"One Piece" is fun and all, but one question has been lingering on fans' mind ever since the manga was launched in 1997 – when will Monkey D. Luffy become the King of the Pirates?

To shed some light on this question, Weekly Shonen Jump's Editor-in-Chief, ‎Hiroyuki Nakano, candidly talked about the manga's future. Unfortunately, creator Eiichiro Oda is already eyeing the exit ramp.

"[I] don't know yet because One Piece is a very popular manga in Japan and its popularity keeps on increasing and the storyline accidentally gets longer as it goes on," Nakano said in an interview with Budak Getah (as translated by Yonkou Productions). "Even Oda-sensei tried to end the manga as early as possible because it has become too popular."

Nakano went ahead to say that Oda already has a plan in mind for the manga's ending. Unfortunately, only the creator knows how Straw Hat Pirates' journey will end.

Despite Nakano's revelations, "One Piece" fans need not fret. Interestingly, they have already started planning events to mark the manga's 30th anniversary. Thus, it will take a while until the Straw Hat Pirates will no longer see the light.

"Maybe 'One Piece' won't end it that soon," Nakano continued. "[Since] the storyline of 'One Piece' keeps on getting longer, the plot that Oda planned sometimes changes based on the current events... So, if there is anyone asking 'when will One Piece end?' we can only answer 'not sure'."

In the meantime, the spoilers and fan theories for the next chapter have found its way online. In the 878th chapter, fans can expect to see Charlotte Perospero completely knock off after Pedro's suicide attack. Hence, the Straw Hat Pirates will attempt to get away from the Whole Cake Island using the Thousand Sunny's Coup de Burst maneuver.

Chapter 878 of "One Piece" will arrive on Sept. 18, Monday.