Netflix's One Piece Really Impressed Eiichiro Oda With Mister 7

If there is one thing we know about One Piece, it is that messing with Roronoa Zoro is a bad idea. The swordsman is fiercely loyal to his crew, and of course, the strength Zoro wields is hard to describe. He is unmatched by all save for Mihawks, and this truth was made clear even as recently as in Netflix's One Piece. The live-action adaptation even went so far as showing Zoro's skills against the mysterious Mr. 7, and it turns out that deep-cut reference impressed the creator of One Piece.

Recently, the show's executive producer Steven Maeda said his interest in the manga's first Mr. 7 took Eiichiro Oda off guard.

"I pitched a lot of ideas to Oda in our first meeting. One was about how to introduce Zoro in an action-based scene to show off what he can do before we meet him in Shells Town. In an old SBS, Oda mentioned that Zoro was previously recruited by Mr. 7 of Baroque Works and killed him in combat. This was exactly what I was looking for: something within canon while never actually shown in the manga itself. Oda turned to one of his editors and said: "Did I say that?"
The next day I was presented with this drawing," Maeda shared.

"[This is] the only time Mr. 7 has been fully drawn by Oda. He said he was impressed by my knowledge of his world and he liked the idea. Holding onto this felt like I was carrying the Holy Grail. The first of many great conversations and interactions with the man himself. Someone I'm honored to call a collaborator and a friend."

As you can see above, the artwork of Mr. 7 shows what Mr. 7 looked like in the canon before Zoro took him out. This design was perfectly brought to life in the Netflix adaptation by the entire team. Zoro's introduction was most definitely a treat to longtime fans who are interested in all the Straw Hats' pasts. So as Netflix's One Piece moves into season two, we can only hope the show keeps up its top-notch investigation into all things manga... even if Oda remembers the details or not.

What do you think about this Oda anecdote? Have you finished checking out Netflix's One Piece? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!