The character tease and ending of Netflix's 'One Piece' season 1, explained

• Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Netflix's "One Piece," and some manga spoilers.
• The "One Piece" season one finale teases a character who points to where the show could go in season two.

If you thought the Straw Hats embarking on their voyage to the Grand Line was the end of Netflix's "One Piece" adaptation, you're going to want to take a second look at what happens just before the credits roll.

The series, an adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's manga series of the same name (and with nods to the anime adaptation by Toei Animation), follows pirate Monkey D. Luffy as he gathers the first members of his crew, determined to sail on a treacherous stretch of ocean known as the Grand Line.

While Netflix hasn't yet renewed the show for a second season, there's a character tease right before the finale credits that gives us a clue as to what could be up next.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season one of Netflix's "One Piece," and parts of the manga's Arabasta Saga.

The 'One Piece' finale's pre-credits teaser briefly shows Smoker, a Marine with Devil Fruit powers

After the title card drop at the end of the episode, we get a glimpse of a man in a Marine uniform sitting at a desk, shrouded in smoke. After placing a stone at the top of a stack on his desk, he rubs a lit cigar (one of two in his hand) into the face of Luffy's bounty poster, setting it aflame.

It's a clear tease for Captain "White Chase" Smoker, a Marine who Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats meet almost immediately after they defeat Arlong, the leader of the Fishman pirates. Smoker first appears in Loguetown, a city preceding the entrance to the Grand Line, in chapter 97 of the manga (in chapter 98, he's seen stacking rocks like in his character tease).

Smoker, like Luffy, has eaten a Devil Fruit: the Plume-Plume Fruit, which allows him to turn parts of his body into smoke and control it, manipulating its properties to allow him to attack or restrain enemies. He's frequently seen with two cigars, and his weapon is tipped with Seastone, which emits oceanic energy and saps the powers of others with Devil Fruit powers.

What does Smoker's appearance mean for season 2 of 'One Piece?'

Smoker plays a significant role in the arcs that follow where the live-action series leaves off. His appearance is a pretty strong clue that, if renewed for a second season, "One Piece" would follow the Manga's Arabasta Saga.

In the manga, Smoker pursues the Straw Hats onto the Grand Line after they depart Loguetown. He then reluctantly teams up with them to stop Crocodile, one of the seven warlords of the sea who's aligned with the World Government, from taking over the desert nation of Arabasta.

Still, it's a bit of a puzzling tease. Don't get me wrong, Smoker is an extremely cool character — but there are others that would have driven way more hype, and who are still tied into the upcoming arcs.

Why not Chopper?

The manga's Arabasta saga introduces a few other key "One Piece" characters who would have made for even more iconic reveals — namely, the crew's doctor, a reindeer-human hybrid named Tony Tony Chopper. Chopper is a reindeer who accidentally ate the Human-Human Devil Fruit (just roll with it), which gave him sentience and allowed him to transform into a very, very cute creature who serves not only as the Straw Hats' physician, but also as a kind of mascot.

Chopper, of course, can't be physically played by a human actor, and teasing him at the end of season one would have been a much heavier VFX lift. That's part of what makes him one of the more worry-including elements of a potential season two — translating his cute appearance over to the live-action series is going to be a challenge.

Even if Chopper was too much for a quick tease, there are a couple fo other characters who could have been used to tease the Arabasta saga. Nico Robin, a character who's first introduced as an antagonist in the Arabasta arc, plays a major role in Arabasta and in the larger "One Piece" story moving forward — and he has pretty sick powers by virtue of the Flower-Flower Devil Fruit.

Luffy's older brother Portgas D. Ace would have also made an excellent tease. The Second Division Commander of the incredibly powerful Whitebeard Pirates makes a brief appearance in Arabasta, and would have made for a thrilling glimpse with his Flame-Flame Devil Fruit powers.

Still, should the show get renewed, we'll hopefully be seeing all of these characters in season two — and it's up to Netflix to determine that.