One Piece is one of the most successful stories ever told: a manga about a rubber-bodied pirate called Monkey D. Luffy that has run since 1997, sold more than 500 million copies and grown into one of the longest-running anime series in history. Here are 20 facts about One Piece, from its creator’s original five-year plan to the Netflix series.
One Piece at a glance
Created by: Eiichiro Oda
Manga first published: 22 July 1997, in Weekly Shōnen Jump
Anime first shown: 20 October 1999, by Toei Animation
Copies sold: more than 500 million worldwide
Hero: Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates
1It was created by Eiichiro Oda.
Oda began One Piece when he was 22, after working as an assistant on other manga. He still writes and draws it himself, with a team of assistants, and is known for working extremely long hours.
2It was only meant to last five years.
Oda has said he originally planned for the story to run for about five years. It has now been running for nearly three decades, and he has said the story is in its final saga.
3The story is a treasure hunt.
Luffy sets out to find the “One Piece”, the legendary treasure of the late Pirate King Gol D. Roger, and become the next King of the Pirates. What the treasure actually is remains one of the biggest mysteries in manga.
4Luffy is made of rubber.
As a boy, Luffy ate a Devil Fruit that made his body stretch like rubber, at the cost of never being able to swim. In 2022, the story revealed that his fruit was really something far more powerful, linked to a legendary “Sun God” called Nika.
5Devil Fruits give powers but take away swimming.
Anyone who eats one of the mysterious Devil Fruits gains a special ability, from turning into smoke to controlling earthquakes, but sinks like a stone in the sea, a cruel price for a pirate.
6It holds a Guinness World Record.
In 2015, Guinness World Records recognised One Piece as having the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author. Its sales have kept climbing ever since.
7It has passed 500 million copies.
One Piece has sold more than 500 million copies worldwide across more than 110 volumes, making it the best-selling manga of all time and one of the best-selling comic series in history.
8The anime has more than 1,100 episodes.
Toei Animation’s anime began in October 1999 and has passed 1,100 episodes, making it one of the longest-running anime series ever. A separate remake, called The One Piece, is being made by Wit Studio for Netflix.
9The crew is called the Straw Hat Pirates.
The name comes from the straw hat Luffy wears, a gift from the pirate Shanks, who saved his life when he was a boy. The crew includes the swordsman Zoro, navigator Nami, sniper Usopp, cook Sanji and doctor Chopper.
10Zoro was nearly a villain.
Oda has said that Roronoa Zoro, the three-sword swordsman who becomes Luffy’s first crew member, started life as an idea for an enemy before he became one of the series’ most popular heroes.
11The world is ruled by a powerful government and four emperors.
The World Government and its Navy control most of the seas, while four powerful pirates known as the Four Emperors, or Yonko, rule the dangerous waters of the New World.
12Bounties measure how dangerous a pirate is.
Pirates in One Piece have prices on their heads, measured in a currency called berries. Luffy’s bounty has risen from 30 million berries to 3 billion, a running way of showing his rise through the pirate world.
13Haki is a hidden power anyone can learn.
Haki, a kind of spiritual willpower, lets fighters sense others, harden their bodies or even knock people out with sheer force of will. Unlike Devil Fruit powers, it can be trained.
14One death shocked fans for years.
The death of Luffy’s brother, Portgas D. Ace, during the Summit War at Marineford is still one of the most famous and upsetting moments in manga history.
15The story jumps forward two years.
After the Marineford war, the Straw Hats separate to train for two years. The story then picks up with all the crew stronger, with new looks and new abilities, a turning point fans call the time skip.
16Oda borrowed from real pirates.
Several characters are named after or inspired by real pirates, including Blackbeard (Edward Teach), Jewelry Bonney (Anne Bonny), Bartholomew Kuma (Bartholomew Roberts) and Basil Hawkins.
17Dragon Ball was a big influence.
Oda has said that Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball was one of his biggest inspirations. The two creators later produced a crossover chapter together, and Oda paid tribute to Toriyama after his death in 2024.
18The Netflix series was a hit.
Netflix’s live-action adaptation, starring Iñaki Godoy as Luffy, came out in August 2023 and went straight to number one in dozens of countries. Oda worked closely on it as an executive producer, and a second season followed.
19Its theme song is one of anime’s most famous.
“We Are!”, sung by Hiroshi Kitadani, was the first opening theme in 1999 and has been re-recorded several times for anniversaries. Fans around the world still sing it at concerts and conventions.
20Its flag has become a protest symbol.
The Straw Hat Pirates’ Jolly Roger, a skull wearing a straw hat, has been waved by young protesters in several Asian countries, including Indonesia and Nepal in 2025, as a symbol of freedom and resistance to corruption.
FAQs about One Piece
How many episodes of One Piece are there?
More than 1,100, and the anime is still running. There are also more than 110 volumes of the manga.
Is One Piece finished?
Not yet. Eiichiro Oda has said the story has entered its final saga, but he hasn’t said when it will end.
What is the One Piece?
It’s the treasure left by the Pirate King Gol D. Roger. Nobody in the story, or among readers, yet knows exactly what it is.
Where should I start with One Piece?
Many fans start with the Netflix live-action series or the manga’s first volume. The anime is long, so some newcomers begin with the shorter “East Blue” arc and decide from there.
Sources and further reading
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