A couple of days ago, One Piece celebrated a huge milestone (the manga sold over 600 million copies) with a crazy publicity stunt. Series creator Eiichiro Oda first wrote down the biggest secret of his 29 years and counting epic, the nature of One Piece’s treasure. He then put that piece of paper in a sealed container that was thrown to the bottom of the Japanese Sea, 651 meters deep. “The truth will be far beyond anyone’s reach,” the stunt video states. But the statement may have to be retracted.
Within two days, people around the world analyzed the short two-minute video and found enough clues to narrow the treasure’s location to a small area of Sagami Bay, south of Kanagawa Prefecture in central Japan. Fans are gathering and starting to raise funds. In just 48 hours, what seemed like an absurd proposal is getting closer and closer to reality. Streamer IShowSpeed, who is a big fan of the series, has stated that he will try to find the treasure chest (and, of course, everything will be broadcast live). Surely it does not lack resources, and more motivated millionaires could soon join.
Eiichiro Oda has essentially started the Great Pirate Age in the real world. Like Gol D. Roger in Loguetown, he boldly declared, “My treasure? If you want it, you can have it!” I didn’t think people would really take this seriously, but I clearly underestimated the devotion of One Piece fans around the world. There’s a reason the series has become one of the best-selling works of literature of all time and an entertainment phenomenon so ingrained in the cultural zeitgeist. But was this a good idea?
Let’s imagine that a collective of fans or a resourceful individual like Speed or Mr. Beast finds the treasure chest. What happens then? I’m sure prominent public figures would keep it to themselves because they have no reason to share it, but can they guarantee that the secret doesn’t leak? Won’t they share it with their friends? Information often spreads beyond our predictions. It’s almost impossible to stay away from spoilers for the next chapter of one piece; If the real secret ever got out, it would spread like wildfire, ruining the end of the series. Those, like me, who have been following one piece For nearly 30 years it would be devastated.
In the worst case, some unscrupulous people could get the secret first. The contents of that little treasure chest are worth it. a lot of money. They could ask for a king’s ransom or simply hold the entire world of One Piece hostage. And could they be blamed? After all, this is a series about pirates, and as Luffy once said, “There’s no such thing as a dirty fight in a battle between pirates.” However, there are other concerns. This account on
It will be interesting to see if this will go down in history as a publicity stunt gone horribly wrong or if the secret of One Piece will rest safely at the bottom of the ocean. What is certain is that the series and its creator have managed to turn fantasy into reality. It’s a testament to One Piece’s lasting power to inspire people to follow their dreams, no matter how crazy they seem.
Soruce: polygon.com