One Piece Novel Zoro Tops Oricon's July 2026 Light Novel List
The number one on Oricon's monthly light novel sales list for July 2026 was One Piece novel Zoro, a side novel of Eiichiro Oda's massive manga series. According to Oricon data reported by Anime News Network on August 13, the novel centering on Zoro placed at the top of the list as the best-selling light novel of the past month. It was followed by the 6th volume of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's Heaven Official's Blessing. In third place was the 9th volume of Amamori's Too Many Losing Heroines! series.
The side novels of the One Piece universe are not drawing attention for the first time in Japan. Published by Shueisha and released in 2017, the One Piece novel Zoro reached a considerable readership with its story focusing on the world of Roronoa Zoro. The series is also known for novel works focusing on other popular characters such as Ace and Law. Its recent rise to the top of the list also showcases One Piece's strength in the literary medium outside of manga and anime. Especially in long-running series, side stories are becoming important complementary sources for fans seeking character depth.
The other titles in the top three also show diversity across genres. Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's Chinese danmei novel Heaven Official's Blessing rose to second place with the 6th volume of its Japanese edition, proving that its global readership continues. Thanks to its previously gained popularity, the series had also made a name for itself through donghua adaptations and international releases. Amamori's romantic comedy series Too Many Losing Heroines!, published under the Gagaga Bunko label, secured a strong position on the list with third place. The title, which became known worldwide especially after its anime adaptation, continues to maintain its stability in light novel sales.
Oricon's monthly lists are one of the most important indicators of book sales in Japan. A side novel surpassing the industry's leading series demonstrates that a brand like One Piece is influential not only in manga but in every area of publishing. The presence of works from the Chinese, Japanese, and global translation markets on the same list shows that light novel readers are increasingly turning to a wider range. It is likely that we will see more news about new volumes and adaptation projects of these series in the coming months. These data also offer an important clue as to which series publishers will focus on in the new era.
