One Piece is a Japanese sh?nen manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, that has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since August 4, 1997. The individual chapters are being published in tankobon volumes by Shueisha, with the first released on December 24, 1997 and 52 volumes released as of December 2008. One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy, who gained supernatural abilities by eating a magical fruit, and his ragtag crew of heroic pirates, named the Straw Hats. Luffy's greatest ambition is to obtain the world's ultimate treasure, One Piece, and thereby become the next Pirate King. When creating the series, Oda was heavily influenced by the manga Dragon Ball. One Piece is licensed for an English language release in North America by Viz Media. The individual chapters are being serialized in Viz's Shonen Jump manga anthology and being published in tank?bon volumes. In the United Kingdom, the series is being released by Gollancz Manga. Madman Entertainment is releasing the series in Australia and New Zealand.