CATDOLL: The editor of One Piece said that 70% of the manga plot has been completed and the ending has been decided

​ It has been 18 years since One Piece was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997. Now the plot of the manga has reached the core part, and the Four Emperors have begun to appear. While readers are looking forward to the plot, they also have doubts. Is One Piece coming to an end? On the 17th of this month, the GOLD RUSH program team of Japan's J-WAVE invited the 8th generation editor of One Piece, Taku Sugita, to talk about the unknown little things about One Piece and Oda's personality.

Q1: There are rumors that the editors learned the final ending of the OP from Mr. Oda. Is this true?

Sugi: It’s true. I was informed of it right after I became the editor-in-chief. I listened to it on the phone for about 7 hours. “Is there no one around you?” “Is there no one around me either, so I’ll tell you.” So I did hear it.

Q2: Approximately what percentage of the story has progressed now?

Sugi: Oda-sensei himself said that the first chapter was halfway through, and at that time it was about volume 60. So it was probably about 70%... less than 80%.

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Q3: Is it true that after the OP, Oda-sensei will not draw any more long stories?

Sugi: Rather than deciding not to draw, it's more like saying that I can't draw anymore. The OP has been serialized for 18 years now, and Oda-sensei will be several years old when it's finished. It's not realistically possible to start a long series at that time.

Q4: What is your agreement as Oda-sensei’s editor?

Sugi: Just don't come up with too many ideas. Because it would be boring for Oda-sensei to draw other people's ideas. In addition, the manga artist and the editor are creating the manga on an equal footing, so don't call him teacher, just call him Oda-san. Oda-sensei also called me, a 26-year-old rookie editor, "Sugita-san." Also, when discussing, just say what you really think.

Q5: What do you think is the strength of Mr. Oda?

Sugi: His talent is self-evident, but his hard work is amazing. Among the new people I'm in charge of, there may be someone more talented than Mr. Oda, but it's hard to say whether there will be someone who works harder than him. He only sleeps 2-3 hours, and his mind is only on comics. He is really an uncompromising person. He always worries about his ideas if they are a little boring and that they won't surprise the readers. He is really amazing, and I think he is a role model for comic artists.

Q6: I heard that Mr. Oda’s annual income exceeds 3 billion yen. What does he usually spend it on?

Sugi: How should I put it? Recently, Oda-san is obsessed with barbecue. He bought all the BBQ equipment, called his family and editors, and said "this way I can rest" and "grill more" while BBQing. He also likes three-dimensional things, and has ordered and collected American celebrity figures.

Q7: Oda-sensei’s house is also very amazing, right?

Sugi: Yes. Oda-san often said, "I want to become a new manga artist." So I want to live in a decent house, buy interesting things, and make my assistants think, "Oh, I should work hard to draw comics too." Sometimes Oda-san said this as a joke.

Q8: To be frank, is the upcoming OP worth looking forward to?

Shan: Now we have truly entered the second half of the story, and the core parts of the story will continue to be revealed. The Four Emperors will also appear one after another, so it is worth looking forward to.

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