The Love and Dedication of the One-Piece Fandom

    Since 1997, One-Piece has conveyed themes of freedom, adventure, and rebellion to the show's fans, resonating with them as they watch Luffy's journey to become king of the pirates. Although some fans exclusively watch or read the story, a large online fandom has developed around the series. This fandom expresses their love and dedication by creating theories and fanart, as well as discussing the story on social media. The One-Piece fan community continues to actively engage and expand the world that Eiichiro Oda created.

    Have you ever made predictions about where the One-Piece treasure is located? Well, Fan theories within the One-Piece fandom are communicated between the fans, sharing their interpretations of the anime's hidden messages. While some theories may cause some quarrels, they never escalate to extremes where the community picks sides and fights each other (Knight, 2015, para 2). Fans who are new to the fandom have no reason to feel nervous about sharing their opinions with the community, as they remain unified despite disagreements. An example of one of these possibly controversial theories is the red line theory. Some fans have speculated that the mysterious One-Piece treasure is an ancient treasure that Luffy will use to destroy the Red Line (MadManMai, 2017, para. 2). This theory is one of many interpretations the One-Piece fandom has constructed, showcasing their analytical skills. Creating fan theories not only requires analysis, but also creativity, and this fandom does not fall short on either. 

Figure 1

Luffy and Ace in Marineford

    Creating and sharing fan art is another way One-Piece fans contribute to their community, each art work providing a way to connect with other members of the fandom. There is a large collection of fan art that can be found on Pinterest, titled "Gallery of Ohara." This profile organizes the fandom's art into categories like artist, arc, character, and scenery (Oharagallery n.d.). The fan-created gallery highlights talent within the fandom, making their illustrations easily accessible. One-Piece fans lift each other up, supporting the work created within the community. Not only does the collection of fan art convey the connections within this fan community, the art itself depicts this bond. Onisakiyoruka (2011) re-illustrated a scene from the Marineford arc, specifically the scene of Luffy and Ace fighting the marines (see figure 1). The artist demonstrates their connection to the emotional parts of One-Piece, since Marineford is one of the sadder arcs of the show. The online presence of this fandom is not limited to Pinterest, however, as fans can be found across many social media platforms.

Figure 2

Agenda Piece Meme

    While some fans interact through fan theories, and others interact through their art, altogether the One-Piece fandom can be seen all over the internet. The most common sites this fandom utilizes are Reddit, TikTok, Tumblr, and Twitter (X). Ylva Biri (2023) performed a study about the online fandom participation of the One-Piece Community, noting that fans tend to share their love and excitement on Tumblr and Twitter, while Reddit posts are more discussion based (p. 77). This fandom is not solely defined by analysis or creativity, but by fans' love and excitement for the story. There is a site for any fan to participate, whether they want to discuss the story or their anticipation. Another way fans participate online is inside jokes and memes. Agenda Piece is a sarcastic nickname the fandom uses online to debate which One-Piece character is the strongest (Know Your Meme, 2022, para. 1). An example of an Agenda Piece post is given by Cautious_Slice_6618, who posted a screencap on Reddit of Gol D. Rodger running away from lighting, calling him a fraud (2026) (see figure 3). Fans participating in the fandom are not all seriously analyzing every moment, they also have fun in the process.