One Piece: Oda Reveals He Had No Major Plans for One of the Most Loved Straw Hats

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This article contains spoilers for the One Piece series.

One Piece is the best-selling manga series in history, and it’s held that title for a long time. Created by Eiichiro Oda, the series has been running for over 28 years and shows no signs of ending soon, even with the final story arc already underway. The story revolves around the Straw Hat Pirates, who are central to everything that makes One Piece so popular.

Despite everything else, Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, has shared that he didn’t initially have significant plans for Nefertari Vivi, the princess of Arabasta. He made many decisions about her character as the story progressed, which has surprised and fascinated fans.

Oda Was Not Going to Make Vivi Arabasta’s Princess

Vivi Was Made A Princess After Drawing Her Hair Down

As a long-time follower of One Piece, I’ve often heard people assume that Eiichiro Oda always envisioned Vivi as a princess. But surprisingly, that wasn’t his original plan! Even though she’s not sailing with the Straw Hats right now, I truly believe she’s still one of the crew. Oda himself, and many fans like me, see her as a core member of the team, and we’re all hoping she’ll officially rejoin them during the story’s final arc.

Interestingly, Vivi wasn’t originally intended to be a major character. She was simply meant to serve as a member of Baroque Works and likely be forgotten after that. However, Oda had a change of heart when he sketched her with loose hair, feeling it gave her a princess-like quality. This single image actually sparked the creation of the entire Arabasta arc.

I first met Vivi as someone working for Baroque Works, but I didn’t know much about her beyond that. When I sketched her with her hair loose, she reminded me of a princess, which sparked the idea for the entire Alabasta storyline. — Eiichiro Oda

The decision Oda made earlier in the story had a major impact, particularly in the Final Saga. Vivi and the Nefertari family play a crucial role in the events unfolding, especially concerning Imu and the World Government.

Oda Has Many Elements of One Piece Preplanned, Some Are Made Up on the Spot

Along With Vivi, The Supernova Were Also Decided On The Spot

One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda is often admired by fans for cleverly hinting at future events. However, alongside his impressive planning, Oda has also proven he’s a talented improviser, able to create compelling moments spontaneously.

Vivi is a great example, but it’s not an isolated case. The Supernova, who became major players after the time skip, were actually a late addition by Oda, and a really successful one. Hopefully, Oda continues to surprise us with exciting, spontaneous additions to the story in the future.

One Piece Chapter 1158 is scheduled for release next week, as usual on Sundays. While it will be available in Japan at midnight on Monday, most international fans can expect to read it on August 31, 2025. The chapter will be available for free on Manga Plus.

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2025-11-04 05:36