Beloved Japanese manga 'One Piece' heads into final chapter

Manga "One Piece" is heading towards its finale, according to its creator

Manga "One Piece" is heading towards its finale, according to its creator

After 25 years and 490 million copies sold worldwide, the beloved Japanese manga "One Piece" is entering its final chapter, according to its creator Eiichiro Oda.

The manga, which follows the adventures of the swashbuckling pirate Monkey D. Luffy, has captivated millions of fans worldwide as its characters hunt for One Piece, the treasure coveted by all pirates.

"A break for me!" he wrote in a handwritten announcement posted on the series' official Twitter account.

"One Piece" first appeared in manga form in Japan in 1997, with an animated TV series version following two years later. 

Last year, the 1,000th episode of the TV series was released, with special screenings in the United States and France -- the world's biggest manga and anime market after Japan.

Meanwhile, the publishers of another cult manga series, "Berserk", announced Tuesday that the cartoon would be relaunched following the death of its creator, Kentaro Miura, just over a year ago.

"I will only write the episodes that Miura talked to me about," Mori said in the statement released by Hakusensha.

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