?
1. Elbaf IS forward. Kid's route was further along than Luffy's towards Lodestar, so yes, it could very well be the next Island.
2. Laugh Tale lies beyond Lodestar. People confuse this image repeatedly. It is not saying Lodestar is the last geographical island, it is saying Lodestar is the last island with a magnetic pull. The X IS Laugh Tale, but there is no meand to get there without RPs:
Additionally, the anime highlights Lodestar BEFORE the arrow continues to point forward to an unspecified location:
3. I absolutely do not agree with that order lmao
Tldr: Laugh Tale is 100% at the end of grand line, and people have misunderstood Inu and Roger's scenes describing Lodestar. Its not a random island in a random location in the world, it IS at the end, just with no means of getting there.
Crocus never lied about it being at the end.
Their Log Pose won't take them to Elbaf cuz it points to Next Three Islands
So if you believe they are going to Elbaf Next then they aren't gonna follow the Log Pose
They will either go there using an Eternal Log Pose or with Help of Someone
And if you believe in such Change of Course then they can indeed go Anywhere
(Just like Luffy travelled to Whole Cake Island even though Wano was Next)
Secondly, Laugh Tale's Location is Unknown, everything you said is your own Theory, i Respect it
However, what Puzzles me is that you believe Laugh Tale is at End of Grand Line & yet you laugh at idea of going to Mary Geoise Now
Which means, either you believe Luffy will Never ever visit Mary Geoise or you believe they will visit it "After" Laugh Tale
Which at that time will also be considered "Going Backwards"
So SHs going Backwards is not a Far-Fetched Idea, it happened Before & expected to happen Again
Finally, Main Location of Saga is also the Place Controlled/Invaded/Governed by Main Villain of said Saga.
If you haven't realized yet that this Saga's Main Villain is Imu then i really don't know what to tell you
I have more to say about this, but since we will receive Confirmation soon
Let's just wait & see who is right in the Next Few Chapters
As much as I don't like this option, I think it is one of the most likely. Most of the people are expecting Luffy to succeed in everything he does but the moment where he seems the most invulnerable and at his "peak" could be the moment he loses.
It's also one of the reason they each receive a vivre card so that they can go save him.
Everyone expects Law/Kid to Lose while Luffy succeed
Oda will simply do the Opposite
A Secret Villain will arrive at Egghead & Defeat Luffy (Think of it like when Aokiji came to Long Ring Long Land or Mihawk in Baratie)
As for Kid & Law, i believe Cross Guild will Save Law & Kidnap Pudding to Blackmail Big Mom Pirates into becoming their Subordinates.
While Kid will be saved by Elbaf's God of War (Dorry & Brogy call it Divine Judgment), that's because Kid is associated with someone who is Friendly with Elbaf's King