One Piece Creator Eiichiro Oda to Release Oneshot Story

Eiichiro Oda might be best known for creating the world of the Grand Line with One Piece, and certainly with good reason, as the mangaka’s work has been one of the most popular Shonen franchises to be released in the past few decades, but he definitely did work before we were introduced to the world of Luffy and his Straw Hats. In a one-shot titled Monsters, Oda created a unique world that didn’t manage to pick up the same level of popularity as One Piece but will be re-released with a new voiced comic this fall.

If you’re unfamiliar with Monsters, the one-shot was originally released prior to One Piece’s introduction to the publication of Weekly Shonen Jump. Following a cast that clearly worked as inspirations for the Straw Hat Pirates and their world of swashbucklers, the story itself is actually considered canon within the world of the Grand Line, meaning these characters co-exist with the Shonen figures we’ve come to know and love since One Piece debuted in the 1990s. While there have been no plans to create another story that focuses on these forgotten characters, it’s clear that they are still on Oda’s mind as the upcoming voiced comic is already being touted as including some major stars.

Twitter Outlet WSJ_Manga revealed that the upcoming voiced comic from the creator of One Piece was set to arrive this September, taking us back to characters that helped sharpen Oda’s skills as he grew to become one of the most popular mangakas in the Shonen world:

Oda hasn’t been shy about the fact that he is looking to end the story of Luffy’s journey to become the king of the pirates within the next five years, leaving many to wonder if Eiichiro will enjoy his retirement or will dive back into a new manga series. Oda has definitely earned his potential retirement but many manga fans would love to see him continue creating insane worlds in the future.

Are you excited about this upcoming voice comic for one of Eiichiro Oda‘s lesser-known works? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Grand Line.