With both the manga and anime on hiatus, One Piece fans are coming up with interesting theories in the meantime. The Elbaf Arc has just begun, and we know nothing about what it has in store for us, except that it's a completely new adventure. With all the information we have, fans are already coming up with interesting theories about what could happen next. From Usopp's next power to Loki's intentions, everything is being analyzed to draw interesting conclusions.
A new theory has emerged that Elbaf could be a repeat of One Piece's best arc to date, the Marineford arc. There are many cases that suggest the plausibility of this hypothesis and are certainly worth exploring.
One Piece theory suggests that the Elbaf arc will be a repeat of Marineford
The Elbaf Arc has begun, and we've been introduced to Prince Loki. Other than that and what appears to be a message from Vivi, not much has happened on the island since the Straw Hats arrived. One theory on Instagram has noticed some similarities between the progression in the Elbaf arc and the Marineford arc. Similar to Ace, Garp was captured and Luffy knew nothing about it.
Elbaf has many formidable and powerful characters that could lead to another split among the Straw Hats, giving them time to practice independently. A mysterious character is speculated to also be waiting for the Straw Hats, which is Scopper Gabban. He could play a similar role as Rayleigh did, by training Luffy.
At this point in the story, Shanks is a character who suddenly gets more screen time than usual. Now, Shank or Garp can be the characters that cause Luffy panic and psychological trauma if they are threatened. While it's quite difficult to imagine Shanks being imprisoned, considering recent events, anything is possible.
All of these similarities could lead us to a war comparable to Marineford. However, if Eiichiro Oda remakes Marineford, the chances of it being well received are not high. Furthermore, if we were to predict something, it's highly likely that Oda would never proceed that way, as he hates proving fan theories correct. So there are other ways this ability could work well.
Instead of following the same event with a different outcome, fans would appreciate it more if Oda referenced past events from the story. He was able to draw subtle parallels in how time had changed the Straw Hats, especially Luffy. He will no longer allow anyone to hurt his loved ones. There is another factor that needs to be considered: if the risks are rising for Garp, Luffy is not the only character involved.
Koby, Sengoku and several other marines have a special relationship with Garp. There's also Sengoku. It was hard to imagine that they would let anyone hurt the navy vice admiral without doing anything. However, Garp could be the key to causing a showdown between Blackbeard and Luffy. We know that Elbaf is probably the last chance for the Straw Hats to increase their strength before the final war.