Beloved mangaka Eichiro Oda is giving his blockbuster smash hit manga One Piece a three week hiatus in order to take a break for his health. But don't worry - he's not ill.
According to a statement released on his official social media accounts, this is a "scheduled maintenance" break to ensure he stays in peak physical condition to continue toward the impending end of the story.
Oh… And he has to finally figure out what the hell the fabled "One Piece" actually is.
Here's the statement:
"BREAK TIME!! Okay, so, I'm taking three weeks for myself.
Yes, this is coming on the heels of the news about Toriyama-sensei. Yes, this could cause some unnecessarily excessive panic. But I am not unwell. And while it does have to do with my body, consider this a type of scheduled maintenance rather than anything else.
More importantly, I think it's about time I start figuring out what the One Piece actually is! That's going to keep me quite busy, I'll have you know! (sounds severe but nbd)
Okay, see you in three weeks! Eiichiro Oda.
Back on the pages of JUMP!!"
Toriyama-sensei is of course Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 68.
Mangaka, the creators of manga, are notoriously overworked, so it's frankly good to know that an artist as talented and popular as Eiichiro Oda is taking the time to stay healthy and rested. One Piece is one of the most widely read stories in the world, so putting it on even a brief hiatus has to be a weighty decision.
As far as the One Piece itself goes, fans of the manga and its anime and live action adaptations know all too well that the title refers to a special item that will make its owner the Pirate King - but what the One Piece actually is and what it looks like have remained unknown since the story started.
The final episode before the break will be published in Weekly Shonen Jump #17 on March 25. One Piece will resume in April 22's Weekly Shonen Jump #21.
While One Piece is on hiatus, why not dig into some of the best manga of 2023?
