‘One Piece’ 973 Surprising Reason For Delay; Fire Festival, Reunion Of Allies

Ahead of the release of "One Piece" Chapter 972, it was revealed that Chapter 973 would arrive on Mar. 1. However, several sites that offer live "One Piece" Manga chapters later gave a Mar. 9 release schedule. It appears that the delay is because of a surprising reason that many fans did not anticipate.

"One Piece" Chapter 973 Reason For Delayed Release

While fans are sad because "One Piece" Chapter 973 did not drop as originally scheduled, many are alarmed upon knowing the reason behind the delay. Since it is not usual for the series to take a break, fans are always eager to know the reason for the delay. The official Twitter account of the Weekly Shonen Jump revealed that the sudden break is because Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the popular series, was sick.

The official Twitter account of "One Piece" confirms this news. It also reveals that Oda is now fully recovered and that the Manga will continue. It means that "One Piece" Chapter 973 will be released on Mar. 9 on the 15th issue of the Weekly Shonen Jump. Many fans raised their concerns about the author's health.

Unlike other Mangaka, Eiichiro Oda has been writing "One Piece" for more than two decades and almost never takes a break. For 23 years, Oda never fails to surprise the massive fanbase of "One Piece," Earlier reports revealed that the legendary author even writes stories for the series while in the hospital bed.

"One Piece" Chapter 973: Fire Festival

One interesting theory about "One Piece" Chapter 973 talks about the Fire Festival, where important characters like Lin Lin, Orochi, Kaido, and the CP0 would attend. It also predicts that the scabbards and the Straw Hats could reunite at Udon despite the destroyed bridges. Will the allied force of Straw Hats and company be able to take down formidable opponents?

But, it looks like "One Piece" Chapter 972 left things in chaos, and perhaps fans could see the Fire Festival in the succeeding chapters. There are a lot of bases that are not yet covered in the previous chapter, and I guess Oda would love to resolve some of these. We might see the Fire at the Kuri castle in the upcoming "One Piece" chapter along with the return of the story to the current timeline.