OrderToWatch One Piece poster

One Piece

Series, 1999, The anime, Set in East Blue to the New World

One Piece is #1 of 8 in release order and #1 of 8 in chronological order in the One Piece.

The story

Years ago, the fearsome Pirate King, Gol D. Roger was executed leaving a huge pile of treasure and the famous "One Piece" behind. Whoever claims the "One Piece" will be named the new King of the Pirates. Monkey D. Luffy, a boy who consumed a "Devil Fruit," decides to follow in the footsteps of his idol, the pirate Shanks, and find the One Piece. It helps, of course, that his body has the properties of rubber and that he's surrounded by a bevy of skilled fighters and thieves to help him along the way. Luffy will do anything to get the One Piece and become King of the Pirates!

One Piece recap

In East Blue, Luffy gathers his first crew: the swordsman Roronoa Zoro, the navigator Nami, freed from the fish-man Arlong, the sniper Usopp and the cook Sanji. In the Grand Line, they help Princess Vivi stop the warlord Crocodile from taking her kingdom, Alabasta, and the doctor Chopper and the archaeologist Nico Robin join. After the sky island Skypiea, the World Government's agents seize Robin, and the crew declares war on the government to rescue her at Enies Lobby, gaining the shipwright Franky; they lose their ship, the Going Merry, and set off on the Thousand Sunny. At Thriller Bark, they defeat the warlord Gecko Moria and recruit the skeleton musician Brook. At Sabaody, the warlord Bartholomew Kuma scatters the crew. Luffy breaks into the prison Impel Down to save his brother Ace from execution and fights in the war at Marineford, where Ace dies protecting him and Whitebeard falls. The crew trains apart for two years and reunites. In the New World, they visit Fish-Man Island, ally with Trafalgar Law at Punk Hazard, and bring down the warlord Doflamingo in Dressrosa. At Whole Cake Island, they rescue Sanji from a forced marriage into Big Mom's family, and the fish-man Jinbe joins. In the long Wano Country arc, the Straw Hats and samurai storm Onigashima with allies, and Luffy's Devil Fruit awakens as the Sun God Nika form, Gear 5, letting him defeat Kaido. Luffy is named one of the four Emperors. On Egghead, the future island of the scientist Vegapunk, the crew finds Kuma's past and Bonney, his daughter, and the World Government sends Admiral Kizaru and the Five Elders to kill Vegapunk.

One Piece ending explained

The Egghead arc ends with the Straw Hats escaping the island with Bonney, carried out by the Giant Warrior Pirates of Elbaph, after Vegapunk is shot and his recorded message warns the world that the seas will rise and much of the land will sink. The anime then took a three-month break and returned in April 2026, now with fewer episodes a year, with the Elbaph arc, as the crew lands in the giants' homeland. The manga is still running, and the story is not finished.

Where to watch One Piece

One Piece is streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon.

Ratings

IMDb 9.0/10, MyAnimeList 8.72

Where it fits

What to watch before One Piece

Nothing. One Piece is the first of the One Piece essentials, so it's the place to start.

Cast