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Eiichiro Oda andOne Piecehave become synonymous with one another. AlthoughOne Piece has become definitive of Oda’s storytelling prowess, that’s not all we have to indulge in. BeforeOne Piecebegan its serialization in 1998, Oda had created six one-shots. For any fan of the series, they are a must-read, as they give us a chance to explore whatOne Piececould have been, if not for the pirate adventure we tune in to every week.
From a young age, pirate stories were Eiichiro Oda’s favorite setting, but as a young mangaka, he dabbled with a variety of settings and stories. From samurai to cannibals, he brought different things to life in his creations. So, here are Eiichiro Oda’s 6 timeless masterpieces that should be on everyOne Piecefan’s ‘to be read’ list!
6Romance Dawn, Version 1
Romance Dawn, Version 1is the first draft ofOne Piece, an alternate beginning for the story. Many elements in the one-shot are the same as how the story originated inOne Piece. However, there are some differences thatEiichiro Odadecided to not put into the main story.
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Reading the first draft of the story, one realizes that even though many elements changed along the way, the core idea ofOne Piecewas always the same in Oda’s head. Luffy’s personality was straightforward and silly; his story was always going to be a grand adventure.
5Romance Dawn, Version 2
Released shortly after the first version,Romance Dawn, Version 2has some key differences fromOne Piece. Instead of Shanks, the person who pushed Luffy to become a pirate was Garp. This was an attempt to conceal Shanks’ presence in the main story. Contrary to his disdain for pirates inOne Piece, being a pirate himself is rather ironic for Garp.
However, the one-shot is pretty impactful emotionally. Oda might have aimed straight for the readers’ hearts with the scene of young Luffy breaking down into tears.
4God’s Gift for the Future
God’s Gift for the Futureis the story of a character called Bran. With a chronic habit of picking pockets, God is tired of his dishonest antics. So he decides to write Bran’s death by a meteorite with the Pen of Fate. By misspelling Bran as Branchi, the meteorite is now aimed at a supermarket. God descends on Earth to meet Bran, who is now responsible for saving hundreds of people in the supermarket!
The way Bran is written, it gives us a glimpse of Oda’s ability to write compelling characters with only a few pages at his disposal. The story is also set in the modern world, which is vastly different from the fantasy setting Oda has become a master of.
Recently adapted intoan anime,Monstersis the story of Ryuma fromOne Piece, which makes it the only one-shot that is canon to the main story. During Thriller Bark, we get introduced to Ryuma. InMonsters, Ryuma is an idealistic protagonist who is different from all other protagonists written by Eiichiro Oda.
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Most of his other protagonists are somewhat bizarre and easygoing, but have a streak of unwavering dedication towards their goals. Whereas Ryuma is a Samurai, who takes his title very seriously. He has a set of rules he abides by under all circumstances.
Wanted!is Eiichiro Oda’s first one-shot, and arguably the most fun one as well. It has cowboys, bounty hunters, and ghosts! The main character is a self-assured and interesting character to follow. His wit and charm are his strongest suits, but not all that there is to him. From the description alone, one can make out the concepts that made it toOne Piece.
All of Oda’s one-shots have also been combined under the same title,Wanted!. The one-shot was published in 1993 and won Oda the second position in the Tezuka Award.
1Ikki Yakō
Ikki Yakōis a story about a monk who sets out to look for his master. He stops by a village, and being a monk, the villagers ask him for his help to exterminate a monster. Scared by the monster, the monk decides to leave the village as soon as he can. But on his way out, the real monster attacks him. With a significant difference in strength, the monster is the answer to all the monk’s questions.
The monk, Guko, is reminiscent of Zoro. Beyond what we see in the one-shot,Ikki Yakōhas a lot that can be fleshed out further. Yet, as an experience, the story feels very complete because of the set-up and its excellent execution.
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Oda ended all of his one-shots by giving us a peek into the future about the future of the characters. For instance, the monk fromIkki Yakocontinued to exterminate monsters and was known for wielding a sword. Similarly, he didn’t put an end to any of their stories and briefly mentioned their future and what they’re up to.
It’s similar to how Oda always has something to add to every character’s life inOne Piece. It might be Oda’s way of conveying that ‘the show does go on!’ (even beyond the limited pages).
Wanted!is the compilation of all the one-shots by Eiichiro Oda and is available on the Viz Media website.
Laveena Joshi
Anime Writer
Articles Published :926
Laveena is an anime content writer at FandomWire. Having written more than 800 articles, she’s an expert in mainstream shonen series, ranging from the bizarre world of JoJo’s to the expansive worldbuilding of One Piece.With her formal education in Journalism and Mass Communication, she explores entertainment journalism through the lens of anime and manga, from mainstream and classic titles to niche and obscure ones.
