One Piece Chapter 1117 brings back missing characters after 25 years, and fans are hyped

Eagle-eyed fans have spotted a few One Piece characters not seen in 25 years in the latest chapter, and they’re getting very excited! Warning, spoilers for One Piece chapter 1117 ahead.

We are now in the final One Piece saga, and many familiar faces are making a brief reappearance as Dr. Vegapunk makes his grand declaration in the closing stages of the Egghead Island Saga. If you’re looking closely, you’ll even spot a pair of pirates not seen in a quarter century.

Typically, fans can expect the resurfacing of characters relevant to the story at hand when heading toward the grand conclusion of a saga. One Piece bucks this trope by having an infamous, somewhat memeweorthy character appear on a whim.

We last saw Gin and the Krieg Pirates in chapter 67, during the Baratie arc, where they face defeat at the hands of the still-forming Straw Hat Pirate crew and aim to return to the seas. Captain Don Krieg’s first mate, Gin, promises Sanji they’ll meet again on the Grand Line someday.

That was 25 years ago, and there have been no signs of the Krieg Pirates or Gin reappearing until now. In One Piece Chapter 1117, as Vegapunk addresses the world, we spot some familiar faces in the first panel. On the left, we can see Pearl in his shield suit, and on the right-hand side, behind the text, are Don Krieg and Gin.

One Piece fans have joked that every mysterious faceless appearance “could be Gin” finally returning. Gin and the Krieg Pirates have become a meme in the One Piece community since they left us, but fans are loving their unexpected return.

One fan excitedly states in a Reddit thread discussing the new chapter, “The Krieg Pirates are here! Gin, Pearl, and Krieg are all in panel one. They made it to the new world!” noting the crew has made it to Blackbeard’s Pirate Island located in the new world.

Another speculates if One Piece Eiichiro Oda is aware of the Gin jokes, “Oda, you mad lad. As much as I laugh at the ‘Gin is coming back’ memes, this is legit the first time they’ve been shown in forever, right?”

Also making an appearnce is Mont Blanc Cricket and his band of salvaging misfits also not seen in 20 years since the end of the Sky Island Saga proving they’re all alive and well. “I can’t believe that we had weeks of theory crafting and people thinking off all kinds of ways of discovering the ocean floor that I haven’t seen a single one mentioning Cricket and the Saruyama Alliance.”

Smoker, who hasn’t been seen in action since the Dressrosa Saga, seems to be on the move while the action on Egghead goes down. Where he’s heading is unknown, but we’ll have a lot to look forward to in the next chapter of One Piece.