Somewhere between Dressrosa and Whole Cake Island, One Piece Odyssey carves out its own corner of Straw Hat history-a vivid yet unofficial detour where memories twist the timeline and familiar faces meet unexpected turns.
But we can figure out where it falls with a little effort (and a few assumptions). More importantly, though, we can also figure out why it doesn’t really matter.
A quick note: We’ll be referring to the anime when talking about the timeline, since that’s more generally available and accessible.
Is One Piece Odyssey canon?
One Piece Odyssey sits outside the main canon and timeline, serving as a standalone adventure that expands the series’ world without modifying Eiichiro Oda’s primary storyline or the established events of the manga.
One Piece Odyssey was developed “with a direct involvement from Eiichiro Oda,” the creator of One Piece, as the official site says, but that’s doesn’t make it canon. In fact, no One Piece game is considered canon. They’re based on the events and use the same characters, but they don’t contribute to the overarching story.
In One Piece Odyssey, you will play through canonical events via flashback, but they’ll diverge somewhat from the established story due to the fuzzy nature of memory.
So, no, One Piece Odyssey probably isn’t canon, but it does revisit canonical events. in a non-canonical way.
Why it doesn’t matter when Odyssey takes place
The exact point in the timeline where One Piece Odyssey occurs isn’t particularly relevant because the story stands apart from the manga’s canon. It uses familiar faces, powers, and locations to create an original adventure that doesn’t affect the main plot. The focus is on exploring memories and character interactions, not fitting into a specific chronological moment. This approach allows players to enjoy the experience freely without worrying about continuity or spoilers from the series.
One Piece Odyssey is a a love letter to fans – and to the show itself – during the 25th anniversary of One Piece. It’s a story of the entire crew (up to a point – more on this below) working together, reminiscing, and strengthening their bonds of friendship.
During the game, the crew even revisits four story arcs from One Piece’s past – the Alabasta (or Arabasta) Arc from 2001, the Water Seven Arc from 2005, the Marineford Arc from 2010, and the Dressrosa Arc from 2014 – as playable memories. You’re not there to change anything about the past, though. Think of it as more of a trip down memory lane.
And that makes Odyssey less about the moment it takes place and more about the 25 year history and journey of the One Piece story as a whole.
No, seriously, when does One Piece Odyssey take place?
One Piece Odyssey slots into the timeline right after the Dressrosa arc and before Whole Cake Island, roughly around anime episode 750 or manga chapter 800. The Straw Hats lose their powers on Waford island due to a mysterious force, forcing them to revisit past adventures through memory dives to regain strength and escape. Though Eiichiro Oda supervised designs and plot beats, the game remains non-canon, so its events branch off without altering the main series.
OK, fine.
The official website only says that One Piece Odyssey takes place “during their voyage along the Grand Line,” which doesn’t really narrow the timeline down. Over the course of Odyssey, though, you’ll play through those four Memoria Arcs – Alabasta, Water Seven, Marineford, and Dressrosa – we mentioned above, and those do have identifiable points in the timeline. The most recent, Dressrosa, ends with episode 746, so Odyssey has to be after that.
Outside of the story and in the real world, One Piece Odyssey was announced on March 28, 2022. But in a dev diary video released on June 30, 2022, One Piece Odyssey producer Katsuaki Tsuzuki states that the development had begun about five years earlier (and that the story was half-completed by three years prior). Since it’d be hard to develop the story based on unreleased stories, that puts us around June 2017. In other words, Odyssey probably takes place before episode 795 or so – and, rounding down, that puts it before the Whole Cake Island Arc that started with episode 783. (This also explains the absence of Jinbe, since he doesn’t officially join the crew until episode 980.)
What are the main plot points of One Piece Odyssey
One Piece Odyssey follows the Straw Hat Pirates after their ship, the Thousand Sunny, is caught in a storm and wrecks on the mysterious island of Waford.
Key Events
The crew meets Adio, a wandering explorer, and Lim, a girl with the power to steal abilities and create “Memoria,” a realm from memories. Lim seals the Straw Hats’ powers in cubes scattered across Waford and past locations, forcing Luffy and his team to recover them. They revisit altered versions of Alabasta, Water 7, Enies Lobby, Marineford, and Dressrosa, battling recreated foes and solving puzzles tied to their history.
Climax and Resolution
A mysterious figure with a black cube warps Memoria further, pulling in new threats like Mihawk and Enel. The Straw Hats regain their powers, confront island secrets involving Adio and Lim, and escape Waford while evading Marines. The main story spans 20-30 hours of exploration, turn-based combat, and side quests.
Where does One Piece Odyssey fit in the One Piece canon timeline
One Piece Odyssey does not fit into the official One Piece canon timeline, as it’s a non-canon standalone game developed with Eiichiro Oda’s supervision but featuring inconsistencies like the full Straw Hat crew together when canon events split them apart.
Proposed Placement
Fans and guides place its main story roughly between the Dressrosa arc (ending ~anime episode 746/manga chapter 801) and early Whole Cake Island or Zou arcs, based on Luffy’s 1.5 billion berry bounty and Sanji’s “Dead or Alive” status. This timing aligns with post-Dressrosa events before crew separations for Whole Cake Island (starting ~episode 783).
Why Non-Canon
Key issues include Jinbe’s absence (he joins in Wano), the crew’s unnatural unity post-Zou/Dressrosa, and altered “Memoria” flashbacks to past arcs like Alabasta and Enies Lobby that deviate from canon details. Like most One Piece games and movies, it’s a nostalgic side story outside the manga/anime continuity.
