The 1130th episode of the TV anime ONE PIECE aired on May 25 on Fuji TV, marking the return of a long-anticipated character. Fans were thrilled to learn through the ending credits that veteran actor Naoto Takenaka reprised his role as Shiki the Golden Lion for the first time since the 2009 film ONE PIECE FILM: STRONG WORLD—a gap of 16 years.

Takenaka originally voiced Shiki in the 2009 feature film, and now the character has finally made his appearance in the main anime series. Although his screen time was brief, Shiki appeared during a flashback involving Bartholomew Kuma’s past, and fans were surprised and delighted that Takenaka returned for this special cameo rather than being replaced.

Online reactions quickly poured in:

“First time hearing Rocks’ voice and Shiki still voiced by Naoto Takenaka? This is peak ONE PIECE!”
“Even for such a short scene, Takenaka-san reprising Shiki made me emotional.”
“It’s really Naoto Takenaka as Shiki! ONE PIECE is amazing—thank you, Takenaka-san!”
“Can’t believe it’s been 16 years since Strong World.”

The terms “Shiki's voice (JP: シキの声)” and “Naoto Takenaka (JP: 竹中直人さん)” even trended on X (formerly Twitter), as fans expressed their amazement and gratitude for the unexpected return.

About One Piece

One Piece, created by Eiichiro Oda, began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump on July 22, 1997. The story follows Monkey D. Luffy, a boy who gains rubber-like powers after eating the Gum-Gum Fruit. Forming the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy sets off on a grand journey to find the legendary treasure known as the “One Piece,” left behind by Pirate King Gol D. Roger.

The series has become one of the most successful manga of all time, with over 510 million copies in circulation worldwide. The TV anime adaptation has been airing since 1999, and the 2022 film One Piece Film Red was a massive hit, earning over 20.34 billion yen at the Japanese box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.

Source : ORICON NEWS