Netflix’s fan-favourite, live-action One Piece returns to our screen today with its much anticipated second season. But to truly understand the hype for season 2, we have to look back at how the first season brought together the core Straw Hat crew. How despite a fair few failed live action anime attempts, One Piece Live Action pulled off an absolute miracle. It wasn’t just about the fights; it was a journey of five strangers realising they need each other to see all their dreams realised.
So let’s dive in…
The Spark that ignited the flames of adventure!
The story kicked off with the execution of the Pirate King known as Gold Roger, whose final words launched a thousand ships across the world towards the Grand Line. Many years later, we met Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with the unique powers of the Gum-Gum Fruit and an huge dream to take the title of Pirate King. His first steps lead to him helping a young cabin boy named Koby from the pirate Alvida and then infiltrating a Marine base for a map, only to find themselves recruiting the lethal pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro along with the cat burglar Nami, forming a trio that would soon become the core of the Straw Hat crew.
Building a Crew!
As Luffy worked his way across the East Blue, starting with nothing but a barrel to ride in, each stop gave him new threats in the form of other Devil Fruit enhanced Pirates as well as adding a few more members to his crew:
The cowardly sniper Usopp
In Syrup Village, they met the charismatic but cowardly liar Usopp and helped him defend the heiress (and Usopps crush) Kaya from her traitorous butler who turned out to be an infamous pirate Captain Kuro who has been working a multiple year long con. Their hard work was paid off when Kaya gave them their first real ship, the Going Merry.
The talented chef ‘Black Leg’ Sanji
At the floating restaurant ship Baratie, Luffy and the others enjoyed a meal but due to a lack of payment, Luffy was forced to pay off the huge debt he built up and it was there he met a young man named Sanji, a world-class chef whose charm is as dangerous as his legs (as a chefs greatest tools are his hands so he fights exclusively with his legs). This arc also introduced the terrifying power gap of the world when Dracule Mihawk, the world’s greatest swordsman who easily and effortlessly defeated Zoro.
The Cat Burglar Nami
First meeting Luffy at Shells Town, they crossed paths when they both tried to steal the same map, Nami was a reluctant passenger going along with Luffy and Zoro as they left Shells Town behind. Her continued exposure to Luffy’s good character clearly left an impact before her eventual betrayal when she stole all their treasure and ran off leaving Luffy and the others to give chase. The first season reached its emotional peak at Arlong Park. Here we discovered Nami’s betrayal was a desperate attempt to buy her village’s freedom from the deadly fishman Arlong and the Arlong Pirates who had taken over her small island of Orange Town when she was a little girl. Due to her natural ability to draw accurate maps she worked her way from pirate crew to pirate crew stealing their treasure to buy back her islands freedom. After Luffy placed his hat on her head and declared her his friend, the crew took down the Arlong and his Empire, finally making Nami a Straw Hat by her choice and freeing the people of Orange Town.
The B Plot
Differing greatly from the manga and the anime, we also follow along with Koby and his growth from within the Marines. Being taken under the wing of the great Vice Admiral Marine Garp (who ironically is the Grandfather to Monkey D. Luffy!) along with Helmeppo (a spineless ‘nepo baby’ we meet in the second episode) We follow their journey as Garp closes the gap as he catches up to Luffy and the Straw Hat Crew. It was an interesting route to go through for the Live Action. In the Manga we got a few cover stories seeing them train with Grap, but in the anime we never actually saw them again until much later after they have trained and gained a glow up.
Whether we keep this going or shift the focus on some new Marines we’re due to meet remains to be seen but last we left off, Garp and his crew agreed to let Luffy and the Straw Hats get a head start thanks to their actions with taking down the Arlong Pirates.
The Cliffhanger Ending…
The season concluded with the Barrel Oath, an iconic shot from the manga and anime (perfectly replicated may I add) where each member declared their dream: Sanji; to find the All Blue, Usopp; to become a Brave Warrior of the Sea, Nami; to draw a Map of the World, Zoro; to become the Greatest Swordsman, and Luffy to become the King of the Pirates.
However, danger is already closing in. The final moments revealed that a new threat has picked up where Garp left off—the smoke-wielding Marine Captain Smoker—who we see burning Luffy’s 30,000,000-Berry bounty poster.
Set Sail for Season 2!
The first season dipped its toes into the wacky and unpredictable world of One Piece, with some crazy Devil Fruit users and even different species roaming the seas but Season 2 will up the ante ten fold!
As seen in the trailers, we will be seeing even crazier Devil Fruit users, literal viking giants, talking animals and even new crew members set to join the Straw Hat Pirates!
Be sure to catch every episode which drops on Netflix on March 10th! and be sure to come back for our Season 2 review dropping soon after.
