One Piece  is a Japanese shonen mange series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since August 4, 1997; the individual chapters are being published in tankobon volumes by Shueisha, with the first released on December 24, 1997, and the 66th volume released as of May 2012. One Piece follows the adventures of Monket.D.Luffy, a 17-year-old boy who gains elastic abilities after inadvertently eating a supernatural fruit, and his diverse crew of pirates, named the Straw Hat Pirates Luffy explores the ocean in search of the world's ultimate treasure known as the One Piece and to become the next Pirate King. Along his journey, Luffy makes several friends and battles a wide variety of villains, many of whom try to kill the Straw Hats.