Tabetha Martin-Howard
Social Media Editor
On July of 1997, Eiichiro Oda brought forth a manga and anime masterpiece that has become one of the most iconic tales of our time—One Piece. The narrative revolves around a young boy named Monkey D. Luffy from the East Blue, whose ambition is to ascend to the position of Pirate King. To achieve this, one must locate the elusive One Piece left behind by the previous Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
Before embracing this dream, Luffy formed a friendship with the renowned pirate Red-Haired Shanks. Inspired by Shanks and his crew, Luffy aspired to join their ranks. However, Shanks, cognizant of the risks, rejected Luffy’s request at such a tender age, causing frustration. In a pivotal moment, Luffy retaliated by consuming a mysterious Devil Fruit discovered during one of Shanks’ expeditions.
This perilous Devil Fruit bestowed upon Luffy the Gum Gum powers, allowing his body to stretch with rubber-like abilities. Yet, the curse associated with Devil Fruit use emerged—Luffy lost the ability to swim and faced the threat of drowning.
Following this revelation, Luffy found himself in a precarious situation with a hostile pirate who tossed him into the sea with a sea monster. Shanks came to Luffy’s rescue, sacrificing his arm to the sea monster but gifting Luffy his iconic yellow straw hat. As time passed, Luffy, now of age, set sail despite lacking navigation skills, a subpar education, and boat-handling knowledge, determined to fulfill his destiny as the Pirate King.
Throughout his odyssey, Luffy forged bonds with new friends like Koby and assembled one of the most formidable crews ever, including his first mate swordsman Roronoa Zoro also known as pirate hunter zoro, Cat burgular Nami the navigator, “God” Usopp also known as Sniper King the snipper, Vinsmoke Sanji also known as Black Leg Sanji the chef, Tony Tony Chopper also known as Cotton Candy Lover the doctor, Nico Robin also known as “Devil Child” the archaeologist, franky whose name is Cutty Flam the shipwright, Brook also known as “ Soul King” and Jinbe also known as The Knight of the Sea the helmsman.
Embarking on various arcs, from Baratie, Arlong Park, Drum Island, Arabasta, Skypiea, Water 7, Enies Lobby Arc, Thriller Bark, Amazon Lily, Impel Down, Marineford, Sabaody , Fish-Man Island, Zou and Wano, the Strawhat Pirates navigated challenges and created a legacy. Their journey led to encounters with allies such as Princess Vivi, Kozuki Momonosuke, Kin’emon, Carrot, Trafalgar Law, and more.
In the most recent arc on the futuristic Egghead Island, Luffy seeks the elusive One Piece that will make him the Pirate King. Currently an Emperor of the Sea, Luffy protects Fish-Man Island and the Land of Wano. The Strawhat Pirates boast a grand fleet of over 5,600 pirates, and their combined total reaches over 8.8 billion berries.
For those who embarked on this adventure in 1997, it’s been an awe-inspiring 26 years of continuous storytelling from Oda, encompassing 14 movies, over 1090 episodes, and 100 volumes of manga. One Piece remains a cherished and beloved masterpiece across the globe.
Image courtesy of byimdb.com