Sorry. Yeah, I was saying that. People think oda has stuff all for characters to do soon, but it's still being delayed for a lot of them. Like blackbeard pirates meeting strawhats at egghead and wano, or cross guild davy back fight(not going to happen). Vivi's going to not physically appear on elbaf, she's just going to mentioned once by the crew cause of how they're split up or there is going to be stuff related to Lili that the strawhats are going to find out. Not having expectations after want and egghead, we see a page of vivi fighting with morgans to send her to the strawhats's location or if elbaf is on the blimp's radar I'll buy it.
Honestly, I’d bank on Blackbeard and Cross Guild to happen after Elbaf at minimum. Honestly, I’d say Vivi would only matter in the sense that it’d get Luffy to kick things into another gear.
To guess what’ll happen, I’d say:
1. Elbaf is completed.
2. Luffy sets course for Laugh Tale with all four Poneglyphs
2. Luffy learns Vivi is being pursued by…somebody; and has to rescue her. But the adversary requires him and his crew to be much stronger.
3. Straw Hats meet Cross Guild and Zoro faces Mihawk once and for all for the title of world’s strongest swordsman.
3 1/2: Luffy crosses paths with Blackbeard, and they throw down (assuming Blackbeard isn’t for the final war).
4. Luffy and Shanks finally cross paths, and they have their showdown (assuming they don’t have to go 2 vs 1 against Blackbeard).
5. Straw Hats reach Laugh Tale, where I assume the road to One Piece isn’t easy in the slightest (or at least you can’t just spam Haki or one other skill or attack).
5 1/2. The Straw Hats learn of the “funny story”, and once they stop laughing, realize that they must finish what Joy Boy started (at least Robin would, since her thing is learning about the true history, while Luffy is…Luffy).
6. Luffy lays claim to the treasure, and returns the hat, and Shanks calls him “Pirate King”.
7. Luffy sets out to rescue Vivi (bonus points if he promises to not make it like his attempt to save Ace, because his brother died), while the rest of the big kahunas see this as the start of the final war, and what Whitebeard prophesied.
7 1/2. Vivi is rescued, but Luffy must go on alone, as the next step(s) to achieving his true dream is something he must do alone (also, every arc has Luffy having a solo fight against the main villain, so we’re also just adhering to tradition here.)
8. Luffy comes face to face with Imu, we get Imu face reveal (I’d say this is the latest I can see that happening.) And they fight Mano a Mano.
