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Warning: Contains spoilers for One Piece chapter #1138.Anytime a series goes on long enough, its fans will eventually adopt the mindset that some stories can be skipped, andOne Pieceis no exception. Whether it’s for the anime or the manga, the sheer length of the series, combined with how much arcs vary in quality, have popularized the idea that some arcs are worth skipping, no matter how important they may be.
With howOne Pieceis structured, there’s always a chance that the most minute of details will become highly relevant later down the line, no matter how many years it may take, and as of the most recent arc,One Piece, now more than ever, is making it clear to fans that they can’t skip any arc, no matter how boring or inconsequential they may seem at a first glance. That point is bound to become even more apparent asOne Piece’s final saga continues to unfold, and there are plenty of good reasons why.
Why So Many One Piece Fans Think It’s Okay To Skip Certain Arcs
With the topic of skipping arcs inOne Piece, that, of course, invites the question of whyOne Piece, specifically, invites that mindset. The massive length of the story is one thing, but as things became more linear and plot-driven, any arc that doesn’t fit that mold will be written off as not worth reading or watching. The Skypiea arc, for example, is a one-off adventure story that comes out when the series was abandoning episodic storytelling, sothe structure of the Skypiea arc is the biggest reason why so manyOne Piecefans think it’s okay to skip it.
The feeling of some arcs being tedious is another part of the problem. Fishman Island, for example, brought the Straw Hats back together after years of separation, but not only was it a rather typical story arc that didn’t justify the hype for many, but the way the Straw Hat Pirates so thoroughly outclassed Hody Jones and his associates made the entire conflict feel pointless. Opinions have softened in recent years, but unfortunately,the odd timing ofOne Piece’s Fishman Island arc still leaves it feeling out of place when most people would rather go straight to the New World.
The arc that gets hit with this sentiment the most, of course, is theLong Ring Long Land arc. While it was supposed to just be a short, lighthearted story before the drama ramped up with Water 7,the way theOne Pieceanime dragged out the Long Ring Long Land arc with excessive filler content made it a chore to sit through. It’s to the point that many people mistakenly believe it to be filler, not helped by the G-8 filler arc preceding it being so universally beloved, and unfortunately, that reputation won’t change anytime soon.
One Piece’s Most Recent Arcs Prove That You Can’t Skip Anything
Why Every Arc In One Piece Matters
The sentiment behind skipping arcs inOne Pieceis understandable, but the most recent arcs show why that’s as misguided as it is. The themes and story beats of the Fishman Island arc, for example, are repeatedly made relevant with things like Shirahoshi being one of the Ancient Weapons, EMET having a mysterious connection to fishman independence, and the increasing prominence of Joy Boy.TheOne Pieceanime even remastered Fishman Islandspecifically because of how important it isto the story, and that, on its own, is plenty of reason to not skip it.
The Skypiea arc is the biggest example of this, of course. While it spent years being largely a one-off story, things like Gear 5 andthe Harley text of chapter #1138also tie into Skypiea, with the drums of liberation that activate Gear 5 first being heard in Skypiea and the Harley text mentioning the same string of gods from Noland’s flashback. Add in how Luffy’s development into a messianic figure expands on the arc’s themes of godhood, andOne Piece’s Skypiea arc has never been more important than it has been with some of the manga’s most recent arcs.
The Long Ring Long Land arc still isn’t relevant, but even that could easily change. Not only did the Foxy Pirates have a brief cameo in the Egghead arc, but it’s previously been mentioned that Pirate Island, Blackbeard’s headquarters, was where the Davy Back Fight was first invented, sothe inevitable conflict with Blackbeard, of all things, could seeOne Piecebring back the Davy Back Fight from the Long Ring Long Land arc. That would be an incredible way of bringing things full circle, so it makes sense for people to try and keep that arc in mind.
One Piece’s Final Saga Will Make The Story More Callback Heavy Than Ever Before
One Piece Will Keep Testing Fans' Knowledge Of The Series
In addition to howthe Elbaph arcpays off a plot point that’s over 20 years old, the arc is bringing back characters who haven’t been relevant in years like the New Giant Warrior Pirates and the mysterious man Crocus shared a drink with in a cover story, and the slew of references in the Harley text suggests that more are to come in the coming weeks, as well.One Piece’s most recent chapters make it clear that the final saga will be filled to the brim with callbacks, so there’s never been a worse time to skip story arcs.
Skipping Arcs In One Piece Always Does A Disservice To Its Story
The Biggest Problem With Skipping Arcs In One Piece
When people skip arcs inOne Piecelike Skypiea, Fishman Island, or Long Ring Long Land, it’s because they want to skip the arcs that either don’t have enough action, aren’t as upfront about their lore reveals, or some combination of the two. In short,people often skip arcs inOne Piecebecause they want to get to the arcs that are the most blatant about the impact they’ll have on the story, with those previously mentioned three arcs often falling short.
A mindset like that, of course, is nothing but a disservice to the story. Not only does it deprive someone of plenty of great moments, but with how much thought and care is put into the worldbuilding,skipping arcs inOne Piecewill only give someone a shallow take on the story’s worldbuilding and provide them with a far less satisfying experience.One Piecedeserves to be viewed in as best of a light as possible, and with all the big callbacks it’s been making, it’s never been more important for people to give every arc a fair chance.
