Eiichiro Oda breaks silence after One Piece manga announces latest hiatus

One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda shares the first message after the sudden announcement of the manga hiatus.

One Piece manga is currently featuring the Land of the Gods Arc where half of the Straw Hats find themselves in an unfamiliar kingdom. The place is made out of Lego blocks and it resembles a real kingdom.

Furthermore, the ruler of the place, the Sun God, is revealed to be Road, the navigator of the New Giant Pirates led by Hajrudin. The brief arc will be followed by the highly-anticipated Elbaf Arc, where the crew will face new challenges.

However, the One Piece manga announces a sudden two-week break after Chapter 1130. This is because Oda needs some time off for new ideas.

According to a One Piece fan account, Eiichiro Oda comments on this week’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue, “I’ve been watching a drama called Omusubi to unwind after chapter deadlines. Its cheerful and bright vibe is very soothing!!”

Omusubi (meaning onigiri) is a 2024 Japanese drama about a girl who pushes through the rough seas of the Heisei and Reiwa eras. She has a positive outlook on life and enjoys herself to the fullest despite what others may thing of her. The story follows her journey as she plans to become a nutritionist.

After the account shares Oda’s comment, one fan replies, “Well, he’s a fan of Hashimoto Kanna while Hashimoto Kanna is a fan of One Piece.” Hashimoto Kanna is the lead actress in the drama.

“While we were wondering if Oda was reading Vinland Saga, look at what the guy was busy with,” jokes another.

Now that the Egghead arc is over, you can read about why Egghead is the best arc so far. For more from the high seas, check out our article on the special meaning Luffy’s Straw Hat has and our ranking of the strongest Straw Hats.