<P> On June 8 , 2004 , 4Kids Entertainment acquired the license for distribution of One Piece in North America . 4Kids contracted Viz Media to handle home video distribution . 4Kids ' in - house musicians wrote a new background score and theme song nicknamed `` Pirate Rap '' . 4Kids ' dub mandated edits for content and length , which reduced the first 143 episodes into 104 . Initially , 4Kids originally created an English version of the first opening theme , `` We Are ! '' It premiered in the United States on September 18 , 2004 , in first - run syndication on the Fox network as part of the weekend programming block Fox Box , and later aired on Cartoon Network on their weekday afternoon programming block Toonami in April 2005 . Production was halted in 2006 after episode 143 / 104 . Viz also ceased its home video release of the series after volume 11 . On July 22 , 2010 , an interview with Anime News Network and Mark Kirk , senior vice-president of digital media for 4Kids Entertainment , revealed that 4Kids acquired One Piece as part of a package deal with other anime , and that the company did not screen the series before licensing it . However , once 4Kids realized One Piece was not appropriate for their intended demographic , the company decided to edit it into a more child - oriented series until they had an opportunity to legally drop the license . Kirk said the experience of producing One Piece `` ruined the company 's reputation '' . Since then , 4Kids established a stricter set of guidelines , checks , and balances to determine which anime the company acquires . </P>
<P> On June 8 , 2004 , 4Kids Entertainment acquired the license for distribution of One Piece in North America . 4Kids contracted Viz Media to handle home video distribution . 4Kids ' in - house musicians wrote a new background score and theme song nicknamed `` Pirate Rap '' . 4Kids ' dub mandated edits for content and length , which reduced the first 143 episodes into 104 . Initially , 4Kids originally created an English version of the first opening theme , `` We Are ! '' It premiered in the United States on September 18 , 2004 , in first - run syndication on the Fox network as part of the weekend programming block Fox Box , and later aired on Cartoon Network on their weekday afternoon programming block Toonami in April 2005 . Production was halted in 2006 after episode 143 / 104 . Viz also ceased its home video release of the series after volume 11 . On July 22 , 2010 , an interview with Anime News Network and Mark Kirk , senior vice-president of digital media for 4Kids Entertainment , revealed that 4Kids acquired One Piece as part of a package deal with other anime , and that the company did not screen the series before licensing it . However , once 4Kids realized One Piece was not appropriate for their intended demographic , the company decided to edit it into a more child - oriented series until they had an opportunity to legally drop the license . Kirk said the experience of producing One Piece `` ruined the company 's reputation '' . Since then , 4Kids established a stricter set of guidelines , checks , and balances to determine which anime the company acquires . </P>
when did one piece air on cartoon network
when did one piece air on cartoon network
April 2005
April 2005