SPOILER WARNING!
Watching anime is one of my most favourite pastimes. Considering how many anime and manga series there are in the world, it’s really hard to pick just one. As of this moment,though, I do have a favourite, and it is One Piece, one of the longest anime/manga series I and several others have ever watched. You’d think that we’d get bored of an anime that’s been on for so long! Not me, though. I absolutely adore this anime. And this many episodes come with several story arcs, so I’ve decided to compile my top five favourite story arcs in One Piece.
1. Marineford
When you think of One Piece, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? That it’s funny? Goofy? That the animation and art style are weird? It’s okay, a lot of people do. You probably wouldn’t think of anything dark or sad. Well, I hate to break it to you, but One Piece tackles a lot of dark subjects. This arc in particular tackles the subject of the war between pirates and marines. In this arc, the protagonist and captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy, struggles to save his older brother, Ace, from execution. Luffy goes to hell and back for Ace, and the whole war arc is just a frenzy. Ace constantly expresses that he wants Luffy and his allies to leave – he didn’t want anyone to die on his behalf. But the war goes on, and the longer it takes, the more Ace realizes he wants to live. Unfortunately, the creator of One Piece decided to tear out our hearts and grind them into dust. Have you ever heard of the saying, “They had us in the first half”? This story arc is the perfect example of that. Luffy managed to save Ace from the execution platform, and they were so close to escaping. There was so much hope. However, Ace encountered a fight with one of the marine admirals, who eventually turned to kill Luffy. Guess who decided to jump in the way and take the hit? In the end, despite all of the pain and agony Luffy went through, Ace couldn’t be saved, and he died in the arms of his little brother after uttering his heartbreaking final words.
2. Water 7
Before this arc, viewers experienced a lot of comedy, fun, and lightheartedness among the Straw Hat Pirates (Luffy’s crew), with some sadness behind the scenes. This is the first arc (at least in my opinion) where things start taking a more serious turn. In this arc, we learn that the Going Merry, the first ship the Straw Hats owned, is broken beyond repair. Unfortunately, that doesn’t bode well for Usopp, the sniper of the crew. The Going Merry means so much to him, one of the reasons being that it was a gift from the girl he loves from his village. He refuses to accept that the Going Merry can’t be fixed, which results in a huge fight between him and Luffy, both verbally and physically. In the end, Usopp decides that he no longer wants to be part of the crew. The whole crew and even the Going Merry shed tears. This was the first time that I realized this is a serious pirate crew. And with a serious crew comes mandatory respect for the captain and his decisions.
3. Enies Lobby
This arc comes directly after Water 7! In fact, I’d say that they’re connected. In this arc, the Straw Hats’ archeologist, Robin, is captured by the World Government and sent to execution. The Straw Hats, including Usopp, hurry to save her. A lot happens in this arc – Luffy declaring war on the World Government, Robin experiencing true acceptance among her friends, awesome power-ups for our favourite characters, and the success in saving Robin from her near-demise. Not to mention Franky, the new addition to the Straw Hats! But I think one of my most favourite moments was Usopp coming back to the crew – Luffy refuses to take him back unless he apologizes for his words and actions in the Water 7 arc. Thankfully, Usopp decides he loves the Straw Hats too much and understands that he was wrong. We got our beloved sniper back!
4. Whole Cake Island
It sounds so sweet and fun! This arc takes place on an island that’s literally made of delicious desserts. Buildings made of gingerbread cookies, rivers of rich chocolate and tangy juice, giant wedding cakes with the most elaborate baking ingredients… Whole Cake Island has it all! But don’t let this sweet-sounding island deceive you. As delicious as it sounds, this story arc is one of the most heartbreaking arcs in the series. In it, we learn the entire backstory of the lovesick cook of the Straw Hat Pirates and one of my most favourite characters, Sanji. He was one of the first members to join Luffy, so we’ve been watching him for a long time. Who would’ve thought that, over 800 episodes later, he isn’t who we thought he was? At first, I knew him as a very passionate cook who hates wasting food and falls in love with every attractive woman he sees. In the beginning, I only knew that as a child, he nearly starved to death on an island alongside his adopted father. But as he enters Whole Cake Island, I learned that he is a prince of the Germa Kingdom in the Vinsmoke family as well as a failed science experiment who was imprisoned and later disowned by his biological father when he was a mere child. In this arc, Sanji’s biological father forces him back into the Vinsmoke family and sets up an arranged marriage with the daughter of the Sea Emperor Big Mom. So much happens from there – a heart-wrenching fight between friends, a redemption, and of course, a very long fight between Luffy and Katakuri, one of Big Mom’s sons. Yeah, this arc is an entire rollercoaster.
5. Dressrosa
This is basically the One Piece version of Spain! It is one of the longest arcs in the series, and so much happens. Luffy discovers that his deceased brother, Ace’s Devil Fruit (a fruit you eat to gain a power, to put it simply), is in Dressrosa territory and put up as a prize for a big tournament. Luffy participates in this fight, as the power is a memento of Ace. But he soon discovers that his long lost brother, Sabo (I named my cat after him), whom we thought was dead for a long time, is actually alive and willing to take on Ace’s power. It’s a very emotional and bittersweet moment to know that Luffy has one more living brother in his life. We also learn more about Luffy’s friend and ally, Law, and his history with the antagonist of the arc, Doflamingo (I know, the name is hilarious). We come to learn the dark history of the country of Dressrosa and how Doflamingo came into power. Luffy also gets another insane power-up during his final battle with Doflamingo. By the end of the arc, we learn about what really happened to Sabo and why he was MIA for so long.
It was difficult to choose only five favourite arcs out of several. Honestly, I have more! But if I listed them, this article would turn into a novel. One Piece is such a special anime that has touched me in many ways. I highly recommend giving it a watch!