The Big Picture
- Season 1 of One Piece introduces the main characters and their early adventures as they set sail in search of the mythical One Piece treasure.
- The series leaves unanswered questions about a mysterious Marine targeting Luffy, Luffy’s parents, and the connection between Shanks and Buggy.
- The treacherous Grand Line and the secretive organization Baroque Works add more intrigue to the story, but the biggest question remains: What is the One Piece treasure?
Eiichiro Oda’s hit manga has finally made the jump to live-action, with resounding success. Netflix’s One Piece has become a worldwide sensation, topping streaming charts and receiving praise from fans new and old. The series follows Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), a new pirate with dreams of becoming the next King of the Pirates. In order to do so, Luffy must find a ship, recruit a crew, and defeat rival pirates and marines in order to find the mythical One Piece, the fabled treasure left behind by former Pirate King, Gold Roger. The first season depicts the early adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates, showing how this ragtag group came together and set sail for exciting exploration in the open seas. Though the series is already one of the most expansive and expensive productions by Netflix, the sprawling world of One Piece contains too many mysteries and curiosities to be covered in an eight-episode season. One Piece is truly a journey of epic proportions, so there are plenty of unexplained mysteries and questions that need to be answered.
What Happens in Season 1 of ‘One Piece’?
Netflix’s One Piece follows Luffy as he first embarks on his quest to find the One Piece. This season sees him recruit the first two members of his crew, the swordsman Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu) and cunning thief Nami (Emily Rudd). The trio become tangled in misadventures as they steal a map to the Grand Line, the dangerous stretch of ocean where the One Piece is fabled to lie. The newly formed crew faces obstacles from pirates and Marines alike, such as the comedic Buggy the Clown (Jeff Ward), the ferocious Arlong (McKinley Belcher III), and even the Hero of the Marines himself, Vice-Admiral Garp (Vincent Regan). As the Straw Hats beat their enemies and evade their pursuers, they recruit new members Usopp (Jacob Romero Gibson) and Sanji (Taz Skyler), as well as acquire themselves a proper pirate ship dubbed the Going Merry.
After a surprising betrayal then redemption of one of their own, the Straw Hats defeat the Arlong Pirates as Luffy earns the highest bounty in the East Blue. With the map to the Grand Line safely in their possession, the crew embarks for the next stretch of their perilous and thrilling adventure. However, until they set sail, here are some of the biggest unanswered questions that have yet to be revealed on their exciting journey.
Who is the Shadow Marine Targeting Luffy?
The first season of the series featured plenty of great challenges for the Straw Hats, but perhaps none quite as persistent as Vice-Admiral Garp and the Marines in their relentless pursuit of the young pirate crew. However, once Luffy finally proved himself to his grandfather and earned the respect of other marines like Koby (Morgan Davies) and Helmeppo (Aidan Scott), they earned a brief respite from Marines chasing them down. That break looks like it’s going to be short-lived though, as the pre-credit scene of the final episode teased a new Marine character that looks like they’ve set their sights on the new biggest bounty in the East Blue. Who is this mysterious new foe, and what challenges will they bring to the Straw Hats?
Who Are Luffy’s Parents?
The reveal that Garp is Luffy’s grandfather surprised both audiences and crew members alike. Not only is Garp a Vice-Admiral, one of the highest-ranking officers in the entire Marines, he is also the person who captured and orchestrated the execution of Gold Roger, the Pirate King. Roger’s declaration about his treasure while on the gallows was what set the world into a Golden Age of Piracy, inspiring a new generation of pirates, and motivating even the young Luffy who earnestly wants to claim the title of King of the Pirates. Garp’s prominence in Season 1 was a major difference from the manga but gave the Straw Hats a complex challenge to overcome.
However, for all the talk about family bonds and legacy, there is nothing mentioned about Luffy’s actual parents, which leaves plenty of questions for the curious audience. Luffy’s backstory reveals surprisingly little about his parentage. While it’s shown that he was partially raised by Garp and mentored by Shank (Peter Gadiot), there is no mention of Luffy’s living situation. After a young Luffy ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, a Devil Fruit that gave his body the quality of rubber, who helped him to learn how to use his new skills? Who is the missing link between Garp and his grandson? Why was Garp so intent on being the one to train Luffy to become a Marine?
What Is the Connection Between Shanks and Buggy?
Shanks and Buggy were a pair of pirates that showed Luffy the two sides of piracy in the world. Whereas Shanks taught Luffy that being a great pirate meant being a good man, Buggy was a despotic manipulator who imprisoned an entire village in order to appease his own desire for the spotlight. Luffy carries a literal symbol of Shanks’s legacy with his Straw Hat, which was given to him as a promise that they would meet once he became a great pirate. In his fight with Buggy, the clown reveals that he knew Red-Haired Shanks. Buggy revealed that they had once served on a pirate ship together, until Shanks betrayed him. However, Luffy stands by his role model and claims he would never do something like that. But what is the truth? What pirate crew did Shanks and Buggy serve on? Was Buggy being honest about Shanks’s betrayal, or is there another reason that the two are no longer friends?
The connections that Shanks has to the rest of the pirating world will be a continuous curiosity for viewers, as he appears to have ties to some of the world’s most powerful pirates. When Luffy earns his first wanted poster, it’s none other than Dracule Mihawk (Steven Ward) who brings the flyer to Shanks and his crew. His crew draws their weapons in the face of the Warlord, but Shanks speaks to Mihawk with casual confidence as they allude to a former rivalry. Though Mihawk no longer wants to challenge Shanks after losing his arm, it begs the question of just how powerful Shanks really is. How strong is Shanks really, in order to have stood toe-to-toe with the World’s Greatest Swordsman? And, even after their duels, how did the two become friends amicable enough to share drinks in celebration?
What Makes Entering the Grand Line So Treacherous?
This season of the show only saw the Straw Hats in the East Blue, just one of the many oceans in the world. However, despite his lack of navigational skills, Luffy has ultimately always been headed towards the Grand Line. The Grand Line is a mysterious and dangerous stretch of ocean that is allegedly where the One Piece is hidden. Getting a map to the Grand Line was one of the main plot points of the season, as the Straw Hats needed to find a way to get to the sea without losing to rival pirates. Yet, when they get a chance to look at the map, the path ahead looks as unclear as ever. There is a large mountain in the way of their entrance to the Grand Line, leaving the crew puzzled at the topography of the ocean. Once they make it into the Grand Line, there’s still no telling what lies ahead, and what makes the place deadly enough to earn the nickname “The Pirates’ Graveyard.”
What Is Baroque Works?
In addition to the Marines and typical pirates that the Straw Hats must face, there is another mysterious organization that seems to be lurking in the shadows. Baroque Works made its presence known early in the series, as a swordsman named Mr. 7 tried to recruit Zoro into their organization. However, he shares sparing details about the criminal organization, only emphasizing their far reach and power. Zoro’s refusal to join will likely lead to some repercussions, especially considering his response was sent in the form of cutting Mr. 7 in half. So what is Baroque Works, and what is the purpose of this clandestine organization?
What Is the One Piece?
There’s no bigger question in the series than this. What is the One Piece? Gold Roger’s treasure is fabled to be so impressive that it inspired an entire generation of burgeoning pirates to set sail for the Grand Line without even knowing what the treasure is. Roger was said to have attained all the wealth, fame, and power in the world, so the potential of what the Pirate King hid away is as limitless as one’s imagination. Unlike other questions from the show, which can be answered by looking ahead to the manga or anime, this is a question that has been an ongoing mystery for fans across the world since 1997.
