Well, lets see here. We still need to:
1. Save the Giant Kids. I HIGHLY doubt any of them will die. This just isn't that kind of story. And I honestly doubt the Gods Knights will actually get away with any of them. I don't think even one Giant Kid will end up being taken to Mariejois. The only one who even MIGHT end up actually getting kidnapped is Colon. Everyone else is just too "normal" for us to be too invested in.
2. Send the Gods Knights away. I also don't think any of them will die. Oda is probably more "army-building" for the Final War. He probably wants to build up as many characters as he can to join in on the Final War, so I don't think any of these guys are going away permanently. Personally, I think Shamrock will call them back to Mariejois to help him deal with the attacking Revolutionaries. But, it could be something else.
3. Qilingham has to fight someone. So far, he's the only Gods Knight who hasn't gotten a fight with anyone, yet. Maybe this is Luffy or Loki's opponent?
4. Gunko has to see Luffy's Gear 5. I think she at least gets a glimpse of that before she leaves. Oda set up that being her greatest fear, and I think we will get a payoff to that. It'd be a good moment for the other Giants to see Luffy in his Nika form, too, since Nika's a big deal to all of them.
5. We'll probably get more of the Loki flashback. That's probably where we'll learn more about King Harald. Maybe even touch on Big Mom's backstory. And probably get a reveal of Loki's Devil Fruit by the end of the flashback in the present day. I don't know if it'll end up being terribly long, though. It'll probably be longer than Kaido's flashback. But, I doubt it'll be as long as Kuma's.
6. I wonder if we'll find out more about how Brook knows Gunko. That might be something we save for later. This is more of a maybe. But, I could see us getting a few panels.
7. Scopper has to teach the Strawhats this anti-regeneration technique. I don't THINK he'll end up dying, either. There's just not a whole lot of other people who can teach them that. He COULD end up wounded, though. Although, if he did die....I suppose Colon would have sparred a few times with his dad, over the years. Could Colon teach the technique to the Strawhats? Maybe even Ripley could know it? Either way, we're probably going to need a short training arc for the Strawhats to learn the technique. Which leads to...
8. We're probably going to cut to somewhere else in the World for a little bit. If the Strawhats ARE going to train, chances are Oda won't actually SHOW us that training. Oda tends to like to cut away during these kinds of moments so that he can reveal how strong the characters have become later, and give us reveals for each of the new tricks they learned, like on Fishman Island. I don't think it'll be a full timeskip. I'm personally betting on a inversion of 3D2Y. I think we might be getting a 2Y3D. This technique might normally take 2 years to learn, but the Strawhats will try to master it in 3 days. I just think that'd be cute.
As for WHERE we're going to cut over to....there's actually a lot of options. Maybe we see what Law or Kid or Bartolomeo are up to? Maybe we get a couple chapters showing a fight between the Gods Knights and the Revolutionaries? Maybe we find out what happened to Perona and Moria? Maybe we see what Vivi and Big News Morgans are up to? Maybe we see Kizaru get "fired" from his job as a Admiral? Maybe we see Blackbeard meeting Caribou? Maybe we find out where Clone-Stussy is? Maybe we see more of Smoker and his mystery cube? Maybe we see what Garling's "Yokai" form is? Maybe we finally get to see Imu's face?! It's hard to say. Oda could throw us another big curveball with this one.
9. Finding out why we shouldn't "linger on Elbaph". I feel like this could be one reason why the Strawhats are only going to have 3 days to learn Scopper's technique. I honestly don't know what the reason would be. I don't think the "time dilation" theory really makes sense, anymore. I honestly thought it'd be revealed by now.
10. Some sort of explanation for the various Elbaph animal "gods". Like the Ear God that Luffy ate. Or the cat in Legoland. Maybe it's just animals that eat Devil Fruits. But I would appreciate some sort of throwaway line briefly explaining what's going on.
11. We have to see what Lilith found in that old abandoned 3000 year old First World Lab. That's probably leading to...something. That might only be a one chapter "adventure", though. I wouldn't be surprised if we get another "Mural"-like lore tease in that lab.
12. Similarly, if we're EVER going to get an explanation for how objects and weapons can "eat" Devil Fruits, I think it's going to have to be on Elbaph. Lilith seems like she's happy staying here for a while, so I don't think she'll be coming any farther with us on this journey. Lilith's the only Vegapunk we have left, so I think this is going to be Oda's last chance to explain this.
13. This is another "maybe", but I would like an explanation for why Road has a Elk-Skull Mask that's VERY similar to a old Gods Knight's mask we saw on God Valley. Just as a brief mention for what that was all about. That could be something Oda's saving for a later reveal, though. Maybe one of Joyboy or Nika's old crew had a similar mask, and they're both taking inspiration from the same historical figure?
14. Something with the Heaven/Astral Layer of Elbaph? I really don't know what. But chances are, we'll at least get a glimpse of the place. Maybe actually seeing it is something Oda wants to save for later. Maybe when Loki has to burn down Yggdrasil "at the right time", like how Fishman Island will get destroyed and Wano's walls will fall.
15. Maybe a bit more about the Sunstone Painters? We really haven't done too much with these, yet. Maybe the Strawhats just get a few as farewell gifts or something? If they're going to play a bigger role down the road, we probably have to do something with them.
16. The Strawhats probably have to learn that the Man Marked By Flames exists. I'm pretty sure they still don't know about this guy. I could see Scopper or someone telling them that he has the last Road Poneglyph. I don't think the Strawhats will meet the MMBF this arc. But, I think they get a clue to his general location before they set off for the next part of their journey.
17. Clone-Double-Vegapunk has to come online. He'll probably stay on Elbaph with Lilith and Bonney and Kuma. But, it'd be good to see him again, before the Strawhats leave.
18. Usopp doing something. I think Usopp will at least get a MOMENT to shine. Maybe saving the Elbaph kids. Or maybe he's a prodigy with Scopper's secret technique. He probably won't get as much as some people hope, but I do think he'll get something.
Things that I DO NOT think will happen on Elbaph:
1. Kid returning. I just...don't see it happening, personally. Maybe we get a scene of Law finding Kid in the ocean? Maybe? But, I don't think Kid is going to be playing a major part in the Elbaph arc. He feels like more of a cameo in a side story, to me.
2. Big Mom returning. I don't think this is happening now. If it's going to happen, I think it has to be AFTER Yggdrasil is destroyed. And I think that probably has to wait until Luffy reaches Laugh Tale. These things probably have to happen in the "correct" order for Joyboy's plan to work. And I don't think Yggdrasil will burn by the end of the arc. The Strawhats have to learn Scopper's technique, so Elbaph probably has to survive for now.
3. Shanks returning. I feel like that ship has sailed. I guess Oda's probably saving Luffy and Shank's reunion for closer to getting to Laugh Tale.
4. Finding out who Mosa is. I think this is going to be a bit of a longer-running mystery. Because, personally, I think Mosa will turn out to be Imu. And unless Oda gives us a Imu-face-reveal this arc, I don't think we're going to learn much more about Imu until later. Oda does like to draw out these big reveals. So, I think this is one that will wait until later.
5. Any payoff for the Green Fairy Absinthe hallucinations. I guess that was all just one big red herring?
6. Elbaph or Yggdrasil being destroyed. I don't think that will happen...yet. It feels like there's too many other things that the Strawhats have to do on Elbaph after the Gods Knights leave. It probably will happen before the end of the story. But, it'll probably happen around the same time that Fishaman Island is destroyed and Wano's walls fall.
Honestly? I'll admit, I kind of thought we'd already be off Elbaph by now. As much as I kind of want Elbaph to be a shorter arc, it may go on for a little while, yet. If only because we might be getting a mini-training arc. If Elbaph goes past chapter 1155 or so, I think I'll have to admit that it's no longer a "short arc", but at least a "mid-sized arc". I doubt it'll be a 60 or 100 chapter arc like some are expecting, but if it's more than 30 chapters, I don't think it qualifies as a "short arc" anymore.
