I wanna be the Pirate King~ Set sail on the real-life "Thousand Sunny"!

Written & photographed by Chi Binghui

The best-selling manga in Japanese history, ONE PIECE, announced in 2010 that it had sold 200 million copies. The 61st volume released this year sold 3.8 million copies in its first print run alone. Over the past decade-plus of publication, its royalties and merchandise revenue have been phenomenal, winning over countless fans worldwide. Any event even loosely related to One Piece tends to be a massive hit. Don’t worry if you missed the recently concluded One Piece exhibition in Japan—Huis Ten Bosch in Kyushu is definitely this year’s must-visit pilgrimage spot. Hop on board the real-life "Thousand Sunny" and set sail!

Kyushu’s resort theme park Huis Ten Bosch, after three changes in ownership, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The heavily invested "Kingdom of Flowers" and "Thousand Sunny" have helped boost current performance, drawing large crowds every holiday. Last year, Huis Ten Bosch launched the highly acclaimed "One Piece Theme Park," and this year it’s riding the success by transforming an existing boat in the park into the "Thousand Sunny," which officially opened in April. All the Straw Hat Pirates naturally appear on the ship, giving visitors plenty of opportunities for photos during the 20-minute voyage.

One Piece promotional posters can be seen all over Huis Ten Bosch. Following the map to the dock in the "Free Zone," excitement builds as you get closer to the "Thousand Sunny." Along the way, you’ll pass the entire Straw Hat crew’s flags, the One Piece merchandise shop, and life-sized character cutouts. If your boarding time hasn’t arrived—or if you’re not boarding—you can still take photos here to ease the FOMO.