Both Akira Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda are legendary manga creators. Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z has been a part of numerous children across the world for decades and Oda’s One Piece is also similarly popular amongst the youth. Both of them have also been adapted into anime series that have been watched by millions of people across the globe. Recently, one of Akira Toriyama’s old interviews from 2001 resurfaced where the legendary mangaka has great things to say about the One Piece creator. This revelation has strengthened the bond between the two fandoms after Toriyama’s death and One Piece hiatus.
What did Toriyama say about Oda?
Toriyama’s words were published in the One Piece Color Walk 1 artbook. During his last meeting with Eiichiro Oda, the legendary mangaka Toriyama expressed how much he admires Oda’s work and how he understood why so many people were in awe of the mangaka’s fantastic storytelling. 
In the statement, Toriyama called Eiichiro Oda, Oda-kun and said that his child also reads the One Piece manga, and that is why he also reads it. “I really understood why everyone was crazy about One Piece! So, just keep doing your best from now on,” he said about the mangaka’s work. The beautiful interaction shows how much respect the two manga creators had for each other and their respective works.
Fans were really happy to learn about this interaction
Many fans from both fandoms expressed their love for both of the legendary manga creators. Akira Toriyama passed away in March of this year, which has left a huge hole in the world of anime as millions of fans across the globe are mourning the loss. The fact that Toriyama, who is often regarded as the father of modern shounen, had such great things to say about One Piece when it was just five years into production shows how great Oda’s capabilities are.
The One Piece manga is currently on hiatus, but will be back with its 1112th chapter on 21st April. Fans of the manga have been waiting for the return for a long time. Meanwhile, this old interview surfacing really created a positive effect on the fandom and helped them strengthen their bond with the DBZ fandom.
