It’s a random school day in 2004, you’ve come back and tuned into Fox to watch the daily cartoon, and One Piece is on. The animation is funky, and the dubbing is a bit suspect, but you don’t really care. You’re entirely on the side of this pirate captain who punches marine captains with his rubber arms. You keep following the series, and then 1160+ episodes later, you’re still watching.
For millennials who grew up in the 1990s, One Piece is a part of their lives. Luffy has grown up beside them, and through 32 arcs, he has shaped ideas of freedom and friendship.
But, if you’re one of those kids who was not into anime, you probably hate that one friend whose only life goal is to get you to watch One Piece. So, for you, we’ve prepared a small list of seven arcs that have shaped Luffy and made your friend into a lifelong fan. We’re presenting this chronologically, so if you want to drop in and watch the episodes for the first time (or for a rewatch), you’ll have a clear understanding of the timeline.
1. Arlong Park
You can map out the moment every One Piece fan becomes a lifelong fan of the show. It happens during Arlong Park.
Nami, the spunky narrator, talks about her life of abuse and asks Luffy for help, and Luffy gives her his prized straw hat. Then the gang: Luffy, the captain, Zoro, the swordsman, Sanji, the cook, and Usopp, the sniper, make their way to Arlong Park to utterly destroy Arlong and his crew.
Arlong Park is important because it sets a precedent in One Piece. Throughout the series, Luffy and his friends land on various islands, make friends, and come to understand the struggles they face. And once they know who they have to fight to help their friend, they start doing that immediately. This is also why protests around the world fly the Strawhat flag, because they have seen their friends in trouble, and they’re fighting for peace.
Arlong Park isn’t perfect. You could argue that Baratie had the better action set pieces and that Oda hadn’t nailed the pacing or the villain story. But it doesn’t matter. The East Blue saga is a story of how Luffy makes friends and saves people, and Arlong Park is the one arc that shows it off the best.
2. Alabasta
If the East Blue saga was about finding friends and starting the journey, Alabasta was about a small pirate crew finally finding its footing. The Grand Line is far more treacherous than the calm waters of East Blue, and Luffy and his crew get waylaid more often than not.
But it all ends with Alabasta — a desert kingdom under siege by a Warlord of the sea, Crocodile. Last time we saw a warlord of the sea, he destroyed Zoro with a pocket knife, so the hype is immense. And the fights hold up to it.
Crocodile (the Warlord) does everything right, and like every old school villain, he builds contingencies for contingencies. But, since Luffy is quite literally undefeatable (because of a deus ex machina named Miss All-Sunday), he ends up punching Crocodile until he loses consciousness.
Outside of the fighting, though, Alabasta is about politics. It celebrates sovereignty and discusses how an individual can destabilize a government. It discusses protests and develops a narrative about how Luffy inspires people to follow him, regardless of the circumstances.
The ending is also beautiful with Luffy and crew leaving and saying goodbye to Vivi, the princess of Alabasta, who has been traveling with them for over 60 episodes.
3. Enies Lobby
Some time has passed now. Our Strawhat crew has defeated Sky Eminem and earned 300 million berries. But if you’re looking for the emotional heart of the show, you need to watch Enies Lobby. The Marines kidnap Nico Robin, and Luffy undertakes the rescue mission.
The action here is excellent and features one of the top three fights in the entire series. But, more than that, the emotions here are well-written.
Every One Piece fan remembers that moment when the crew makes an enemy of the entire world government. They do it because they value the friendships they have made over anything else. Also, there’s an immensely emotional moment when they’re rescued from the Marine base.
Overall, the entire Water 7 arc forms the emotional core of the anime. It introduces you to the characters and personalities of each crew member, and establishes the power dynamics and corruption within the Marines.
4. Sabaody Archipelago
One of the central tenets of Oda’s world-building is the concept of Celestial Dragons. These are the nobles who quite literally sit at the top of the world. Saobody introduces two parts of this mythology:
- Celestial Dragons – The nobles of the world who keep slaves, maintain absolute control over the people, and make lives difficult for everybody.
- Supernovas – The 11 new pirate crews that have put the world on notice and are traveling to the New World.
This arc ends in a tragedy and showcases that the Strawhats aren’t ready for the New World at all. However, it also establishes the world that they’re living in quite firmly. This is the first time you see the pirates in the context of a world that has been overtaken by corruption.
You are also introduced to the admirals and Bartholomew Kuma, who will have a significant influence on the story moving forward.
5. Marineford Arc
What happens when Marine leaders clash with an Emperor of the Sea? Marineford is often cited as the best war arc in all of anime, and there are several reasons for that.
The war set pieces are incredible. Whitebeard, the aforementioned Emperor of the Sea, is one of the most mythical beings in the entire world of One Piece. And there’s a tragedy at the heart of Marineford that shapes every single arc moving forward.
Luffy is the only Straw Hat in play here (as a result of the events in Sabaody). You can see how the torch of piracy is being passed from the old to the new. All the major players in the new world make an appearance, and you can see the way the world is shaped in one war.
Few anime are as bold in depicting a war in full. But Oda pulls off a masterpiece here. He showcases the effect of every hit and every death, while also maintaining the big fight feel.
If you read the manga, you will see one of the best pages in the history of manga. If you watch the anime, you will inevitably fall in love and experience multiple heartbreaks at the same time.
Marineford is probably the best arc in One Piece, and deservedly so.
6. Dressrosa
Spending 118 episodes seeing the events of one particularly eventful day might not be fun for you. And fans who lived through and watched along during release were understandably frustrated.
But now that years have passed, you can watch one of the greatest villains in anime in all his glory. Dressrosa is not tightly written, and there are too many threads and new characters that make it feel like a chore to start with.
The second half of the arc, though, is a masterpiece. Doflamingo is a generational hater, and he brings in a certain level of chaos into the story that feels deserved. Also, like Crocodile, Doflamingo has plans that are multi-layered and scary. It often feels like Luffy is an inch away from losing, but the crew makes it through. The tragedy, emotional stories, and fights in this arc make it all worthwhile. However, if you want our advice, you can skip some flashback episodes.
7. Wano
Wano is another story that marries mythology with the present tragedy of the One Piece world. It discusses the tyranny that the Emperors of the Sea can inflict. Kaido is genuinely terrifying, and from the moment he is introduced, he casts a large shadow on the entire story.
The pirate alliance between Luffy, Law, and Eustass Kid goes up against two Emperors (Big Mom and Kaido), and the story is breathtaking. It’s slow to start, and is currently the longest arc in the story, but it’s very rewarding if you stick through it.
Wano is also very well-drawn, with every character and set piece looking like a painting. The style resembles traditional Japanese paintings.
Finally, the story will introduce you to Oden, one of the members of the Pirate King crew, who will tell us more about the rich history of the One Piece universe. Overall, this is one of the most complete arcs in the entirety of One Piece. And the ending holds a surprise that changes everything for the Straw Hats and Luffy.
Before You Leave
One Piece is definitely not an easy watch. The story meanders, and even if you skip all the filler, you’re left with over 1000 episodes. But it’s an important story that has inspired millions around the world. And even if you haven’t been on the same journey as Luffy, even if you just started sailing, it’s all going to be worth it for the friends you make on the way.
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