Eiichiro Oda is putting together the pieces for Luffy’s final journey. Japanese national daily newspapers: Asahi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, and Mainichi Shimbun incorporated an advertisement (via ANN) celebrating One Piece’s 100th compiled book volume on its launch day. The ad also covered a glimpse of creator Oda sketching out his template which evidently read “The story is in the final stage.”
Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine has been home to One Piece for 24 years now. The manga made a nationwide record for 3 million copies in 2010 for its 57th volume. It again set another record with 4.05 million copies for 67th volume and finally Guinness world record for “the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author.” Creator Oda already mentioned his plans regarding the end of the 1000+ chapter manga last year in an interview. As for the anime adaptation, the 1000th episode is being laid down for November 14th.
A mini-series was also launched to commemorate the 100th manga volume and 1000th anime episode, titled “We are one!” It premiered on Aug. 30th. Other projects under the same belt involve a voiced comic of creator’s one-shot manga titled “Where’s Waldo”, “Let’s see hope on this star” program featuring one piece’s fan Akihiko Hoshide, a JAXA astronaut, announcer Misato Ugaki, entertainer Miki and Hinatazaka 46’s Kumi Sasaki. They have also planned to release the initial 90 volumes for free (limited time), a mail-away offer for figures, and the 3rd One Piece knowledge King test.
Yuuji Iwasaki, the editor revealed in an interview with Sankei News regarding the climax of the Wanokuni arc and added, “When I talk with Oda-san, we always discuss the end of the story. The climax of Wanokuni is just around the corner. With the end in sight, all that remains is to keep moving forward.”
