Is the upcoming One Piece spinoff manga canon? Explained

Viz Media recently took to Twitter to provide updates on their upcoming projects, and they made a major announcement that is bound to excite English-speaking One Piece fans. It was revealed that an English translation of a spin-off series centered on the beloved character Portgaz G. Ace is in the works. Fans who have been longing for more Ace material ever since his tragic departure from the series are excited by this news.

The forthcoming publication, titled One Piece: Ace's Story – The Manga, is a translation of the manga One Piece Episode A, which was an adaptation of Shou Hinata's One Piece novel A. This novel was first published in Japanese. It was then translated and published in English as One Piece: Ace's Story by VIZ Media.

One concern that fans may have is whether or not this spin-off series is canon.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.

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The announcement of new One Piece content raises questions regarding its canonical value

Is the forthcoming manga considered to be canon?

The various novels based on Eiichiro Oda's popular shonen series are generally not considered to be a part of the canon. This is because these works were not authored by the mangaka, and as a result, some readers feel like skipping them.

However, Shou Hinata's novel is an exception because Oda personally supervised the writing process, guaranteeing that it adheres to the official story. Thus, the manga adaptation of the novel is considered canon, making it a must-read for all series fans.

This translation will be available in the second half of 2024.

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What to expect from the forthcoming series?

Young Ace as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

While fans did not see much of Ace after his death at the hands of Akainu at Marineford, except in the flashback where his brief involvement in Wano was explored, it was not enough to satisfy fans. One Piece: Ace’s Story–The Manga provides the much-awaited backstory of this character in the best possible way without disrupting the dynamic flow of the main narrative.

In the upcoming manga, readers will see Ace's past being explored since the series will serve as a prequel. The story, told from the perspective of Masked Deuce, will chronicle Ace's origins as a pirate from East Blue who founds the Spade Pirates and travels to the New World.

Ace as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Some fans were disappointed with the novel's writing quality and have since been looking forward to the translated manga version, which features illustrations by South Korean artist Boichi, best known for his work on Dr. STONE. Fans have been hoping that the experience of reading the manga will be better.

Whitebeard as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The official cover art for the series, which has also been created by Boichi, depicts Whitebeard, Mihawk, a young Zoro, and, of course, Ace. It will also be interesting to see Whitebeard, who is another character fans have hoped to see more of. The towering figure, whom Ace considered to be his father, passed away far too soon.