Reading One Piece for the first time 🏴‍☠️ East Blue Saga Review

Hello fellow bookworms 🏴‍☠️ It’s time for my One Piece journey to begin!! I didn’t think I’d ever be interested in the franchise, but after checking out the Live Action adaptation, I ended up becoming obsessed! I think the Netflix show is a great introduction if you normally don’t watch Anime or read much Manga. I was so intrigued by the world, that I knew I needed to check out the source material 👀 I’m currently watching the Anime and reading the Manga alongside it!

I knew I wanted to do a blog post about One Piece and thought it would be a good idea to review the different Sagas, instead of doing volume reviews (you can find those on my Goodreads and Storygraph), as there are over 100 volumes out so far 🙈 In this post, I’m reviewing the East Blue Saga, which consists of the first 12 volumes (100 chapters) and has six story Arcs! I know some people review the individual Manga chapters, but I like giving my impressions on the different Arcs!

I’m starting with some general spoiler-free thoughts, but all reviews for the Arcs have spoilers! If you click on the volume covers, you’ll be directed to my individual reviews!

What Is One Piece?

Join Monkey D. Luffy and his swashbuckling crew in their search for the ultimate treasure, One Piece. As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer Red-Haired Shanks. But his life changed when Luffy accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber…at the cost of never being able to swim again Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure: one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary One Piece, said to be the greatest treasure in the world…

General Thoughts (Spoiler Free)

➽ I’m not immune to a good pirate story and I’m having so much fun with Luffy’s adventures on the Sea! I was immediately fully immersed in the world and as there are so many volumes yet to come, I can’t wait to explore this world further! I liked that every one of the Strawhats has a dream they set out to achieve and how joining Luffy’s crew is getting them closer to following their dream. I also like seeing Luffy’s feelings on what it means to be a pirate, as it contrasts against some of the other pirates in the story!

➽ I loved the concept of the Devil Fruits! We haven’t met many Devil Fruit users yet, but Luffy has eaten the Gum-Gum Fruit and can now stretch any part of his body like Rubber 😂 I love interesting magic systems and One Piece has fully hooked me in this aspect! I like that the Devil Fruits give different powers and have an obvious drawback: you permanently lose the ability to swim 😱 In a world of pirates where most of the world is filled with ocean, this is a real danger and therefore a realistic consequence of getting superpowers!

➽ I love all the Strawhat Pirates and the found family that I can already see forming! Every character had an introduction Arc where we got a closer look at their dream and where they were coming from. While I have my favorites, I genuinely like all the characters and how they are growing closer together as a crew 🥺 I love Luffy’s enthusiasm and silliness, Nami’s sly and money-hungry nature, Usopp’s outrageous lies, Zoro’s sense of honor and Sanji’s kindness 💕

Romance Dawn Arc

Consists of: Chapters 1-7 (Volume 1)

➽ As the very first Arc, Romance Dawn does a lot of setup! I still liked it, as it was interesting to delve into the world of pirates. I loved getting to know Luffy’s origin story, as ever since meeting Shanks, he wanted to become a pirate! Shanks’ crew were staying in Luffy’s village and it was hilarious to see Luffy trying to convince them to take him to sea. Shanks of course isn’t about to let a little boy join his crew and he ends up saving Luffy’s life from a sea monster. That leads to the truly horrific panel of him losing his arm 😱 Luffy also ends up eating the devil fruit that Shanks’ crew brought with him and it turns him into a rubber man. I loved this power, as it’s so ridiculous and not that useful at first glance! There’s just something about Luffy that immediately grew on me, especially as he’s inspired by Shanks to be a good, honorable pirate!

➽ Luffy is still at the very beginning of his journey, but he’s determined to get his own crew! I loved his encounters with Coby, a young boy who is trapped on Captain Alvida’s ship, but dreams of becoming a marine. Inspired by Luffy’s dedication to his own dream, he ends up enlisting in the Navy at Shells Town! In town, Luffy also finds his first crewmate: Zoro, a bounty hunter and master swordsman who was captured and bound to a post. The Marines have no intentions of letting him go, even after he serves his time, but luckily Luffy is there to help out! I loved that Zoro ended up in this predicament because he defended a little girl from Helmeppo, Captain Morgan’s bratty son.

Orange Town Arc

Consists of: Chapters 8-21 (Volumes 1-3)

➽ I’ve got a soft spot for this Arc as it’s got Buggy!! He’s the clown guy from the second volume cover and became an immediate favorite for me 🤡 I just find him so entertaining! He might look scary at first as he takes over Orange Town with his crew and has a devil fruit that lets him split apart … but he’s also so pathetic 😂 Buggy is so insecure about his big red clown nose (he was literally assigned clown at birth) that he often misunderstands people, thinking they are making fun of him. He has really embraced the clown branding and his entire crew is full of circus people! What got me the most was the reveal that he knew Shanks, Luffy’s idol, as that made him even more intriguing. I loved the flashback scene where he recounts how he ate his devil fruit (by accident) and why he blames Shanks for it. The fact that they were both apprentices on the same pirate crew was such a good twist!

➽ Apart from the hilarity of Buggy, there are also some more emotional scenes, as he did destroy the livelihood of the innocent civilians of Orange Town! Most heartbreaking is Chouchou, a small dog who still guards his (deceased) owner’s shop, waiting for him to come back 😭 We also learn more about Nami, who seems to have a huge grudge against pirates, which is why she steals from them. Luffy being Luffy, he’s still determined to get her on his crew as a navigator. I loved Nami from the start, especially as she’s not immediately sold on going with Luffy and makes it clear she’s only in it for the money 🤑

Syrup Village Arc

Consists of: Chapters 22-41 (Volumes 3-5)

➽ This is an Arc that definitely grew on me! We end up meeting Usopp at Syrup Village, where he’s the resident liar who constantly runs through town and warns that ‘the pirates are coming’. Usopp didn’t stand out to me at first, but he grew on me throughout the series. I love that he’s often telling tall tales, but clearly has a kind heart ❤️He keeps Kaya company, a dear friend who lives in a big manor after the death of her parents. It’s sweet how he cheered her up with his adventurous tales, even if they are all made up. Usopp is often cowardly, but he clearly loves his village and when he uncovers a plot that aims to assassinate Kaya and steal her fortune, he has to defend her! I loved the reveal that his father Yasopp is also a pirate and he’s actually on Shanks’ crew, so Luffy knows him!

➽ I found the master plan of Khaladore the butler (who is actually Captain Kuro) very intriguing! Kuro is very clever and faked his own death in order to infiltrate Kaya’s estate and bide his time until he can get rid of her and inherit her fortune 😱 His crew – the Black Cat pirates – have been waiting for him all this time, but it’s interesting that he doesn’t have much love for the life of a pirate. Kuro would rather get his money and live a more comfortable life. There’s definitely something sinister about him pretending to care for Kaya all these years only to mock her and throw the betrayal in her face! In the end, Usopp sets out with Luffy to become a brave warrior of the sea and the Strawhats get their first ship: the Going Merry!

Baratie Arc

Consists of: Chapters 42-68 (Volumes 5-8)

➽ Probably one of my favorite Arcs purely because it introduces Sanji! The Strawhat Pirates end up at the Baratie, an ocean-going restaurant near the Grand Line. Of course Luffy messes up again and nearly wrecks the restaurant, so he’s sentenced to become a chore boy for the owner Zeff 😂 Sanji is a cook at the Baratie and a true Ladies man who immediately swoons over Nami. So I didn’t expect him to become one of my favorite characters, but it happened and now I love him 🥺 I just like that Sanji is absolutely whipped for women and while it’s sometimes a bit much, you can tell that he’s got a good heart under the Casanova Act! We find out later that Sanji feels like he’s got a debt to Zeff, as the latter used to be a pirate, but a shipwreck left them stranded on an isolated island. It’s a harrowing tale as Sanji almost starved and Zeff was forced to literally eat his own leg (😭) because he’d given all the food to Sanji 💔 Ever since, they’ve been cooking together at the Baratie and have the same dream of finding the All-Blue, a mystical part of the ocean that houses fish from all over the Blues. There’s a lot of tough love there, but the Baratie means everything to Sanji!

➽ It’s even more devastating when the Baratie is attacked by the Krieg Pirates! Don Krieg is known for being a vicious pirate who stops at nothing to get what he wants. Sanji always feeds anyone in need, but it turns out that Gin, the desperate, starved pirate he helped is one of Krieg’s subordinates! I’m not too into fight scenes, so the battle against the Krieg Pirates wasn’t my favorite part of the story. I liked seeing Gin’s complicated feelings though, as he’s battling Sanji, the man who helped him when he was in need. In the end, he decides to betray Krieg at a great personal cost. More interesting than the battle was Nami stealing the Going Merry and deserting the Strawhats when things are tough 😱 We also have the iconic scene of Mihawk, the world’s greatest swordsman appearing and Zoro deciding to challenge him. He ends up losing, but vows to get stronger until he can defeat Mihawk and achieve his dream! After the battle is done, Sanji is finally persuaded to join Luffy’s crew. The ending is quite the tearjerker as Sanji cracks while saying Goodbye to the Baratie and thanks Zeff for all he’s done for him 😢

Arlong Park Arc

Consists of: Chapters 69-95 (Volumes 8-11)

➽ I heard that this is the Arc that usually decides if people like the series! I love that this Arc focuses more on Nami, who seems to have betrayed the Strawhats. Obviously, they still come after her and Luffy isn’t convinced that she’s a bad person – he’s not letting his crewmate go so easily. I really felt for Nami, as we find out why she’s part of the Arlong Pirates and working with the vicious fishmen who have taken over many villages in the Conomi Islands! It was interesting to find out more about the fishmen, as they face prejudice in this world, but Arlong is convinced that they are actually a superior species. He looks down on all humans and plans to build an empire for his kind! Nami is the only human in his crew and he uses her for her cartography skills. Learning about Nami’s background history broke my heart, as she was forced to work for Arlong and has been saving up 100 million beri to buy back her village.

➽ I liked getting to know Coco Village and Nami’s family! She was adopted by former Marine Bell-mère alongside Nojiko and they had been living a simple, but loving life in their tangerine orchard until Arlong arrived. Even back then Nami was stealing things, especially as they didn’t have much money. Bell-mère loved her two girls and in the end, she gives herself up to be killed by Arlong in order to secure their lives. It broke my heart to see her unwilling to lie about her daughters, as she would never pretend like Nami and Nojiko weren’t hers 😭 This Arc is definitely one of the most emotional ones, as we see Nami at her lowest. Luckily, she has great friends and Luffy & co end up battling Arlong and his fishmen! Luffy makes clear that Nami is his friend and not a tool to be used. He also proudly admits that there are many things he can’t do, but that’s why he has his crew 🥺

Loguetown Arc

Consists of: Chapters 96-100 (Volumes 11-12)

➽ The last Arc is also one of my favorite of the Saga! The Strawhats are so close to entering the Grand Line, but first they visit Loguetown, the death place of the famous Gold Roger, the last Kind of the Pirates! Obviously Luffy is hyped as he plans to become the next pirate king and can’t wait to see the execution platform! Problems arrive as the town houses a marine base led by the ‘White Hunter’ Smoker, a Marine with a powerful (Logia) devil fruit that allows him to turn into smoke 😂 I was not expecting to love Smoker, but he’s such a great character! Besides being attractive, he’s also seen to be firm but fair to his subordinates. He’s also got a soft spot for children 🥺 Instead of getting angry that a little girl spilt her ice cream on his, he gives her money to buy even more!

➽ There are so many exciting things going on in this Arc! Zoro needs new swords and ends up meeting Tashigi, another swordsman (or rather swordswoman) who reminds him so much of his childhood best friend Kuina. I loved his strong reaction to meeting her and how she obviously didn’t understand his animosity. Turns out Tashigi is actually with the Marines and Smoker’s second in command! Her dream is to free all the special swords (such as Zoro’s Wado) from bad people. As if that wasn’t enough Buggy reappears and tries to execute Luffy 😱 I love Buggy, so I was excited to see him attempt to get his revenge. He’s now joined by Alvida (who has since eaten a devil fruit), but both of them fail 🤡 In the end, Luffy is rescued by a mysterious figure called Dragon and manages to escape Loguetown. I loved the scene before entering the Grand Line where all the Strawhats state their dreams! 💖

Have you read One Piece? Who is your favorite character? What Manga series do you like? 🏴‍☠️