One Piece Day Date in the current year: July 22, 2025

One Piece is a Japanese manga series that follows the adventures of the young pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his ragtag crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, who are searching for One Piece, a mythical treasure that would allow Luffy to become the next King of the Pirates. As the series progresses, his crew grows, and he encounters other pirates, secret agents, bounty hunters, and various friends and foes.

The series is set in a fictional universe called the Blue Planet, which is inhabited by humans and other races, such as dwarves, giants, merfolk, fishmen, and others. Many characters possess special abilities acquired by eating Devil Fruits. For example, Luffy’s body has the properties of rubber.

One Piece was created by manga artist Eiichiro Oda, who became interested in pirates at an early age after watching the animated series Vicky the Viking. Oda began writing what would become One Piece at age 21 while working as an assistant manga artist. He first wrote a one-shot titled Romance Dawn, featuring Luffy and elements that he would later carry over to the main series.

Oda then pitched One Piece as a serialized manga to the magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump. The magazine rejected it three times before agreeing to publish the series because its success was uncertain. The first chapter of One Piece was published on July 22, 1997.

Fortunately, Weekly Shōnen Jump’s fears proved unfounded; since its release, One Piece has received praise for its world-building, storytelling, characterization, humor, and art. Critics and readers alike have referred to it as one of the best manga series of all time. It is also the best-selling Japanese manga series and the world’s best-selling comic printed in a traditional book format.

One Piece became a media franchise in October 1999 when Toei Animation released an anime series based on the manga. As of July 2025, both the manga and anime are still in production. The manga has 112 published tankobon volumes, and the anime series has more than 1,130 episodes. The franchise also includes an animated film released in 2000, a Netflix series released in 2023, video games, and associated merchandise. As of 2025, the television series has been renewed for a second season, which is scheduled to premiere in 2026.

In 2017, the Japan Anniversary Association officially designated July 22 as One Piece Day in honor of the manga’s 20th anniversary. This holiday is typically celebrated with a livestream featuring announcements about the franchise’s future.

Since 2022, an eponymous convention has been held in Tokyo in honor of One Piece Day. However, the event is not held on July 22; it usually takes place about two weeks later, in early August. Like most fan conventions, One Piece Day features exhibit halls, main stage events, contests and competitions, meet-and-greets, a shopping zone, and more.