ONE PIECE Secret Placed 651 Meters Beneath the Sea as Fans Consider Setting Sail to Find It — “The Great Pirate Era Begins”

The long hidden secret of ONE PIECE has now been placed deep beneath the ocean. A special project led by creator Eiichiro Oda has recorded the secret of the legendary treasure ONE PIECE and protagonist Monkey D. Luffy on a single sheet of paper and submerged it on the seafloor.

The revelation that the long standing mystery could theoretically be discovered by exploring the ocean floor has sparked excitement online. Fans reacted with comments such as “It seems the One Piece really exists in this world and has sunk to the ocean floor. Shall we go search for it together?” and “Wait seriously? They placed the truth of One Piece in the real ocean. What if this actually starts a real Great Pirate Era in modern times?” The idea of setting out to sea in search of the secret quickly became a trending topic among fans.

The Secret of ONE PIECE Sealed in a Treasure Chest

For many years it has been said that the answer to the question “What is ONE PIECE?” had already been decided when the series began serialization in 1997. In this new project, Oda wrote the secret for the first time on a single sheet of paper.

The paper was torn into two halves. A life size copy of the upper half reading “What is ONE PIECE and who is Monkey D. Luffy” was published as a newspaper advertisement in the morning editions of The Asahi Shimbun and The Yomiuri Shimbun on March 4.

The lower half containing the truth has been sealed inside a treasure chest and placed on the seafloor. It will remain there until the story concludes and will only be revealed after the manga’s final chapter.

The released project video shows the treasure chest locked and secured inside a pressure resistant glass sphere designed for deep sea diving. The container has been installed at a depth of 651 meters beneath the ocean surface.

The project video was supervised by researchers from SIP, the Cabinet Office Strategic Innovation Promotion Program Phase 3, and JAMSTEC, the Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology. They examined the installation and retrieval methods of the device as well as filming procedures. The project was carried out with environmental protection measures in mind to minimize any potential impact on marine ecosystems, and all objects placed on the seafloor are planned to be recovered.

Fans React to the “Real World Treasure”

In the story of ONE PIECE, the Great Pirate Era began when the legendary Pirate King Gol D. Roger declared:

My wealth and treasures?
If you want it,I'll let you have it.
Look for it,I left all of it at that place!

Inspired by Roger’s words, pirates across the world set out to find the legendary treasure known as the One Piece.

Now that the secret has been placed in the real world ocean, fans have responded with playful enthusiasm online. Comments included “Someone come with me to search for the One Piece,” “This video is sending people out to sea. Is Oda really trying to start a real Great Pirate Era?” and “He literally left everything at the bottom of the sea just like in the story. The One Piece has truly been born in the real world.”

Others joked that treasure hunting YouTubers might soon begin searching for the submerged secret.

The Global Success of ONE PIECE

ONE PIECE began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump on July 22, 1997. The story follows Monkey D. Luffy, a boy who becomes a rubber human after eating the Devil Fruit known as the Gum Gum Fruit. Gathering companions, he forms the Straw Hat Pirates and sets sail on a grand adventure to find the legendary treasure left behind by the Pirate King Gol D. Roger.

The manga has surpassed 600 million copies in circulation worldwide. The television anime has been airing since 1999. The 2022 theatrical anime film ONE PIECE FILM RED grossed 20.34 billion yen in Japan, approximately 129.14 million US dollars based on an exchange rate of 1 US dollar to 157.5 yen, becoming a major cultural phenomenon.

The television anime ONE PIECE Elbaf Arc is scheduled to begin broadcasting in April.

Source : ORICON NEWS