SBS Volume 15

'''D: Ei-chan!! I'll tell you the secret of "Tenpura". It's Portuguese. There's absolutely no meaning to it. The Japanese in olden days simply wrote things down the way they heard the Portuguese say it. They just substituted the characters. If there's anything else you don't understand, don't hesitate to ask! from Knowledgeable Himeko in Yamaguchi'''

O: Wow. Knowledgeable Himeko knows a lot!! Okay, then I have a question for you, Knowledgeable Himeko. Why is it that in page 51 of Volume 1, in that extremely important scene, that the three lines on Shanks' pirate flag were forg... not there? Was it too much of a pain to... is there a deep reason why it wasn't redrawn despite all the readers pointing it out? I got it!! It's a message to all the boys and girls saying to go out on a voyage to heal those three scars!! Right?! No, I'm sorry. I forgot... Okay, everyone!! Get out your pens, it's retouching time! I know I make millions of errors, but this is one that I really can't let slide.

'''D: This is a question. On Volume 12, page 31, what is that "sailing ceremony" they do?'''

O: What they did was take their feet and crack open a barrel of beer to celebrate their entrance into the Grand Line. You could call it a "One Piece Entrance Ceremony". I wanted to draw some more about it, but I really wanted to call the 100th chapter "The Legend has Begun", so I was in a hurry. Pretty cool, huh?

About the "sailing ceremony".


 * After the ship is being built, there is a "building ceremony".
 * Once the ship is fully built, there is a "completion ceremony".
 * And when it finally goes to sea, there is a grand "sailing ceremony".

In other words, the "sailing ceremony" is the biggest and most exciting celebration of the birth of a ship. To celebrate, the would break a bottle of liquor on the bow of the ship, and if the bottle didn't break, that ship was cursed with bad luck, so the person who breaks in has to be really sure they can do it. I have that in Viking "sailing ceremonies" they spilled blood on the ship. Yikes.

Kaya: It's finished! -> yah!

'''D: Oda-sensei!! I've been thinking about this a lot... what are Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp and Sanji's birthdays? Tell us!!'''

O: I've gotten a lot of these questions, so I'll answer it now.


 * Luffy -> May 5th


 * Zoro -> November 11th


 * Nami -> July 3rd


 * Usopp -> April 1st


 * Sanji -> March 2nd

D: DO THINK THERE REALLY ARE SUCH THINGS AS KAPPAS?

O: YES, THERE ARE. LOTS AND LOTS OF THEM. YES.

(Note: Kappa, a monster in Japanese folktales. I can't remember much about them, but they live in ponds, and the tops of their heads look like lilypads.)

'''D: When I watched the One Piece anime, at the same part of Volume 7, Chapter 57, "Dreams Have a Reason" it says the reason Zeff lost his leg got torn off in the shipwreck... did they change that in consideration of the young children watching the show?'''

O: Yes. Hearing "eat your own leg" in that episode would be too much of a shock for young children. When you consider that a medium such as television has tens of millions of viewers, to neglect such a consideration would be a terrible mistake. It's amazing that all those animators can continue to create such wonderful shows while still thinking about these things all the time!! If you can feel the love when you watch the show, everyone please send fan letters to Toei Animation. It'll cheer everyone up there.

'''D: I just wanna say this to Mr. 8!! You're a disgrace to the saxophone!! What's with that posture?! Your embouchure isn't sounding!! And at least wear a strap!! Think about what I said!! Now go!! (by the head of the Brass Instruments Department)'''

O: Yeah, yeah! Yeah. He's not sounding it! His em... embousho... chure thing!! And his stri... rap. He really is a disgrace to the saxophone!! You tell him, right to his face!! Help me, Knowledgeable Himeko!

D: Oda-senseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, I looooooooooove you Oda-senseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee marry meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and if not answer my questioooooooooooooooooooon okay first of all, Gold Roger and Red-Hair Shanks seem pretty tough, but what aaaaaaaaare the bounties placed on their heaaaaaaaaads and another question will you marry meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

O: "ODA FLYING CROSS CHOP"!!!! "KAPOW!!" THE SBS IS OVER!! SEE YOU NEXT VOLUME!! YAAAH!!!