The One Piece Whole Cake Island arc ended with fans wondering what happened to Jinbe and the Sun Pirates after they helped Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates escape from Emperor Big Mom’s territory. Before they parted ways at Whole Cake Island, Luffy asked Jinbe to make a promise that he would follow them in the Land of Wano. Though some people think that he’s already dead, there is still a glimpse of hope that he is still alive and could join Luffy in another big war that would take place in the Land of Wano.
Jinbe’s return was hinted at before the One Piece Wano arc featured the flashback of Lord Kozuki Oden. While Luffy was training his Haki in preparation for their upcoming war against the combined forces of Shogun Kurozumi Orochi and Beast Pirates captain and Emperor Kaido, he started talking about Jinbe and him rejoining them in the Land of Wano. Despite knowing their situation at Whole Cake Island before they left, Luffy is optimistic that Jinbe, who officially became the newest member of the Straw Hat Pirates crew, will fulfill his promise.
With lots of surprising things happening in the ongoing arc, Jinbe’s return could happen as early as One Piece Chapter 976. In the early hours on the day of the Straw Hat Pirates alliance’s planned raid at Onigashima, Kinemon and the Nine Red Scabbards thought the plan was sabotaged by the enemy. After Kanjuro revealed himself as the spy of Shogun Orochi, several Beast Pirates warships appeared just to sink their tiny boat.
Who else had the same reaction as Franky?! ?
[via Episode 925] pic.twitter.com/yEeg1IsP2o
— One Piece (@OnePieceAnime) March 27, 2020
However, everyone was surprised when their allies showed up one after another. Aside from the people who vowed to fight alongside them against Shogun Orochi and Emperor Kaido, more reinforcements appeared, including Eustass “Captain” Kid and the Kid Pirates, Kyoshiro and his 200 subordinates, and the 1,000 samurai that were freed from Emperor Kaido’s prison.
Before they engage in an all-out war against Shogun Orochi and the Beast Pirates, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda could pull another surprise and bring Jinbe back into the fold. Jinbe would be a welcome addition to the Straw Hat Pirates alliance. Aside from being a former Warlord of the Sea, Jinbe also knew the strengths and weaknesses of Emperor Big Mom, who recently decided to form a pirate alliance with Emperor Kaido. Though he’s not on the level of Emperor Big Mom and Emperor Kaido, Jinbe would be a good match against one of the Beast Pirates All-Stars — Jack the Drought, King the Wildfire, and Queen the Plague — or Big Mom Pirates sweet general Charlotte Smoothie.