Eiichiro Oda's One Piece is the story of Monkey D. Luffy, a pirate who sets out to sea in the age of piracy in order to find the grand treasure known as the One Piece. On his journey, Luffy encounters new friends, and the Straw Hat Pirates gradually grow bigger.
On the surface, One Piece might appear to be the same as every other story out there. However, in reality, there are things One Piece has done that no other series has. Oda's vision, along with his ability to write a compelling and gripping story, is what sets his series apart from the rest.
10 One Piece's Worldbuilding Is On Another Level
Worldbuilding isn't something that One Piece has invented, but the way Eiichiro Oda goes about it in his story is what makes it so loved. The world of One Piece is extremely rich with details and intricacies. The world is massive, but that's not the only thing that makes it so incredible. Every single place in the world has its own laws, its own special environment, culture, traditions, people, currencies, and even animals, among many other things. Among other manga artists, Oda is known to dive quite deep into worldbuilding.
9 One Piece Has Incredible Foreshadowing That No Piece Of Fiction Can Match
One Piece is extremely impressive when it comes to foreshadowing, and once again, Eiichiro Oda is a master of this art. Every single thing that happens in the story is foreshadowed years before it actually happens. Although only a handful of fans manage to catch these details and connect them to future events, the buildup and payoff feel amazing. For instance, Shanks usage of Conqueror's Haki in the very first chapter of the story only gets explained around 500 chapters later.
8 Eiichiro Oda Loves Playing With Words & Numbers
Oda is quite a special writer who has shown that he's a genius on multiple occasions. Being dedicated to his craft, Oda loves to include hints using Japanese wordplay, including a form known as Goroawase. Using this wordplay, Oda often links homophonous words with the numbers in chapter titles, volumes, or even the dates presented in the story itself. For instance, the number 56 is often associated with Luffy because 5 (Go) and 6 (Mu) sound like his Devil Fruit power, the Gomu Gomu no Mi.
7 One Piece Drops Major Hints In Chapter Covers
Another one of Oda's habits is to drop major hints in the chapter cover art. Usually, One Piece chapter covers consist of either a cover story or a fan request that Oda draws.
Although one may take the latter lightly and not pay too much attention to it, Oda usually slips in a few things that help the fans predict the future of the story. These are, of course, very difficult to pick up on, and only a handful of fans can manage to actually figure it out.
6 One Piece's Chapter Titles Have Multiple Meanings
Once again, a lot can be revealed about a One Piece chapter simply by its title. While this alone isn't something unique to One Piece, Oda takes it a step further and links several things at once to the same word in the title. For instance, One Piece Chapter 944 is titled "Partner," and upon reading it, most fans can tell that the chapter title refers to Kid lamenting about his partner, Killer's condition. A closer look at the same chapter, however, might reveal a larger story taking place. Fans can see Zoro reunite with Sanji, his partner, and Kyoshiro claims to be an ally of Orochi. Furthermore, the chapter cover is a fan request that shows Boa Hancock feeding bananas to a monkey with a Straw Hat, depicting Luffy, who happens to be her potential life partner.
5 One Piece's Art Style Is Incredibly Unique
To appeal to the anime fans of the world, most mangaka use a style that depicts characters in an incredibly cool way, but Oda strays from the formula. In fact, Oda's style of drawing is more goofy than cool. At the same time, it helps him portray the emotions and actions of his characters in an overly exaggerated manner, which is loved by fans. While not for everyone, One Piece's art style is incredibly fun and cool in its own way.
4 Every Single Character Is Relevant In The Story
Often, it is extremely hard for authors to write every single character to perfection. What sets Oda and One Piece apart from the rest is the fact that every single character is relevant in the story, from someone like Gaimon to a character like Buggy.
Unlike most authors, Oda doesn't forget his characters, and he eventually gives them the moments they need to shine.
3 The Flashbacks Are Some Of The Best Moments From The Series
Another aspect that makes One Piece special is its use of flashbacks. Oda loves to dive deep into them and tug at the heartstrings of the fans. Often, fans regard flashbacks as the best part of some One Piece arcs, and the Wano Country arc is the prime example of that. Fans get to witness the adventures of Kozuki Oden in the arc, and since then, it has become widely renowned as the very best flashback in the entire story and the best part of the Wano Country arc so far.
2 The Sense Of Adventure That One Piece Offers Is Like No Other
The world of One Piece is full of adventure and joy. Eiichiro Oda lives for drawing an adventure that the fans can get hooked on, and he does it incredibly well. From going on adventures to islands in the sky to diving deep into the ocean to find an island full of Fishmen, One Piece has it all. No other series offers what One Piece does when it comes to adventure, and Luffy's journey isn't over yet.
1 One Piece Gets Better With Every Passing Arc
One Piece might be close to its endgame but it isn't over just yet. Fans still have a few years of adventure left, and it goes without saying that the story is now entering its most exciting phase. This isn't surprising at all because One Piece has a reputation of getting better with every passing arc. Even though the series has been ongoing for almost 25 years now, the quality hasn't declined. In fact, it just keeps reaching new heights as the fans get closer to the end.