Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the iconic manga series One Piece, has announced a three-week hiatus from the series. The break, as explained by Oda, is a period of "scheduled maintenance" for self-care purposes, including grieving the loss of Akira Toriyama, his fellow mangaka, and refining the concept of the One Piece treasure. Despite concerns from fans about the health issues faced by mangakas due to tight schedules, Oda reassured them that he is not unwell and emphasized the break is not serious.

During this hiatus, One Piece fans are encouraged to explore the Netflix live-action adaptation of One Piece and Oda's one-shot series Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation. The One Piece manga, which has an extensive catalog of 1,110 chapters and 1,322 episodes, won’t see a new release until it resumes with issue 21 on April 22nd. This announcement comes after a recent break in 2022, where Oda took time off after the Wano Country arc, as well as for the release of One Piece: Film Red and the production of Netflix's adaptation of the manga.

Why is Eiichiro Oda taking a break from One Piece?

Oda is taking a break for his own health and well-being, to process the loss of Akira Toriyama, and to spend time conceptualizing the lore of his series. He assures fans that this is just routine maintenance for himself and not indicative of any serious health issues.

One Piece is a long-running and beloved manga and anime series that began in 1997. Created by Eiichiro Oda, the series follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as they search for the ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next Pirate King. With its extensive world-building, dynamic characters, and engaging story arcs, One Piece has captured the hearts of fans worldwide and remains one of the best-selling manga series in history.