What arcs should Netflix’s One Piece season 2 cover? Straw hat fans everywhere rejoice because Luffy’s live-action adventures just got the green light for a new chapter. But, with a fresh bounty on his head and a sea of enemies waiting, you may be wondering what is in store for our favorite Devil Fruit users streaming come back.
One Piece is one of the best anime series of all time and also one of the longest-running. With over 1,000 episodes and plenty of One Piece filler to get through, adapting Luffy’s quest to explore the Grand Line seems like a near-impossible task. However, Netflix managed to surpass all our anime expectations with the first season of its adaptation (read our One Piece live-action review for more). And with One Piece season 2 now confirmed, fans are looking forward to seeing Luffy head out of the East Blue Saga and enter the Arabasta Saga instead.
However, as many One Piece fans already know, season 1 of the Netflix series didn’t cover a whole saga. Some arcs were condensed, and some arcs didn’t even appear, left for later seasons instead. And since the East Blue Saga was only 61 episodes, as opposed to the Arabasta Saga being 74 episodes long, we are expecting even more variations from the anime when it comes to the live-action series’ next outing. With that in mind, we’ve made a list of the 5 One Piece arcs season 2 needs to cover and the one it doesn’t if Netflix wants another hit on its hands.
The Loguetown Arc is the obvious next step
The first arc that One Piece season 2 obviously needs to cover is the last East Blue Saga arc that season 1 didn’t get around to – the Loguetown Arc. In this Saga, we’ll see The Straw Hats getting ready to sail the Grand Line, stopping at Loguetown to resupply.
Loguetown is where Gol D. Rogers was executed, so expect to see Luffy have a few super fan moments. It will also be a nice segway to remind viewers of Gol D. Rogers’s treasure, The One Piece, and Luffy’s overall goal as we head into a new season.
This arc will also see Luffy face Buggy and Alvida once again. At the end of season 1, we saw the pair team up, and season 1 will open with their revenge attempts. A new villain joining the gang of One Piece characters is the Marine Smoker – another Devil Fruit User, who will replace Garp as the main agent of the World Government hunting down Luffy.
Reverse Mountain Arc gives us more explanations
Once Netflix shows us Loguetown and Smoker, season 2 will finally begin the Arabasta Saga with the Straw Hats sailing the Grand Line. The first arc in Arabasta is the Reverse Mountain Arc, which, to be honest, sounds like a CGI nightmare for Netflix but offers a very important explanation for viewers about the Grand Line.
In this arc, we will see Luffy meet a depressed whale (aka that CGI nightmare we mentioned) and the anime character Dr. Crocus. The crew basically goes adrift, and after curing the whale and chatting with Crocus, we learn why the Log Pose – a compass to navigate the Grand Line – is so important. The arc also introduces us to two strangers who ask the crew to help them home, leading us nicely into the next arc and likely the most important arc in season 2.
Whisky Peak Arc introduces us to the next big villains
Remember how season 1 had Zoro kill a mysterious man called Mr 7? Well, the organization that he worked for, the Baroque Works, is back and will be the main villains that Luffy and his friends fight this season.
In this arc, we meet one of the best anime villains around, the leader of Baroque Works, Crocodile. We also learn the true identity of Princess Vivi and meet Robin (aka a future main Straw Hat crew member).
Luffy, in an attempt to escort Vivi back to her country (the desert kingdom of Arabasta), will be pulled into a fight with Baroque works in the future as he works to try and stop a civil war. So yeah, this arc is a must for Netflix as it lays the groundwork for the rest of the season.
Little Garden Arc shows us more of the wacky world
Little Garden is another CGI nightmare for Netflix and isn’t as story-driven as the other arcs in this saga. However, it does capture how wacky and delightfully fun One Piece can be. Since they have to flee from Baroque Works, Luffy and Co head to a prehistoric island with dinosaurs and two giants fighting each other.
The gang spends most of their time evading the Baroque agents who managed to find them, as well as helping the two giants reconcile. This arc is a fun reprieve and lets fans revel in the colorful world of One Piece, something every good exploration series needs. So yeah, we bet Netflix adapts this arc.
On the story front, it also leads to Nami getting sick, which prompts the Straw Hats to look for a doctor. This is an important moment as it leads to us meeting Chopper for the first time.
Drum Island Arc introduces us to Tony Tony Chopper
Drum Island Arc is a must for season 2. It is where we meet the most adorable member of the Straw Hats, the deer doctor Tony Tony Chopper. The gang goes and searches for a cure for Nami, leading them to Dr Kureha and Chopper.
Here, we learn more about who will be a major part of any future One Piece seasons: the villain Black Beard. We also get a taste of what is to come with the final Baroque Works confrontation as the gang helps fight against a King who is desperate to reclaim his throne after Blackbeard attacked Drum Island.
After facing off against a king for people’s freedom, Luffy is now warmed up to face Crocodile and help the kingdom of Arabasta avoid civil war.
Arabasta Arc should be left for season 3
Ok, listen, the Arabasta Arc is amazing, and we all want to see it. However, I think we can all agree that no one wants it rushed. In the One Piece anime, the Arabasta Arc is 39 episodes, gives us Crocodile’s final showdown, introduces us to Portgas D. Ace, and the concept of Ancient Weapons and Poneglyphs.
Basically, there is a lot going on here, and we doubt that Netflix will be able to cover everything in two episodes, let alone one. So yeah. We hope that One Piece season 2 will follow the same logic that season 1 did – and not be afraid to leave bigger arcs for future seasons. The Arabasta Arc can easily be an amazing One Piece season 3 opener.
Please remember that all these observations haven’t been confirmed. Currently, we don’t know what Netflix’s One Piece season 2 will cover. So stay tuned for updates. While we wait, fans can head over to Crunchyroll to watch all of One Piece in order, or check out our guide explaining Luffy’s Gear 5.
Or if you need an anime break, we’ve got a guide for everything new on Netflix this month, and a list of the best TV series of all time.