This is a figure of speech referring to how he turns everything into merchandise and sacrifices the story for it, and some of the things about his personality that came to light.
Of course he is not the only author whose series generates merchandise (and this is Shueisha / Toei have a big part in this) but they&Oda are cleaely attempting to turn One Piece into the second Dragonball in terms of popularity/merchandise (we can expect the full franchise milking machine to start
after the main series is completed)
Oda aims at walking in Toriyama's footsteps and Toriyama is confirmed to to be involved with shady investments.
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ne...or-akira-toriyama-offshore-investment/.123928
Wouldn't be surprised if, a few years from now, Oda's name appears in similar leaks.
The guy has a live sized toy train and live sized giraffe statue in his house and wanted an ATM to be built right next to his house.
And who knows what expensive, unethical luxury goods he might buy for his gold digger wife. Rare animal fur, tropical woods etc. I wouldn't rule anything out.
Oda bases his current writing solely on his previous ideas and themes that might have been important to him in his youth.
His current writing reflects the empty shell of a personality that he has become.
