One Piece Creator Eiichiro Oda Comments on Coronavirus Pandemic

It is impossible to ignore the discussion surrounding the novel coronavirus today. The all-new virus has been labeled a pandemic that has prompted countries to go to extreme lengths to contain its spread, and its infectiousness has caused many to worry. The creator of One Piece is not immune to such concern, and like the rest of us, Eiichiro Oda has shared his worried thoughts on the coronavirus with his fans.

Recently, Oda put out a statement through Weekly Shonen Jump regarding his reaction. The author published a new chapter of One Piece with a note which shares his prayers for the world.

"It's hard to write about anything with the world like this. I'm praying for everyone from the bottom of my heart," the artist said.

Of course, Oda managed to muster up with might to pen another chapter of One Piece, so fans can lean on the Straw Hat crew to get them through this pandemic. Over in Japan, Shonen Jump has opened up its digital library for all those quarantined which gives millions the chance to catch up on One Piece. And if you live in the United States, a simple yearly subscription can get you full access to One Piece via Viz Media.

While the world keeps its eyes on the pandemic, Oda is doing double duty on his end. Not only is the artist working to pen chapters depicting Wano's long-awaited war, but he is worrying over his fans and family at the same time. But so long as the artist can draw, fans can rest assured that Oda will have a gift for them each weekend which takes them away from their stress... even if for just a moment. Monkey D. Luffy is really good at distracting people from their worries and even better at solving them. Sadly, there is no way the pirate captain can end this pandemic with a punch, but the Straw Hats can keep us all afloat as we wait for the ordeal to ease up.

Do you have any plans to binge One Piece during this pandemic's peak? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!