Chapter 1110’s Spread Builds On The History Of One Piece

This spread represents something One Piece fans have wanted since the very start, a glimpse at the people pulling the strings of the One Piece world in action. The slow reveal of the world’s power structure has been one of the series’ most intriguing elements due to how readers have been slowly drip-fed it over time. In the manga’s third chapter, readers meet the Marines, the World Government’s military force. While the Marines act as the main antagonists for the early parts of the series, their immense tyrannical power, combined with their vast resources and complex organizational structure, make it clear that they answer to a higher power. Readers get a hint of this bigger picture in Chapter 49, “Storm,” when Dracule Mihawk, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, was first introduced. Then, a little later, in “Arlong Park,” the manga’s 69th chapter, the Seven Warlords of the Sea are formally named, making it clear that the world of One Piece is much more complex than it first seems.

The Five Elders were not introduced until Chapter 233, “The World’s Greatest Power,” where they were shown discussing a message from Shanks during a meeting about replacing Crocodile. But fans would have to wait quite a while to learn the true identities of these mysterious figures. Jaygarcia Saturn’s name wasn’t revealed until Chapter 1073, “Miss Buckingham Stuss.” The other members were officially named in Chapter 1086, “The Five Elders.” Chapter 233 was released on June 10th, 2002, but Chapter 1086 wasn’t launched until June 12th, 2023, meaning that fans had to wait 7673 days or 21 years, 3 days, to discover the truth behind this shadowy group.

While waiting for this reveal, several other interesting facts about the One Piece world were revealed. This includes the Void Century, a massive gap in world history that the World Government doesn’t want anyone to learn about despite it being the era when the group first formed and came to power. Plus, in Chapter 628, readers would be introduced to the concept of Joy Boy, a mysterious figure who lived during the Void Century and left messages claiming he would return 800 years later, kicking off a plot thread that would lead to Luffy’s now-legendary transformation into his Gear 5 form.

Because of this, the double-page spread in Chapter 1110 is a massive moment that pays off years of build-up and speculation while also marking the moment when the story moves into a new gear and crosses the point of no return, barreling into the endgame at high speed. By stepping onto the battlefield and showing off their monster forms, the Five Elders are making it clear that Luffy and his friends are on the cusp of something that could transform the universe and upend the entire world order.

One Piece’s History With True Double Page Spreads

This spread also sees fans get something else they’ve wanted for a long time: a true double-page spread. While One Piece used to regularly feature these, they’ve become less common in recent years. In fact, the spread in chapter 1110 is the first one since chapter 800, “Followers’ Sake Cups.” Chapter 800 was published on September 19th, 2015, meaning fans have had to wait 3104 days, or 8 years and 6 months, for another true double-page spread. For reference, if Eiichiro Oda decides that fans will have to wait just as long for the next double-page spread (which is unlikely, considering One Piece is heading toward its grand conclusion), One Piece fans won’t see a new double-page spread until 2032. However, due to how wonderfully momentous Chapter 1110’s double-page spread is, it’s hard to deny that it wasn’t worth the extended wait.

While true double-page spreads are rare in modern One Piece, there have been plenty of pseudo-double-page spreads in the past few years. True double-page spreads feature a single image or tableau that stretches across two pages. Pseudo double-page spreads, on the other hand, feature a main image along with several individual manga panels. These panels can be worked into the central image or placed along the edge of the page. One Piece’s previous chapter, “Interception,” has a few examples of this latter style; several pages feature central cross-page images surrounded by panels featuring dialogue and related action, including one spread that shows Gear 5 Luffy fighting with Kizaru and Saturn and another that shows the black lightning that heralds the arrival of the other Elders. However, it should be noted that the terms double-page spread and pseudo double-page spread are mostly fan terms. Thus, both terms have a lot of gray areas. So, what one fan considers a true double-page spread may be called a pseudo one by someone else.