One Piece teased Kizaru’s fate, but no one noticed

The upcoming One Piece manga volume cover features a subtle hint at Kizaru’s future in the Egghead Arc that you might’ve missed.

One Piece is known for clever foreshadowing. Readers have been amazed by it numerous times throughout the manga’s 27-year run. The manga’s creator Eiichiro Oda is notorious for hiding his characters’ fates in little (and sometimes unnoticeable) details.

One such hint is found on the cover of One Piece Volume 109. It’s set to be released on July 4, and is titled ‘On Your Side’. The volume contains 10 chapters, from Chapters 1101 to 1110. It starts from the middle of Kuma’s flashback and ends with the Gorosei gathering on Egghead Island.

The core of this volume is the heartwarming relationship between Kuma and his adopted daughter Bonney, and the volume’s cover reflects that. It’s a beautiful illustration, showing little Bonney hugging her father with the Egghead Island and Gear 5 Luffy in the background.

There are more people on the cover, too. Dr. Vegapunk and Sentomaru are seen dancing joyfully like the Sun God Nika as Stussy indulgently looks on. And there’s also Kizaru, dancing with those he attempted to murder in the Egghead Arc.

Kizaru’s presence on the cover is baffling since the other characters are all Luffy’s allies. He also looks very happy, similar to how Kizaru looked in the past when he first got to know Vegapunk and Sentomaru. This might be a hint at the Admiral changing sides before the arc ends.

Kizaru betraying the World Government is a possibility fans have been wondering about. His backstory with the scientist was touching, and it’s possible that his loyalty to his old friend would shine through at the last moment.

But there’s another possibility, similarly plausible. On the One Piece volume cover, Sentomaru is dancing while facing left, but Vegapunk and Kizaru are facing right. It should be noted that Vegapunk has died while Sentomaru is still alive. 

So, Kizaru facing the same way could mean that he might die by the end of this arc, too. It’s a very subtle hint, but something like this is expected from Oda, given his track record.

Some fans have similar theories, as one pointed out on X/Twitter, “Once again Kizaru is dancing in the same direction as Vegapunk. This implies Kizaru’s death.”

Another commented on Reddit, “Why is Kizaru doing the Nika dance??? Is Oda confirming that Kizaru is gonna turn sides?” A third agreed, “Kizaru is doing the Nika dance… That’s BIG NEWS! as we may see Kizaru switch sides or simply ‘let the Straw Hats go’ or some other traitorous action.”

Whether Kizaru actually ends up betraying the Gorosei to let the Straw Hat Pirates escape is yet to be seen. But the One Piece Volume 109 cover certainly sparks speculation and makes us think of all kinds of theories about the Admiral’s fate.

Before the new volume is released, don’t forget to check out One Piece Chapter 1118. You might also like to know about the Void Century and Joyboy’s history as well as what Bonney’s new transformation means.