One Piece Theory Suggests Its Endgame Villains Are Immortal

The Final Arc might be teasing the end of the Straw Hat Pirates' journey in One Piece, but it seems as though this tale is far from over in the pages of the Shonen manga. With various heroes and villains making their returns as Luffy and company come into contact with Dr. Vegapunk, as the mad scientist reveals tons of new information with regards to their world's Devil Fruits, a new fan theory has some manga followers believing that the highest members of the world government might very well be immortal.

Warning. If you have yet to read the latest chapters of One Piece's manga, be forewarned that we'll be diving into spoiler territory.

The World Government of Eiichiro Oda's anime universe has been led by the "Five Elders", the highest ranking Celestial Dragons who have operated in the shadows to pull the strings when it comes to factions such as the Marines, Cipher Pol, and the Seven Warlords. While not present in Wano Country, the heads of the government directed members of Cipher Pol to eliminate Luffy, nearly losing the Straw Hat Pirates the war, while also abolishing the Warlord status at the same time. We have yet to see any of these elders in a physical altercation but the Final Arc might change that.

Are The Five Elders Immortal?

Twitter Outlet New World Artur shared a recent manga panel that hints at the idea that while Vegapunk had looked younger thirty years prior, the Five Elders seem to have similar appearances as they do now, making readers wonder if the heads of the World Government might have more than a few secrets of their own:

Now to be fair, the Five Elders are far from the only villains that play a role in this Final Arc, and might not even be the biggest threat to Luffy and company as the storyline continues, but it's a surefire bet that they'll play a major role in the future of the series before it draws to a close and perhaps even meet Monkey face-to-face for the first time. 

What role do you think the Five Elders will play in the Final Arc's future? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Grand Line.