One Piece Creator Welcomes New Year with Colorful Artwork

One Piece had a huge year in 2019, but all things must end. Over in Japan, the new year has come to sweep away the old and usher in 2020. Of course, this is a time to celebrate for most, and Eiichiro Oda is no different. The creator of One Piece just welcomed in 2020 in the best of ways, and it involves one of your favorite Straw Hat pirates.

Taking to Twitter, the official page for One Piece posted artwork done by Oda. The sketch sees Monkey D. Luffy in traditional clothing and his iconic hat. In his hand, fans can see Mansherry hanging out, and the pair are enjoying the new year to the fullest.

For those wondering, the artwork was made by Oda to be a sort of postcard to fans. He inks one ever year, and 2020 is a special one. After all, the Chinese calendar says this new year will belong to the rat, so the One Piece heroes reflect that with their outfits.

Here is Oda's yearly tradition of giving us a new year's card, this time celebrating the year of the Rat in the Chinese calendar! Happy 2020! pic.twitter.com/4Rq0uqieZq

— Artur - Library of Drum Island (@newworldartur) December 31, 2019

It is pretty hard to miss that fact. Luffy has some giant mouse ears attached to his hat, and he's rocking a cute grey snout with whiskers. It seems the duo are talking about how this year will belong to the rat, so don't be surprised if some new mousy pirates are introduced to One Piece in 2020. Sure, they might not bee in Wano right now, but Oda has plenty of time to bring newcomers into the fold. The story is far from done, and the creator has proven he's a master at creating characters who are perfectly suited to One Piece's taste.

What do you want to see from One Piece this year? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Eiichiro Oda's One Piece first began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997. It has since been collected into over 80 volumes, and has been a critical and commercial success worldwide with many of the volumes breaking printing records in Japan. The manga has even set a Guinness World Record for the most copies published for the same comic book by a single author, and is the best-selling manga series worldwide with over 430 million copies sold.