『Bakaa!!!』

“The water is alive. Once you dive in, it will immediately bare its fangs and attack. But, there’s nothing to fear. […] All I want is to feel the water. With my skin, my eyes, my soul… To never doubt what it makes me feel. Believe in myself. Don’t resist the water. Welcome it. We accept one another.”

One of the most impressive things about One Piece is Oda’s ability to consistently keep his story interconnected. He doesn’t just bring back old characters, he works people, places, and ideas into the manga well in advance, often reaching across hundreds of chapters. The collected parts here are far from everything. Whether it was Whitebeard’s first mention back in volume 18, written 9 entire years before his center position in the war of Marineford, or the prophecy that Luffy will destroy Fishman Island and the future importance of Noah, Oda has done an incredible job of building his world, connecting it together, and ensuring we always have things to look forward to.