Who Does Eiichiro Oda Draw One Piece for?

David Senra says Eiichiro Oda draws One Piece for one reader, himself at 15. Oda has never truly felt pressure about becoming successful, because he stays focused on making manga for a single audience. Manga is read alone, so the only person in his mind is the 15-year-old version of himself, and that reader is how he judges what is awesome.

He has no idea how other people would feel. He tries to stay true to himself, and that is what resonates with the kids who read the manga. Senra hears the same test in Steve Jobs, who said you never really know if people will love a new product as much as you do, and who would rather gamble on a vision than make me-too products. Oda's starting point is whether the 15-year-old version of him would think the chapter is awesome.