Introduction

Everything written here is an opinionated piece of writing. All this does not mean, that “One Piece” is the greatest anime (Japanese animation) or manga (Japanese comics) of all time.

But, “One Piece” is a modern odyssey.

Eiichiro Oda (sensei), the man, the myth, the legend. The creator of this adventure started it in 1997 and is still reigning on the top to this day. Preferably, people call him GODa.

The first half of the story is called “Sea of Survival: Super Rookies Saga”, which is further divided into six sagas known as “East Blue Saga”, “Alabasta Saga”, “Sky Island Saga”, “Water 7 Saga”, “Thriller Bark Saga”, and “Summit War Saga”.

It begins with the first saga of the story, called “East Blue Saga”, which covers the first 100 chapters of the manga and the first 61 episodes of the anime. The story begins with a boy, named Monkey D. Luffy, often called “Straw-Hat” due to his iconic hat, who wants to be the “King of the Pirates”, a position previously held by Gold Roger, who discovered the greatest treasure of all: “One Piece”. No one knows what it is, or where it is, but, when Roger was executed (almost 20 years ago before the story begins), the Great Pirate Era began, in search of the greatest treasure and to be the King.

As stated in the opening narration at the beginning of the series:

“Wealth. Fame. Power. The man who had everything in this world... The Pirate King, Gold Roger. The great treasure he left behind, One Piece has opened the curtain on a grand era! It is a time when eager pirates set sail, battle, and become great! The Great Age of Pirates! Words he spoke drove countless men out to sea. And so, men set sights on the Grand Line, in pursuit of their dreams. The world has truly entered a Great Pirate Era!”

East Blue Saga introduces several diverse and unique characters, with a bit of the world’s lore and history. Luffy’s journey is joined by various members, forming the “Straw-Hat Pirates”. The title of the saga is derived from the East Blue Sea, one of the four prominent seas in the world of One Piece among West Blue, South Blue and North Blue. The Red Line divides the four seas, with the Grand Line and the New World being in between the seas.

This article elaborates on the characters (introduced so far), themes and my personal view of the East Blue Saga. It is not a review or a biased opinion, as I try to deliberate on this as honestly as possible. This saga is divided into 6 canon story arcs, “Romance Dawn”, “Orange Town”, “Syrup Village”, “Baratie”, “Arlong Park”, and “Loguetown”, presented here in chronological order.

(Spoiler Alert)

Story Arcs

1. Romance Dawn Arc – 

The first arc of the saga begins the story of Monkey D. Luffy, as a kid with a dream of finding the One Piece and becoming the “King of the Pirates”. Though, it is the shortest arc of all, Romance Dawn Arc is the prime impression that One Piece leaves in the minds of its viewers or readers. Luffy’s dream is thought to be stupid by many, but his determination towards his goal does not falter. As Luffy begins his journey, he reaches Shells town where he meets “Pirate Hunter” Roronoa Zoro, a “Three-Style” swordsman known for slaying pirates in the East Blue. Zoro is held by Captain “Ax-Hand” Morgan of the Marines, captured by his son Helmeppo. Zoro is falsely accused and held for a month, without food and water.

Luffy, along with Koby, a friend he made on a ship under the captaincy of Alvida, a proudful hag, helps Zoro escape and beats Morgan and Helmeppo, making the Marines helpful once again for the Shells Town, freeing the people from Morgan’s tyranny. Zoro joins Luffy’s crew as his first mate while Koby gets motivated to join the Marines to help the needy and bring peace, while still being friends with Luffy.

2. Orange Town Arc – 

The second arc of the saga is set in Orange Town. Luffy and Zoro reach the place in search of essentials, just to find out that the Buggy Pirates have taken over the town. Under the captaincy of Buggy “The Clown”, they capture Luffy to destroy the town and rule over it. While Luffy and Zoro deal with the enemies, Nami, a thief becomes their acquaintance for some time.

During the fight between Luffy and Buggy, it is revealed that Buggy and Shanks were crewmates and shared a complicated bond in the past. Shanks is the reason for Luffy’s dream, as he gave him the straw hat promising him to meet again. After the fight is over, peace is brought to the town with Buggy sent flying out by Luffy. Nami joins the crew as their navigator, just for her own sake.

3. Syrup Village Arc – 

The third arc of the saga is set in the Syrup Village prominently. The Straw Hats reach a mysterious island where they meet a man stuck in a treasure chest, Gaimon. The group helps Gaimon realise that the treasure chests he was protecting for 20 years are empty and will continue to live there along with his animal friends. The Straw Hats group then encounters a small pirate group in the Syrup Village, with its captain being a world-class liar. Usopp and his three members Tamanegi, Ninjin and Piiman, formed the Ussop Pirates Gang, with the latter three being children. The village residents are fed up with Usopp’s habit of lying each day, as he shouts and wanders in the village saying “Pirates! We are under attack!” Usopp has a friend Kaya, a longtime-ill girl, who is from a rich family. Kaya has two butlers – Merry and Klahadore – who care for her after her father’s death.

But the secret unfolds as it is revealed that Klahadore is a pirate known as Captain Kuro who planned Kaya and her father’s death to take their wealth and live a peaceful life to leave the pirate business. The Straw Hats group along with the Usopp Pirates Gang, beat Kuro and his crew to save the village and Kaya. In the end, Usopp disbands his small crew and sets sail with the Straw Hats as their sniper. As a reward, Merry and Kaya give the group a new ship to set sail around the world, called Going Merry.

4. Baratie Arc – 

The fourth arc of the saga is set at the sea restaurant ship known as Baratie. The Straw Hats group meets with a Marine ship and accidentally damages the restaurant. As punishment, Luffy is taken as a chore boy and works under the head chef Zeff. There, they meet Sanji, the assistant chef who respects the skill of cooking and ladies. Sanji helps the crew, especially Nami, and also provides food to Gin, one of the members of Don Krieg’s armada. Don Krieg is known as the don of the East Blue Sea.

Chef Zeff is revealed to be a famous pirate who visited the Grand Blue, known as “Red-Leg” Zeff for his incredible leg fighting skills. Zeff saved Sanji’s life when he was a kid and taught him culinary and fighting skills. When Don Krieg attacks Baratie, the Straw Hats and all the chefs team up to defeat the enemies, leading to Luffy beating Krieg and freeing himself from the chores. Amidst the battle, “Hawk-Eye” Dracule Mihawk, also known as “The Greatest Swordsman in the World” and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, reaches Baratie, destroys Krieg’s ship and fights Zoro. Unfortunately, Zoro loses the battle but impresses Mihawk, who asks him to become stronger and challenge him again. Sanji joins the group as their cook and gives his thanks to Zeff for “every damn thing”. Meanwhile, Nami leaves the group and escapes to a mysterious island. A severely injured Zoro, with Usopp, go to the island in search of her, with Sanji and Luffy joining later on.

5. Arlong Park Arc – 

The fifth arc of the saga is set around Arlong Park and Cocoyasi Village on the Conomi Islands. The Straw Hats group reaches the Conomi Islands in search of Nami, divided into two groups – Zoro and Usopp & Sanji and Luffy – only to find out that the island is taken over by Arlong and his pirate group. Nami is revealed to be one of Arlong’s members and has an elder sister named Nojiko in the village.

The group meets and learns about Nami’s tragic past, as Nojiko reveals about their mother Bell-mère, who took over the girls after their families were killed in a battle. Bell-mère cared for the two a lot and wanted them to be independent and courageous. Sadly, she was killed after Arlong and his crew took over the island and made Nami a part of their group. Nami wanted to earn 100 million berries (currency in the world of One Piece), to free the villagers from Arlong’s tyranny. The Straw Hats group fights for her and the island’s freedom, being severely injured but turning out to be victorious. Nami and the villagers are freed, with Nami officially joining the group as a navigator. The group sets sail for the Grand Line.

But the Marines in contact with Arlong are also beaten up by the Straw Hats, which leads to the Marines blaming all the damage on the group. This leads to the beginning of Luffy’s official pirate life as a bounty of 30 million berries is set on his head.

6. Loguetown Arc – 

The sixth and last arc of the saga is set in a town called Loguetown. The arc deals with one of the most important moments in “One Piece’s” history: the death of Gold Roger. Gold Roger was born in Loguetown and was killed there by the Marines. At that time, Roger said to the world and encouraged pirates all over the world to search for his greatest treasure. Luffy and the team visit the town for essentials, while Luffy wants to see the place where Roger was slain. In search of this, Luffy meets with Raoul, the bar owner of ‘Gold Roger Bar’. Raoul knew about Roger’s intentions and his love for adventure.

Luffy’s bounty is known all throughout the East Blue, with Loguetown being no exception. Captain Smoker of Loguetown Marines is informed of the gang’s visit and starts chasing Luffy. But old enemies lurk in the shadows. Buggy and Alvida return to capture Luffy and execute him at the same place as Roger. But they fail. Smoker and his team chase down the group, and Smoker captures Luffy. But a mysterious figure saves Luffy and the group sets sail for the Grand Line. Smoker and his group of Marines start chasing the group.

Characters

1. Monkey D. Luffy:

The boy with the greatest dream, to become the King of Pirates and find the greatest treasure – One Piece. Luffy has the power to stretch his body parts as his will, due to the ‘Devil Fruit’ powers granted by Gum-Gum Fruit, often called a rubber human. Luffy is a jolly good fellow and does not care much about things. He enjoys food, especially meat.

2. Roronoa Zoro:

A pirate hunter who wants to become the greatest swordsman in the world. Zoro uses the ‘Three-Sword Style’ of fighting with three swords – one in each hand and holding a third with his mouth. Zoro is an introverted person and believes in hard work and courage. He respects Luffy a lot. Zoro has the worst direction skills in all of the group.

3. Usopp:

The group’s sniper and another jolly good fellow. Usopp is the son of Yasopp, a gunman in Shanks's crew. Usopp wanted to be a pirate from childhood and the captain of his own crew. Usopp is easily scared and hates fighting as he is afraid of getting beaten up. Usopp is a big-time liar and often gets into trouble because of this habit.

4. Sanji:

The group’s cook with exceptional culinary and kicking skills. Sanji is a man who respects and loves women, respectfully. With a tragic past revolving around food, Sanji knows the pain of hunger. Sanji’s kicking skills are refined because he thinks that his hands are the most important part of a cook.

5. Nami:

The group’s navigator and only woman till the end of this arc. Without Nami, the Straw Hats won’t be able to travel around the world as the direction skills of the rest of the crew – especially Zoro and Luffy – and knowledge about the weather & geography is exceptionally poor. Nami has a great affection towards berries (the currency of “One Piece”).

6. Honorable Mentions:

• Gold Roger – The man who started it all. Gold Roger was the King of the Pirates and the man who found the treasure of One Piece. Very few people know about Roger and his past. Roger was killed more than 20 years before the story began.
• Koby – Koby is a young boy, and very fearful. Koby befriends Luffy on Alvida’s ship. Koby is motivated by Luffy’s dream and starts working with the Marines as a chore boy at Shells Town.
• “Red-Haired” Shanks – Shanks is the captain of his pirates’ group. When Luffy was a kid, he spent a lot of time with Shanks and his group. At one time, Luffy accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, which was kept with the group. Shanks sacrificed his left hand to save Luffy from a small fry pirate. He gave Luffy the straw hat and promised him to meet again after Luffy became a big name.
• Kaya – Kaya is longtime-ill girl, who is from a rich family at the Syrup Village. Kaya befriended Usopp after he came to her house to make her laugh at his stupid lies.
• Usopp Pirates Gang (Tamanegi, Ninjin, and Piiman) – The Usopp Pirates Gang was only a four-member team with Usopp being the captain and Tamanegi, Ninjin and Piiman. The three are children and respect Usopp a lot.
• “Red-Leg” Zeff – The head chef at Baratie, the sea restaurant ship. Zeff was previously a big-name pirate when he was young also known as “Red-Leg” Zeff. Zeff saved Sanji’s life, when Sanji was drowning as a kid, and gave all the food they had left to him, costing Zeff one of his legs. He taught him culinary and fighting skills, which Sanji has always been thankful for. They have a twisted relationship as they respect and disrespect each other casually.
• Kuina – In Zoro’s past, Kuina was the daughter of his sword-fighting teacher. Kuina was a highly skilled swordswoman, as she beat everyone up in the dormitory, each student including Zoro. Zoro was inspired by her and always wanted to surpass her and eventually dreamed of becoming the greatest swordsman. She died in an accident, and Zoro took her sword along with him to become the greatest together.
• “Hawk-Eye” Mihawk – The “Greatest Swordsman in the World” who holds the immense strength to cut through pirate ships in a single swing. Mihawk is the wielder of “Yoru” the strongest black sword in the world. He fought Zoro during the Baratie Arc and was impressed with his dedication and strength. He asked him to keep on training and one day fight him again as an equal.
• Bell-mère and Nojiko - Bell-mère and Nojiko are the adopted mother and sister of Nami. Bell-mère adopted the girls when she was at a battle as one of the Marines, she found them as Nojiko was carrying a baby Nami. Sadly, Bell-mère was killed by Arlong, and he took over Nami. All three lived in the Cocoyasi Village on the Conomi Islands, with Nojiko remaining the only one after Bell-mère’s death as Nami went with the Straw Hats.
• Loguetown Marines – Loguetown is the birthplace of Gold Roger, the famous world-renowned “King of the Pirates”. The Loguetown Marines include Captain Smoker, Tashigi and other members. Both Smoker and Tashigi start their journey against the Straw Hats as Smoker wants to capture Luffy and Tashigi wants to beat Zoro after the Straw Hats escape from Loguetown.

7. Antagonists:

• Alvida – Alvida is a proud hag and former captain of Alvida pirates, who faced Luffy during the Romance Dawn Arc. Alvida got the “Smooth Smooth Fruit” sometime after her fight with Luffy which made her into a beautiful woman, turning her skin smooth so that nothing can hit her. She teamed up with Buggy the Clown later during the “Loguetown Arc”.
• Captain “Ax-Hand” Morgan and Helmeppo – Captain Morgan is the Marines captain at the Shells Town, with Helmeppo being his son. Morgan is a tyrannical corrupt official as he does not care about the people of Shells Town and his own son. One of his hands is a literal axe, which is why his nickname is “Ax-Hand”.
• Buggy the Clown – Buggy the Clown is the captain of Buggy pirates and the user of “Chop Chop Fruit” which gives him the power to disconnect his body parts at will so that he can become invulnerable. Buggy was beaten up by Luffy during the “Orange Town Arc” when he was threatening the citizens of Orange Town. He is a contradictory orator, and shares his past with “Red-Haired” Shanks, as they both were in the same crew when they were young. He later teams up with Alvida and tries to execute Luffy during “Loguetown Arc”.
• Captain Kuro a.k.a. Klahadore – Klahadore was Kaya’s butler at Syrup Village. Klahadore was later revealed to be Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates. He is a psychopathic mastermind and planned everything that happened during the “Syrup Village Arc”. He wanted to leave his pirate life behind and live a peaceful life in the village after taking over Kaya’s property, by killing her.
• Don Krieg – Don Krieg was a major pirate from the East Blue, making a name for himself after returning from Grand Line. Krieg terrorizes the Baratie to give all their food to his crew. He is a brutish pirate, who only cares about himself and not even his crew members. He is beaten down by Luffy, with the help of Sanji and the rest of the chefs at Baratie.
• Arlong – Arlong is a fishman (half human, half fish) with the ability to breathe underwater. When Nami was a child, Arlong along his crew came to the Cocoyasi Village on the Conomi Islands, and killed Bell-mère, took over the village for years. He contracted Nami for 100 million berries to free the village. When Nami came back to give him the amount, he cheated and got all the money behind her back. He is a greedy misanthrope, who looks down on the human race. He was beaten by the Straw Hats with the help of the villagers.
• Smoker – Smoker is a much-complicated antagonist compared to the others. He is a Captain in the Marines at Loguetown. He follows the orders of his higher-ups but not blindly, as he has his principles and beliefs regarding justice and piracy. He is an antagonistic official who wants to capture Luffy after he sees his bounty poster. He along with his junior Tashigi, and other Marines starts chasing the Straw Hats at the end of the saga.

Themes

The East Blue Saga has the main themes of determination, unity and adventure. As “One Piece” is a vast, diverse adventure, the characters go with the flow of enjoyment and journey through the seas and lands of the world.

Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Nami and Sanji represent the determination towards our dreams. Luffy’s dream to become the King of the Pirates is the biggest dream for anyone in the world of “One Piece”, and to obtain the treasure left by Gold Roger requires a strong will. Zoro’s dream of becoming the greatest swordsman and coming face to face with the current greatest swordsman, Mihawk, shows his determination towards his goal is unparalleled compared to the rest of the crew, as he continues to train physically and mentally. Usopp’s dream to become a great warrior of the sea, to face his fears and make a name for himself, is the promise he made to himself when he took to the seas with the Straw Hats. Sanji’s principle towards his craft of cooking and respect for food (and ladies) is an important part of his childhood and present, and he keeps moving forward to achieve his dream of reaching the “All Blue” (the sea where all the four seas – North Blue, South Blue, West Blue and East Blue – converge) and providing great food for everyone. Nami’s traumatic past does not stop her from breaking free from the shackles of Arlong and focusing on her dream of making a map of the whole world, which is not done by anyone.

The Straw Hats, despite their differences and challenges, stand united in front of any enemy in their way. The journey from being a single man with a dream to being a group of five brave people to achieve their respective goals and become the greatest names in history shows the unity amongst the Straw Hats.

And obviously, “One Piece” is the biggest and greatest story of any adventure ever. The Straw Hats have set sail for the fun of adventure, the feeling of joy and the thrill of life.

Conclusion

The East Blue Saga is just the beginning, or say, the tip of this ginormous iceberg, with many stories to be told in future. These tales that will continue to live on in the hearts of everyone who has witnessed the magic of Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus.

In the end, what lies ahead are adventures, waiting to unfold in front of the eyes of the viewer/ reader. Till the next saga…

To find the All Blue!
To become the King of the Pirates!
To become the greatest swordsman!
To draw the map of the world!
T-to...To become a brave warrior of the sea!
To find the ONE PIECE!!

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