One of the greatest achievements of the One Piece manga is that it has sold over 550 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling stories of all time. However, the series’ record might break soon, as according to a post shared by @WorstGenHQ on X. The post revealed that the One Piece manga sales from 2024 were the lowest in the last 16 years, which is certainly a concerning issue for the franchise.
However, there is still a possibility that One Piece manga volumes might witness a rise in sales, considering the upcoming developments within the story. As per the recent chapters, the God Valley flashback has started in Elbaph, and it is one of the most anticipated storylines in the history of One Piece. It will most likely help with the sales of the manga volumes and bring it back on track.
The Main Reason Behind the Decline of One Piece Volume Sales
According to the graph displayed in @WorstGenHQ’s post, Volume 112, which was the latest released manga volume of One Piece, saw incredibly low sales, which is not good for the franchise. It barely crossed the 1 million mark, and while the official reason for these low sales has not been revealed by the franchise, it is safe to assume that it has been caused by piracy and the illegal availability of manga chapters on different sites.
Piracy has been a major concern for the anime and manga industry, and it has affected the sales and distribution of every major series. While the community often takes measures to prevent this, it doesn’t usually work, and thus, publishers and creators continue to face financial losses that directly impact production quality, release schedules, and even the long-term sales records.
Several factors contribute to the widespread piracy of manga series, and even a giant like One Piece has fallen victim to it on numerous occasions. This is not the first time that the franchise has faced losses because of piracy, but it certainly is concerning because this time, the sales have gone insanely low, which should not happen with a franchise like One Piece.
The Pressure Now Lies on the God Valley Flashback
As mentioned above, the only way One Piece manga can recover from these low sales is with the God Valley flashback that is ongoing in the manga. It may have only just begun, but the arc has already managed to reignite the excitement and mystery that the name ‘God Valley’ has carried among One Piece fans for years. With every new chapter, it feels like Eiichiro Oda is trying to hype up the history that shaped the pirate era in a big way.
The chapters have some interesting visuals that not only showcase the tragic incident but also carry some foreshadowing elements that the One Piece mangaka will focus on later in the series. Thus, the God Valley flashback might be exactly what the One Piece manga sales were waiting for, but it also adds a lot of pressure on the mysterious storyline.
It has to carry the same hype for the entire Elbaph arc if the franchise hopes to recover from the problem with the manga volume sales. Nevertheless, it won’t change the fact that One Piece is still one of the greatest stories in the history of anime and manga. Do you think it will regain its status and once again reach the very top of the charts? Let us know below!
One Piece manga is currently available to read on Viz Media.
