Summary
- The world of One Piece is a vast and complex universe filled with various organizations, pirate crews, and cultures, making it a daunting undertaking for new viewers.
- The map of One Piece is primarily dominated by the ocean, with different islands scattered across the fictional globe, creating a strongly nautical landscape.
- Different pirate crews having starkly different goals, including seeking the fabled One Piece treasure or causing chaos and ruling over islands. Monkey D. Luffy's Straw Hat Pirates are the main protagonists of the series.
The world of live-action One Piece TV show coming into port, Netflix will be hoping to bring new eyes to Monkey D. Luffy's pirate adventures, and the condensed timeline provides the perfect entry point for those curious about this anime phenomenon.
Even though Netflix's One Piece is stuffing the better part of 100 manga chapters into a slender eight-episode season, Eiichiro Oda's world remains stacked with mythology. Perhaps the biggest challenge facing first-time navigators of One Piece will be the sheer volume of organizations, pirate crews, locations, and groups that play vital roles in Luffy's story. The following breakdown of people, places and posses represents the essentials for navigating a course through the richly-detailed One Piece universe.
The One Piece World Map
What The World Of One Piece Looks Like
The map of One Piece is almost wholly different from the real world. Eiichiro Oda may take inspiration from genuine countries and cultures - the island of Dressrosa is heavily based on Spain, for example - but the similarities end there. One Piece is primarily dominated by ocean, with populations gathered on the many islands dotted across Oda's fictional globe. While some islands are considerably bigger than others, there are virtually no continent-sized land masses as in real life, creating a strongly nautical landscape.
The One Piece map is divided into four watery quadrants - East Blue, West Blue, North Blue and South Blue. Each of these oceans contains its own islands, pirates, and cultures, while a fifth ocean - the mythical All Blue, is also rumored to exist. Two lines circling the entire globe divide these four corners of One Piece's world. One is the Red Line, a huge, imable range of mountains. The other is the Grand Line, a treacherous, also imable strip of ocean, and there are two points where the Red Line and Grand Line rings intersect on Oda's fictional globe.
Thanks to the Red Line and the Grand Line, ing freely between all four oceans is virtually impossible. Only a lucky few with the correct equipment and sailing expertise can move from one ocean to the next. The first step of Luffy's journey in Netflix's One Piece involves crossing from East Blue into the Grand Line.
The Four "Blue" Oceans
While the four "Blue" oceans make up the majority of One Piece's world, they play a relatively minor role in Eiichiro Oda's story. East Blue is where Luffy and his initial group of crew mates hail from, and where Netflix's One Piece adaptation will spend most of its time in season 1. The remaining three oceans are only occasionally relevant to One Piece, and even more seldom seen. Of all the four oceans, East Blue is commonly known as the weakest, containing the least fearsome pirates and sea beasts.
The Grand Line
The Grand Line, the wild ring of ocean surrounding the globe, is where most of One Piece's action happens - both from a narrative perspective, and in-universe. Known as a gathering place for the world's strongest pirates, the Grand Line is more dangerous than each of One Piece's four other oceans. In addition to carrying scarier sailors, the Grand Line harbors devilish creatures of the deep, and is notorious for its erratic weather patterns that make sailing notoriously tricky for even the most skilled navigators. The Grand Line requires a special com known as a Log Pose in order to avoid becoming hopelessly lost.
Once a ship enters the Grand Line, powerful currents called Calm Belts containing armies of deadly underwater creatures line either side, meaning an easy exit is out of the question. The ruthless and unrelenting nature of the Grand Line has chewed up and spit out many an unprepared pirate, and the route gets even more perilous in the second half, colloquially known as the New World. This latter stage is where the Grand Line's very best pirates clash.
Pirates In One Piece
Predictably, the One Piece world is brimming with pirates. Piracy began a long time before Luffy set sail, but became considerably more prevalent thanks to the original Pirate King, Gold Roger. After sailing the world, Roger was executed for his crimes over 20 years before Luffy's era, but used his public death as a platform to announce that his treasure, the fabled One Piece, was sitting at the end of the Grand Line on an island called Raftel, just waiting for another pirate to collect it. This shocking declaration resulted in a massive wave of piracy and the official beginning of One Piece's Golden Age of Piracy.
The world of One Piece mirrors real life in that pirates are typically depicted as the scourge of the seas. The truth, however, is far from black and white. While some pirates certainly pillage and kill for kicks, the likes of Monkey D. Luffy and Red-Haired Shanks are demonstrably more virtuous - pirates who prioritize adventure, friendship and freedom over loot and infamy.
Consequently, different pirate crews in One Piece have starkly different goals. Some seek Gold Roger's One Piece and the title of Pirate King. Others are happy to cause chaos and live as they please. Some even become organized criminals that accumulate wealth by smuggling, arms dealing, or ruling over islands as tyrants.
Luffy's Straw Hat Pirates
The main protagonists in One Piece's cast, Monkey D. Luffy's Straw Hat Pirates will be the focus of Netflix's live-action TV show. Luffy is one of the many pirates aiming to claim the titular One Piece and become Pirate King, although few are as enthusiastically vocal about that goal as the Straw Hats' captain. Netflix's One Piece season 1 will introduce Luffy, the swordsman Zoro, navigator Nami, sniper Usopp, and chef Sanji, but this is only part of the true Straw Hat crew from Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga and anime. The full lineup later includes Chopper the reindeer doctor, infamous archaeologist Nico Robin, the cyborg shipwright Franky, skeletal musician Brook, and Jinbe the Fishman.
The Straw Hat roster grows larger still, as Luffy's crew also contains two honorary in Princess Vivi and Yamato, who are considered Straw Hats, but do not currently travel on the ship. Later in the One Piece story, the Straw Hats expand from a crew into a fully-fledged fleet, as other pirate captains pledge their allegiance to Luffy and fly his flag above their own. Although Netflix's One Piece will likely never reach this stage, one of Luffy's future fleet comrades, Cavendish, is teased by Netflix's One Piece trailer.
Other Pirate Crews In Netflix's One Piece Season 1
Through promotional footage and casting announcements, numerous other pirates crews have been confirmed for Netflix's One Piece season 1. Most prominently, the Buggy Pirates, led by Jeff Ward's Buggy the Clown, will appear as early antagonists to the Straw Hats. Buggy's circus-themed troupe will be ed by the feline-centric Black Cat Pirates, led by Captain Kuro, Alvida's small-time crew, and Arlong's gang of Fishmen, collectively known as the Arlong Pirates. All of the above are strong forces within the comfy confines of East Blue, but they remain relatively weak against the broader backdrop of One Piece's pirate hierarchy.
The Four Emperors
Atop said hierarchy sits the Four Emperors, otherwise known as the Yonko. These four pirate crews are recognized across the world as the strongest, most influential quartet of swashbucklers in the entire world, and are, therefore, closest to finding the One Piece and becoming Gold Roger's successor. When Netflix's One Piece adaptation begins, the Four Emperors of the seas are Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, and Red-Haired Shanks.
The Rulers Of One Piece's World
The World Government
Although each island in One Piece typically has its own ruler, often an unelected king or queen with a birthright to the throne, the entire world falls under the purview of the World Government. This organization makes and upholds the various laws of One Piece's land, and stands in direct opposition to pirates, law-breakers, and ne'er-do-wells. Not every island in One Piece is officially d with the World Government, but like any good fictional dictatorship, the institution's influence remains felt across all locations regardless.
The World Government comprises 170 nations from across the seas, and was founded by 20 islands whose rulers attend a regular summit. Above them in the One Piece pecking order is the Gorosei - also known as the Five Elders. This shady quartet remains shrouded in mystery, even in One Piece's most recent chapters, but they are directly responsible for ruling the seas and bringing down its toughest pirates. One of the most damning crimes one can commit against the World Government is researching the Void Century - a blank period of history from immediately before the World Government's formation. Precisely what happened during this time remains unknown.
Although the Gorosei were considered the pinnacle of political power for a long time, the One Piece anime and manga has since revealed an ominous higher power that even the Five Elders bow to. It seems unlikely that this figure will ever appear in Netflix's One Piece. Even so, Eiichiro Oda has clearly positioned them as the supreme ruler in his fictional world.
The Marines
The Marines represent the military arm of the World Government. A naval force designed to combat piracy, uphold the law, and protect the innocent, Marines ultimately take their orders from the Gorosei. Just as good and bad pirates exist in the world of One Piece, there are good and bad Marines also. Some genuinely wish to help the helpless and defend ordinary people, whereas others reek of corruption and are more interested in protecting their own interests. The majority of Marines fall somewhere in between, possessing some degree of moral com, but often looking the other way to avoid punishment from higher-ups.
The average Marine grunt in One Piece wades into battle with nothing but a standard issue rifle or sword and a twinkle in their eye. Only at captain level do Marine power levels begin getting serious. Vice-irals such as Garp are seriously powerful threats, but the Marines' main firepower comes from the trio of irals at the top of the chain. During Netflix's One Piece, the three irals are Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru. They are led by Fleet iral Sengoku during the live-action adaptation, who is also outrageously strong.
The Seven Warlords
One Piece often refers to "three pillars of power" within its world. One pillar is the Four Emperors, another is the three irals of the Marines, and the final pillar is the Seven Warlords, otherwise called the Shichibukai. Straddling both realms, the Seven Warlords are powerful pirates that serve the World Government in exchange for amnesty - similar to real history's privateers, who were pirates that could commit legitimate piracy thanks to a signed letter of marque from their monarch.
Some Warlords take their position more seriously than others, but all of them have selfish motivations for betraying their own kind. Regardless, all of the Shichibukai are required to do the World Government's bidding when called upon. The only Warlord confirmed to appear in Netflix's One Piece TV show is Dracule Mihawk, who is also widely acknowledged as the world's greatest swordsman.
Other Factions In One Piece
The Revolutionary Army
Most One Piece battles pit pirates against the Marines, but some groups and factions roaming the seas belong in neither camp. The most prominent among these is the Revolution Army, led by the enigmatic "world's most wanted man," Dragon. While the marines chase after the Revolutionaries as doggedly as they chase pirates, the rebel group is geared toward political activism as opposed to piracy. The Revolutionary Army aims to bring down the entire World Government and establish a more democratic system of leadership in the One Piece world.
Criminal Organizations
Whereas the Revolutionary Army is an entity that fights for good, several non-pirate, non-Marine groups are dedicated to evil. Scientific villains Germa 66 and the five mafia families of West Blue are two examples of criminal forces that exist in the One Piece world without necessarily resorting to piracy. For some illicit organizations, however, the line is less clear. Baroque Works is both an organized crime outfit and a pirate crew of sorts. All across One Piece's map, the currency used by pirates, criminals, and civilians alike is known as "berry."
Fish-men
Not strictly a faction or organization, the fish-men are nevertheless a vital presence in the One Piece story. The vast majority of folks in One Piece are humans, although different islands have different cultures, gods, traditions, and sometimes different physical traits, such as the winged residents of Skypiea. The fish-men are an entirely different race - a society of humanoids with aquatic features that predominantly live under the sea, and that have been at-odds with humans on the surface for many years. The fish-men play a major role in Netflix's adaptation, with the Arlong Pirates among One Piece season 1's main villains. While Arlong and his cohorts are evil, most fish-men are the exact opposite.
Powers In One Piece's World
Devil Fruits
The wacky powers of One Piece's world are almost always the result of eating a Devil Fruit. These disgusting fruits grow across the entire One Piece globe, and each bestows a unique power upon the , such as Luffy's ability to stretch his body, or Buggy the Clown's splitting into pieces trick. Each Devil Fruit is unique, and no person can eat more than one without dying. All Devil Fruits also come with the same cost - an eternal weakness to seawater. Luffy and other Devil Fruit s go completely limp if the merest splash of salty foam comes into with their skin. When a Devil Fruit- dies, their fruit regrows somewhere, ready to be eaten again.
One Piece features three fundamental varieties of Devil Fruit.
- Paramecia - the most common type that covers a range of powers. Buggy's Chop-Chop Fruit is a paramecia-type.
- Logia - a rare type of Devil Fruit. Allows the to transform their body into a natural force such as fire, ice, smoke, or sand.
- Zoan - a Devil Fruit that allows the to transform into an animal.
Haki
Eating a Devil Fruit is far from the only way to gain strength in One Piece, and many non-s still display unnatural strength. The likes of Zoro and Sanji are both inhumanly strong and wildly fast thanks to their diligent training and natural prowess, while Luffy's strength is also the result of practice and natural talent, not simply his Gomu Gomu Fruit. Fighters in One Piece can also develop a power known as Haki, of which three primary types exist.
- Armament Haki - creates a hard coating over the body for both offensive and defensive uses.
- Observation Haki - awareness of movements and heightened senses. Advanced s can even predict the future.
- Conqueror's Haki - the most powerful form, and the only one that characters must be born with. Uses the power of will to dominate opponents.
Technology In One Piece's World
One Piece's approach to technology is unique in the sense that Eiichiro Oda's world is both advanced and primitive at the same time. This mostly depends on the island, with Luffy's Windmill Village representing little more than a basic fishing settlement, and other islands such as the manga's Water 7 and Egghead Island delving fully into sci-fi territory. One Piece bridges this gap by finding innovative ways to recreate real-world technology with a nautical flourish. The best example would be the Den Den Mushi snails - living mollusks that effectively serve as telephones in the One Piece universe.