If Eiichiro Oda thought dropping the greatest secret in anime history 651 meters underwater would stop One Piece fans, he seriously underestimated their passion. The era of real-life pirates has officially begun as several fan groups with time and money are planning to raise funds to recover the treasure chest from the ocean floor.
The steep cost of playing real-life pirates
Leading the hunt is the X (Twitter) account OPHunterTV, a self-proclaimed “team of hardcore fans” aiming to be the first to lay hands on the loot. But to make this dream a reality, they need massive resources.
After researching the logistics of a deep-sea expedition, they estimated the cost at 15 million yen per day (about 96,000 USD or roughly 2.5 billion VND).
Where does that money go? Renting a ship comparable to the Thousand Sunny is no small feat. The budget includes fees for hiring a research vessel from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC): around 75,000 USD per day (nearly 1.9 billion VND). Using the specialized submersible Shinkai 6500 costs about 13,000 USD per dive (over 330 million VND).
Additional expenses cover expert salaries, fuel, port fees, and various taxes.
With daily costs equivalent to a luxury apartment, this expedition is truly a high-stakes gamble for devoted fans.
From streamers to real expeditions
OPHunterTV declared, “If something really lies 650 meters deep in Sagami Bay… it’s not unreachable, and we’re ready to check it out!” Remarkably, this isn’t just a pipe dream. The group confirmed they’ve officially contacted JAMSTEC through their website to inquire about renting equipment.
Even popular content creators like streamer iShowSpeed have hinted at livestreaming their own treasure hunt.
With internet sleuthing skills and financial backing from the community, will Oda’s treasure chest be recovered before the manga ends, or will it remain lost to the depths?