Updated August 3, 2023 by Noel Vermen
Did you ever notice how Usopp’s lies become reality one after another?
Or did you know that Oda revealed in an SBS how BIG his SWORD is?!
If not, then here are 32 secrets you probably didn’t know about One Piece!
Before we begin, in case you haven’t caught up, there will be spoilers ahead! Also, if you want to catch up with One Piece, maybe our watch order might help!
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32 ONE PIECE FACTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED!
1. GOD USOPP
So, let’s start with the most powerful man, the MYTH, the LEGEND… ‘GOD’ Usopp.
If you take out the double P in Usopp’s name this will give us the Japanese word “USO,” which means to LIE… coincidence? I think not!
One of Usopp’s epic lies was when he bragged about chopping up a giant goldfish and serving it to the “little people.” (Manga Chapter 24)
A few chapters later… We saw that giant goldfish in Little Garden. During the Dressrosa arc it turned out true that the little people he mentioned do eat the giant fish. (Manga Chapter 713)
The goldfish is not the only giant LIE that came true; we also witnessed the Cerberus in Thriller Bark and the Dragon in Punk Hazard.
There is one lie that I wished had come true though, and it was when Usopp tried to comfort his sick mom by saying, “There’s a legendary medicine! It can cure any sickness!” (Episode 17)
Sadly, at that time, there was no such medicine to cure Usopp’s mother. But we all know that this will soon come true because it is Chopper’s dream – to become a doctor that can cure everything!
2. Chopper’s Original Design
However, did you know that our cuddly doctor isn’t as cuddly as you might think?
Chopper’s original design looks like this:
Oda originally planned for Chopper to be a long-necked reindeer with umm… a zebra gene? Plus he also has a hardcore habit of smoking.
Damn, Doc, that ain’t healthy at all!
In case you’re looking for the best furry anime, you better check out our recommendations.
3. Bartholomew Kuma’s Original Design
Aside from our friendly doctor, Kuma’s early design looks a lot more like pirate cyberpunk.
If you look closely at Kuma’s head, there’s a ship wheel sticking out of it, which kinda looks like a mohawk… rock ‘n’ roll baby!
It seems like Oda liked the idea and reused the design for the Golden Lion… Shiki!
4. Gecko Moria’s Original Design
Kuma is not only the warlord who has early concepts… Gecko Moria’s original character design is very interesting, and I kinda like it, btw.
Moria wasn’t supposed to be a giant, gothic-looking bowling pin. The original design was for him to be a priest with an evil split personality.
I really liked the split personality theme, it always adds a mysterious vibe, you know what I mean? Kinda like Marvel’s Moon Knight or the movie “Split.”
5. Crocodile’s Original Design
Talking about personality, Crocodile’s character trait was meant to be different…
His appearance remained the same, but originally he would constantly ask people riddles, which seems like a reference to the Sphinx from Oedipus.
As if that wasn’t enough, his hook was even shaped like a question mark.
Now, I’ve been wondering if Luffy might find himself not just having a tough time-fighting Crocodile, but also grappling with answering those riddles…
6. Yamato’s Side b**b
Now I just remembered something weird…
In SBS 99, question number 12, you won’t believe what this fan dared to ask Oda-sensei: they requested a drawing of Yamato’s side boob as a human!
Yamato’s side — what the hell is wrong with you people?!
If you’re expecting something… “spicy.” Our classic sensei gave us this…
7. Zoro’s Swords
Setting aside Yamato… have you ever imagined what Zoro’s swords might look like if they ate the Hito-Hito Nomi?
Turns out, they might not be as gorgeous as you’d expect. In fact, it seems like they are much more aesthetically pleasing in their sword form.
They kinda remind me of Ed, Edd, and Eddy
8. Boa Hancock
Okay enough with the weird-looking drawings, and let’s continue the conversation with the most beautiful woman… Boa Hancock.
The question is… do you have any idea what our pirate empress’s measurements are? Maybe Luffy knows it!
Oda already gave us the answer… Her bust size measures 111, her waist size is 61, and her hip size comes in at 91.
You won’t believe that in SBS 58 it was confirmed that Hancock was a J-cup! Yeah, that’s right, she had a bigger bust size than Nami and Robin before the timeskip. Oooh back pain alert!
9. Boa’s Last name
Ever wondered where the heck Oda got Boa’s last name from?
It turns out it dates back to the 19th century from a British engineer named Thomas Hancock. This dude played a major role in kick starting Britain’s rubber industry.
Hancock? Rubber? Luffy? Oda definitely knows how to make a good reference.
10. Number 56
Since I brought up Luffy, have you ever noticed the connection between our future Pirate King and number 56?
You know how Oda loves his Japanese wordplay, right? Well, check this out: the number five sounds “GO,” and the number six can be read as “MU.” When you put them together… GOMU GOMU NO!!!
11. Luffy’s Final Bounty
Some fans have been speculating that this could be a hint about Luffy’s final bounty, which could potentially reach 5.6 billion berries.
While Roger’s bounty was confirmed to be 5.5 billion, Luffy ending up with 5.6 billion berries surpassing the Pirate King would make sense!
12. Katakuri
Now, let’s have a quick chit-chat with one of Luffy’s toughest opponents… Katakuri.
His devil fruit was initially intended to be the kona kona no mi, or the flour-flour fruit! But then Oda was like, “Nah, let’s go with mochi instead!” This is a smart decision because mochi has a lot more creative properties than flour.
Seriously, what would you even do with flour? Just sprinkle it on Luffy until he suffocates?
Oh, wait, I think that works as well…
13. Oda’s Sword!
So, I’ve been reading a lot of SBS, and I found something funny in Volume 90…
A fan mentioned that after Luffy defeated Katakuri, Luffy covered Katakuri’s mouth with his hat. The fan then stated that whenever they came across a “naked Oda sleeping on the side of the road, they would cover Oda’s “proof of manhood” with a hat!
Oda confirmed that it had actually happened, admitting to occasionally sleeping naked on the side of the road.
Then Oda asked, “But can you really hide it? My ‘proof of manhood‘ with a hat?”
Damn, that’s funny… What a LEGEND!!!
14. Garp vs. Katakuri
Anyway, remember when Garp stayed awake for five days straight to break the record for eating the most donuts?
He ate 842 DONUTS! Well, hello diabetes!
But who holds the highest record?
Well, it’s no surprise that Katakuri takes the crown, given his love for donuts. In fact, he ate them so frequently that his mouth artificially expanded!
However, I think that it’s Akainu who truly deserves the title when it comes to donuts…
Damn that’s kinda dark… well to brighten the mood a little bit, what if I tell you that there is a theory that Ace might be brought back to life!
15. One Piece Commercials
I know you’re probably already craving some donuts right now, but the bad news is we’re not done yet.
Have you ever come across any weird anime commercials?
One Piece had one of those commercials too, set in a modern-day Japanese high school. It’s really fun to watch because it’s incredibly well-animated.
The funny thing is, even though we have the internet, I still find myself waiting for that commercial to appear on TV.
Do you remember now? Yeah, that’s the commercial for instant noodles.
16. Perona
We all know that Boa Hancock isn’t the only gorgeous lady in town. One of the most famous pretty ladies on our list is Perona.
She may have been introduced as a villain and spooky in a way, but she became popular because she’s cute!
Even the most beautiful woman in One Piece got jealous of Perona, by the way. Oh, snap, I just remembered that movie was not canon! Still, just saying!
Speaking of movies, in case you’re looking for a good One Piece movie to watch and don’t know where to start, check out our One Piece movies watch order!
17. Yamato Nadeshiko
Another lady on our list is “Oden!” or should I say Yamato!
In Japan, there’s a term called “Yamato Nadeshiko” which represents the ideal feminine qualities.
While Yamato is the complete opposite! Not only does she rebel against her father, Kaido, but she actually identifies herself as a man.
18. Yamato and Oscar
Also, fans have noticed similarities between Yamato and Oscar from another anime “Rose of Versailles.”
Have you watched that? Damn, they say it’s a classic. Maybe we should add it to your anime bucket lists.
So, like Yamato, Oscar was female at birth but took on the identity of a man.
Interestingly, just before Yamato’s introduction, Oda mentioned reading “Rose of Versailles” and being surprised by Oscar’s true gender.
19. Spandam
Oda-sensei really loves to draw inspiration from real people.
One of them is the former commanding officer of CP9 and CP5, Spandam. (Yeah that son of a bi–)
Did you know that he was actually based on a famous WWE wrestler, Mankind?
20. Whitebeard
Also, characters like Blackbeard and Whitebeard, they’re actually based on a real-life pirate named Edward Teach aka “Blackbeard.”
Let us first talk about the former Emperor, Edward Newgate “Whitebeard”
I know you’re probably thinking, “Why is he called Whitebeard when he only has a mustache?”
You can blame the English translation for that one!
Whitebeard’s Japanese name is Shirohige. “Shiro” means white and “hige” is a word they use for any kind of facial hair.
Did you know that there’s a character that looks exactly like Whitebeard? Yes, that character is none other than Weevil… fans have been speculating: is it true that Weevil is Whitebeard’s son or his clone?!
21. Blackbeard
Now, let’s have a chat about the treacherous bastard, Marshall D. Teach.
The real “Blackbeard” or Edward Teach was notorious for lighting his beard with matches to give himself a more “sinister” appeal.
The thing is… when he lights up those matches and places them in his beard, does his beard get burned? Does he ever run out of beard?
Don’t tell me his beard is fireproof huh?, or I’ll smack your asses!
Also, I’ve been thinking if you’re aware that there’s a theory that Blackbeard is the son of Xebec?
22. Tori & Maki
Oh, by the way, have you noticed these two ladies hanging around with Blackbeard? They are called Tori and Maki, and when you combine their names, you get Torimaki.
In Japanese, this translates to “gold digger.”
I told you, Oda loves playing with words!!!
23. The Admirals
Aside from well-known pirates, Oda also took inspiration from actors.
All the admirals shown so far are based upon famous Japanese actors and are drawn to resemble them.
The original three admirals are based on:
Yusaku Matsuda
Kunie Tanaka
Bunta Sugawara.
Meanwhile, the new admirals include
Fujitora, which is based on Shintaro Katsu. (Which is my favorite by the way)
Ryokugyu, who takes after Yoshio Harada.
24. Emporio Ivankov
Another character that is based on a real actor is Emporio Ivankov.
Ivankov is famous for looking like Dr. Frank N Furter from the film Rocky Horror Picture Show but Oda revealed that Ivankov is actually based on Japanese actor Norio Imamura who was the original voice actor for the character before he resigned due to personal controversies.
25. The Number 6582
Another interesting fact about Ivankov is his prisoner identification number 6582.
While number 6582 is the scientific gene identification number for humans.
This connection becomes clear when you consider Ivankov’s devil fruit, the Horu-Horu no Mi. In English it means “Hormone.”
26. Drake
Ivankov is not the only character whose name involves numbers; another example is Drake!
Like the others, I usually pronounce his name as X Drake (Eks Drake) which I honestly don’t see any logic at all until I figured out that…
I’m reading it the wrong way! It’s not supposed to be read as “X DRAKE” but “DIEZ DRAKE”.
X is a Roman numeral for 10 and the number 10 is called Diez in Spanish.
27. Mythical Zoan
Do you remember the first two badass Mythical Zoan fruits that were introduced in the Marineford arc?
We had Marco’s Phoenix fruit, and also former fleet admiral Sengoku’s Golden Buddha.
Now during the Wano arc, in case you didn’t notice, six of them were revealed.
The Yamata no Orochi, the Hito-Hito no mi: Onyudo fruit (which is basically a large monk yokai)
Catarina Devon’s Nine-tailed fox fruit, and Yamato’s wolf deity fruit.
Kaido’s Mythical fish fruit, and my favorite… Luffy’s Nika fruit!
This kinda reminds me of a theory about Monkey D. Dragon’s Devil fruit!
Oh, I almost forgot! There’s also Stronger, who was revealed during the Egghead Island arc and possesses the mythical Pegasus fruit.
28. Kumamoto City
It’s not a secret that Oda hails from Kumamoto city.
Back in 2016, when a devastating earthquake struck the city, Oda didn’t hesitate to make a substantial donation to support its reconstruction.
As a result, magnificent life-size Bronze Statues of all 10 Straw Hat pirates were created.
These statues are a must-see for die-hard fans! I guess I should start saving some money.
29. Doflamingo
Do you have any clue where the heck Doflamingo’s family name even comes from?
The name comes from a Spanish story called “El Ingenioso Hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha.”
Thank the lord I took Spanish classes. Wait, I didn’t take any Spanish classes
While his first name, Doflamingo, comes from the pink feathers he wears, which, of course, resemble those of a flamingo.
Yet, according to some fans, Doflamingo’s name might be based on a well-known chain of department stores in Japan called “Don Quijote.” In case you didn’t know… are you aware that Doflamingo is a Celestial Dragon?
It’s possible because it aligns with Doflamingo’s role in the story, as he sells smile fruits!
30. Oda’s Favorite Smile Users
Speak of the devil… SMILES.
Have you ever thought about Oda’s favorite Smile users?
In SBS 99 Oda revealed his top 3 Smile users: Speed, Hamlet, and especially Holed’em.
Holed’em was inspired by a robot with a lion face on its chest from an anime called “Future Robot Daltanious.” Oda was a big fan of this anime which was actually the reason for the creation of the Smile fruit.
31. Panda Man
You may have noticed him, or you may not…
Panda Man is one of the most prominent easter eggs in One Piece.
Panda Man can be seen in almost every arc!
Aside from the Amazon Lily since no men are allowed on the island. Instead, a character named Panda Woman appears in his place!
Guess what’s more panda-tastic?
I mean, what is the reason for Panda Man’s existence?
Panda Man was actually created as part of a wacky character creation contest for the manga Kinnikuman, aka Ultimate Muscle in English!
32. Luffy’s Scar
Oda is not just a master of easter eggs but also a god of foreshadowing, and there are plenty of examples.
One of my favorites, even though it’s from a filler episode, is when Zoro gave Luffy an X-shaped scar on his chest.
Fast forward Luffy received a scar from Akainu during the Marineford arc.
Conclusion:
Zoro may have given Luffy a badass scar in that filler episode, but have you ever wondered who gave Zoro the scar on his left eye? And what kind of monster do you think resides within it?
