ONE PIECE

One Piece (ワンピース, Wan Pīsu^?) is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, that has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since August 4, 1997. The individual chapters are being published in tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, with the first released on December 24, 1997, and the 60th volume released as of November 2010. In 2010, Shueisha announced that they sold over 200 million volumes of One Piece manga so far; volume 60 set a new record for the highest initial print run of any book in Japan in history with 3.4 million copies, being also the first book to sell over two million copies in its opening week on Japan's Oricon book rankings. One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy who gains elastic abilities after inadvertently eating a mystical fruit, and his diverse crew of pirates, named the Straw Hats. Luffy explores the ocean in search of the world's ultimate treasure known as the One Piece and to become the next Pirate King. On his journey, Luffy battles a wide variety of villains and makes several friends.
The series has been adapted into an original video animation (OVA) produced by Production I.G in 1998, and an anime series produced by Toei Animation, which premiered in Japan in 1999. Since then, the still ongoing series has aired more than four hundred episodes. Additionally, Toei has developed ten animated feature films, an OVA, and five television specials. Several companies have developed various types of merchandising such as a trading card game, and a large number of video games.
The manga series was licensed for an English language release in North America by Viz Media, in the United Kingdom by Gollancz Manga, and in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. The anime series was licensed by Funimation Entertainment for an English language release worldwide, although the series has been dubbed previously by 4Kids Entertainment. Since its release, One Piece has become one of the most popular manga series of its time in both Japan and North America. It enjoys a high readership, with over 200 million volumes of the series sold by 2010. Reviewers have praised the art, characterization, and humor of the story.




The series begins with a boy named Monkey D. Luffy, inspired by his childhood hero "Red-Haired" Shanks, going on a journey to find the One Piece. Along the way, he organizes and leads a crew named the Straw Hat Pirates. The crew consists of a swordsman named Roronoa Zoro; the navigator and thief Nami; the sharpshooter Usopp; the chef Sanji; the doctor Tony Tony Chopper; the archaeologist Nico Robin; the shipwright Franky; and a musician named Brook.
The crew faces diverse villians such as Baroque Works, Eneru, the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the Marines. The marines are the subordinates of the World Government, who seek justice by ending the Golden Age of Pirates. Many background story elements involve the delicate balance of power between the World Government and the world's most powerful pirate crews, especially the Four Emperors, the four most powerful pirates in the world.
After the death of Luffy's adopted brother Portgas D. Ace and one the Four Emperors named Whitebeard, the Straw Hat Crew undergoes rigorous training regiments. Two years later, the crew regroups at Sabaody Archipelago and they set out on a journey to the New World.