this to the current facts, Luffy would probably align quickly after some competition with Shanks. Shanks and Dragon may be in conflict due to Shanks being a CD and having worked with the Gorosei. This could bring Straw Hats into a minor conflict with the Revos as well. Blackbeard would be against everyone but may primarily be after Luffy’s DF and the treasure. While Priests would also be against everyone.
I would imagine a similar scene to this where Blackbeard, Dragon, Shanks, Ghandi, and SHs also square off:
Only for IMU to come in as the FV after the battle royal.
Resolution
Treasure = Shandura Ruins
Luffy uses part of that treasure to beat Enel and his weapon, alongside his innate advantage over Enel that allows him to hurt Enel despite his logia invincibility.
One Piece Treasure = Ancient Kingdom Ruins
Luffy will use part of that Ancient Kindgom to beat IMU’s Death Star and his innate ability (probably to turn bodies into Rubber, making IMU rubber and not immortal), will be used to beat IMU in the final battle.
What this Means For Lead Up to Final Arc
1) While Oda could add more factions onto the final battle if he sticks with these, then it means Cross Guild and the Marines will be dealt with prior to the Final Battle. I think this is likely even if individuals from these factions still appear in the final battle, just not the fact themselves.
2) Somehow all 5 of these factions will find their way to Laughtale, most likely this will be tied to the events of the downfall of CG and Marines, as well as finding the last Road Poneglyphe.
3) Saturn likely is defeated at Egghead alongside Kizaru, which will feed into the defeat of the Marines later
4) Laughtale is probably a sky island, as otherwise IMU’s giant weapon wouldn’t be able to fly over it like Ark Maxim over Upper Yard.
Skypia is crafted around multiple factions coming into conflict with each other in a battle Royal setting (Oda already indicated Final Arc would be a battle Royal). To predict the final arc, I’ll draw parallels between Skypia factions and the current ones.
Faction 1 - Evil Upper Yard = WG
God Enel = God IMU, Enel was considered a God because he couldn’t be killed due to Logia Hax, the story has moved past that being a major obstacle but immortality hax has been implied to be a trait of IMU.
Arc Maxim = IMU’s Death Star that Nuked Lulusia
4 Priests = 4 Gorosei, Saturn likely takes a dive in egghead to lower than number to 4. Ghandi Gorosei is also probably a direct parallel Ohm as a Swordsman and strongest Gorosei.
Divine Soldiers = Holy Knights
White Berets = CP0
Factions 2 - Shandians = Revolutionary Army
Wyper = Dragon, Goal to free Shandians from the rule of upper yard, is the same as Dragon wishing to free the people from the rule of the CD/Marijoa.
Wyper Weapon Sea Stone + Reject Dial = Dragon’s ???? Weapon, Wyper had a weapon that could actually kill Enel, which made him the biggest threat to Enel besides Luffy in the arc, Dragon likely has a weapon that can kill IMU, which is why he is the Most Wanted Man in the world,
Shandia Warriors = Revolutionary Army, the top Shandia Warriors got more focus and so will Sabo and the Revo Commanders
Faction 3 - Good Upper Yard (Gan Fall) = Good WG (Shanks)
Gan Fall = Shanks, Gan Fall represents the good side of Upper Yard, it’s heavily implied in film Red Shanks is a descendent of the Celestial Dragons and will be Oda’s way of representing the good side of the Celestial Dragons.
Faction 4 - Chaos Element (Nola) = Blackbeard
In skypia Nola acts as a 4th chaotic faction that just wants to consume everyone there. Blackbeard is similar in that he wants to take and consume everything. It’s even likely that Blackbeard consumed a part of Whitebeard to gain his abilities, which further ties him to Nola who has ties to the Earth God.
Faction 5 - Straw Hats = Straw Hats
Setting
1) Ancient City of Shandora = Ancient Kingdom Ruins on Laugh tale, the closest comparison that can be made to the Ruins of Shandora were most of the action takes place is Laughtale assuming it likely has ruins of the Ancient Kingdom
2) Ark Maxim = IMU’s Death Star, the final battle of Skypia ends up being the Ark Maxim, which Enel is using to try to destroy Skypia and Shandoran ruins, it’s likely IMU will be defeated on his Death Star while he tries to destroy Laughtale and the Ruins of the Ancient Kingdom.
Conflict
Straw Hats being aligned primarily with Gan Fall caused them to come into conflict with the Shandians somewhat as they didn’t trust anyone from Upper Yard. Straw Hats also were in conflict with Nola since Nola was an agent of Choas and Enel/Upper Yard as the main villain.
Translating this to the current facts, Luffy would probably align quickly after some competition with Shanks. Shanks and Dragon may be in conflict due to Shanks being a CD and having worked with the Gorosei. This could bring Straw Hats into a minor conflict with the Revos as well. Blackbeard would be against everyone but may primarily be after Luffy’s DF and the treasure. While Priests would also be against everyone.
I would imagine a similar scene to this where Blackbeard, Dragon, Shanks, Ghandi, and SHs also square off:
Only for IMU to come in as the FV after the battle royal.
Resolution
Treasure = Shandura Ruins
Luffy uses part of that treasure to beat Enel and his weapon, alongside his innate advantage over Enel that allows him to hurt Enel despite his logia invincibility.
One Piece Treasure = Ancient Kingdom Ruins
Luffy will use part of that Ancient Kindgom to beat IMU’s Death Star and his innate ability (probably to turn bodies into Rubber, making IMU rubber and not immortal), will be used to beat IMU in the final battle.
What this Means For Lead Up to Final Arc
1) While Oda could add more factions onto the final battle if he sticks with these, then it means Cross Guild and the Marines will be dealt with prior to the Final Battle. I think this is likely even if individuals from these factions still appear in the final battle, just not the fact themselves.
2) Somehow all 5 of these factions will find their way to Laughtale, most likely this will be tied to the events of the downfall of CG and Marines, as well as finding the last Road Poneglyphe.
3) Saturn likely is defeated at Egghead alongside Kizaru, which will feed into the defeat of the Marines later
4) Laughtale is probably a sky island, as otherwise IMU’s giant weapon wouldn’t be able to fly over it like Ark Maxim over Upper Yard.
