User blog comment:Observer Supreme/Would Arlong approve of Hody Jones?/@comment-120.28.18.57-20170203191248/@comment-24850639-20170203220248

Cover mini-stories are canon, given all the ones up until now, so I'm not sure why we'd consider Enel's any different. Not all of them have turned out to have serious implications (the bounty reveal ones are usually moreso just a check-in on how certain people are faring), but they do eventually work themselves into the main story in some kind of way. Gedatsu is about the only odd one out so far, though if the Straw Hats eventually make their way back to the sky for whatever reason, I see that as the perfect opportunity to re-introduce him.

Anyway, Enel's was probably one of the deepest ones we have to date. All that stuff about the ancient civilizations on the moon, the possible connections to the ancient weapons, the fact floating with a fucking balloon is enough to eventually make it to the moon for some people.....I see it all as hint that the series will eventually shift to the moon and what was seen there. The only thing we don't know quite yet, is what the story link will be. Something has to give the moon relevance to be discussed among the Straw Hats. At this point, I'm about 70% sure it will be when we meet VegaPunk. They guy that died after witnessing the explosion on the moon was from the island VegaPunk hails from, so I'm sure the Automata are as well. I'm just not sure if we will meet VegaPunk with the Straw Hats initially. It seems like Smoker and Tashigi will see him first in the cover story, but Oda woudn't introduce him that way, it'd be in-story for sure. When the Straw Hats finally learn about what might be up there, I think either they will go to Enel, or Enel will eventually make his way down to the blue sea. Personally I think it's more likely that the Straw Hats will visit him.