For the first time in the series’ history, One Piece‘s next manga chapter will be released in an unfinished state.
According to a recent post from a One Piece-centric X (formerly Twitter) account, Eiichiro Oda has failed to finalize Chapter 1098 of One Piece ahead of the series’ deadline. Instead of delaying the installment, Weekly Shonen Jump has opted to publish the unfinished version of the chapter. Oda’s full message regarding Chapter 1098 was translated into English by another One Piece-focused account for the manga artist’s non-Japanese followers.
“The chapter is 100% readable, it has all the vignettes and texts, but there are some pages that are not 100% drawn,” Oda said. “Some vignettes only have the sketch prior to the final drawing (sketches with quite a lot of detail, not like the one’s Togashi does in Hunter x Hunter), others have parts of the drawing that are 100% percent finished but other parts are sketches, others do not have the shading patterns, some background…it’s a very strange feeling when I see it.” Although some One Piece fans may be dissatisfied with the incomplete version, Oda has also reassured his fan base that he and his editorial team will finalize Chapter 1098 for publication in One Piece Volume 108. In the meantime, the unfinished chapter will make its debut in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump on Nov. 12.
In his statement, Oda did not clarify what factors resulted in his failure to complete Chapter 1098. However, it is no secret that manga artists are generally held to very strict deadlines that can be difficult to meet, even in the best of circumstances. In many instances, the demanding working conditions of the industry take a heavy toll on its artists and other staff. Several of Oda’s contemporaries, including My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi, have had to take regular breaks from their work in order to maintain their health. In June 2023, Oda himself took a four-week hiatus from publishing One Piece in order to undergo corrective eye surgery for severe astigmatism, a condition potentially exacerbated by his long work days.
Over 25 years after its 1997 series debut, One Piece is currently in the middle of its final main story arc. The last few chapters have revealed previously unknown details about the infamous God Valley incident, a legendary showdown that took place between the Rocks and Rogers pirate groups. Toei Animation’s famous One Piece anime adaptation recently wrapped up the series’ long-running “Wano Country” arc, which immediately precedes One Piece‘s “Final Saga” storyline.
The One Piece manga is available in English from VIZ Media. Toei’s anime adaptation is available on Hulu and Crunchyroll.
Source: X (formerly Twitter)
