One Piece – Pirates in Manga and Anime
One Piece is a manga that has been published since 1997. Since 1999, there has also been an anime series, as well as several films since 2000. The story begins with the treasure “One Piece,” hidden by the great pirate Gol D. Roger, which the protagonist Monkey D. Luffy (also known as Luffy) wants to find in order to become the King of the Pirates. But to do so, he needs not only a crew; he also has to face several adversaries.
In addition, there are islands and continents to discover, various enemies to defeat, and further adventures to experience—and this has been going on for more than 1,000 manga chapters and over 1,000 anime episodes.
Preliminary note: spoilers and an incomplete summary of the story
Below, we take a look at the characters, story, and other content of One Piece. Anyone who has not yet explored it may well encounter spoilers while reading. So if you want to experience the manga or series completely unspoiled, you should not read on. And anyone already very familiar with the material will notice while reading our
summary that it is incomplete. Naturally, it is impossible for us to comprehensively reproduce in a few paragraphs a fantasy world that has been developed in detail over more than 25 years. With that in mind: Have fun discovering the world of One Piece, whether more or less completely.
One Piece manga with more than 1,000 chapters
One Piece was created as a manga in 1997 by the then 22-year-old manga artist Eiichirō Oda. The first chapters were published in the “Shōnen Jump” magazine. A great deal has happened since then: there are now more than 1,000 chapters, which can be read in dozens of collected volumes
compiled into collections. There are also spin-offs featuring flashbacks and side stories, as well as novels for anyone who no longer needs pictures to immerse themselves in the world of One Piece.
One Piece anime with over 1,000 episodes
The content of the anime series closely follows the manga, even though
there are changes or adaptations here and there. The One Piece series, which has been
produced continuously since 1999, is also available with German
dubbing. The same applies to the films, several of which can be viewed as
summaries of dozens or even 100 episodes of the series
or manga chapters. However, the individual events are told more quickly, with some parts omitted
and others adapted or alternative timelines
introduced.
What is One Piece actually about?
But what keeps the story going? What has One Piece actually been about for
over 25 years? Well, the story begins with Monkey D.
Ruffy, whose surname is spelled Luffy in the English version.
He wants to become the Pirate King and find the treasure called “One Piece”
left behind by Gol D. Roger. Over the first few episodes, he assembles
a crew that later becomes known as the “Straw Hat Pirates” and
continues to grow. They all have special abilities, some of which
come from Devil Fruits—but more on those later.
The story revolving around Luffy, his crew, and all the people and creatures they encounter takes place in the predominantly water-covered world of One Piece. This world consists of four oceans known as the
East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, and South Blue. They are separated on one side by the Grand Line, a sea route with strong currents, frequently changing weather, and powerful winds, and on the other by the Red Line. The Red Line is the only continent in the world and stretches around the globe. In addition to the continent, there are many islands, some of them ruled by powerful pirates.
Over the course of the story, we get to know Luffy, the Straw Hat crew, and their sometimes-changing members. Their life stories also come into play, giving them greater depth. There are also other characters and groups, sometimes as allies and sometimes as adversaries. To name a few, the most important are: the World Government, the Marines, the Four Emperors, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Revolutionary Army, the World Nobles, the Eleven Supernovas, the Sea Kings, various pirates, and so on. Explanations of all of them can be found below.
The search for the One Piece treasure is neither straightforward nor free of setbacks. In fact, at one point in the story, there is a two-year period during which the crew splits up and learns new abilities. Before that, they had been too weak and too poorly equipped to defeat their new and stronger opponents. But that is not all. The story is also about getting along with other people, coming to terms with the past, allowing oneself to feel emotions, and, along the way, experiencing the craziest adventures. At present, there is still no end in sight. So it will be exciting to see where the journey leads next.
One Piece Characters
Nami
In the One Piece universe, Nami is not just an ordinary thief, but also a member of the Mugiwara Pirates (Straw Hat Pirates) under Captain Monkey D. Luffy. Nami is very clever and serves as both the navigator and the treasurer. Although she has a special knack for finding treasures and other valuables, her main goal is not necessarily to find great riches. Rather, she wants to be the first person to sail all the seas of the
One Piece planet and map every coastline. Unlike many other characters, she has not eaten a Devil Fruit and therefore has no special powers of her own.
Nami as a frequently misunderstood One Piece character
Since Nami is often depicted wearing only a bikini top above the waist, along with trousers, some people misunderstand her as mere “fan service.” In the One Piece manga and anime, however, Nami is a clever pirate who knows how to get by even without Devil Fruit powers. Over time, she has used various weapons, such as the Clima-Tact, which can be extended as a combat staff and also used to influence the weather—ideal for navigating a ship. In battle, she proves herself cunning and can even lure superior opponents into clever traps. We offer a costume and a wig for Nami cosplay.
Roronoa Zoro
Roronoa Zoro, or simply Zoro for short, is a former bounty hunter in One Piece who is won over by Captain Luffy and joins him to help him become the King of the Pirates. Alongside Nami, he is one of the characters who have not eaten a Devil Fruit and must therefore compensate for their lack of Devil Fruit powers with exceptional combat skills. Over the course of the One Piece manga and anime series, Zoro uses various katana swords for this purpose, as he is an outstanding swordsman who can fight with up to three weapons at the same time.
Zoro as the strong first mate of the Straw Hat crew
Zoro not only supports his captain Luffy, to whom he owes his life, in every situation, but also proves himself as the first mate of the Mugiwara Pirates (Straw Hat crew) during the journey described in One Piece. This is partly because he has the second-highest bounty in the crew. He also possesses the ability to use Haki, which allows him to strengthen his body’s powers through sheer willpower. Zoro is therefore an essential part of the Straw Hat crew and the story as a whole for various reasons. We offer the Zoro costume and a wig for cosplay.
Monkey D. Ruffy
Monkey D. Ruffy, or simply Ruffy—or Luffy in the original—is the main protagonist of One Piece. He is the captain of the Mugiwara Pirates (Straw Hat Pirates) and is usually recognizable by his namesake headwear. In addition to Haki, an ability that strengthens physical power through sheer willpower, he also possesses the special ability of a Devil Fruit he ate as a child. The Devil Fruit eaten by Ruffy is called “Gomu Gomu no Mi” and allows him to stretch and
reshape his body like rubber. This also means that physical attacks and electricity have little effect on him. However, Devil Fruit eaters can no longer swim.
Ruffy as the Driving Force Behind One Piece
In addition to many temporary tasks and motivations, Ruffy’s two main goals in the manga and anime are to find the treasure known as “One Piece” and become the Pirate King. The fact that this leads to countless conflicts in a world of many different crews, organizations, governing bodies, and other groups is shown in the several hundred manga chapters and anime episodes, as well as several films. Fans who follow Ruffy and the Straw Hat Pirates on their adventures can buy the perfect Monkey D. Ruffy costume, including hat, for cosplay from us.
Devil Fruits: Different Superpowers, but at a Price
The Devil Fruits in One Piece play an important role for the individual characters who eat them, as well as for the overall storyline. Anyone who eats one of the various Devil Fruits gains a specific or random superpower. For example, the protagonist Monkey D. Luffy ate a Gum-Gum Fruit and is now made of rubber. This means he can stretch and extend his limbs a great deal. Other fruits allow
the eater to transform into animals, mythical creatures, or elements such as fire,
water, and ice. The price: Anyone who eats a Devil Fruit and gains a superpower can no longer swim.
Characters of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece
As already mentioned, Luffy forms the so-called Straw Hat Pirates around himself. The straw hat becomes the trademark of the One Piece protagonist right at the beginning of the story, which explains his crew’s name. In the following list, we present the members along with a brief overview of their most important details:
• Monkey D. Luffy (モンキー・D・ルフィ), also known as “Straw Hat Luffy,” 19 years old, has family ties to the Revolutionary Army and the Marines, has eaten a Gum-Gum Fruit, and wants to become the King of the Pirates
• Roronoa Zoro (ロロノア·ゾロ), also known as the “Pirate Hunter,” 21 years old, swordsman and former bounty hunter, wants to defeat the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and has a poor sense of direction
• Nami (ナミ), also known as the “Cat Burglar,” 20 years old, cartographer and navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates, is obsessed with oranges and treasure, fights with a “Clima-Tact,” and wants to draw a perfect world map
• Usopp (ウソップ), also known as “Sogeking,” 19 years old, is known as a liar, serves as the crew’s weapons specialist and is a skilled marksman, and wants to become the best marksman in the world
• Sanji Vinsmoke (サンジ), also known as “Black Leg,” is 21 years old and the cook aboard the ship. He fights with his feet to protect his hands and wants to find the All Blue ocean so he can catch every species of fish in the world there.
• Tony Chopper (トニートニー·チョッパー), 17 years old, was a reindeer who became a human-like reindeer through consuming the Human-Human Fruit. He serves as the Straw Hat crew’s doctor, can speak with animals, and can transform into a stronger form.
• Nico Robin (ニコ·ロビン), 30 years old, ate the Flower-Flower Fruit and can therefore make her body parts grow anywhere within her line of sight. She is an archaeologist and wants to uncover the “true history” of the forgotten kingdom.
• Cutty Framm (カティ·フランキー·フラム), also known as “Franky,” is 36 years old and a cyborg. He serves as the crew’s shipwright and built a new ship for the Straw Hat crew.
• Brook (ブルック), also known as “Soul King,” is 90 years old. He ate the Revive-Revive Fruit, and after his death, his soul returned to his skeleton after wandering aimlessly. He is a musician and swordsman, and the giant whale “Laboon” is his friend.
• Jinbe (ジンベエ), also known as the “Knight of the Sea,” is 46 years old and a fish-man. He was a friend of Luffy’s brother Ace and was once a “Warlord of the Sea” before opposing the sinister schemes of the World Government and Blackbeard.
Various groups in the world of One Piece
As mentioned above, there are other groups and individuals in the world of One Piece. They provide the necessary tasks, conflicts, and exciting situations that keep the manga and anime series going. Below is a brief overview of the most important groups:
• The 11 Supernovas (11人の超新星) – also called the “11 Rookies,” these are eleven young pirates belonging to various pirate crews. Two of them, Luffy and Zoro, are members of the Straw Hat crew
• World Government (世界政府) – founded after several hundred years that were erased from the world’s history, it consists of the Five Elders and most of the heads of state in the One Piece world, and commands the Marines, the secret police, and more
• World Nobles (世界貴族) – also called “Celestial Dragons,” they are the original founders of the World Government and deny everyone else the right to exist except for their own amusement
• Marines (海軍) – this naval military force is subordinate to the World Government and maintains various bases around the world. Its special weapon is the formation of ten heavy warships known as a “Buster Call”
• Cipher Pol No. 9 (サイファーポールNo.9) – abbreviated as “CP9,” this is the officially nonexistent elite unit of the secret police organization “Cipher Pol.” It reports directly to the World Government, and its continued existence has been uncertain since its defeat by the Straw Hat crew
• The Four Emperors (四皇) – these four pirates are feared, and each has an enormous bounty placed on them. The protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, has already encountered all of them; he received his straw hat from one of the Emperors
• The Seven Warlords of the Sea (七武海) – the third power, alongside the World Government and the Emperors, that maintains the balance of the One Piece world. They plunder other pirate crews and hand over part of their spoils to the government
• The Revolutionaries (革命家) – this group wants to overthrow the World Government. Luffy’s relatives belong to it, and one of its leaders, Monkey D. Dragon, is considered by the government to be the world’s greatest enemy
Summary: A Great Piece of Fantasy!
There are many different ways to divide One Piece into larger or smaller sections, story arcs, and character developments. Fans will surely know which structure they prefer. For anyone who still wants to get into the manga series or anime, we recommend the relevant Wikipedia articles as well as the One Piece Wiki fan project. However, we hope that we have already been able to provide a useful insight into this great and ever-growing piece of fantasy here as well. In our Kostümpalast online shop, you will find One Piece costumes for cosplay, Carnival, and themed parties. Have fun browsing!