It might be hard to believe, but today marks a historic moment for shonen manga. One Piece has landed on its 1000th chapter after more than 25 years. As you can imagine, the milestone has the entire fandom in arms as they celebrate the Straw Hat crew. And in a new message, creator Eiichiro Oda is thanking Luffy and fans for the series’ unprecedented success.
The major chapter just went live globally following the release of Weekly Shonen Jump. The magazine included a special message from Oda regarding One Piece‘s journey so far, and the artist admits he has spent more than half his life with Luffy.
“1000 chapters!! Well, a whole lot has happened in the last 23 years. I have spent half my life [publishing One Piece weekly],” Oda admitted. “Luffy has taken voyages to many islands and had tons of adventures. I don’t know how many people he has met! Likewise, I have met many people and have been supported by many including my family. I can’t give enough thanks to those people.”
Carrying on, Oda said Luffy’s journey is beginning to turn to its end, but there is still more to do before the finale. The Straw Hats have yet to achieve their goals, so the artist is asking fans to continue supporting Luffy until the time comes to part ways.
“Luffy’s adventure is new its final arc. I have already drawn 1000 chapters… To One Piece fans around the world, it’s been a long story, but please support Luffy a little bit longer!”
If you want to catch up with One Piece before its end, you can do so with a bit of time and patience. All 1000 chapter are available online via Viz Media’s digital manga vault. So if you ever wanted to get to know Luffy, well – now is your chance!
What do you make of this touching message? Can you believe One Piece has hit 1000 chapters? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.
