The biggest lesson Eiichiro Oda-san taught me

The creator of One Piecce, the #1 Japanese Manga

Eiichiro Oda is one of the most celebrated Artist in Japan. He’s the man behind the number one manga ‘One Piece’. It’s a story about a young pirate named Monkey D. Luffy in his quest to find the hidden treasure left behind by the great Gol D. Roger. Gol was executed by the Marines when he was caught. Upon his death, a revolution to find the hidden treasure sparked.

At the age of 19, Oda-san worked as an assistant to Nobuhiro Watsuki the creator of Rurouni Kenshin or more famously known as Samurai X. After apprenticing to a couple more masters he began working on his pirate themed manga One Piece. He started when he was 22.

The series just celebrated it’s 20 years of being in publication. This is not unusual in Japanese Manga. They typically run for decades. The longest running manga entitled Kochikame ended two years ago with a running time of 40 years.

How can these Japanese Manga artist be so focused? Some of them create one series for the rest of their lives. How can I cultivate that kind of discipline and focus? I can’t even keep a job for a couple of months — I get bored.

I have struggled with this. I’m a drifter. I glide from one thing to another. I always started with ventures with no end in mind.

One Piece is said to have 10 more years in its lifetime. In an rare interview with Oda-san, he’s a very private person, he said that the ending of One Piece is in his head from the very beginning. No one from his team of artists knows about the ending. They learn about the plotline every week.

This is the fuel that keeps Oda-san going. He knows where to start and where to end. The middle is something he figures out. It’s a puzzle that he continues to create and discover. Much like anything in life, you need to know the first step and the end in mind.

With this daily blog — it’s simple. I write my truth everyday. I learn from the process. The end in mind? To inspire one person. To make him go do something about his dreams.

Want to know my prediction of One Piece’s ending?

Here it is.

The treasure is believed to be located in the Island of Raftel at the end of Grand Line. In the end, Luffy reaches Raftel and finds the hidden treasure chest. It reminds him of all the things he’s gone through — the first time he set sail, the time he met his lifelong friends, and the time when he lost some of them in battle. Excitement can be seen from the faces of Luffy and his friends. This is the culmination of their journey, his journey. He starts to tear up out of happiness.

He opens One Piece.