Manga author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda announced on social media his plans to release One Piece after he returns from a break later this month. Interestingly, the update contains more than a few surprises, including the idea that a new reader can join it without having read the stories from the last 25 years.
First published in July 1997, the story of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates about the treasure hunt One Piece by the legendary Pirate King Gol D. Roger, is one of the longest-running manga in the history of the medium. In addition, the circulation of almost half a billion copies makes this manga the best-selling manga of all time. Needless to say, over the 25 years of its existence, it has become one of the most beloved comics in the world. However, earlier this summer, One Piece publisher Shueisha announced plans to wind down and end the series after the next story arc.
The biggest surprise of Eiichiro Oda’s post about the final One Piece arch is his comment that despite having written and illustrated more than 1,000 chapters of a confusing story with hundreds of characters, Oda doesn’t believe that fans won’t miss anything if they start reading. manga with the next chapter. On the one hand, this news is certainly encouraging for anyone who is interested in following One Piece, but is scared by the thought that he will have to read 25 years of manga content to “catch up.” On the other hand, the comment cannot but confuse the diehard fans who have faithfully followed him from the very beginning. What should they think about the time and effort spent reading, understanding, and evaluating the story?
Another interesting surprise in the post of the Ode is the announcement that the story arc of the Country of Vano is not completed. With four years of manga history, “Vano Country” is by far the longest manga story arc. However, after the defeat of Big Mama and Kaido, Luffy’s transformation in the Fifth Gear and the return of the Kozuki clan to power, it was widely believed among fans that the arc ended in chapter 1053 and that the last One Piece saga would begin. with chapter 1054, the publication of which is scheduled for July 24, 2022. Ode’s comment, however, means there’s more to Vano’s Country, and more importantly, the final saga won’t start anytime soon.
The most unsurprising moment of the post is Ode’s comment that he will answer “all the riddles left in” the world of One Piece. In fact, whether you are a new or an old fan, you certainly don’t expect the manga to end without answering the questions asked. However, given the many mysteries that have arisen in this story, the statement that all of them will be answered and that the answers will be “really interesting” risks raising fans’ expectations to perhaps unreasonable heights. Oda seems to understand that fans will expect only the best from him, saying that he has been preparing for this moment for the last quarter of a century. Only time will tell if Eiichiro Oda can deliver on that promise, but if the final chapters are any indication, fans can rest assured they won’t be disappointed when the latest One Piece saga begins.
