‘One Piece’ Breaks Sales Records, Possible 2 Year Storyline Jump

Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece" is breaking yet another sales record in Japan. Volumes 57 through 59 of the hit pirate manga sold over two million copies, with 57 and 59 in particular moving over two million units in their first two weeks on sale. Last year, "One Piece" publisher Shueisha printed 2.85 million copies of volume 56, which also sold over a million units in its first week on sale. Now, Anime News Network reports on a survey that states that "One Piece" has sold over 20 million copies in 2010 alone. On top of that, "One Piece" sold fifteen million more copies than its closest competitor, Masashi Kishimoto's ninja manga "Naruto."

When you consider that a graphic novel needs to ship 100,000 copies to be considered a runaway success in the American comics industry, these numbers are staggering. But, that's not all.

After reaching commendable levels of popularity, Oda is taking a four week break from producing "One Piece." Anime Vice confirms that "One Piece" will not appear in "Shonen Jump" 39 through 42. Chapter 597 heralded the beginning of a brand new era for "One Piece," including a strong hint that a time skip, that staple of shonen manga, is coming soon. It's unlikely that the break will affect the popularity of the series, particularly when you consider that Oda and "One Piece" are riding high on recent release of the "One Piece: Strong World" feature film.