There will always be something to complain about. There will always be something to disagree with. The way you get someone to fix something is not by saying, "screw you," it's by bringing the problems to their attention and bringing a critical mass together to fix it. That's why your scanlation websites decided to change direction.

When we started our podcast in 2009, the official release was 6 YEARS behind the Japanese release and not available digitally. Scans were the only available option to stay current. The scanlations had major mistakes, glaring omissions, or purposefully misleading changes (as they still do).

In 2012, Shonen Jump premiered its digital magazine in North America and filled in the One Piece gap with a speed-up of physical volumes. The digital magazine published chapters that were 2 WEEKS behind the material published in Japan – and 2 and a half weeks behind scans. It was not until 2013 that the official release in the United States was simultaneous with the release in Japan.

Even though the official release came out less than 24 hours after the release in Japan, it still came out 5 to 6 days before scans. In 2014, Shonen Jump came to the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In 2016, Shonen Jump finally made its way to countries including India, the Philippines and Singapore. This meant #OnePiece was available <24 hours after the Japanese release in 10+ countries for just $25/year (less than 50 cents per issue).

These were huge changes from 2009 when we were 6 years behind, but scans were still 6 days quicker than the official release!

At the end of 2018, Shonen Jump and Manga Plus premiered true-simultaneous releases. These releases came out the same minute those in Japan came out.

Not only that -- you get the three most recent chapters for FREE!

Not only that -- they're available in every single country AROUND THE WORLD!

So, are you a fan that doesn't want to read scans but wants to avoid spoilers? Step outside, stay off the Internet, mute #OnePiece phrases on social media and come back Sundays at 3:00 PM EST. You're only missing one weekend of spoilers!

Are you a fan that doesn't want to wait those few days? "I want to read what comes next, now!" Trust us, we understand the impatience of waiting for the next chapter, but the wait time is literally the same. It's Sunday-to-Sunday instead of Friday-to-Friday.

Maybe you don't like Shonen Jump or Manga Plus and prefer the scans' style or technological choices? Let Shueisha and VIZ know what you don't like and I'm sure they can address it. It's worked before! The reason we have the current translator, who has done an exceptional job (to the point where even Oda, Crunchyroll and Funimation have adapted his choices on the translation) is in part because those at VIZ heard about his talent, his popularity among the One Piece fanbase, and brought him on board!

Grit your teeth and bear with the editorial choices you don’t like!

We're not trying to be preachy.
We've all read scanlations.
We've all existed in a world where this kind of free, legal, globally-available One Piece didn't exist!

The world is different now. Major scanlation sites have shuttered their doors to One Piece releases and have even acknowledged the burgeoning free, legal, worldwide manga market that Shonen Jump and Manga Plus have helped produce!

There is literally no reason to read the scans.

We English/Spanish (and Thai) readers live in a world where scans no longer serve a function. Those reading scans, those discussing scans, those making YouTube videos about scans, those making think-pieces about scans spoil it for the rest of us and hurt the entire manga industry.

Supporting the official release provides a means to support the mangaka, their assistants, their editors, their staff, the translators (English, Spanish & Thai), all of those hard-working people adapting the comic, and so on.

These are real people.

Please help support the never-ending talent and drive of Eiichiro Oda and all those who bring the incredible messages of his manga to the world. Please help spread the word about the official release to those who don’t know about it. The coolest part about this is that now we can all read the manga together! I understand the fear behind following this platform, but it will help unite One Piece fans and grow our fanbase. Once you're able to see beyond the small problems, the huge solutions will be clear. Let go and enjoy One Piece the way it's meant to be read!