Five Nights at Oda’s
[INT. ODA’S STUDIO – NIGHT 1]
Stacks of drafts, half-finished sketches of God Valley, a plate of untouched curry rice going cold. Oda hunches over his desk, pen in one hand, lotion bottle in the other. The room is dim, lit only by a lamp flickering like it’s haunted by deadlines themselves. A battered boom box in the corner croons George Michael’s Careless Whisper.
ODA (panting, whispering feverishly to himself):
“Just a few more panels of young Shakky… her lips, her cigarette smoke curling just so… her laugh… yes, Rayleigh, my stand-in… kiss her, kiss her harder… This is the REAL Pirate King romance!”
The lotion bottle squirts prematurely, splattering across the God Valley spread. Oda groans like a man cursed.
ODA:
“Ah—dammit! I need a towel—”
SFX: CREEEEEAAAAAK… The room stills. The boom box stutters. The ink pens tremble on the desk.
ODA (whispering in dread):
“…No… not tonight… not him…”
From the vents, a warped, demonic yet oddly sultry voice echoes. Distorted like a broken tape recorder, it drips menace and longing.
SANDMAN (O.S.):
🎵 “Miiiiiister Saaandmaaan… bring me a dreeeeeaaammm…” 🎵
ODA (eyes wide, clutching pen like a dagger):
“…He’s back.”
Two glowing eyes appear in the vent. A massive, six-foot silhouette slides out with boneless grace. A glossy grin stretches impossibly wide across his face, lip gloss gleaming in the dim lamp light. His movements are equal parts predator and runway diva.
SANDMAN (whispering, then booming):
“Oooooda-sensei… You work too hard. You shouldn’t waste time on Shakky when you could be drawing… me.”
He slinks closer, his voice flickering between Candyman’s velvet growl and the cracked falsetto of a yandere VTuber.
SANDMAN:
“I can be whoever you want. Shakky? Nami? Both at once? I’ll even tie the bandana and go full Watsuki-mode… just for you.”
ODA (horrified):
“Sandman… please! I have deadlines, I have editors, the fans need the flashback!”
SANDMAN (tilting head unnaturally, eyes locked):
“Forget the fans. I am your nakama. Ink me into your story, Oda. Let me live between the panels… with you.”
The boom box glitches. Careless Whisper melts into a cursed mashup with Sandman’s reverb-saturated voice.
🎵 “Never gonna dance again… guilty feet have got no rhythm… Saaandmaaan bring me a dreeeammmm…” 🎵
[INT. ODA’S STUDIO – NIGHT 2]
Oda has barricaded the vents with manga volumes. He clutches Volume 1 like a Bible. The lights flicker. Then… a whisper, inches from his ear, though no one is there.
SANDMAN (whispering):
“Did you know… Oda… you drew Shakky’s eyes wrong? Her eyeliner isn’t canon. Volume 53 proves it.”
ODA (shaking):
“Shut up—no one cares—”
SANDMAN (suddenly screaming from the ceiling vent):
“EVERYONE CARES! Also, Roger’s bounty poster in Chapter 957 is off by exactly 20,000 berries! Fix it, coward!!”
Oda collapses to the floor, covering his ears. The walls pound with Sandman’s reverb voice.
SANDMAN:
“Say it, Oda… admit Mihawk is stronger than Shanks. Admit it! Or I’ll sing Mr. Sandman until you break!!”
🎵 “Sandmaaan… bring me a dreeammm… make Oda admit power scaling isn’t a meme…” 🎵
[INT. ODA’S STUDIO – NIGHT 3]
Oda hasn’t slept. He sketches Shakky with trembling hands, muttering nonsense. The lotion bottle is empty. Suddenly, Sandman emerges from behind a bookshelf, fully cosplaying Nami but with Mihawk’s sword strapped to his back.
SANDMAN:
“Look, Oda… I’m everyone you love. I’m Shakky. I’m Nami. I’m even Mihawk. Watch… I’ll kneel like Zoro…”
Sandman drops dramatically to his knees before Oda, staring up with wide, lustful eyes and a grin that could split his face in half.
SANDMAN (low, guttural):
“Just like Zoro begged Mihawk to train him… I want to beg you… Oda-sensei… train me. Make me your swordsman… your pirate… your lover.”
ODA (screaming, clutching his pen like a cross):
“NOOOO! I HAVE A WIFE!!”
SANDMAN (giggles, then whispering in his ear):
“I can roleplay her too.”
The boom box explodes, showering the room with sparks. In the darkness, Oda hears Sandman’s voice from every direction:
“Say my name five times into the ink bottle… and I’ll always come…”
[SHONEN JUMP EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCEMENT]
We regret to announce that One Piece will not appear in this week’s issue. Nor next week’s. Nor… possibly ever again.
Oda-sensei’s workspace has been completely compromised by Sand D. Man, a 6’0 closeted yandere Candyman-femboy who currently resides in his walls and vents, offering both unwanted seduction and hyper-nerdy continuity corrections.
Attempts to remove Sand D. Man have failed. Exorcists were defeated in argument about whether "nothing happened to Zoro" at Thriller Bark.
We humbly ask readers for patience during this crisis.
THE NEXT CHAPTER IS CANCELLED THIS WEEK, AND NEXT WEEK TOO… DUE TO SAN D. MAN.
Remember, dear readers:
The treasure is real. The breaks are eternal. The Sandman is in the walls.
– Shonen Jump Editorial Department