Navigating the Straw Hats’ Journey: One Piece Watch Guide Pt. 4 - A Whole New World!

All that, and we’re finally here! Welcome to the New World! Waters so dangerous that all the pirates who’ve survived and escaped the Grand Line call its first half Paradise in comparison (and we now know first hand that that ain’t no piece of cake either). So hang on, because we’re at the home stretch!


The Home Stretch!

Dressrosa Saga

Punk Hazard Arc (Episodes 579-625): The very first island of the New World! A place where weather, climate, topography, and even biology don’t make any sense, but there’s so much more than what meets the eye on Punk Hazard!

Dressrosa Arc (Episodes 629-746): The third longest arc of One Piece, get ready for Dressrosa and one of the worst villains we’ve seen yet (looking at you, Doffy). From action, to tears, to that trademark Straw Hat chaos, this arc has all of it in spades (and spades and spades… it’s super long, no joke, so prepare yourself).

Four Emperors Saga

Zou Arc (Episodes 751-779): The first arc in the Four Emperor’s Saga, get ready for a visit to one of the strangest islands yet! And yes, that includes Punk Hazard.

Whole Cake Island Arc (Episodes 783-877): The Tea Party from Hell, this arc puts us face to face with one of the most formidable antagonists that Luffy previously and very wittingly antagonised!

Levely Arc (878-889): The Straw Hats have been making ripples all the way from East Blue, and the tidal waves they’ve left in their wake on the Grand Line are nothing short of world-changing. So take a look at all this action through the eyes of all the major players in the world!

Wano Country Arc (Episodes 890-894): We’re finally in Wano Country, the most recent and currently airing arc! Agh, we can’t even describe any of it without risking spoilers so trust us and just go, go, go!

Wano Country Arc (Cont.d) (Episodes 897-ongoing): And after that filler break, you’re finally caught up! Over one thousand episodes and you’ve made it to the very… well, it’s not an end but now you can pleasantly enjoy One Piece as regularly scheduled programming. So sit back, relax, and try not to bite your nails off as you suffer like the rest of us week after week.


Shake It Off!

Z’s Ambition Arc (Episodes 575-578): Dual-purpose filler content, it paces the journey between Fish-Man Island and Punk Hazard while setting up the narrative for the 12th film. It’s totally skippable, but we suggest giving it a try if you’ve got time.

Episode of Luffy: Hand Island Adventure: A TV Special that, for the first time in the anime, answers the story behind the scar under Luffy’s eye. Unless the scar has posed a burning question for you, don’t bother!

Glorious Island: A prequel to the 12th film, it’s a special which was released specifically on smartphones and was later included with the Blu-ray. You can skip this filler since it’s the crew just messing around on the ship.

History’s Strongest Collaboration vs Glutton of the Sea: Another Toriko crossover, but this time it’s a triple threat! Goku and the rest of Dragon Ball Z crew are joining in too! So if you’re part of the fandom for these three, you’re in for a treat, but if not, skip it!

Episode of Merry: Tale of One More Friend: Another TV Special, but this time focusing on a very near and dear Straw Hat, the Going Merry itself! You can skip it, unless you want to wander down memory lane (we suggest grabbing the tissues first though).

Caesar Retrieval Arc (Episodes 626-628): Filler arc that paces some of the journey between Punk Hazard and Dressrosa, Caesar really can’t catch a break (not that he deserves one)! We suggest sticking with this one.

3D2Y: Overcome Ace’s Death! Luffy’s Vow to his Friends: A TV Special that looks at the events during the two-year time-skip. You’ll find Marineford scenes remade more closely in keeping with Oda’s art, however, we suggest skipping it if you want don’t want the surprises of the main storyline spoiled.

Episode of Sabo: Three Brother’s Bond-The Miraculous Reunion and Inherited Will: A TV Special that recaps the first third of the Dressrosa Arc from an alternative point of view. Definitely skippable!

Adventure of Nebulandia: A TV Special that marks the return of Foxy (ugh). But it does show us how the Straw Hats would fare in a fight with their Devil Fruit abilities nullified. It’s not relevant to the main storyline at all, but it could be fun if you have the time!

Silver Mine Arc (Episodes 747-750): Filler set in-between Dressrosa and Zou, this arc ties into the 13th film. We suggest maybe checking it out if you’re going to watch the movie, otherwise don’t bother.

One Piece Film Gold 0: Just like Glorious Island, this is another smartphone special that’s an irrelevant precursor to the 13th film. You can skip it whether you choose to stay with main storyline or watch the movie.

Heart of Gold: A TV Special that ties in with the 13th film, it’s skippable because it’s not vital to the main storyline at all!

Zou Arc (Episode 775): Filler for the sake of continuity, it’s only one episode so check it out if you have the time.

Marine Rookie Arc (Episodes 780-782): Filler to pace the time between Zou and Whole Cake Island, we suggest checking it out, and our lips are sealed beyond that so we don’t spoil any of what comes after!

Episode of East Blue: A TV special recap that looks at the East Blue Saga, you can definitely skip it (unless you’re stricken with nostalgia and want to relive the magic).

Episode of Sky Island: Ditto, but about Sky Island instead of East Blue. Don’t bother unless you want to revisit the White-White Sea.

Cidre Guild Arc (Episodes 895-896): A filler arc that ties into the 14th film, we get to see the Pirate Empress once again! We suggest skipping it because not only is it irrelevant to the narrative, but it also doesn’t fit in-between any of the arcs from the main storyline.

20th Anniversary!-Special Romance Dawn: A TV Special that looks at the second One Piece one-shot called Romance Dawn. It deviates from the manga quite a bit so you won’t miss anything if you sit this one out too!


Final Thoughts

And that brings us to the end of the [Grand] Line! Well, for now, because this is where you guys will officially be all caught up with the anime in its current arc.

And don’t worry if you fall behind or take a break after this, because the show will go on. As long as One Piece hits our screens every week, we’ll eventually be back with our Watch Guide to help you navigate the Straw Hats’ journey all the way to Laugh Tale (and beyond!). So, did this guide help you at all? Did you catch up? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for the movie segment!

One-Piece-Wallpaper-19-700x393 Navigating the Straw Hats’ Journey: One Piece Watch Guide Pt. 4 - A Whole New World!

Writer

Author: G

An aspiring animated filmmaker, graphic designer, writer, I’m pretty much a jack-of-all-trades hoping to master some! I’m an artist with a knack for software, so epic fight scenes, campy aesthetics and artsy animation are right up my alley. Webcomics, late-night cartoons, obscure movies, rare books and of course, anime take up the bulk of my free time (and my not so free time too! ). So I spend my days cycling between my anime obsessions and existential dread over my never-ending watchlist.

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