Oda's talents as a manga artist improved as he continued to work at Weekly Shnen Jump. On Suizan Police Gang, Jungle King Tar-chan, and Mizu no Tomodachi Kappaman, he served as an assistant. He was also cited as a major inspiration while co-creating Rurouni Kenshin with illustrator Nobuhiro Watsuki. Oda ultimately produced the "Romance Dawn" one-shot tale series after working on such notable projects and artists. The 1996 series presented the character Monkey D. Luffy as the main, with his trademark straw hat and raucous demeanour, a tale that Oda first worked on in junior high school. Oda preserved the moniker "Romance Dawn" when he completely created and released One Piece in 1997 as a