Pirate adventure anime One Piece is nearing an important milestone in the franchise. The series is drawing close to its 1000th episode and Toei Animation is celebrating with an incredible teaser poster that showcases an epic fighting scene.
The teaser art features an enormous and threatening Kaido, the general of the Beast Pirates, pitted up against an angry Luffy. Kaidou is more than double the size of Luffy, but Luffy could not seem less intimidated by the monstrous beast in front of him. More special announcements are expected as the premiere of the 1000th episode of One Piece nears its November 14th debut date.
RELATED: The 10 Longest Running Anime (That Are Popular In The West)
The episode will continue the intense battle on Onigashima between the Straw Hats and Beast Pirates. Interestingly, fans of the One Piece anime are aware that this intense battle between the characters should take place after the 1000th episode, so it remains unclear whether this scene will be in the episode or if the episode will lead up to it. Fans of the manga know that the fight between Fluffy and Kaidou is the climactic point and the most fierce battle of the season.
Reaching 1000 episodes is only one of many accomplishments the One Piece franchise has reached, with the manga publishing its 1000th chapter and its 100th volume this past year. Other celebrations have also been underway both from Toei Animation and One Piece in the lead-up to the 1000th episode. Celebrations have included global character rankings, special video series like "WE ARE ONE," and the announcement of the exciting upcoming half-live-action half-animated One Piece movie, produced by the manga creator Eiichiro Oda.
One Piece, created by Oda, has been a continuously popular manga for nearly 25 years. With the popularity of the anime in 1999, the anime and manga both remain highly rated. However, with the manga entering its 100th volume, it was subsequently announced that the volume would be the final stage of the series. The manga and anime series will be coming to a conclusion within the next few years. It is uncertain if the series will continue after that point with other projects such as the live-action One Piece series.
The gruesome war between the Straw Hats and the Beast Pirates is reaching a new intensity. Who will win the battle? All episodes of One Piece can be watched on Crunchyroll.
Watch out for the premiere of the 1000th episode of One Piece on November 14th, 2021.
MORE: 14 Greatest Sci-Fi Anime Of All Time
Source: Toei Animation/Twitter