SBS Volume 31




 * D (Dokusha means Reader)
 * O (Oda)

Chapter 287, Page 44
'''O: BEGIIIIIIIIN THE SBS! (DON!)'''

Woohoo! I said it! I finally said it! Oh, I'm overcome with joy! I bet you all thought I'd given up on it lately, didn't you? Haha, well you're still too green. I was only looking for the perfect chance all along. Ahh... This feels great. You ain't gonna take this from me anymore! Come at me if you dare!

'''D: Oda-sensei, I've been wondering something as I watched One Piece. Why don't Luffy, Zoro or the others have armpit hair? I'm younger than Luffy and I've already got A JUNGLE DOWN THERE.'''

'''Seriously, why they don't have any? (tears)'''

-by Seriously, why?-

O: Is it really fine to draw them?

I mean, if that's what people want, I'll draw some thick bushes.

D: What do Zoro's new attack "X-Pound Cannon" mean?

-P.N. Mikan-

O: "12-pound cannon" and "24-pound cannon"attacks refer to cannons that can shoot cannonballs of those weights. 12 pounds might not sound like much, but the cannon needed to shoot them will need to weight over 1 ton. (1 pound = roughly 0.45kg).

What you shouldn't get them mixed up for is a fond de veau. That's something used in French cuisine.

(Note: Yes, Fond de veau is a Japanese pun pronunciation on "X-pondo hou," the spelling for "X-pound cannon." Even in Japanese, it's a stretch.)

Chapter 289, Page 86
'''D: Hello, Oda-sensei! I always read your manga with great pleasure.This might be sudden, but there's something I simply have to ask you. And that's about this picture right here. "Aww, isn't Chopper's surprised, round head so cute..." '''

'''WAIT, NO! My real question is... '''

'''"CHOPPER'S ANTLERS SHOULDN'T BE ATTACHED TO HIS HAT! THEY SHOULD BE ATTACHED TO HIS HEAD!" '''

Please tell me just what is going on with this image.

O: Ah, I got a mountain-load of letters about this, so let me just say to all of you...

NOT EVERYTHING SEEN BY THE EYES IS LITERAL TRUTH.

Basically, in this scene, Chopper was SO surprised that he felt even his antlers were about to jump out. That's what he was trying to convey to us by striking this pose. Maybe! It could be said... That this was his own... unique style of... Rock! Ok, next question.

'''D: In Chapter 284's cover page, you drew an adorable dog smoking a cigarette. Even if you are Oda-sensei, I cannot let this stand by! Are you trying to give this dog health problems?!'''

-P.N. Animal Rights Organization Member no. 17-

O: Oh... Clearly, we were quite careless about this matter... We are terribly sorry. I'll make sure I properly scold Sanji. That troublemaker!

Chapter 290, Page 106
'''D: Hello, Oda Eiichiro-san. Thanks for everything. I recently re-read One Piece over from the very first volume, and there was something that jumped at me. '''

'''THE SBS USED TO BE SERIOUS. '''

'''When did it become this mess of a corner it is now? Whose fault is it? I've been wondering so much about it that Gaimon-san won't stop growing (his son is worried, too) Help me! P.S. Did you know that there is a person inside Gachapin?'''

O: Hold up a second. Your P.S. is far more pressing than your real question.

GACHAPIN IS EXACTLY AS HE LOOKS.

There's no one inside of him so please don't lie. Incidentally, Gachapin's supposed to be a baby dinosaur while Mukku is an Abominable Snowman. Now, "baby dinosaur" is fine by me... but "abominable snowman"?

Oh come on, he's completely red!

A red abominable snowman in the white mountains?

TALK ABOUT BEING STARVED FOR ATTENTION. I LOVE MUKKU.

I guess Ponkikki (TV show that Gachapin and Mukku  are in) is what  Japanese children grow up watching these days. W hat was the question again? Oh right, the SBS. So why'd it become like this? Dunno, but it's not my fault for sure.

Chapter 293, Page 166
'''D: Hello, Oda-san! I would really, really, really like to see what "Nnke-kun" looks like, the partner of "Domo-kun" (Volume 2, p. 13) who's always trying to take over the world.'''

-by Chii-yan-

O: Oh, I see. You're talking about my two hidden characters from long ago. In One Piece "Blue", I mentioned that Domo-kun had a friend, so you must have gotten curious. Well, here they are! Domo-kun and Nnke-kun!! Clap clap clap!

I came up with these guys back in my highschool days. In my collection of "masterpieces" called "Wanted", these guys are hidden in the oneshot "God's Gift for the Future". Since I've introduced them here, I might just slip them in for future chapters, haha.

(Left: Domo-kun. Right: Nnke-kun.)

D: Is the Almighty God Enel wearing a rubber swimming cap on his head?

O: ...Uh huh, sure (lazy answer).

Oh wait-

There's no rubber on the Sky Islands.

Umm... it's made out of cloth. (super lazy answer)

'''D: Hello, Oda-sensei. In the right corner of the first panel in Volume 26, page 54, is that the normally nonchalant Zoro  diving into the sea cloud? '''

He really must've wanted to dive in there!

-by Toro-

O: Yeah, what an idiot.

Chapter 294, Page 186
'''D: Hello, my name is Akihiko. You must have gotten a ton of letters saying you made a mistake about the battle scene around volume 28, p. 155, right? Since I know you're very busy, I came up with an explanation of my own. Basically, during the "Surprise Dial Illusion," Hotori and Kotori's necks must have also spun around and around, right?! Yes, now it all makes sense...'''

O: Ohhh! Akihiko! You're such a greeaaaat guy! Yes, I got a lot of letters pointing out this scene to me Somehow, even I mixed up the which dial was on which hand for these two (sorry). When I noticed, I worried over what I should do and decided to just ignore it for now (HEY!), but then your letter came along. I'm shedding tears of joy. Thank you, Akihiko. Good job! Well, you heard the explanation, folks! That's what happened! (HEY!)

'''D: Nice to meet you, Oda-sensei! There's something I've been wondering about as I watched One Piece and it's about that guy. Pandaman! He seems to appear in the anime during the same scenes as the manga. Did you have to tell the staff in which scenes he's in?'''

O: No, no, I've never told them even once. He even shows up in places where I didn't draw him. It's just the animators having some fun. I told the voice actors to have fun and ad-lib some lines if they feel like it. Generally, aside from important, serious scenes, I don't mind them having fun with the work and playing around because the viewers will be able to feel that sense of fun too.

That's it for the SBS, see you next volume!