Forget Oda’s Breaks, One Piece Fans Have A Much Bigger Problem To Worry About

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I’m a huge fan of *One Piece*, and it’s incredible to think it’s become the best-selling manga *ever* – over 600 million copies are out there! But even with all that success, things haven’t been perfectly smooth sailing lately. It’s not just the occasional breaks in the manga’s release schedule; there’s a bigger concern that fans like me are starting to worry about.

A Huge Issue for One Piece Fans Is Repeated Breaks

Oda Needs More Breaks Than Before Due To His Health

One Piece is a story that unfolds gradually, so it requires viewers to be patient. The manga has been published regularly since 1997, and is still ongoing after 28 years.

Even after more than 1100 chapters, One Piece remains a high-quality story, and many fans would say it’s actually gotten better over time. It’s consistently popular and the best-selling manga worldwide for good reason.

Many fans have expressed frustration with the frequent breaks taken by the creator of the series, Eiichiro Oda. While understandable – Oda isn’t getting any younger and needs time for his health and family – he’s previously mentioned struggling to find enough rest while working on One Piece. He often feels he doesn’t have enough time for personal life due to the demands of the series.

While Oda used to rarely take breaks, it looks like he’s been increasing how often he does lately. A few years ago, breaks were uncommon. Around 2020, he’d take one every four or five chapters. After the Wano arc finished, he began taking breaks after every three chapters. Now, it appears he might start taking a break every two weeks.

Although the series often goes on hiatus, One Piece fans might be more concerned about a recent drop in manga sales.

Breaks Are A Huge Issue, But One Piece is Facing Another Big Problem

One Piece is still one of the Best Selling Manga, But Sales Are Declining

While breaks can be frustrating, Eiichiro Oda rarely takes long pauses compared to other manga creators. One Piece fans should appreciate that they consistently receive new chapters nearly every week.

I’ve been noticing something about *One Piece* lately – it seems like sales are down. They were really high back during the Marineford arc, easily exceeding 2 million copies per volume, and even 2.5 million wasn’t unusual. Even after that peak, sales stayed above 1.5 million for a long time. But with the current Egghead arc, that seems to have changed – sales numbers are noticeably lower than they used to be.

Following the end of the Wano arc, *One Piece* manga sales have noticeably declined, and this trend seems to be continuing. It’s possible that sales could soon fall below one million copies per volume.

As a child, I dreamed of creating a manga with an incredibly exciting climax. I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off! Now, after 25 years, we’re nearing the end of the Wano arc and everything is almost ready. You can jump into the story here if you’re new, because from this point forward… it’s going to be the grand adventure of ONE PIECE! I’m going to reveal all the secrets of this world – it’s going to be a wild ride! Buckle up and please stick with me a little longer! — Eiichiro Oda, Author of One Piece, 2022

This is worrying and suggests *One Piece* is losing readers. It doesn’t necessarily mean the story is getting worse, but rather that, being so long, some people naturally lose interest or prefer to wait until a larger portion of the story is available to read in one go. This is common for series that run for a long time.

As a huge One Piece fan, I really think the series needs a fresh wave of readers, and I’m so excited about how the live-action adaptation and the anime remake could bring in a whole new audience! I honestly believe they have the potential to make One Piece even more popular around the world, which it totally deserves.

Where to Watch and Read One Piece?

Available on Crunchyroll and Manga Plus

One Piece is a very lengthy anime series, and new episodes are released every week, constantly adding to the total. Currently, there are over 1100 episodes available, and you can watch them all on Crunchyroll.

The next chapter of the manga, One Piece 1163, will be released in two weeks, as usual on a Sunday. While it becomes available in Japan at midnight on Monday (JST), most fans around the world will be able to read it on October 26, 2025. You can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus.

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2025-10-19 02:40