Every TCG Has a Story: One Piece

Since launching in 2020, CGC Trading Cards® has evolved from grading only two trading card games to nearly all non-sports TCGs. In 2022, CGC Trading Cards announced that it would begin grading the highly-anticipated One Piece Card Game. Produced by Bandai, the One Piece Card Game uses characters, settings and events from the popular Shonen anime by Eiichiro Oda.

One Piece is one of the most recognizable and iconic Japanese anime series of all time. The show has aired for a consecutive 25 years and spans over 1,000 episodes. The series has also developed a wide multimedia franchise, including movies, video games and, of course, trading cards.

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The first chapter of One Piece was published in 1997. Readers of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump manga magazine were introduced to the story of Monkey D. Luffy — the main character of the series — and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as well as their goals: to sail the ocean to find the One Piece, the greatest treasure in the world, and for Luffy to become the King of the Pirates. What began as a simple manifestation of Oda's childhood fascination with pirates soon turned into one of the longest-running and most successful manga of all time. Since 1997, One Piece has gone on to sell 516.6 million volumes in over 61 regions and countries, shattering records and inspiring millions of people worldwide.

Over the course of the series, more members have joined the Straw Hats including the iconic Swordsman: Roronoa Zoro, the Chief Blackfoot: Sanji and the Navigator: Nami. Each one has their own motivations, abilities and beliefs, but all share the same goal to help Luffy become the Pirate King. Many of these iconic characters have already made their TCG debuts as Character cards, Leader cards or both.

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Many Shonen manga give their characters special powers or abilities to keep the story interesting. In One Piece's case, the iconic powers seen throughout the series come from strange objects known as Devil Fruits — fruits that, when consumed, give the person who ate them fantastic powers and abilities. Some of the most iconic characters in One Piece who have eaten the Devil Fruits (besides Luffy, of course) are Portgas D. Ace, who can control fire, Eustass Kid, who controls magnetism, and Sir Crocodile, whose entire body is made of sand. These abilities, powers and attacks are seen in the TCG in the form of event cards that change the tide of the game, similar to how the actual characters use their powers to change the tide of battle in the anime.

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In late 2022, One Piece finally joined other major franchises such as Pokémon, Dragon Ball Super and Digimon with its own trading card game adaptation. Bandai has already released three main sets and several promo cards, including this I'm Gonna Be King of the Pirates!!, a fun Promo card illustrated in the style of a manga panel. Following its release in Japan and the US, One Piece is quickly becoming one of the top TCGs in collectors' and players' hearts.

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Are you ready to set sail for adventure by diving into the world of the One Piece Trading Card Game? CGC Trading Cards is here to help! The company has already graded over 1,500 One Piece submissions, cementing itself as one of the leading third-party grading companies for the new and upcoming TCG. Learn how to submit by clicking here.