So how are you liking East Blue? If you binged your way through the first section of One Piece like we did and are ready to dive into Paradise, then look no further! We’re back with the next segment of our One Piece Watch Guide and this time we’re tackling the first half of the first half of the Grand Line, Paradise (Part 1).
Must-See Mugiwara Moments:
Arabasta Saga
Reverse Mountain Arc (Episodes 62-63): Welcome to the Grand Line! Here’s the first step of our 1000 foot (or nautical mile?) journey!
Whisky Peak Arc (Episodes 64-67): There’s already trouble in Paradise! That took like 0.5 seconds. You can best believe that if the Straw Hats can’t find trouble, it most definitely will find them!
Koby and Helmeppo Arc (Episodes 68-69): Remember these guys? It may seem like a tangent (it’s not), but its important to see where they end up! Plus it’s an in-depth look into life as a Marine Cadet.
Little Garden Arc (Episodes 70-77): Things start to get interesting as the Straw Hats find themselves getting involved with bigger and bigger fish (literally).
Drum Island Arc (Episodes 78-91): New allies and new nakama, the Straw Hat family seems to be growing!
Arabasta Arc (Episodes 92-130): All things come to a head! We’re finally in Arabasta where all of our questions are answered, and a whole lot more are raised!
Sky Island Saga:
Jaya Arc (Episodes 144-152): Where any normal person would think twice, Luffy doesn’t think at all. This is where the Straw Hats prepare to embark on one of their most wildly remarkable journeys (so far) even by One Piece standards.
Skypeia Arc (Episodes 153-195): The one where Luffy succeeds in embarking on said journey to one of the most fantastical places on the Grand Line.
Water 7 Saga:
Long Ring Long Land Arc (Episodes 207-219): Surreal and superlative, Long Ring Island sets us up for the traditional pirate Davy Back Fight!
Long Ring Long Island Arc (cont.) (Episodes 227-228): We get a glimpse of just how formidable the Marines really can be!
Water 7 Arc (Episodes 229-263): Lies, secrets and betrayal?! What’s lurking in the waters of Water 7?
Ennies Lobby Arc (Episodes 264-312): One of the best storylines in the entire series, Ennies Lobby is the emotional rollercoaster none of us were prepared for!
Post- Ennies Lobby Arc (Episodes 313-325): New allies (they really just keep finding them) and new backstories, we learn more about our beloved Captain and the trouble brewing further along the Grand Line.
No Time? Pay no Mind!
Arabasta Arc (Episodes 93, 98-99,101-102): Basically, all of these are filler for the sake of pacing in the beginning of the Arabasta Arc, so we recommend watching them if you have the time, but you won’t miss anything vital if you skip them.
Dream Soccer King: A five-minute-long animated short that accompanied the third film, it’s irrelevant to the storyline, but we recommend all you die-hard fans still check it out. Why? Because Oda-sensei makes a guest appearance as the character Odacchi!
Post-Arabasta Arc (Episodes 131-135): Pure filler of the Straw Hats after the mayhem in Arabasta. They meet characters that have them reminisce and introspect on their own histories and goals, all great stuff for character building, but it can be a bit of a bore, so skip it if you’re pressed for time.
Goat Island Arc (Episodes 136-138): Completely irrelevant filler and we see neither hide nor hair of Zenny and his goats again. You won’t regret skipping this one at all.
Ruluka Island Arc (Episodes 139-143): Neither great nor awful, this arc looks at a filler story where the Straw Hats explore the mystery of the Rainbow Mist and those who are swallowed up by it, never to be seen or heard from again. You can take it or leave it but it’s not relevant to the main storyline.
Open Upon the Great Sea! A Father's Huge, HUGE Dream: A TV special that can fit anywhere between Goat Island and Ruluka or Long Ring Arc and Ocean’s Dream. It’s an irrelevant side adventure where we actually see the Straw Hats, for once, engage in classic pirate activity: treasure hunting (albeit, they’re forced into it). You can 100% skip it.
Protect! The Last Great Performance: Another TV Special, the Straw Hats take to the stage in this one and must prove that no matter what, the show must go on! However, we think that this is a show you can definitely skip.
Take Aim! The Pirate Baseball King: A One Piece short made to accompany the fifth film, it’s five minutes of baseball and total irrelevance.
G-8 Arc (Episodes 196-206): It’s filler, but oh good god! You must make the time to watch it. Some of the most hilarious moments happen at G-8 and we won’t reveal anymore, so you can enjoy this A+ content! Go check it out, you definitely won’t regret it.
Long Ring Long Land Arc (Episodes 213-216): Filler for continuity in the Davy Back fights, watch it to avoid confusion about the sequence of events, but the entire storyline isn’t exactly vital.
Ocean’s Dream Arc (Episodes 220-224): Filler content based on a One Piece video game. It’s no G-8 but it does show us what a Luffy vs Zoro situation would look like, if you’re interested.
Foxy’s Return Arc (Episodes 225-226): This entire arc is filler, but since the second half of the 226th episode is important, we suggest you watch both. Trust us, we know Foxy is annoying but we’d suffer through it because what comes next so makes up for it.
The Detective Memoirs of Chief Straw Hat Luffy: A TV Special that, forget about being relevant, can’t even be placed in the timeline! Skip it, unless you want to indulge in an alternate universe where Luffy is a detective.
Ennies Lobby (Episodes 279-283, 291-292, 303): Episodes 279-283 retell all our Straw Hats’ backgrounds in case you need a recap (seriously, though, with how rough these guys have had it, who could forget?). Episodes 291-292 Are both New Year's Specials that don’t really fit the timeline (a feudal Japan AU and a Buggy scheme respectively), so don’t waste your time. Episode 303 is yet another alternate universe special. In conclusion, all of the above can definitely be skipped, and won’t be missed.
Post-Ennies Lobby Arc (Episodes 317-319): Filler to flesh out the rest of the time the Straw Hats spend in Water 7. It’s not relevant at all, but it paces out the post-Ennies Lobby recovery well.
Final Thoughts
We know, we know, that’s a lot of information to throw your way, but guess what? If you skip all that stuff (except G-8) we’ve managed to finally streamline the first half of the Grand Line into a neat little package for your viewing pleasure, just as promised! So we hope you enjoy the adventure and carry onward with the Straw Hats till you conquer all of Paradise!
Stay tuned for the next segment of our One Piece Watch Guide as we delve into the second half of Paradise where dangers get more dangerous, heroics get more heroic, and Luffy, well, stays Luffy!
So are you ready to go up Reverse Mountain with the Straw Hats? Is One Piece making its way into your favourites? Come chat with us in the comments below, we love to hear from you!
Author: G
