It was announced today that Japanese voice actor Kinryu Arimoto, perhaps best known for his role as Whitebeard in the pirate anime One Piece, passed away at 77 after a battle with esophageal cancer. His death on February 1st was announced in a number of Japanese publications today, and it's been reported that he had been fighting cancer since last year. Funeral services have reportedly already been held, with a "farewell event" expected to take place in the future. In addition to his role as Whitebeard in One Piece, Arimoto provided voices in anime series like Psycho-Pass, Kill la Kill, Full Metal Alchemist, Elfen Lied, and City Hunter, among others. He also did work on the Japanese dubs of major motion pictures and TV series.