Since the release of One Piece’s live-action adaptation on Netflix, the audience stance has drastically gone from whether a rendition is even needed for the iconic anime to when One Piece Season 2 is going to be released. And while there are plenty of factors, from the accuracy to the source material to the performances and the original add-ons, one element in particular has more weight than the other. Ironically, it appears towards the very end of the eight-episode-long Netflix adaptation.

The series keeps the anticipation factor high throughout. Even as the credits start rolling in, it indulges fans in another mystery that may or may not unfold into Season 2 that they are now craving.

Did the Netflix One Piece adaptation just hint at a new antagonist and Season 2?

One Piece, the manga has a total of more than one thousand chapters, the first of which was released in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1997. The anime too has enough episodes to rival the chapters of the manga. Therefore, stepping into the live-action adaptation fans had an inkling that it will also have a Season 2. This was further cemented when they saw a mysterious figure with ash gray hair smoking towards the end of the credits. When questioned about said smoker, Steven Maeda told Variety, “I don’t want to confirm or deny at this point.”

While the live-action adaptation of the anime took a more mysterious approach, fans were quick to realize who the character was. Cigarettes in hands, flowing ash gray hair, and a Monkey D. Luffy poster in hand, all telltale signs of the marine officer, Smoker.

Steven Maeda found amusement in fans’ misery as he kept the information to himself. And although he did not confirm, for a series whose attention to detail resulted in a massive budget and one too many years, Netflix’s One Piece is not one to just hint at an iconic character just for the sake of it.

Will Smoker be the next antagonist?

Netflix, by approaching the character of Garp with sensitivity and nuance, gained a lot of praise. The live-action adaptation skipped a few chapters to reveal that he was also Luffy’s grandfather. With Garp realizing that there is no stopping his adventure-craving grandson, if the series is to go on, it will need a new villain. The foundation stones of which were laid down by the introduction of their mysterious character.

Smoker will be the perfect antagonist for One Piece Season 2 given how he easily thrives in the gray zone. A character who, despite being morally upright, cannot stop his relentless pursuit of Monkey D. Luffy. So far, Season 2 is yet to be confirmed. But would Netflix really have invested millions of dollars in the series just to make it a one-hit wonder?

What do you think about Smoker being the new villain? Do you think it will be possible? Let us know in the comments below.