One Piece Gave a Touching Tribute to Naruto at the Series' End
The mangaka for Naruto and One Piece are well-known friends. Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto's hit manga were both serialized within the same magazine and the two have revealed in interviews that they have been in contact. There have been a few different nods the two have given to each other, but one of the most touching came when Naruto ended.
Naruto, created by Masashi Kishimoto, began serializing in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1999. The series ended in 2014 after a run of seven hundred chapters across seventy-two volumes. It was one of the big three most popular and best-selling shōnen manga during its run, alongside Bleach and One Piece, of which only one is still running. However, in 2014, when Naruto concluded, it was paid a tribute by Oda, the mangaka of One Piece.
In Chapter 766, within volume 77 of the pirate series, the cover page (or Door page) of One Piece paid tribute to Naruto, with a special message for Kishimoto from Oda. Several references to the series were placed within the world of One Piece using the characters, and fans were quick to find the hidden message - even though Oda thought he had hidden it well enough to be kept a secret for longer than it was.
Nami is pictured in a dress featuring a print of the Konoha leaf symbol on it. This is one of Naruto's most recognizable symbols as it is on every shinobi's headband in the Hidden Leaf village. Additionally, the kamaboko (fish cake) traditionally used in Naruto's ramen is seen on the back of the small fox in the foreground. This fox is another Naruto reference, representing the titular hero's fox demon, even though it only has a single tail here. It has been made into a companion similar to One Piece's Chopper. In the back on the menu signs, the first letters spell out "Naruto, otsukare-san deshita", which translates to "Thanks for the great run, Naruto!"
This cover page is centered around food, which is a staple of both series and a love of both main characters in Naruto and One Piece. In fact, this image also features the two main characters eating each other's favorite foods. Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, is eating a bowl of ramen, which appears to be from Naruto's favorite ramen stand, Ichiraku, since the bowl shares the same pattern as the ones Naruto is seen eating. Across from Luffy is Naruto himself, hidden by Nami. His signature shoes can be seen under the chair as well as hints of his outfit. He is eating Luffy's favorite food, meat on the bone. The series may have been in minor competition with each other for readers' attention, but the love between the series' mangaka is very apparent. Naruto and Luffy would definitely be friendly rivals and them sharing a meal is very fitting - especially since food is something they'd likely bond over. One Piece and Naruto are some of the most-popular manga series and this tribute is incredibly touching.