Even after 26 years Shonen’s main pirate crew is still going strong.
One Piece is a story about many things. It’s a fairy tale with a mystery at its core, it’s a battle Shonen manga, it’s a tale of political rebellion. But it’s also a story about family. The heart of One Piece, the main through-line of character relationships are the Straw Hats. From strangers to a family, how does Oda continue to develop their bond after all this time?
The Beginning
The crew starts with our main five: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp and Nami. At this point manga is going at a steady pace. We meet a new crew member, we get a new location and then a new villain. This consistency does great wonders for the story. Before setting on the main journey we get full characterization for everyone. Through Oda’s famous flashbacks we get their backstory, their goals and motivations. We see that these very different characters are pretty similar in their desires and needs. It builds a great foundation for things to come. And they do.
The Vivi Incident
Arabasta is arguably one of the best arcs in One Piece, not only for a great villain, but also for a heartfelt character-driven story of Vivi. We get Chopper in the team too, but his introduction is very similar to those in the beginning. Vivi’s case is very different.
When we first meet her, we don’t even know who she is. By disguising her as Miss Wednesday and later revealing her true identity, Oda throws a curveball. The now known and expected pattern of character-location-villain is broken. The Straw Hats spend a pretty long time with Vivi before forming a proper connection with her. And we as readers do too.
Possibly the greatest thing about Vivi is not her slowly becoming a part of the crew, but actually departing from it. When she decides to stay at Arabasta and we see an iconic panel with crosses on the hands of the Straw Hats, the message is clear. This crew is so powerful, that even if you are not physically in it, you are still forever a member of it.
Here comes Robin
Another cleverly implemented crew member is Robin. She initially starts as a villains’ ally, but through a series of events slowly turns to the Straw Hat’s side. Her arc is one of learning to be more open to others. As a reader you don’t really know what to expect from her. She helped Crocodile before and clearly has her own ulterior motives. But Luffy trusts her and you do too.
When Ennies Lobby Arc starts you finally get it. What she needed was a group of people, strong enough to help her survive in the world where she is chased by almost everyone. This realization and her eventual rescue cement the idea — the Straw Hats are ready to fight anyone anywhere for their friends.
Ace goes down, Luffy goes up
One of the most heart-wrenching moments in the story is when Luffy loses all his friends after the fight with Kuma on Sabody Archipelago. For the first time the Straw Hats find themselves separated from each other. It’s a moment of true loneliness for Luffy but one that shows him how important his crewmates actually are.
He goes on a journey of self-discovery in a way. For the first time in forever he acts based on his own judgment, follows his very personal motivations. He ends up witnessing the death of his brother and plunging into the depth of despair. And the only thing that pulls him out of there is the thought of his crew. Not even the treasure, but the people he chose to chase it with. The idea’s pretty clear. There will be no One Piece for Luffy without his nakama.
Post Time-Skip and Sanji’s shenanigans
After two and a half year timeskip the Straw Hats meet again. And this time they all know why they are here, what their roles in the team are. So for some time we don’t really see any changes in their relationship. It’s like they are just happy to be together again. But Oda wouldn’t be Oda if didn’t have another trick up his sleeve.
Remember the beginning of the story? How each member of our main five had a proper backstory and everything’s been laid out for us? Well, not quite. In a somewhat sudden turn of events Sanji turns out to be a member of a powerful family, not just some cook from Baratie. To save his friends he leaves the team, and it’s Luffy’s task to bring him back.
Pulling such an interesting character revelation this late in the story is a respectable move. Our now seasoned and experienced characters have to test their bond again, remember why they decided to go on this adventure and overcome their fears. It is also a point where Jinbe comes into play. Luffy has long considered him to be a part of the crew, but it is only now that he gives a proper promise to become one.
Whole Cake Island is a great arc for its setting, villains and sudden twists. But Sanji’s story and his path to reconciliation with his friends is why it plays such an important role in the manga.
And there you have it. The complete story of the Straw Hats crew up to the Wano arc. Through clever character introductions and unexpected twists Oda manages to keep this family alive and breathing. These characters, the heart of the story, are now stronger than ever. And what is left for them now looks much easier than anything they had to go through. Just getting the One Piece.
Even after 26 years Shonen’s main pirate crew is still going strong.
One Piece is a story about many things. It’s a fairy tale with a mystery at its core, it’s a battle Shonen manga, it’s a tale of political rebellion. But it’s also a story about family. The heart of One Piece, the main through-line of character relationships are the Straw Hats. From strangers to a family, how does Oda continue to develop their bond after all this time?
The Beginning
The crew starts with our main five: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp and Nami. At this point manga is going at a steady pace. We meet a new crew member, we get a new location and then a new villain. This consistency does great wonders for the story. Before setting on the main journey we get full characterization for everyone. Through Oda’s famous flashbacks we get their backstory, their goals and motivations. We see that these very different characters are pretty similar in their desires and needs. It builds a great foundation for things to come. And they do.
The Vivi Incident
Arabasta is arguably one of the best arcs in One Piece, not only for a great villain, but also for a heartfelt character-driven story of Vivi. We get Chopper in the team too, but his introduction is very similar to those in the beginning. Vivi’s case is very different.
When we first meet her, we don’t even know who she is. By disguising her as Miss Wednesday and later revealing her true identity, Oda throws a curveball. The now known and expected pattern of character-location-villain is broken. The Straw Hats spend a pretty long time with Vivi before forming a proper connection with her. And we as readers do too.
Possibly the greatest thing about Vivi is not her slowly becoming a part of the crew, but actually departing from it. When she decides to stay at Arabasta and we see an iconic panel with crosses on the hands of the Straw Hats, the message is clear. This crew is so powerful, that even if you are not physically in it, you are still forever a member of it.
Here comes Robin
Another cleverly implemented crew member is Robin. She initially starts as a villains’ ally, but through a series of events slowly turns to the Straw Hat’s side. Her arc is one of learning to be more open to others. As a reader you don’t really know what to expect from her. She helped Crocodile before and clearly has her own ulterior motives. But Luffy trusts her and you do too.
When Ennies Lobby Arc starts you finally get it. What she needed was a group of people, strong enough to help her survive in the world where she is chased by almost everyone. This realization and her eventual rescue cement the idea — the Straw Hats are ready to fight anyone anywhere for their friends.
Ace goes down, Luffy goes up
One of the most heart-wrenching moments in the story is when Luffy loses all his friends after the fight with Kuma on Sabody Archipelago. For the first time the Straw Hats find themselves separated from each other. It’s a moment of true loneliness for Luffy but one that shows him how important his crewmates actually are.
He goes on a journey of self-discovery in a way. For the first time in forever he acts based on his own judgment, follows his very personal motivations. He ends up witnessing the death of his brother and plunging into the depth of despair. And the only thing that pulls him out of there is the thought of his crew. Not even the treasure, but the people he chose to chase it with. The idea’s pretty clear. There will be no One Piece for Luffy without his nakama.
Post Time-Skip and Sanji’s shenanigans
After two and a half year timeskip the Straw Hats meet again. And this time they all know why they are here, what their roles in the team are. So for some time we don’t really see any changes in their relationship. It’s like they are just happy to be together again. But Oda wouldn’t be Oda if didn’t have another trick up his sleeve.
Remember the beginning of the story? How each member of our main five had a proper backstory and everything’s been laid out for us? Well, not quite. In a somewhat sudden turn of events Sanji turns out to be a member of a powerful family, not just some cook from Baratie. To save his friends he leaves the team, and it’s Luffy’s task to bring him back.
Pulling such an interesting character revelation this late in the story is a respectable move. Our now seasoned and experienced characters have to test their bond again, remember why they decided to go on this adventure and overcome their fears. It is also a point where Jinbe comes into play. Luffy has long considered him to be a part of the crew, but it is only now that he gives a proper promise to become one.
Whole Cake Island is a great arc for its setting, villains and sudden twists. But Sanji’s story and his path to reconciliation with his friends is why it plays such an important role in the manga.
And there you have it. The complete story of the Straw Hats crew up to the Wano arc. Through clever character introductions and unexpected twists Oda manages to keep this family alive and breathing. These characters, the heart of the story, are now stronger than ever. And what is left for them now looks much easier than anything they had to go through. Just getting the One Piece.
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