The One Piece live-action adaptation has been a huge success. If you aren’t familiar with it, One Piece follows the story of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they attempt to look for the world’s ultimate treasure known as the “One Piece.” The show has managed to shatter Netflix’s debut records as millions of people from all over the world bear witness to what very well may be the first successful live-action adaptation of an anime.
In honor of the show’s resounding success, we’ve rounded up the show’s best moments. From spectacular fights to giant sea monsters, here are the ten best moments from the One Piece live-action adaptation.
10 Gold D. Roger Reveals That the One Piece Is Real
On the day of his execution, the legendary Pirate King Gold D. Roger reveals that anyone who finds his treasure can claim it for themselves. While this may seem simple compared to outlandish devil fruit abilities and exciting battles, this moment is what kicks off the story of One Piece. To see this iconic moment finally done well sets the tone for the entire series.
9 The Straw Hats Get Their Boat
You can’t be a respectable pirate crew without a ship. This is why the moment the Straw Hats receive the Going Merry is so important. Not only do they get the boat that they need but they also get another crew member in the form of Usopp. This is when you see things actually start to come together. While the Straw Hats still have ways to go, having an actual boat brings them one step closer to achieving their dreams.
8 Luffy Escapes Garp
Not long after receiving the Going Merry, Luffy and his crew are soon pursued by the Marines. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Luffy’s grandfather and vice admiral to the Marines Monkey D. Garp is hellbent on stopping him from becoming a pirate.
This encounter with the Marines revealed how ill-prepared Luffy and his crew actually are. This mostly stems from inexperience as most of them have never been out at sea before. Nevertheless, the Straw Hats make it through thanks to Luffy’s devil fruit powers and quick thinking.
As one of the cannonballs from the Marine’s ship is about to collide with the Going Merry, Luffy puffs up into a giant balloon and sends the cannonball back. This disables the Marine’s ship and allows the Straw Hats to get away.
7 Shanks Gives Luffy His Hat
One of the show’s best moments happens early involving both Luffy and the notorious pirate Shanks. Luffy has pretty much looked up to Shanks his whole life. Having grown up in a small village, he’s always dreamed of going on adventures like Shanks. This is why Luffy, despite being a child, continuously pestered Shanks to let him join his crew.
When Shanks and his crew announce that they will be moving forward with their search for the One Piece, Luffy tells Shanks that he no longer wants to join his crew. Instead, Luffy promises that he’ll form a crew of his own that’ll surpass Shanks’ crew. Moved by the boy’s fiery ambition, Shanks gives Luffy his straw hat and tells him to return it to him once he’s fulfilled his promise.
6 Shanks Scares Off a Sea King
Speaking of Shanks, we can’t talk about the show’s best moments without mentioning how he managed to scare off a Sea King without lifting a finger. And while Shanks does end up losing his arm, managing to fend off a beast this big will never not be impressive. Without spoiling too much, this moment also hints at a power that Shanks possesses that allows him to intimidate creatures with a single glare.
5 Seeing Buggy the Clown in Action
The show’s portrayal of Buggy the Clown is undoubtedly one of the best things about the show. And while Buggy the Clown is the One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda’s favorite character, getting him right was no easy feat. The show exceeded expectations with its unique portrayal of Buggy.
Unlike the manga or the anime, the show’s version of Buggy is more menacing. Despite how different this version of Buggy is, the show doesn’t fail to inject enough silliness to balance out his edgy personality. Aside from Buggy’s revamped personality, his devil fruit powers are also done pretty well. The live-action adaptation really leans into the cartoonish visuals that make OnePiece so visually engaging.
4 Learning About How Zeff Lost His Leg
Sanji has one of the most heart-wrenching backstories in the series. As if being stranded on a rock in the middle of the ocean with a pirate wasn’t bad enough, there was a limited amount of food to go around. Sanji and Zeff patiently wait for a ship to go by. When Sanji inevitably runs out of food, he decides to turn on Zeff and try to steal his food. Sanji discovers that Zeff never had any food in the first place and only survived by eating his own leg.
Not only was this a great twist but it’s a good way to show how the older generation of pirates paved the way for people like Sanji. They understand that while it may be too late for them, it’s certainly not too late for this new generation of pirates.
3 Zoro Faces Mihawk
One of the best fight scenes in the season unsurprisingly is between the pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro and the legendary swordsman Dracule Mihawk. Since it’s Zoro’s dream to be the strongest swordsman in the world, Mihawk was always someone he would inevitably face. However, the difference in power between the two becomes painfully clear as Mihawk makes short work of Zoro. What makes this even more impressive is that Mihawk doesn’t even use his real sword for most of the fight, as a tiny dagger was enough to deflect Zoro’s attacks.
Aside from having great action sequences, this moment stands out because it perfectly encapsulates how far the Straw Hats still need to go in order to achieve their dreams. While the other Straw Hats weren’t involved in the fight, the disparity in Mihawk and Zoro’s strength is still indicative of where they stand as far as their goals are concerned.
2 Understanding Why Zoro Wants to Become the World’s Strongest Swordsman
At face value, Zoro’s goal of wanting to be the strongest may seem purely egotistic. He even manages to put himself at risk by trying to fight Mihawk even if he is clearly outmatched. However, it’s revealed that the main reason he wants to be the strongest is because he promised his deceased childhood friend Kuina that he would become the world’s greatest swordsman. What was seemingly a purely selfish goal is a demonstration of how much Zoro is willing to sacrifice to honor his friend.
1 The Straw Hats Cast Off Ceremony
While this scene isn’t as flashy as the other moments on this list, no other scene deserves the top spot. The end of season one has the Straw Hats heading towards the Grand Line. Despite the challenges that await them, the crew is more fired up than ever. To commemorate this part of their journey, the crew participates in a simple cast-off ceremony.
The Straw Hats gather around a keg and put a leg up on it. One by one they start stating their goals. In an act that serves as both a reminder and a promise, it’s clear that the Straw Hats are ready to do whatever it takes to make their dreams come true.