Picture: One Piece – Tomorrow Studios
With the second season of One Piece due to begin filming at some point in 2024, there’s lots to look forward to. We’ve compiled a list of the eleven things we’re most excited to see for the second season of One Piece.
Please Note that in the list below are significant spoilers for the second season of One Piece.
11. Little Garden
Despite only being a short arc in One Piece, Little Garden’s significance is still felt over 1000 anime and manga chapters later. The small island on the Grand Line introduces us to Dorry and Brogy, two giants who have been dueling each other for the past century. The pair help fuel Usopp’s motivation and dream of becoming a brave warrior of the sea while also establishing the existence of Elbaf, the home of the giants. It’s on Little Garden we’re also introduced to some of the higher-ups of Baroque Works, and its where Nami is bitten by a deadly tick that leads the Straw Hat crew on the path to meeting Tony Tony Chopper.
10. Introducing Smoker
The first logia fruit user we’re introduced to in One Piece, marine Captain Smoker, is a formidable adversary to the Straw Hats. Using the power of the plume-plume fruit to render Luffy powerless, if it weren’t for a mysterious new ally helping the rookie pirate, his adventure would have been stopped dead at Loguetown. Upon entering the Grand Line, Smoker is constantly at the heels of the Straw Hats as he attempts to arrest the pirate crew.
9. Learning about the Poneglyphs
Poneglyphs are giant stone tablets inscribed with a language that existed over 800 years ago. Those who can read the language of the Poneglyphs are given insight into the state of the world 800 years ago, before the Void Century and the establishment of the World Government. Later in the series, the poneglyphs will be vital to helping the Straw Hats, and other pirate crews we meet along the way, on their journey to Laugh Tale, and finding the One Piece.
8. Bounty Increases
After defeating Arlong, Luffy was given his debut bounty of 30 million beri. Upon defeating Crocodile and Baroque Works, Luffy’s bounty jumps to 100 million beri. Zoro also receives his first bounty, debuting at 60 million beri after defeating Daz Bonez and 100 bounty hunters at Whiskey Peak. These bounty increases bring further attention to the Straw Hat crew, establishing themselves as powerful rookie pirates.
Seeing how the wider world reacts to Luffy’s bounty being updated is always fun. Each new bounty posting is a great signifier of how strong and how much progress Luffy has made throughout a long story arc.
7. Meeting Princess Vivi and Karoo
While Princess Vivi is not an official member of the Straw Hat crew, she spends a long enough time with the crew to cement her place as an honorary Straw Hat. Vivi is central to the plot of the upcoming second season, first introduced to us as Miss Wednesday before quickly being revealed as Princess Vivi, the daughter of King Cobra, the ruler of Alabasta. She enlists the help of the Straw Hats to help her take down Crocodile and Baroque Works, ending the civil war in Alabasta.
As for Karoo, Vivi’s trusty, super spot-billed duck is another fan favorite and honorary Straw Hat member. One thing we hope isn’t omitted from the live-action adaptation is the Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops.
6. Bon Clay
Despite being a member of Baroque Works, Mr. 2, aka Bon Clay, accidentally befriended Luffy and other members of the Straw Hat crew. His friendship with Luffy has enormous ramifications for the story in later seasons. While extremely eccentric and over the top as a character, he has become a fan favorite amongst One Piece fans, and many, including ourselves, are intrigued to see which actor is cast in the role.
5. Zoro vs. Mr 1
On Zoro’s journey to becoming the World’s Greatest Swordsman, he will face many opposing swordsmen. But what about a person whose body is a blade? That’s the problem facing Zoro when he goes up against Mr. 1, aka Daz Bonez, the user of the dice-dice fruit, which gives the user the ability to turn any part of their body into a blade.
The fight between Zoro and Mr. 1 is one of the best in the Alabasta arc and also one of the best fights featuring Zoro in the entire series.
4. Luffy vs Crocodile
The second warlord the Straw Hats meet on their journey is Crocodile, the secret leader of Baroque Works, who has engineered a civil war in Alabasta.
Crocodile is a formidable opponent who uses the power of the sand-sand fruit, rendering the majority of physical attacks useless against him and utilizing the power of sand in the most deadly way.
Luffy’s first bout with Crocodile is the first time in the series we’ll see the rookie pirate beaten to a pulp and definitively lose against an opponent. The pair will fight a further two times, but it’s unclear if we’ll see all three fights in the live-action adaptation.
3. Nico Robin joins the Straw Hats
When we first meet Nico Robin, she uses her alias of Miss All Sunday, the right-hand woman of pirate warlord Crocodile. At the Tomb of Kings, she is betrayed by Crocodile, who deems her to have outlived her usefulness once she deciphered the pone-glyph, revealing the location of the ancient weapon, Pluton.
Thanks to Luffy, Robin’s life was spared, which she deems him responsible for. She invites herself onto the Going Merry, and Luffy asks her to join the Straw Hats as their seventh member and archeologist.
2. Meeting Luffy’s brother Ace
It isn’t until Luffy and the Straw Hat crew make it to Alabasta that we are first introduced to ‘Firefist’ Ace, Luffy’s older brother. When we first meet Ace, he is searching for a former crew member, Blackbeard, who is running from the Whitebeard pirates after murdering his captain to obtain a powerful devil fruit.
Running into his little brother, Ace briefly appears in the Alabasta Arc, helping Luffy and the Straw Hats evade Smoker. While his appearance isn’t immediately felt, learning more about Luffy and the wider world is always fun. Ace will eventually play a vital role in the plot of One Piece, but we could be waiting until the fifth season to see those events unfold.
1. Tony Tony Chopper joins the Straw Hats
Picture: Tony Tony Chopper in the Drum Island Arc – TOEI Animation
Thanks to the events of Little Garden, Nami soon falls ill after contracting a disease from the tick Kestia. Desperately looking for a doctor to help Nami, the Straw Hat crew descend upon Drum Island, the home of Tony Tony Chopper.
The adorable Chopper was formerly a regular reindeer before eating the human-human fruit, granting him human intelligence and the ability to change his form. After being taken in by Dr. Hiriluk, he was inspired to become a doctor, with the admirable dream of ridding the world of all diseases.
When we first meet Chopper, he lives with Dr. Kureha atop a mountain in Drum Castle. Jamie Lee Curtis, a long-time One Piece fan, has already confirmed her interest in playing the role of Kureha.
After helping the residents of Drum Island fend off the forces of Walpole, the former ruler of Drum Island, Chopper joins the Straw Hat crew as the sixth member and Doctor.
What are you excited to see in the second season of One Piece on Netflix?
Netflix Synopsis: "With his straw hat and ragtag crew, young pirate Monkey D. Luffy goes on an epic voyage for treasure in this live-action adaptation of the popular manga."
