On Thursday, March 21, 2024, One Piece mangaka Eiichiro Oda revealed the reasons behind the manga’s three-week hiatus. After the release of chapter 1111, the hiatus news surprised the anime community, with numerous fans praying for his health. While his absence would impact the manga’s narrative, the announcement revealed some things fans can do to keep occupied until his return.
The series was released in July 1997 via the Weekly Shonen Jump, and the anime was released in October 1999. The series is already venturing toward the final saga, making the news of the break even more bitter.
Eiichiro Oda’s reasons for the break
Eiichiro Oda posted a handwritten message on the manga’s official Twitter account revealing the reason for the hiatus. The first part of the tweet discussed his three-week break. The mangaka will be absent for issues #18 to #20 before returning for #21 in three weeks. This means the manga will return on Monday, April 22, 2024.
Oda went on to talk about his health, knowing his absence would worry his fans following the recent passing of Akira Toriyama. However, the One Piece mangaka clarified that his health was fine and it was a form of maintenance for his body.
He also addressed the fans having challenges finding the connections between some of the characters in the Egghead arc. Oda told them they could read about their connections in free volumes on Jump+ and Zebrack for a limited time.
Additionally, he told fans to check out his live-action series and the anime adaptation of Monsters, both available on Netflix. He rounded out the message by mentioning that ANYTIME ONE PIECE will show all the YouTube episodes to celebrate the series’ upcoming anniversary. ANYTIME ONE PIECE will also be streaming the series on TikTok starting on March 23, 2024.
