One Piece Creator Gifts Special Art to Pokemon Go

By Megan Peters

If there is one mangaka who will go out on a limb for Pokemon, it is Eiichiro Oda. The artist is a longtime fan of the franchise, and their love for Pokemon was reignited when Pokemon Go hit the market. And now, Oda has gifted some special art to the mobile game all thanks to a One Piece stop.

The whole thing went live just recently as Oda's hometown celebrated One Piece with a new statue. The province debuted a new life-sized statue of the Straw Hats, and this one brought Jinbe to the streets. He follows other characters like Zoro and Luffy, and of course, this statue is marked as a Pokemon Go stop in the game.

Obviously, this is a dream come true for Oda, and he offered to gift a sketch to Pokemon Go as such. Now, anyone who goes to the stop in Kumamoto prefecture will get to see the artwork for themselves. Oda inked a colored sketch of Jinbe to encourage gamers to visit the stop, and as you can see above, the newest Straw Hat member looks overjoyed in his special sketch.

READ MORE: One Piece's Live-Action Netflix Series Casts Young Luffy | Netflix's One Piece Staff and Cast Celebrate Manga's 25th Anniversary With Special Message | New One Piece: Red Synopsis Uncovers Big Spoilers

Of course, there is no doubt Oda will take the time to visit this stop if he hasn't already. The artist may be busy with the manga's final act these days, but few things can get between him and Pokemon Go. In the past, Oda has talked about his daily play sessions, and he's even done trades with other manga creators like Kohei Horikoshi. And now, some of Oda's work has joined the hit game to bring his obsession full circle. 

Do you plan on ever hitting up this Pokemon Go stop? Or are there other nerdy ones you need to stop at first? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

0comments
Start the Conversation

of