When Wano wraps up for the anime, there may be some filler content leading into the next major arc. Here’s what that filler could look like.
With the Straw Hat Pirates finally out of Wano, it seems as though they have some time before they reach their next destination. Toei Animation might take this gap in time to tell some non-canon stories. However, the precise content of those stories is difficult to imagine. Following Wano is the final saga of One Piece. Filler was one thing when the series was closer to its midway point, but things are different now. The Straw Hats should be getting close to Laugh Tale, and the only real challenges left to them are the world’s major forces. If Toei wants to fill up the time between major arcs going forward, they’re going to have to be creative about it.
Part of what will make coming up with post-Wano filler tricky is how powerful the Straw Hats have become. In the past, it was easy enough to pit them against some no-name pirate crew because they weren’t all that big themselves. Now that they’re definitively one of the strongest crews in the world, there aren’t many left who can reasonably challenge them.
Filler antagonists should be able to fulfill a few basic criteria. They don’t have to pose the same threat as canon antagonists. They should, however, be formidable enough to make the Straw Hats at least break a sweat, especially the tougher members like Luffy and Zoro. A good antagonist would also need a proper reason to have stayed under the radar despite being strong enough to challenge an Emperor-level crew. On top of that, they’ll probably have to be surrounded by similarly powerful allies who can keep the rest of the Straw Hats occupied. Also, it’s not necessary, but strong motivations and emotions are highly recommended; a backstory might also help with this.
One possibility for the Straw Hats is to go up against veteran pirates. These would be the kinds of pirates who have been sailing since Gol D Roger’s time but have fallen out of relevance in the new age; a good example of this would be Shiki the Golden Lion. There should be plenty of such pirates who still have lots of fight left. What’s interesting about these kinds of filler pirates is how many of them there have been in the past. However, despite coming from Roger’s time, Luffy and co. were strong enough to take them on. Leaving Wano, it’s the Straw Hats who have finally become a logical, reasonable challenge for these legendary pirates.
Older Pirates can come from any number of places. Some of them could be former Pirate Warlord candidates. The meaning of a Warlord has had a funny way of keeping pace with Luffy’s rapid growth in the series. Now that the title implies pirates who are worth billions of Berries, a candidate for this position would certainly be enough to give the Straw Hats a hard time.
Other veteran pirates could be found among the many escapees from Impel Down Level 6. Truthfully, that plot point could probably generate enough filler to last the rest of the series. The idea of so many of history’s most evil pirates roaming freely is much more frightening than most may care to think. Besides half of Blackbeard’s crew, it’s also produced fearsome foes like Byrnndi World and Douglas Bullet. There’s no telling who else was being kept down there.
Some older pirates could simply be relaxing on their own little plot of land like Crocus. If they need an excuse to fight the Straw Hats, it could be something as basic as them invading their territory. Wherever older foes come from, they could be people who were biding their time and waiting for the right moment to make a comeback.
Of course, the Straw Hats don’t necessarily have to be challenged by older pirates. With their newfound notoriety, they could find themselves being challenged by newer pirates looking to make a name for themselves, especially Supernovas. If the fight between the Emperors and the Worst Generation has proven anything, it’s that the new era of pirates will eventually come to surpass the old one.
The Marines will also never be in short supply of Vice Admirals. The Straw Hats could find themselves going up against some Admiral candidates or experimental Pacifista models. Additionally, confronting the Marines on open waters has always been more than a simple fistfight; it’s tricky business where the whole crew’s planning and expertise could potentially come in handy.
Speaking of tricky business, that’s another way the Straw Hats could be challenged. There are all sorts of Devil Fruit users with obscure powers that make them tough to handle in a straight fight; Uta is a fairly recent example of this. Rather than rely on brawn, Luffy and his crew might have to think their way around such foes.
Alternatively, Luffy could use Gear Five to access cartoon physics and beat his opponents like that. While this form can technically get through most problems with brute force, the ability to literally bend reality allows for many more unique solutions. This versatility is what makes the form, despite its unnecessary overwhelming power, more likely to be used even in relatively low-stakes filler fights.
It’s important to remember that not every filler needs to have a big fight at its center. Some of them can just be the Straw Hats on an island, having fun interacting with the locals and maybe even engaging in some festivities. If a fight breaks out in the middle of all that to spice things up, that’s fine, too. This way, however, it won’t matter how much the Straw Hats outclass the villains, as it won’t be the point of the story.
Besides the Straw Hats’ ongoing adventures, there could be episodes focusing on other aspects of One Piece’s world and history. A cheap and easy one for Toei would be to flash back to past events of the Straw Hats. They could showcase some of their biggest moments reanimated in the new style.
Speaking of One Piece’s new style, that’s going to look unbelievable on filler content. It could mean seeing all of the dynamic camera angles, fluid movements, impactful clashes, and cinematic direction that have become staples of the anime since the Wano Arc started. The idea of non-canon episodes receiving this quality treatment is nearly unimaginable, but it could happen.
The anime could also use the time between Wano and the Straw Hats’ next destination to tell some side stories. There are plenty of cover stories that Oda has laid the groundwork for that could easily be expanded into their own episodes or mini-arcs. For example, there’s currently an ongoing cover story about Germa 66 trying to escape Whole Cake Island; this story could easily be expanded into an episode or two. None of this is filler, per se, but for how much Toei would have to contribute to the story on its end, it might as well be.
With all of this in mind, One Piece has plenty of ways to take its time getting back into the canon story. Hopefully, however, the anime will be paced well enough that it won’t have to rely on non-canon material to fill the time between arcs; this kind of material should be used sparingly. At the very least, viewers should expect a moderate level of quality from these side stories as they wait patiently for the main story to resume.
