At first glance, it seems like a minor detail — but old interviews from Eiichiro Oda suddenly make it monumental.

Nearly twenty years ago, Oda made a statement that has lived in the fandom like a ticking time bomb. He promised that a pirate with an eye patch would appear in the final phase of One Piece, and he even said he was “itching to draw that character.”

He also mentioned that despite pirate stereotypes, he had never drawn anyone wearing an eye patch throughout the entire series. That promise has haunted discussions for decades… until Chapter 1167 brought the topic roaring back.

Shanks’ Hidden Eye — The Spark That Ignited the Theory

In the early teasers for One Piece Chapter 1167, Shanks is depicted secretly gathering intel on the World Government — while deliberately covering his left eye. The moment this panel surfaced, fans instantly connected it to Oda’s eye-patch statement, and social media went wild. Countless theories began circulating on Twitter about whether Shanks might be the legendary eye-patch pirate Oda teased.

But the fandom is now sharply divided.

Yes, Shanks is covering his eye — but he isn’t wearing a permanent eye patch. It looks more like a wound dressing or temporary concealment. Many fans argue this contradicts Oda’s old interview. If Shanks were the eye-patch pirate, Oda wouldn’t have described himself as “itching to draw that character” — considering he has been drawing Shanks since chapter 1. The wording implies someone entirely new.

The Big Debate: Who Is the Real Eye-Patch Pirate?

The discussion has exploded into multiple competing theories:

Shanks supporters — believe his hidden eye foreshadows a future eye patch.
Joy Boy theorists — argue the eye-patch pirate could appear in ancient flashbacks.
Davy Jones supporters — point to the mysterious sea-legend influences in One Piece.
Blackbeard believers — think the final villain could gain an eye patch in the last arc.
The Usopp theory — the most emotional one, predicting Usopp may lose an eye while fulfilling his dream of becoming a brave warrior of the sea.

It’s a theory war — and One Piece Chapter 1167 lit the fuse.

The post One Piece Chapter 1167: Shanks’ Hidden Eye Shatters 20-Year Theory, Is He the Legendary Eye-Patch Pirate? appeared first on Sorenamoo.