CONTAINS ONE FAMOUS SPOILER AROUND CHAPTERS 550-600

First of all, I tip my hat to the genius Eiichiro Oda and his clever assistants for creating this on-going masterpiece. I can't believe we're 903 chapters in and still going strong without a drop in quality. That point is exactly why I think One Piece is the greatest long-running series of all time. Let me explain why:

A lot of people judge One Piece ostensibly and think of it as no more than a generic battle Shōnen, but they're wrong. I used to be the same. I judged it based on its childish art and thought it was a mere children's pirate story, but once I started it, I gradually got more and more interested in the series, and I would never have known it would be this sagaciously crafted piece of art. It truly awed me every time I underestimated it. I'd get more and more dumbfounded after each arc, and when I got caught up to the manga, I was amazed at how all this was laid out, even now.

One Piece is a pirate story in a nautical setting. It's about a 17-year-old boy aiming to be the King of the Pirates. Simple, right? I don't think so. That description is pretty underwhelming by all means for an enormous world as fleshed out as this. The intricately detailed world-building, from the unique and well-placed geography, the lively characters that occupy that geography, the profound backstories that make up who they are, the grounds on which they are afoot, the seas on which they sail, and to the dark history that encompasses the paradoxically lopsided universe of One Piece, is wholly splendorous. I believe the thing that One Piece emphasizes the most throughout what we've seen, the recurring theme of this series is none other than ... simple freedom, such is the protagonist's main goal. Freedom is an abstract concept. It is palpably deep, yet it's so simple. That very thought speaks volumes of the core that makes up Luffy, the man who aspires to be the Pirate King who is driven by his immense desire for freedom ... the very freedom that took his late brother's life away. One would think that would crush Luffy's inextinguishable enthusiasm towards attaining his final quest, yet it only added fuel to the fire. Luffy is inspired by the triumphs of the Pirate King, his potential predecessor, though he does not wish to follow in his footsteps. He is his own man; ironically, he does not want to be someone important either, nor does he think of himself as someone special. He simply sees becoming the Pirate King as the only way toward attaining true freedom. Luffy has vowed to return his treasured Straw Hat to its original owner, Shanks, only when he believes he is great enough to do so, and he has also vowed himself to his end goal.

One Piece's story is very well above the standards of a typical battle Shōnen story. It does not fall in the pit of discarding characters that could be of some use in the story, nor does it belittle the consequences of the critical decisions made by the Straw Hats or any other character. Defeat is a thing! It does not make light of character deaths, but it also isn't overly depressing. Happiness, love, and freedom can be starkly juxtaposed with bleak, depressing and disturbing themes at times. One Piece doesn't always take itself seriously, but when it does, you sense an uplifting and strong transition to a much more serious tone, and these sudden transitions can be one of the most satisfying things in the series. It tackles a lot of real-world problems that may or may not have come to pass, such as slavery, racism, oppression, corruption, poverty, sexism and even more. Every character gets its due exposure, and a lot of the characters have amazing character designs that add to their overall appeal. Character development is well-done, and it's appended into the story at the right times. The bonds of the Straw Hat crew and their interactions are an amazing sight to see. The more you read/watch this series, the more attached you get to them, and I mean: Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

One Piece also has an amazing surprise element that resonates with the many plot twists it has, and I think it does this best. The paneling is arguably the greatest in manga, even toppling Toriyama's exceptional skill at it, as far as I'm concerned. If you want eye candy, then Oda most certainly has one of the most bizarre, but keen understandings of aesthetics, and you won't go wrong with the art either since it's really consistent. A lot of the villains are written in a masterful manner with the exception of a few. The build-up is gradual, and the more you progress by reading this series, the more absorbed and engrossed you get. Every arc feels like it serves a purpose, and it's not just there for show. Oda does an amazing job by linking short-term storytelling with the long-term. The powers, the power-scaling, and the power-balance of the One Piece world feel spot-on. One Piece is also filled to the brim with subtle hints, hidden meanings, foreshadowing, parallels, symbolism, and it derives a lot of inspirations from Greek Mythology and other innumerable real-world myths, thusly becoming a godsend haven for anime theorists, and even though we have gotten a lot of revelations, we still have so many more things left to be uncovered.

Not many people acknowledge how extremely hard it is to maintain a long-term story, connect all the dots eventually, link the plot points, and keep the receiving audience interested. This story hasn't lost momentum and I doubt it ever will.