It’s safe to say that the One Piece live-action adaptation has been a massive success. Despite all odds, it seems someone has finally been able to pull off a decent live-action adaptation of an anime. Matt Owens, one of the showrunners for the incredibly popular One Piece live-action series, was recently on Hasan Piker’s livestream.
And while the two didn’t discuss the live-action adaptation because they were respecting the Writers Guild of America’s strike rules and were not promoting struck work, Owens did manage to share his thoughts on every story arc from the anime and ranked all the One Piece arcs from best to worst.
Considering how integral he is to the live-action adaptation, it’s safe to assume that the way he views the story arcs could very well affect the direction the live-action adaptation will take in the future. Given this, it’s worth taking a closer look at how he ranked the story arcs. Here are the ten best arcs from One Piece according to Matt Owens.
10 Sabaody Archipelago
In this arc, Luffy and the Straw Hats must face a threat that they’ve never encountered before in the form of the Pacifista, PX-1. The PX-1 takes out Luffy and the rest of his crew, which marks one of the earliest instances wherein the Straw Hats have been completely defeated in the series.
The Sabaody Archipelago arc is undoubtedly one of the best arcs to Matt Owens. “It’s a fun world. It’s a great place. We get Rayleigh. We get the Worst Generation. And we get one the most devastating moment of the entire series as we get the split up of the crew.” This arc also introduces Trafalgar Law, who Owens thinks is “the best character in the entire series.”
9 Long Ring Long Land
The Straw Hats must compete in a series of games after being challenged to a Davy Back Fight. However, it isn’t all fun and games as the trouble that the Straw Hats have been stirring up has caused the Navy to divert more and more attention to Luffy and his friends.
This may surprise many One Piece fans, but Matt Owens actually ranks the Long Ring Long Land arc as one of the best arcs in the series. “Long Ring Long Land is an S-Tier arc. It’s one of the last times we’ve had crew shenanigans. I love the fact that the stakes are so low. It’s just crew shenanigans.”
Owens continues to say that the downtime gives the Straw Hats time to actually interact with each other, which in turn reveals interesting dynamics between them. This arc also introduces one of the strongest marines to the story, as we first get a glimpse of Aokiji and his Hie Hie no Mi devil fruit ability that allows him to turn into and control ice.
8 Skypiea
The Straw Hats are thrust into an entirely new world with bizarre customs. They must traverse through the sky island to discover the mysteries that it hides, all while avoiding the wrath of the god of the island in the skies.
“I have no patience for Skypiea haters.” While many One Piece fans may not like the Skypiea arc and feel like it can be skipped, Matt Owens feels strongly about how good of an arc it is and how important it is to the entire story. “We get Nico Robin’s first one-on-one fight as a Straw Hat. We get a poneglyphs, which is incredible. We get Chopper’s first one-on-one fight. I know I’m harping on fights a lot in my analysis but as rich as One Piece is, it’s still a battle manga.”
7 Alabasta
Alabasta is one of the earliest arcs with the highest stakes. Alabasta is on the brink of civil war, and it’s up to the Straw Hats to curb the unrest all while trying to overcome Crocodile and Baroque Works.
This was a no-brainer for Matt Owens considering how much happens in Alabasta. Aside from featuring Crocodile, one of the best villains in the series, Alabasta is also where many of the Straw Hats really come to their own. “It’s one of the most important early Zoro fights with him learning to cut steel. Nami’s first major one-on-one fight. Sanji versus Mr. 2, which was great.”
6 Arlong Park
The Arlong Park arc is where we finally get to see the Straw Hats in action. After Nami’s hometown is ransacked by Arlong and his fish-men, the Straw Hats decide to lay siege to Arlong Park to avenge Nami.
Owens highlights how the Arlong Park arc comes after the Straw Hats have suffered loss after loss. Nami just betrayed them, Zoro was gravely injured by Mihawk, and Luffy was easily defeated by Arlong the last time they crossed paths. To be able to bounce back in the way they did makes Arlong Park one of the best arcs in One Piece.
5 Baratie
Baratie is a floating restaurant run by the former captain of the Cook Pirates Red Leg Zeff. The Straw Hats have sailed to Baratie in hopes of recruiting a cook to join their cause. Whilst there, Luffy and the rest of the crew encounter a threat that’s stronger than anyone they’ve ever faced: The Warlord Dracule Mihawk.
Owens loves this arc as it serves as an introduction for both Sanji and Mihawk. Not only is Sanji one of the best characters in the series but the way he’s introduced to the story, along with his incredibly morose backstory, quickly endears him to fans of the series.
Mihawk’s introduction literally opens up the world of One Piece. It gives audiences an idea of how far the Straw Hats still need to go if they want a chance at ever achieving their dreams. This is doubly true for Zoro, as he will inevitably have to defeat Mihawk if he truly wants to be the strongest swordsman in the world.
4 Marineford
Portgas D. Ace’s imminent execution brings all the strongest pirates in the series to Marineford, the base of Marine Headquarters. Whitebeard, his crew, and Luffy face the entirety of the Marines in order to save Ace.
Matt Owens considers the Marineford arc to be almost perfect. “This arc is an easy S Tier. It’s the most important arc in the entire series. The only flaw, and I understand why this decision was made, is that the Straw Hats aren’t there.” And while the Straw Hats absence is disappointing, this arc makes up for it by featuring all the iconic characters from the series gathered all in one place.
3 Impel Down
When Luffy’s big brother Ace is taken into Impel Down, Luffy doesn’t hesitate for a second and springs into action. Luffy breaks into the underwater prison and makes his way down to its deepest level in hopes of rescuing his brother before it’s too late.
This ranks high on Owens’ list because it has a lot of great moments. Impel Down shows Luffy teaming up with villains that he’s defeated throughout the series in an attempt to escape from the Marines’ underwater prison. “I’m a sucker for villains turned allies. I love that.”
2 Water 7
The Straw Hats make their way to Water 7 in hopes of finding a shipwright to help them repair the Going Merry. While there, they’re tangled up in secret plots and underground gangs that put them all in grave danger.
“Water 7 is the best saga in One Piece.” Matt Owens brings up how this arc highlights Usopp’s growth as a character, as he begins to clash with Luffy. This arc also introduces Frankie, who gives the Straw Hats the shipwright they need to aid them on their journey.
1 Enies Lobby
The Straw Hats face the World Government head-on in order to rescue Nico Robin. This is a massive arc that gives audiences an all-out battle between the pirates and the World Government, as Luffy and his crew of misfits lay siege to Enies Lobby.
Matt Owens ranks Enies Lobby as the best arc in One Piece. “Enies Lobby is my favorite arc in the entire series. Robin’s “I wanna live” moment is my favorite moment. Chapter 398 is the best chapter in the entire manga. Fights are great. The stakes are amazing. Everyone has powerful moments.”
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
