Eiichiro Oda has been releasing One Piece chapters continuously for a longer period of time. However, One Piece creator will be stepping aside from drawing One Piece in order to get eye surgery.
The official Twitter account of the One Piece franchise shared that the manga series will be absent in the next four issues of Weekly Shonen Jump, starting from issue no 29.
The reason for the One Piece manga hiatus is that Eiichiro Oda is undergoing Eye surgery.
One Piece Twitter account also shared a message from Eiichiro Oda to fans where Oda revealed that he has been suffering from severe astigmatism, which makes things look blurry. Oda has been talking to his editor about this since last year. The editor finally gave him the go-ahead.
Astigmatism refers to a frequent type of refractive error in vision that leads to fuzzy or distorted sight. This particular condition arises when either the cornea, the transparent frontal part of the eye, or the lens inside the eye isn’t shaped perfectly round. Because of this irregular shape, the light fails to focus uniformly, which subsequently results in vision distortion at any distance.
This vision issue can be innate or could develop over time due to external factors such as strain on the eyes, improper posture, or heavy reliance on near vision tasks.
Also Read: Oda Reveals Why He Doesn’t Draw Death Scenes In One Piece
Eiichiro Oda further (jokingly) said that after the surgery, he would be able to shoot laser beams from his eyes.
The translation of Eiichiro Oda’s message is as follows:
I’m currently surprising you all with the Final Arc of ONE PIECE, but I really want to have a little operation. I’m going to have surgery to shoot beams from my eyes!! I’m just joking around, but I have been currently thinking stuff like: “There are a lot of people with twins these days”. I have severe astigmatism, which makes things look blurry. This has been interfering with my work, and I’ve been talking to my editor about it since last year. He said, “Well, go ahead!”, so I’ll come back with improved eyesight! I will also be able to see beams!!
Eiichiro Oda takes regular breaks from drawing manga. After every 3 weekly chapters release, Oda takes one week off. However, One Piece’s creator is known for working continuously without any rest.
“One Piece” is a renowned Japanese manga series that was penned and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. Its publication started in the popular manga anthology “Weekly Shonen Jump” in July 1997, and it has continued to captivate readers globally with its engaging narrative and artistry.