The creator of One Piece is a master when it comes to seeding manga reveals. In the past twenty-something years, Eiichiro Oda has learned the best ways to surprise fans with pivotal plots that he set into motion months or even years ago. It is pretty hard to predict what the artist will do next, but it seems like one impressive fan-theory has caught the attention of Oda himself.
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Recently, the author was sent a fan-letter detailing a theory they thought up. Oda posted the note in the latest SBS Volume where he responded to the note. And as you can see below, Oda is caught between being proud and nervous about the theory.
The theory is a long one, but it boils down to a note mention in volume 75 of One Piece. It was there Oda said a tiger and bull were the animal mascots for the new Marian admirals, Fujitora and Ryokugya. The user goes on to explain how these mascots combine with those used by the current admirals to tease something unusual about the newcomers.
After all, a traditional Japanese tale seems to hint at these two admirals being rebels against the Marines. While they do uphold the law, the fan-theory suggests the pair are looking to revolutionize the military rather than buy into it. As for Oda, the artist trolled everyone with his response as he seems nervous about the theory despite denying it.
“If anyone wants to read anything into that, they’re certainly welcome to do so. I’m. Not saying if it’s right or wrong, that’s all,” the artist said despite saying the theory gave him a cold sweat.
For now, fans will have to wait and see how the current admirals impact One Piece moving forward. This theory could very well be true as this level of intertextual foreshadowing is common for Oda. But if we know anything about the artist by now, it is that he has something else up his sleeve.
What do you make of this fan-theory? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!
