Oda once joked that every time he sees Kishimoto, he thinks the guy is so talented it’s annoying, only for Kishimoto to admit he feels the exact same way about him. Oda compared them to twins separated at birth, except one draws pirates while the other draws ninjas.
Though One Piece and Naruto were long viewed as fierce rivals, the two creators have always shared a deep mutual respect. Their rivalry never stemmed from jealousy; instead, it pushed both artists to constantly improve week after week in Weekly Shonen Jump. Kishimoto has even credited Naruto's massive success to the fact that One Piece always existed for him to chase, making theirs one of the most iconic creative friendships in manga history.