On April 17, the official One Piece website published a handwritten letter of support to the victims of the Kumamoto earthquakes from Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece. The message reads as follows:

“There was a large earthquake in Kumamoto (across all of Kyushu). I was born and raised in Kumamoto. I want to express my deepest sympathies for everyone affected by the disaster. I was able to directly contact all of my family and friends; everyone was really frightened, but they’re doing their best. When I contacted them, they were the ones trying to tell me things to calm me down and I thought, ‘Wow, they’re so tough!’ But there’s only so long that people can hold up. Before they break, I want to make sure that they’re in a situation where they can relax and feel safe. Adults are desperate to keep their kids calm. I want the kids to laugh! And then the adults can keep going!! It’s still hard for me to help out the people of Kumamoto, but I will definitely help with the restoration efforts. Please hold on until then!!”

Luffy: “Hold on!! I’ll be on my way!”