Two of the biggest Shonen manga franchises, One Piece and Naruto, are quite closely related. The creators of both these series have an intricate bond with each other. Contrary to popular belief, Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto aren’t rivals but rather close friends who appreciate each other. While One Piece had its tribute to Naruto, the latter series used its last panel to shout out to its sister series.

Naruto Uzumaki in Baryon Mode

Both of these franchises began back in the late ’90s. Along with Bleach, these two manga make up the big three of classic shōnen. Naruto concluded in 2014, and Oda paid a wholesome tribute to the series in One Piece’s Chapter 776. It depicted the protagonist, Naruto, and Luffy eating a meal together with the caption, “Thanks for the great run, Naruto!”

In the final chapter of Naruto, we saw a time skip happen. Moving forward almost fifteen years in time, Boruto’s generation was depicted. However, these characters were relatively new back then. Audiences got to see several of their favorite characters as adults. It was quite a touching moment since we saw them grow old right before our eyes. In an amusing bit of irony, Naruto’s son Boruto is much like his father and goes to paint graffiti on Hokage Faces on the Mountain.

In the 776th Chapter of One Piece, Oda appreciates Kishimoto for making Naruto and expresses his heartfelt gratitude. Both of these Mangaka are pretty good friends. Even though it was never verified that they are, we can assume from the wholesome display of respect these two artists have for each other. Seeing Naruto use its last panel to express respect and admiration for a colleague is almost as touching as the series’ actual ending.

Fans of both these series might perceive Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda as rivals, but their shared success and the struggles of being a mangaka must have helped form a bond between them. Indeed, there is no more incredible honor Naruto could have paid to One Piece than saving its shoutout for the last panel.