One Piece Officially Reveals New Developments in Elbaph Arc With Jump Issue 52

Even though it had already been floating around through leaks, this official One Piece account has finally shared the Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 52 cover. And as it turns out, the whole thing is dedicated to One Piece, highlighting three major characters from the series.

Just from this single image, we can already start guessing what Oda might be cooking for the Elbaph arc. The character choices, layout, and overall vibe feel like subtle hints at the direction the story could be heading next. Here’s what we could make sense out of it.

WSJ Issue 52 Cover: Featuring Rocks, Roger & More

The official colored cover for Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 52 reveals young versions of Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, and Monkey D. Garp: the three legends tied to the God Valley incident. Now, seeing them together like this surely captures attention and sparks all kinds of speculation.

Since we now know most of the major events that went down at God Valley, we might see Oda shifting the focus back to the present timeline as we head deeper into the Elbaph arc. The timing of this cover is a little too perfect.

Showing the younger versions of these giants may be a hint that their successors, their ‘young ones,’ are about to shape the story in the present. Thus, it might be a symbolic passing of the torch kind of moment.

Looking at the cover, fans are also connecting it to Luffy’s declaration that he’ll carry Ace’s will. With this, that line feels even heavier, like a reminder of how the new era stands on the shoulders of the old.

And while Ace and Luffy’s importance has been clear for the entire series, this new cover image of Xebec has suddenly reignited a wild theory. Thanks to this cover, many fans are now close to confirming that Rocks might actually be Buggy’s father. Here’s why.

‘Rocks as Buggy’s Dad’ Theory Gains More Credibility

In this official coloring, it looks like Xebec’s hair is white with a blue tint, and if that really is the case, fans are now taking the “Buggy’s dad” theory way more seriously. The color choice is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, and Oda mustn’t have done that unintentionally.

The stars are kind of aligning, too, as this cover almost feels like a lineup of Buggy, Ace, Dragon, and right next to them, Nika (our Luffy). It’s like the new era’s big names being mirrored by the old ones.

Some fans argue, though, that blue doesn’t really suit Rocks. They think the classic black-and-white look fits him better. And if the hint was meant for Buggy, many say Oda could’ve just made Eris’ hair blue instead.

What do you think, though? Do you believe this is a deliberate hint at making Buggy the next pirate king? Let us know in the comments.