One Piece

     One Piece (ワンピース Wan Pīsu) is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since August 4, 1997. One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy who gains elastic abilities after inadvertently eating a supernatural fruit, and his diverse crew of pirates, named the Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy explores the ocean in search of the world's ultimate treasure known as the One Piece and to become the next Pirate King. On his journey, Luffy battles a wide variety of villains and makes several friends.

The individual chapters are being published in tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, with the first released on December 24, 1997, and the 63rd volume released as of August 2011. In 2010, Shueisha announced that they sold over 230 million volumes of One Piece manga so far; volume 61 set a new record for the highest initial print run of any book in Japan in history with 3.8 million copies (the previous record belonging to volume 60 with 3.4 million copies). Volume 60 is the first book to sell over two million copies in its opening week on Japan's Oricon book rankings.

     The chapters have been adapted into an original video animation (OVA) produced by Production I.G in 1998, and an anime series produced by Toei Animation, which began broadcasting in Japan in 1999. Since then, the still ongoing series has aired over 500 episodes. Additionally, Toei has developed eleven animated feature films, an OVA, and five television specials. Several companies have developed various types of merchandising such as a trading card game, and a large number of video games.

The manga series was licensed for an English language release in North America by Viz Media, in the United Kingdom by Gollancz Manga, and in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. The anime series has been licensed by Funimation Entertainment for an English-language release in North America, although the series was previously dubbed by 4Kids Entertainment.

     Since its release, One Piece has become the most popular manga series of all time in Japan and one of the most popular manga series worldwide. It is the highest-selling manga of all time in the history of Weekly Shōnen Jump, as well as currently being its most acclaimed manga. One Piece is currently ranked as the best-selling series of all time in manga history. It enjoys a very high readership, with more than 240 million volumes of the series sold by 2011. One Piece has received wide critical acclaim from reviewers, primarily for its art, characterization, humor and story.

Plot

     The series begins with the execution of Gol D. Roger, a man known as the King of the Pirates. Just before his death, Roger told the legend of his treasure - the One Piece - causing the Great Pirate Era (大海賊時代 Dai Kaizoku Jidai) to begin. As a result, countless pirates set out to the Grand Line to look for the treasure.

     Twenty years have passed since Roger's execution, and Monkey D. Luffy, a young pirate inspired by the pirate known as "Red-Haired" Shanks, sets off on a journey from the East Blue to succeed Roger and find the treasure. He organizes and leads a nine-member crew named the Straw Hat Pirates. Each crew member Luffy encounters eventually become his close friends, including the swordsman Roronoa Zoro, the navigator and thief Nami, the liar and cowardly sharpshooter Usopp, the womanizing chef Sanji, the doctor and anthropomorphized reindeer Tony Tony Chopper, the archaeologist and former enemy Nico Robin, the cybernetic shipwright Franky, and the musician skeleton Brook.

     The crew crosses paths with diverse villains, such as Buggy the Clown, many of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Marines, who place bounties on Luffy and Zoro's heads, and Arlong, a fishman and member of the former Sun Pirates. They encounter Baroque Works, the crime syndicate responsible for a civil war in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, along with fellow rookie pirate Blackbeard, whose dream is also to become the King of the Pirates. The crew also confronts Enel, the ruler of the floating island Skypiea. Later, the crew meets the Marine admiral Aokiji, who reveals that Robin was involved in searching for Poneglyphs, stones with markings left by an ancient civilization whom Roger himself was also able to read. The crew also encounters Cipher Pol No. 9, the intelligence agency responsible for the destruction of Robin's homeland, whose actions cause the pirates to declare war on the World Government. After an epic battle at Enies Lobby, the crew defeats CP9 - saving Robin and avenging the lives lost in the destruction - and each member receives bounties on their heads.

     Some time later, the crew prepares to sail off to the New World, the second half of the Grand Line. The crew eventually gets separated during a battle at the Sabaody Archipelago. At the same time, the Marines sentence Luffy's older brother and Roger's son Portgas D. Ace to be executed, and hold a war against a group of pirates led by Whitebeard. Luffy eventually rescues Ace, but both Whitebeard and Ace are killed in the ensuing chaos. Later, Luffy and the crew undergo rigorous training regimens, some under the tutelage of prominent figures. Two years later, the crew regroups and journeys to Fishman Island to enter the New World. At the same time, a group of fishman pirates hold a coup d'état to decide the fate of the island. However, they are drawn into a battle against the Straw Hats and the fishman Jimbei.

Setting

     The fictional world of One Piece is covered by two vast oceans, which are divided by a massive mountain range called the Red Line (赤い土の大陸 (レッドライン) Reddo Rain) The Grand Line (偉大なる航路 (グランドライン) Gurando Rain), a sea that runs perpendicular to the Red Line, further divides them into four seas: North Blue (北の海 (ノースブルー) Nōsu Burū), East Blue (東の海 (イーストブルー) Īsuto Burū), West Blue (西の海 (ウェストブルー) Uesuto Burū) and South Blue (南の海 (サウスブルー) Sausu Burū). Surrounding the Grand Line are two regions called Calm Belts (凪の帯 (カームベルト) Kāmu Beruto), which experience almost no wind and ocean currents and are breeding ground for the huge sea creatures called Sea Kings (海王類 Kai Ō Rui, renamed "Neptunians" in Viz Media's manga translation). Because of this, the Calm Belts are very effective barriers for those trying to enter the Grand Line. While marine ships, using sea-prism stone (海楼石 Kairōseki) to mask their presence, can simply pass through, most have to use the canal system of Reverse Mountain (リヴァース・マウンテン Rivāsu Maunten), a mountain at the first intersection of the Grand Line and the Red Line. Sea water from each of the four seas runs up that mountain and merges at the top to flow down a fifth canal and into the first half of the Grand Line. The second half of the Grand Line, beyond the second intersection with the Red Line, is also known as the New World (新世界 Shin Sekai).

     The currents and weather on the Grand Line's open sea are extremely unpredictable, while as in the vicinity of islands the climate is stable. What makes it even harder to navigate is the fact that normal compasses do not work there. A special compass called a Log Pose (記録指針 (ログポース) Rogu Pōsu, renamed "Grand Compass" in 4Kids' and Funimation's edited dubs) must be used. The Log Pose works by locking on to one island's magnetic field and then locking on to another island's magnetic field. The time for it to set depends on the island. This process can be bypassed by obtaining an Eternal Pose (永久指針 (エターナルポース) Etānaru Pōsu, renamed "Eternal Compass" in 4Kids' and Funimation's edited dubs), a Log Pose variation that is permanently set to a specific island and never changes. The world of One Piece is filled with anachronisms, like the transponder snails (電伝虫 Den-Den mushi), snail-like animals that can be attached to electric equipment and function as rotary phones, fax machines, surveillance cameras, and similar devices. Dials (貝 (ダイアル) Daiaru), the shells of certain sky-dwelling animals, can be used to store wind, sound, images, heat, and the like and have various applications. A {{nihongo|Devil Fruit|悪魔の実|Akuma no Mi|renamed "Cursed Fruit" in 4Kids' and Funimation's edited dubs} is a type of fruit which when eaten confers a power on the eater. There are three categories of Devil Fruit. Zoan (動物系 (ゾーン) Zōn) fruits allow the user to fully and partially transform into a specific animal. Logia (自然系 (ロギア) Rogia) fruits give control over and allow the user "to change their living body structure into the powers of nature". Paramecia (超人系 (パラミシア) Paramishia, spelled as "Paramythia" in 4Kids' and Funimation's edited dubs) is a catch-all category for fruits that give the user superhuman abilities. They are said to be incarnations of the Sea Devil himself, and as a result, Devil Fruit users cannot swim in sea water, as "they are hated by the sea". When even partially submerged in sea water, they lose all of their strength and coordination, although some abilities remain, such as Luffy still being able to stretch after being totally submerged. "Moving" water, such as rain or waves, does not have this effect.

Main Characters

Straw Hat Pirates 

     The Straw Hat Pirates (麦わらの一味 Mugiwara no Ichimi) are a pirate crew that started in East Blue. They are the main focus and heroes of the anime and manga One Piece, and are led by the main protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. The "Straw Hats" are named after Luffy's signature straw hat that was given to him by Red-Haired Shanks, and are first referred to as the Straw Hat Pirates by Smoker in Alabasta. The crew sails on the Going Merry, their first official Straw Hat ship, up until the Water 7 Arc. After the Enies Lobby Arc, they obtain a new ship called the Thousand Sunny. The Straw Hats currently consist of nine members whose combined bounties equal 800,000,050.

     Following events on the Sabaody Archipelago, all nine members were separated from one another. For two years, they train in relatively isolated locations, becoming stronger for the sake of helping each other

     Monkey D. Luffy (モンキー･D･ルフィ Monkī D. Rufi) is a pirate and the main protagonist of the anime and manga, One Piece. He is the son of the Revolutionary Army's commander, Dragon, grandson of the famed Marine, Garp, and the foster brother of the late "Fire Fist" Portgas D. Ace and Sabo. His life long goal is to become the Pirate King by finding the legendary treasure left behind by the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. He believes that being Pirate King means one has the most freedom in the world. He has eaten the Gomu Gomu no Mi.

     As the founder and captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, he is the first member that makes up the crew as well as one of its top three fighters. Luffy was one of eleven rookie pirates who had been referred to as "The Eleven Supernovas", the eleven pirates with bounties over 100,000,000 to have reached the Red Line. Luffy's current bounty is 400,000,000, as stated by the "Impostor Luffy" after the timeskip, and confirmed by one of the readings from a Pacifista. Eustass Kid also states that Luffy had taken the lead over the eleven Supernovas, implying that his bounty had raised. Later on, when the Straw Hats arrive on Fishman Island, Hody Jones also reveals Luffy's wanted poster which shows a bounty of 400,000,000.

     Luffy has a worldwide reputation for causing trouble, even among the Shichibukai and the Marines, committing crimes against - as well as actions that were deemed threatening by - the World Government.

He has gained a reputation for being 'reckless' and, in some cases, 'insane', after causing an incident in Enies Lobby, entering and escaping Impel Down, and joining the Battle of Marineford. He is therefore famous for being the only pirate to not only break into the three most important government facilities, but also escape from all of them alive.

     This, plus the fact that he punched out a Tenryubito with full knowledge of the consequences and his heritage has caused Luffy to be labeled as a "dangerous future element".

 

     Roronoa Zoro (ロロノア・ ゾロ Roronoa Zoro) is a pirate, former bounty hunter, and one of the main protagonists of One Piece. He is the first member to join the Straw Hat Pirates and to date is considered the largest threat and most dangerous member in the crew after Luffy. He is famed as a master swordsman, user of the Santoryu style, and his great strength, along with the actions of his captain, sometimes leads others to believe that he must be the true captain. He is also one of the top three fighters in the crew. His dream is to become the greatest swordsman in the world. Zoro is labeled as one of "The Eleven Supernovas", the eleven rookie pirates with bounties over 100,000,000 to have reached the Red Line, with a current bounty of 120,000,000. 

     Nami is a pirate and the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates. She is officially the third member of the crew after defeating Arlong, and the second to join. She briefly betrays the crew during the Baratie Arc and rejoins at the end of the Arlong Arc after her past and true intentions are revealed. She has a bounty of 16,000,000.

     Usopp (ウソップ Usoppu) was born in Syrup Village. He is the sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates and former Captain of the Usopp Pirates. When Usopp was first introduced, he was often (comically) labeled as the "Liar" of the Straw Hat Pirates, due to the "Uso" (うそ) in his name meaning "lie" or "falsehood". He was first mentioned by Yasopp. He is the fourth member of the crew, the third to join, and, including Nami, also the third to rejoin, doing so at the end of the Post-Enies Lobby Arc. He is known with a bounty of 30,000,000 on his head by his alias and alter-ego "Sogeking". 

 

 

     Sanji is a pirate and the chef of the Straw Hat Pirates. He is the fifth member of the crew and the fourth to join. Since he was born in North Blue, he is the first Straw Hat not to originate from East Blue. He is the third strongest fighter in the crew. His dream is to find the rumoured All Blue, which is where East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, and South Blue meet along with their wildlife; a chef's paradise. He has a bounty of 77,000,000. 

Tony Tony Chopper is the doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates. Chopper is a reindeer that consumed the Devil fruit, Hito Hito no Mi. He comes from Drum Island, which makes him the only member of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew who was born on the Grand Line. He is the sixth member of the crew and the fifth to join, as well as being the youngest member on board. He has a bounty of 50. 

 

 

     Nico Robin is the archaeologist of the Straw Hat Pirates. She was originally introduced as the Vice President of Baroque Works known as Miss All Sunday before joining up with the Straw Hats. She is the seventh member of the crew, the sixth to join, and (including Nami), also the second to rejoin, doing so near the end of the Enies Lobby Arc. She was also the first member to have been a former antagonist. She ate the Hana Hana no Mi. During the Post-War arc, she became involved with the Revolutionaries for two years. Her dream is to find the Rio Poneglyph which tells the True History. She has a bounty of 80,000,000. 

     Franky (フランキーFurankī) is the shipwright for the Straw Hat Pirates. He is a 36 year old cyborg from Water 7 and was introduced in the story as the leader of the Franky Family, a group of ship dismantlers. He was originally named Cutty Flam until he threw away his original name for his nickname per the request by Iceburg to hide his identity. Franky and his followers were originally introduced as antagonists of the Water 7 Arc against the Straw Hats until circumstances forced them to become allies. Per the request of the Franky Family, Franky was allowed to join the Straw Hats to fulfill his dream. He is the eighth member of the Straw Hat crew and the seventh to join Luffy's crew. He is also the second member to have been a former antagonist (the first being Nico Robin). He has a bounty of 44,000,000.

     Brook is the musician of the Straw Hat Pirates. He is a skeleton the Straw Hats found on board a ghost ship after drifting into the Florian Triangle. He is a Devil Fruit user who ate the Yomi Yomi no Mi and is an undead being brought back into a pseudo-immortal state because of its powers. He is the ninth member of the Straw Hat crew and the eighth to join Luffy's crew. He is also one of the two swordsmen onboard their current ship with the other being Zoro. He fills the role of the long awaited musician that Luffy wanted for his crew since his journey began. He has a bounty of 33,000,000.