TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A shinkansen bullet train adorned with characters from the popular manga series "One Piece" will start operations in western Japan next spring, its operator said Wednesday.

The service will mark the 50th anniversary of the Sanyo Shinkansen Line between Osaka and Fukuoka prefectures and coincides with the 2025 World Exposition to be held in Osaka between April and October.

"We want to build momentum for the Expo and provide a comfortable service," West Japan Railway Co. President Kazuaki Hasegawa said at a press conference in Tokyo.

The project will start with one decorated train running between Shin-Osaka and Hakata stations. The company plans to add two more into service at a later date.

The storyline of the cartoon centers on Monkey D. Luffy, who dreams of being the king of pirates as he travels the seas with his buddies in search of the treasure called "One Piece."

It was officially recognized by Guinness World Records in 2015 for having the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author. The feat was confirmed again in 2022 after the series reached 500 million copies printed worldwide.