On July 18, 1997, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #34, Eiichiro Oda unveiled what would end up becoming the most iconic anime and manga character of all time: the protagonist of One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy. With the goal of becoming the Pirate King, Luffy set out on his journey 29 years ago, and to this day, he is still growing in terms of popularity.
Both Luffy and One Piece are already iconic all over the world, but the series is getting new and exciting projects with each passing year. Most recently, on One Piece Day 2026, the franchise announced the next big projects for the series in the form of two new movies. The first is One Piece Film: God Valley, which is set for release in summer 2027, and the second is One Piece Film: BAAD, set for release in 2029. As far as Film: God Valley goes, Monkey D. Luffy's official successor has officially been chosen by Eiichiro Oda, and it is none other than the Pirate King who conquered the entire seas and attained wealth, fame, and power —Gol D. Roger.
When One Piece Film: God Valley was officially announced on August 23, 2026, on One Piece Day, it became clear to all fans around the world that Monkey D. Luffy, the protagonist of the series, was not going to be involved in this upcoming movie. Luffy is the most important character in One Piece and also the one whom we have followed most extensively. At the same time, Luffy has also featured in every single major One Piece project, especially the movies that Oda has crafted over the years. His extreme importance to the overarching narrative of One Piece is the exact reason why most fans were surprised to learn that he will not feature in the upcoming movie.
In order to ensure a perfect telling of the God Valley Incident, Monkey D. Luffy will have to take the back seat in the next movie, but he certainly will not be missed because his successor is a character just as charming and iconic and, in many ways, very similar. As clearly implied on One Piece Day 2026, the successor of Monkey D. Luffy for the next movie is Gol D. Roger. Roger is the late Pirate King of the One Piece world who was executed by the Marines at the very beginning of the story. He's the one who set into motion the Great Pirate Era, but during the time of the God Valley Incident, 38 years ago, Roger was still a newbie as a pirate. His era had not yet begun, and he was clearly not as strong either. Thus, One Piece Film: God Valley is going to focus on Roger's rise to power and show his strong bond with the members of the Roger Pirates. In doing so, he is going to exhibit the same qualities as Luffy in this movie, and we absolutely cannot wait to see the incredible content he delivers moving forward.
Gaban: It's pretty far away, but we should make it in time!
— Roger Pirates set off for God Valley, One Piece Chapter #1159
Many fans have the misconception that the One Piece Film: God Valley will feature Rocks D. Xebec as the main character. While one can see where this idea comes from, especially given how charming Rocks is, this idea is misinformed and has already been debunked by Eiichiro Oda himself. When the One Piece Film: God Valley was announced, the logo for “One Piece” officially replaced the Jolly Roger of the Straw Hat Pirates with that of the Roger Pirates. This officially tells us that, instead of the Straw Hat Pirates, we will be following the Roger Pirates in the next movie, and thematically and narratively, it also makes perfect sense.
"Here's the full truth. Garp and Roger teamed up to break apart the Rocks Pirates on God Valley to protect the Celestial Dragons and their slaves. The island of God Valley is no longer drawn on the maps of the world." — Sengoku explains the God Valley Incident, One Piece Chapter #957
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