'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABhAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAQQDAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAUABhESEzEyAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHEQADAAEDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMRAARBBRITITH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AKHTxKWg0fd60U0B5pqXauSyUKBkOPRgpaukko/Z8/fnLBrmvVaNeqUss/G0IEYIR7WrykNjg73GMJ+sSjbb7XyylTHwOisBlV4I0rtt5RmDLuQk4JV2U49ng6//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The second day of One Piece JUMP Festa Super Stage 2023, which took place on December 18, 2022, began with a virtual performance of Ado's songs by Uta. Then, for the first time, the voice actors for all ten Straw Hat Pirates appeared on stage together.
They read dialog from One Piece Film: Red, discussed their favorite scenes from the film, showed clips from a One Piece jodoroyo, interacted with the Knowledge King winner, and much more. Near the end of the show, they read mangaka Eiichiro Oda's message to JUMP Super Stage attendees, and one line, in particular, worried, if not terrified, fans.
The One Piece franchise has recently had a great run, with its films, anime episodes, and, of course, manga chapters receiving overwhelming love and support. While there are still great things to come, the death of a beloved character at this point might come as a shock because Oda's message seems to suggest as such.
A cryptic letter from the One Piece mangaka has caused concern among fans
What was Eiichiro Oda’s message to the fans?
Oda welcomed JUMP Festa attendees and stated that it had been a fantastic year, with the closure of the Wano arc, the tremendous popularity of One Piece Film: Red, and the success of the One Piece card game. Furthermore, he expressed surprise that, despite the fact that his manga series has been running for twenty-five years, many first-time readers are becoming fans of the franchise.
He also acknowledged that, despite his assertions that this is the final part of the story, things will not conclude right away. He assured fans that they can sit back and enjoy the series since it will not end abruptly.
He later revealed that One Piece Odyssey will be launched next year, following six years of development. He also disclosed that he is organizing stage events related to the manga and further stated that the rough edit for the first season of the Hollywood live-action series is ready.
He even added that he is the one who has been most concerned about this project, and even though there were numerous challenges during its development, the show will be great.
In regards to the manga, Oda announced that fans will see a confrontation between two individuals. Although he did not specify who they are, he called it an epic battle royale. Then in a cryptic manner, neither affirming nor denying, Oda added that he hopes no one dies in this conflict. He concluded the letter by saying that fans can expect nothing but the best from him next year.
Fan reaction to Oda’s message
Although Oda has not confirmed it, his message could be interpreted as an announcement of a prominent character’s death. Over the years, Oda has made fans care about even the most insignificant characters; thus any death, hero or villain, will have an impact on the readers. As soon as the message was read aloud, people began to speculate on who the character whose death was predicted might be.
The idea of a battle royale is exciting in and of itself. Some fans want to see a few deaths, but more importantly, they want Oda to stick to his decisions.
In the end, all fans of the manga will agree with the following Twitter post.
What else happened at the One Piece JUMP Festa Super Stage 2023?
Aside from Uta's performance at the start of the concert and the song by the voice actors at the end, there were various other events and announcements. One of the announcements was that the box office collection for One Piece Film: Red was 18.5 billion yen.
The voice actors then revealed that Uta will be making her appearance in NHK Red and White Song Battle, which will be the first time for a character. It was then reported that Brag-men, the One Piece fitness gymnasium, will open in Shibuya Modi, Tokyo from January 2023.
The voice actors presented two weights that will be available in the gym, one shaped like meat because it is Luffy's favorite food, and another shaped like Buggy.
They also informed the attendees that Thousand Sunny truck, which has previously visited twelve prefectures in Japan, will now visit all forty-seven. Also, a trailer for the RPG game One Piece Odyssey was also shown today. Characters including Whitebeard, Ace, Akainu, and Crocodile were included in the trailer, which focused on events that happened largely in and around the Marineford arc. The game will be launched on January 12, 2023.
Finally, today's event featured a panel from the upcoming manga chapter. Fans saw Luffy in his Gear 5 stage deliver a strong punch to Lucci. Fans have previously witnessed the two fighting on Egghead Island, where both the Straw Hat Pirates and CP0 are currently stationed. Luffy's tremendous blow has transformed Lucci's body into the shape of a peanut, according to the voice actors.
