For a series as intricately crafted asOne Piece, Eiichiro Oda has done a remarkable job maintaining continuity across its vast world and deep lore. However, even the most masterfully written stories have their plot holes, and one of the biggest mysteries revolves around Sabo’s survival and his lack of recognition by key characters like Ace and Garp. Despite Sabo’s growing infamy as the right-hand man of the Revolutionary Army’s leader, neither Ace nor Garp ever seemed to realize he was alive, raising serious questions about the world’s information networks.
WhileOne Pieceis known for resolving apparent inconsistenciesover time, the absence of Sabo’s existence in Ace and Garp’s awareness remains shocking and confusing. TheOne Pieceworld has a highly effective newspaper system that spreads information far and wide, even reaching some of the most isolated characters.Yet somehow, Ace and Garp never caught wind of Sabo’s survival, despite his rising bounty and prominent role in global affairs.This raises an intriguing discussion about how the world ofOne Piecehandles information and whether this plot hole will ever receive an in-universe explanation.
The Newspaper’s Role in One Piece’s Information Network
The One Piece World Has an Information Problem
TheOne Pieceworld relies heavily on newspapers as the primary means of disseminating news.Morgans, the head of theWorld Economy News Paper, makes sure that major events, such as pirate bounties, government actions, and battles, reach the public. The fact that Luffy’s exploits make headlines almost instantly suggests that the press is highly efficient. If that is the case, why did Sabo’s survival remain a secret to Ace and Garp?
One Piece Ushers In the Apocalypse With an Elbaph Twist No One Saw Coming
One Piece Chapter #1142 ends with the monsters and Loki launching attacks on Elbaph, intent on destroying the island.
One plausible explanation is that the Revolutionary Army operates in secrecy. While its leader, Monkey D. Dragon, is notorious, his subordinates are not always in the spotlight. However, this theory falls apart when considering that Sabo eventually became the organization’s chief of staff, which is a position that undoubtedly warranted media coverage. If the world knew Sabo’s name and role well enough to place a bounty on him, it is difficult to believe that neither Ace nor Garp would have come across that information.
Additionally, Ace was an active pirate under Whitebeard, and Garp was a high-ranking Marine. Both would have had access to intelligence beyond what the average person could see in a newspaper.If Sabo was known to the world, why was his existence never acknowledged by either of them?The newspaper’s efficiency makes this oversight hard to justify, creating a frustrating inconsistency in the story’s world-building.
Why Didn’t Ace or Garp Learn About Sabo?
Ace and Garp Should Have Known
Ace, being one of the most notorious pirates in the world, had a vested interest in major figures who could pose threats to himself or his allies. The Whitebeard Pirates, especially those in high-ranking positions like Ace, were surely aware of influential revolutionary figures. Given Sabo’s growing reputation, it seems impossible that Ace would not have stumbled upon his name at some point.
His lack of awareness implies that Oda either overlooked this detail or plans to explain it in the future.
One counterargument is thatAce may not have cared to look into Revolutionaries, as his focus was on becoming Pirate King and proving himself. However, Ace was highly intelligent and deeply concerned about his loved ones. If he had seen Sabo’s name, he would have investigated further. His lack of awareness implies that Oda either overlooked this detail or plans to explain it in the future.
Garp’s ignorance is even more puzzling. As a Marine hero and a grandfather with direct ties to Dragon, he would have had access to confidential intelligence reports. Even if the newspaper did not explicitly talk about Sabo’s past, government files likely contained information about his real identity. Did Garp truly never glance at a report on the chief of staff of the Revolutionary Army? Given his deep ties to the world’s major players, it is strange that this detail never reached him.
Will Oda Ever Address This Plot Hole?
How One Piece Has Fixed Plot Holes Before
Eiichiro Oda is known for his ability to retroactively fix inconsistenciesthrough future plots within the story and even in his SBS (Q&A) sections. He has clarified seemingly impossible situations before, such as explaining how Mr. 3 was able to float on water using wax. Given this track record, there is hope that Sabo’s situation will eventually be addressed.
One possibility is that the World Governmentactively suppressed Sabo’s identity in media coverage, ensuring that only a select few knew about him. If that’s the case, it would make sense that Ace and Garp remained unaware. However, this explanation would need to be fleshed out in a way that feels organic to the story, rather than a forced retcon.
Another potential answer could involve Dragon himself. Perhaps he deliberately shielded Sabo’s past from public knowledge to protect him from enemies. If so, it would suggest that even among Revolutionaries, Sabo’s history was a well-kept secret. Still, with the nature ofOne Piece’sinformation network, such a major figure going unnoticed by two of the most informed characters in the series remains a difficult pill to swallow.
The mystery of why neither Ace nor Garp knew about Sabo’s survival remains one ofOne Piece’smost shocking plot holes. Given the efficiency of the newspaper system and the deep connections both characters had to influential figures, it is surprising that they never came across his name. While secrecy within the Revolutionary Army or intentional government suppression could provide an explanation, these theories remain speculative until Oda addresses the issue.
After a New Milestone, Solo Leveling Is Poised to Overtake a Big One Piece Record
After beating Demon Slayer in its Crunchyroll ratings, Solo Leveling is now set to even topple One Piece as the most popular anime ever.
AsOne Piecemoves closer to its final saga, it is possible that Oda will tie up this loose end in a way that makes sense. Until then, fans can only speculate on how such a crucial detail managed to slip through the cracks. Whether this plot hole is ever explained or remains an inconsistency in the grand narrative, it highlights the complexities and occasional oversights in one of anime’s most beloved stories.
Despite this inconsistency, it is important to remember thatOne Pieceis a story of grand adventures, deep emotions, and long-term payoffs. Many details that seemed questionable at first have eventually been explained or resolved in surprising ways. This leaves hope that, even if the Sabo mystery remains unaddressed for now,Oda may still have a satisfying revelation in store for fans.
