wow oda really likes akira. Did you know that "lucy" has the same pronounciation as roshi? ru-shi thick japanese accent... it was intentional by oda apparently as a tribute to akira's dragon ball. This whole tournament seems vaguely similar to the tenkaichi doesn't it? It's all intentional. There's been a lot of similarities and I'm sure there will be plenty more along the way, They even got together to make cross epoch after all. xD

Didn't we already discussed this in a chapter thread? Well, Oda has always said that Dragon Ball is his favourite manga. Not only Oda, many of the popular artists have considered Dragon Ball as their favourite and a source of inspiration. Oda and Akira have even made a oneshot crossover together (which was surprisingly disappointing).

In this arc, whether it's the beard or name, or the way how Oda showed Luffy's entry in the tournament. They were all homage to his favourite work. Oda has always been opened about his love for Dragon Ball. I am sure there are more tributes to come 🙂

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