Gol D. Roger was known as the 'Pirate King', the strongest and most infamous being to have sailed the Grand Line. The capture and execution of Roger by the World Government brought a change throughout the world. His last words before his death revealed the existence of the greatest treasure in the world, One Piece. It was this revelation that brought about the Grand Age of Pirates, men who dreamed of finding One Piece-which promises an unlimited amount of riches and fame-and quite possibly the pinnacle of glory and the title of the Pirate King. Enter Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy who defies your standard definition of a pirate. Rather than the popular persona of a wicked, hardened, toothless pirate ransacking villages for fun, Luffy's reason for being a pirate is one of pure wonder: the thought of an exciting adventure that leads him to intriguing people and ultimately, the promised treasure. Following in the footsteps of his childhood hero, Luffy and his crew travel across the Grand Line, experiencing crazy adventures, unveiling dark mysteries and battling strong enemies, all in order to reach the most coveted of all fortunes-One Piece.
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To mark the manga's 100th volume alongside the anime's 1000th episode, Fuji Television turned a floor of its own building into a free public gallery. Visitors could walk through reproductions of every volume cover from all 100 books, tracing how Oda's art style had evolved since the very first issue in 1997.
As part of the show's big anniversary celebrations, the author behind Nisekoi was brought in to write a special one-shot covering Vivi's farewell to the crew. It's an unusual move for a franchise this size, letting an outside creator take a swing at one of the story's more emotional character exits.
Fans of Wano's backstory got a treat during the show's anniversary run: a fully voiced manga adaptation covering the origin of Ryuma, the legendary Wano samurai whose blade Shusui eventually ends up in Zoro's collection. It let a fairly minor piece of lore get full production treatment usually reserved for main story arcs.
Rock band RADWIMPS, known for scoring the film Your Name, contributed an original track called 'Twilight' as part of One Piece's celebrations around its 100th manga volume and 1000th episode, complete with its own dedicated music video rather than being folded into a regular opening or ending slot.
Ahead of episode 1000, Toei put together a genuinely staggering recap: one second of footage from every single episode of the anime, in order, with the opening theme changing in the background exactly when it changed on air. Watching the whole thing takes almost as long as a normal episode.
Beyond the famous Fuji TV special, One Piece's crossover history runs deeper through games too. Luffy and Goku have shared the screen in titles like the Jump Crossover series and Battle Stadium D.O.N, giving fans playable versions of a rivalry that started as a friendly one between their creators.
For Universal Studios Japan's 25th anniversary, the park mashed up its own attractions with anime favourites, and One Piece got an unlikely pairing. Merchandise featured Luffy chowing down on a giant turkey leg right next to a towering T-Rex in the park's Jurassic Park zone, blending two completely unrelated worlds into one design.
During the Universal Studios Japan summer shows, one piece of merchandise became a genuine must-have: the 'NAKAMA Towel.' It's actually used as a prop during the live stage performances to create a sense of crowd unity, and its popularity turned it into one of the event's best-selling souvenirs.
