One Piece is a Japanese animated series made by the studio known as Toei Animation. It was released as an official anime in 1999, but it started out as a manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. He has been writing One Piece since the early 1990s, and it was serialized in 1997.
One Piece is one of the more emotional and diverse stories that I’ve ever watched. The show contains numerous characters, but the main crew consists of Monkey D. Luffy, Zoro Roronoa, Nami, Usopp, Tony Tony Chopper, Nico Robin, Franky, Brook, and Jinbe. They are known as the Straw Hat Pirates for the distinct straw hat that the captain Luffy wears.
The One Piece story arcs are categorized by the islands on which the main cast is currently adventuring. One arc that is most interesting is known as the Alabasta Arc.
The Alabasta Arc is about the crew helping out a princess, known as Vivi, to liberate and return the control of the island kingdom, known as Alabasta, to the rightful ruler, the king Cobra. The kingdom is currently being thrown into chaos, as a warlord of the sea wants to covertly take it over after the chaos dies down, by inciting the citizens against the king.
This arc is one of the longer and more serious ones from the series, as it tackles the issues of self-worth and self-reliance. The story starts with the crew on their way to Alabasta, as they befriend the princess and are now helping her in her plight. They eventually discover that a large naval force is currently looking for them on the island. This causes the crew to split up and fend for themselves.
During this time, the two crew members, Nami and Usopp, discuss their usefulness, as they aren’t as competitively capable as the others. This scene is relatable to a lot of us, as they struggle a lot with whether or not they can be reliable, because they care deeply about the people they are with. It’s inspiring to watch, as the characters are slowly shown to be just as capable as the others, without only having to rely on themselves for their strength. They learn to value their intelligence, and that shapes their fighting style.
This is really cool, as it shows how their need to improve themselves is met and they don’t need to change drastically or compare themselves to others of differing abilities. It sends the message that, if you can use any of your abilities the way you want, then you can be of use to someone, regardless of the situation. I also like how it dealt with this issue, as the series already showcases people with powers, and instead of giving them immediate power, it instead encourages self-reliance.
One Piece is a great series that shows the emotional and physical growth of the characters we know and love. It is great and captivating, and many of the scenes make you cry tears, not out of sadness, but out of an understanding and happiness for the well-being of those characters. The Alabasta Arc also illustrates those emotions, as you are captivated by the Straw Hat Pirates as they struggle and laugh together. In a way, we are all Monkey D. Luffy.
