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The hit Japanese manga series One Piece trends online following the release of its 1000th chapter.

This latest milestone was embraced by fans by waking up early to go through the chapter with excitement and giddy anticipation.

Fans took to Twitter to write down their thoughts and deep affection for the manga series.

I've been reading One Piece since the very first US issue of Shonen Jump, in 2002! There's no other work I can honestly say I've been continually reading for over _18 years_ but 1000 chapters later, here we are 😭😭😭 #OnePiece1000 https://t.co/qPaZXM0cO6

-- Dan Harden 🌿 (@dharden) January 3, 2021

23 years in and it's amazing how influential and amazing this series is, it's a surreul experience to see this story unfold to such extent while maintaining such a quality, #THANKYOUODA for creating this masterpiece, I'm lucky to experience this journey to the End.#OnePiece1000 pic.twitter.com/tgB7jOh0vn

-- Hama Sector (@HamaSector) January 3, 2021

I went from tears, to joy, to excitement in 19 pages. THE WRITING #OnePiece1000 pic.twitter.com/YBqRciaFLo

-- Stackiana 🌚 | Social Media Manager/Copywriter (@nyannoire) January 3, 2021

The new chapter reportedly unveiled a brand new attack for the main character Luffy and has further advanced the story to pick up the action.

“Luffy has officially made it to the top of the dome where both Big Mom and Kaido reside, and now he's getting ready to directly fight them both together with the other members of the Worst Generation in Wano, Roronoa Zoro, Trafalgar Law, Eustass Kid, and Killer,” wrote Nick Valdez for ComicBook.com.

“But naturally Luffy is the one to kick off the fight with the debut of a new attack, Gear Three: Gum Gum Red Roc.”

One Piece writer and illustrator Eiichiro Oda, meanwhile, sent a message to his millions of readers to mark this latest milestone.

“1000 chapters!! Well, a whole lot has happened in the last 23 years. I have spent half my life [publishing One Piece weekly],” Eiichiro said in a statement.

“Luffy has taken voyages to many islands and had tons of adventures. I don't know how many people he has met! Likewise, I have met many people and have been supported by many including my family. I can't give enough thanks to those people.”

One Piece tells the exciting and action-packed story of aspiring pirate Monkey D. Luffy.

His body starts exhibiting the qualities of rubber after consuming the mystical Gum-Gum Fruit.

Luffy together with other characters such as Roronoa Zoro and Vinsmoke Sanji embark on a journey for the legendary and elusive One Piece treasure.

The manga series is beloved by fans for its extensive character arcs and broad lore. It is one of the longest-running and most followed anime stories as proven by its growing chapters and over 1,000 television episodes.

One Piece is praised for its art, storytelling, characterization, and humor. The series has broken many publishing records including the highest initial print run of any book in Japan.

It has broken the Guinness World Record for “the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author.”

One Piece's success has paved the way for a media franchise and a film adaptation produced by Production I.G, and an anime series by Toei Animation, first broadcasted in Japan in 1999.

In March last year, Eiichiro penned a short but touching message to One Piece fans in reaction to the pandemic affecting the world.

“It's hard to write about anything with the world like this,” the writer-illustrator wrote.

“I'm praying for everyone from the bottom of my heart.”

The COVID-19 outbreak has led to the cancellations of many manga and graphic novel releases as industry players struggle to cope with the situation.