Copyright Screen Rant
With One Piece now officially in the midst of its Final Saga, one would think that the series has already revealed all there is to know about the Straw Hats. However, the series' latest release hints that the crew's wackiest member is still hiding some secrets, and it could change the way fans see him forever. The SBS section of One Piece's newest volume is making its rounds online. This Q&A section is often a mixed bag of silly what-ifs and gems of information. That said, the latest issue just teased that a huge fan theory about the Straw Hats' beloved shipwright may be true after all. One Piece's Creator Teases the Connection Between Franky and Queen When Queen's Vivre Card was updated and re-released in September 2024, it was revealed that Queen not only had a child 36 years ago but also abandoned that child 26 years earlier when he joined Kaido's crew. This timeline perfectly lined up with Franky's age and when Tom adopted him. As such, many naturally drew the conclusion that Queen must be Franky's father. While it would make sense, it was still up in the air as there had been no outright confirmation from Eiichiro Oda. That is, at least, until the latest SBS issue. In the SBS of Volume 113 of One Piece, a fan outright asked Oda whether Queen is, in fact, Franky's father. Of course, Oda's response was coy as usual, reading: Eh...!!! (Oh no... They’ve noticed! They must’ve seen it in the One Piece encyclopedia - Vivre Card that the year Queen’s child was born matches the year Franky was born! And the year Queen abandoned his child also matches the year Franky was taken in by Tom!! Readers knowing something the characters themselves don’t would be weird... I’ll have to bluff my way out of this one...!) N-No they’re... Not...!!! From the obviously feigned ignorance to the stuttering at the end, Oda's answer is quite typical of when fans have caught onto something he did not expect them to. That said, the statement about "readers knowing something the characters themselves don't" might just be all the confirmation fans need for now. Will Franky's Character Ever Be Re-Explored? In retrospect, it makes full sense for Franky and Queen to be related, given not just their cyborg bodies, but also how equally eccentric and flamboyant the two are. This revelation also opens up the question about whether the main story will ever explore this long-severed link between Queen and Franky. For the longest time, fans thought that the Egghead Arc would focus on Franky and give him a power-up of sorts, given the abundant technology and the focus on Franky's idol, Dr. Vegapunk. That said, the Egghead Arc has long passed without diving into either of these possibilities. But that doesn't mean there's no hope just yet. Even late into the series, the Whole Cake Island Arc completely re-defined Sanji's character; the Wano Arc revealed Zoro's lineage tracing back to the Shimotsuki Clan; and now, the Elbaf Arc is teasing that Brook may have a whole new, unexplored past connected to Gunko. If so, it's very much possible that One Piece could still sneak in a little Franky lore, if not the main story, then at least in the upcoming SBS section. Either way, it seems like the Straw Hats' resident cyborg could still have a bigger role to play in the Final Saga.
