Summary
Quick Links
Impel Down has always been a unique arc in the story ofOne Piece. For Luffy, this arc represented the first major challenge the Straw Hat Captain had to face without the rest of his crew by his side, leaving him with a series of new allies. However, the arc itself also represents a shift inOne Piece, marking the beginning of a change in stakes for the series that would continue in Marineford.
With so many huge events occurring now inOne Piece’sFinal Saga, some fans believe that it may be time for another trip back to Impel Down. Now, instead of being an arc that bringsOne Pieceto the Paramount War, potentially, it could bring the series to the massive final war. Plus, with a few characters still in Impel Down that could be released,an Impel Down Arc Part 2doesn’t seem too unlikely inOne Piece.
Impel Down Was An Important Arc For Marineford In One Piece
Noteworthy Characters Are Still In The Prison
The original Impel Down Arc inOne Pieceoccurred soon after Luffy’s adventures on Amazon Lily when the Straw Hat Captain was separated from the rest of his crew. Looking to break his brother, Ace, out of prison, Luffy stormed the massive Navy fortress, teaming up with former inmates, and causing a huge prison break. Although he wasn’t successful at his task, the freed prisoners, including characters like Buggy, Jinbe, and Crocodile, would eventually make a large impact onthe Marineford war inOne Piece.
There seems to be an unprecedented riot at Impel Down.
However, despite having a massive prison break, Impel Down is still used frequently inOne Pieceand holds some important characters. Bon Clay, Luffy’s ally and former Baroque Works member, sacrificed himself at the end of the original Impel Down Arc and currently lives on level 5.5 of the prison. On top of this,the former Warlord, Doflamingo, after being defeated by Luffy, was brought to Impel Down and is currently being held there.
Will There Be An Impel Down Part 2?
Doflamingo’s Prison Break Could Be An Arc
Due to Doflamingo’s presence in the prison, many fans believe that the former underworld leader inOne Piecewill eventually use his connections to break out. This breakout could be the subject of its own arc in the series, albeit a fairly small one. Whether this links up with other characters, likethe fan-favorite character, Bon Clay, or not is still unknown, but Doflamingo’s potential escape from prison could be the subject matter of a second Impel Down Arc.
At the same time, with Impel Down occurring before the first major war arc inOne Piece, it would make sense if another were to occur beforethe next war inOne Piece’sFinal Saga. With the former Impel Down being a clever writing tactic to reintroduce older characters back into the story, the second Impel Down could accomplish a similar goal. Mainly, this new Impel Down Arc could bring Doflamingo, Bon Clay, Magellan, and a few other important characters to the final battle.
There May Not Be Time For Impel Down Part 2
The Final Saga Shouldn’t Be Too Bloated
Still, despite being a good chance to reintroduce many characters, without having a strong opportunity to featureLuffy and the Straw Hats, this arc would be better if it was kept to be fairly short and sweet. On top of this, in reality, something like this could likely happen off-screen as well, only being briefly mentioned as Doflamingo returns to the series. Although this would be a huge disappointment to fans, who already hate seeing important plot elements happen off-screen, it would reduce the amount of story bloat in the Final Saga.
Never a dull moment in this world! - Doflamingo in prison
In the end, while something will happen with Impel Down inthe Final Saga ofOne Piece, whether there is an Impel Down Part 2 or not is still up in the air. While it would be interesting to see a massive escape coordinated by Doflamingo,One Piecemay already be a bit too long for moments like these. No matter what happens, however, hopefully, the interesting prison of Impel Down, and its inmates will play a role at the end ofOne Piece.
One Piece
Cast
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
