Set sail with us on our greatest adventure yet...an exclusive interview with one of Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha’s most original manga creators—Eiichiro Oda, the creative mastermind behind One Piece! Read on to find out Eiichiro Oda’s influences, his surprising pick on which pirate crew he’d like to join, and much more!

Q: The world of One Piece has many different kinds of pirates with unique styles. How and when did you first think of the idea to write a manga about pirates?

EO: Ever since I was little, I liked pirates. As a child I really liked an anime series called Vicke the Little Viking. It was about a little kid who admires Vikings, and his dream is to become one of them when he grows up. As I did research on pirates for One Piece, I realized that Vikings are a type of pirate. I feel that it’s awesome to have friends on your team, just like in the Vicke series. It may not be the best comparison, but I feel like that series’ spirit is carried on within my work.

To read the rest of this interview in this week's SJ Alpha (March 19, 2012 issue)! For more members-only exclusives, become an SJ Alpha member today!

Related Links:
Eiichiro Oda Full Interview (coming soon!)
Eiichiro Oda Creator Sketch Video (coming soon!)
EXCLUSIVE: Eiichiro Oda Spotlight
EXCLUSIVE: Masashi Kishimoto Spotlight
EXCLUSIVE: Tite Kubo Spotlight

Interview by Misaki C. Kido (@Onnabancho_J)