YouTube: IMPAULSIVE
In April 2026, Logan Paul sparked the ire of anime fans around the world after spending $550,000 on super-rare, graded copies of the first chapters of One Piece and Dragon Ball.
One Piece fans, in particular, were especially incensed by Paul’s purchase, which even sparked backlash from fellow influencer IShowSpeed.
Initially, Paul leant into his WWE heel persona, joking that he’d been welcomed with ‘open arms’ into the One Piece community. But on May 6, he dropped the kayfabe and got down to brass tacks about the situation in an episode of his IMPAULSIVE podcast.
you don’t even know shit about one piece
— Speed⭐️ (@ishowspeedsui) April 22, 2026
Logan Paul says One Piece fans took his $550K manga buy “personally”
During the episode, co-host Mike Majlak called out Paul’s viral purchase and quizzed him with facts about the anime series, explaining that its passionate fanbase likely felt he was trying to “monetize” their community in the same way that scalpers have aggressively capitalized on Pokemon.
“All jokes aside, it is crazy to me. …that’s why I’m having fun with it,” Paul replied. “Please don’t take this personally, One Piece community. I actually like you guys, and God bless you. But if you’re upset that I bought a couple mangas, I just don’t know how much I should be concerning myself with that.
“That’s insane to me. You aren’t gatekeepers of a hobby that was made for people to read, to watch, to enjoy, to collect, to get inspired by. I’m a collector, and I’m also a person who has autonomy and can watch the live action, watch the anime, and join the commentary online. I’m entitled to do all of those things.”
Instagram: loganpaulLogan Paul admitted that he is a ‘casual fan’ of One Piece, but says that should be enough for him to collect and monetize pieces of ‘anime history.’
However, Paul went on to break down “both sides” of the argument, acknowledging the community of “die-hard fans” who have been emotionally impacted by One Piece to the point where it’s become part of their identities.
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“Speed explained to me at Wrestlemania that One Piece saved his life during COVID,” Paul explained. “He watched the One Piece anime and he was inspired by Monkey, and it seemed like it was a catalyst to his streaming career, which is insane. It’s really cool to see the real-life influence of an anime, a fictional character, affect someone in real life. It means a lot to a lot of people.”
That being said, he went on to admit that being a collector in general “excites” him, calling it a “strategic alternative asset class.” Describing himself as a casual fan of the One Piece series, he challenged the argument that he shouldn’t be allowed to “buy something I think is cool and represents a piece of anime history.”
“I pride myself on being a collector. I do collect things I like and I’m passionate about, and I do like One Piece. I’ve said this before: I’m not a die-hard fan, I’m not gonna die on this hill of knowing everything about One Piece. But I’m a casual fan. I enjoy watching it. I enjoy ripping the packs. I enjoy seeing the online community.”
(Topic begins at 17:00)
One Piece has had a major renaissance over the last few years, scoring two seasons of a live-action adaptation on Netflix and an animated remake of the original series, which is set to premier in February 2027 – not to mention its viral collaboration with Popeye’s in the United States.
Logan wasn’t the only one capitalizing on One Piece merch in that regard, as exclusive bento boxes from the Popeye’s collab were almost instantly getting resold on eBay to the tune of hundreds of dollars.
