Ahoy, mateys! For this year’s Summer Comics Binge, I’ll be tackling a huge gap in my manga library; the gargantuan “One Piece,” written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. Over the next few weeks I’ll be journaling my way through the first 100 chapters, making up the East Blue Saga. This week I’ll start things off with the first volume, collecting chapters #1-8.
Written and Illustrated by Eiichiro Oda
A new shonen sensation in Japan, this series features Monkey D. Luffy, whose main ambition is to become a pirate. Eating the Gum-Gum Fruit gives him strange powers but also invokes the fruit’s curse: anybody who consumes it can never learn to swim. Nevertheless, Monkey and his crewmate Roronoa Zoro, master of the three-sword fighting style, sail the Seven Seas of swashbuckling adventure in search of the elusive treasure “One Piece.”
I’ve had a few false starts when trying to get into “One Piece.” I originally covered the first three volumes of the series for the old print version of Multiversity Manga Club. Reviewing my thoughts from four years ago(!), I was surprised by my relatively cool reception of the series at the time. It’s true, I did not act on my intention to continue the series past my Manga Club commitment. However, leave it to yet another Multiversity Comics project to grant me my second chance.
1. Romance Dawn
The first few pages establish the titular treasure One Piece, the golden age of piracy, and introduce protagonist Luffy D. Monkey. Luffy promptly endears himself to the reader by stabbing himself in the face. This isn’t the hill I’ll die on or anything, but I’m consistently surprised by how violent this opening chapter is. Self-mutilation aside, a pirate point blank mercs a bandit in this chapter. Things get very real, very quickly.
Having read quite a bit of shonen manga, the plot of the opening chapter of “One Piece” doesn’t break the mold. We get a brash, annoying, yet lovable goof ball that just so happens to want to be the very best, the best there ever was. It’s a boy’s fantasy that can be copy and pasted ad nauseum, be it pirate, ninja, wizard, or chef. Oda’s artwork undoubted carries these early chapters, with some hilarious slapstick and jaw-dropping action scenes.
My favorite part of this chapter is easily Luffy finding the Gum Gum Fruit off panel, innocuously eating it, and then surprising everyone with his new-found stretchiness. His reaction to finding out he will never be able to swim again is priceless. Of course, like a good shonen protagonist, he’s back to smiling just a few panels later.
2. They Call Him “Straw Hat Luffy.”
Here we’re introduced to Iron Mace Alvida, setting the stage for what I’m sure will be many flamboyant and gimmicky pirates. For some reason Alvida reminds me of the SNL Digital Short where Kenan dresses up as Reba. What does that mean, well, who can say?
We’re also introduced to Koby the Cabin Boy, Luffy’s first foil. Another common shonen trope, early chapters will often reinforce a protagonist’s personality traits by pairing them with their polar opposite. While Luffy is a brash, oblivious pirate, Koby is a cautious, anxiety ridden boy who dreams of joining the Navy. However, the two make a great pair, quickly dispatching Alvida.
Notably, we get a mention here of the “Grand Line,” a pirates graveyard that Luffy will have to enter in order to find One Piece. For that, he’ll need a crew!
3. Enter Zolo: Pirate Hunter
Did I mention this is a shonen manga? You can’t make a story for teenage boys without having an edgy badass, and what’s more edgy than a guy who uses three swords? But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Stopping at a naval town, Luffy and Koby stumble across the bounty hunter Roronoa Zolo. Quick note: I realize his “real name” is Zoro, however, for the sake of this review, I’ll be referring to the English manga spelling. Sorry!
Zolo has a fantastic design, setting a sharp contrast with the softer and more affable Luffy. He’s not quite the on the edge lord level of say, Vegeta or Sasuke, but he does manage to say this line with a straight face.
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Zolo’s name isn’t the only one that strikes fear in the townspeople. Captain Morgan, in charge of the local naval base. His son, Donald Trump Jr. Helmeppo, is a pretty bad apple himself. Of course, he’s no match for Luffy.
This chapter ends with instructions on how to draw your skull and crossbones, which is very fun.
4. The Great Captain Morgan
Ah, free market economy, it’s so great, right? I want something from you, you want something from me. We trade and everyone is happy. Nothing icky like coercion or unequal power dynamics to muck up a great thing. Luffy needs a pirate crew and Zolo, Class S Cool Guy, would make a great first mate. Zolo hates pirates, but he really needs his swords, and his freedom for that matter. So, The Luffy gets on with making an irresistible deal.
We also meet Captain “Axe-Hand” Morgan, who looks rather Molto Bane if you ask me. He’s about as unlike his milksop son as one can be. If you didn’t guess from his name, he has an axe hand. Rather more of an axe arm, actually, as the axe seems to protrude from his elbow. He’s also an extreme narcissist. Morgan is understandably peeved when Luffy, in his search for Zolo’s swords, Gum Gum Rockets all over his fancy new statue. No, that’s not a euphemism.
Oh, and this chapter ends with Koby getting shot!
5. The King of the Pirates and the Master Swordsman
So, Koby got shot last chapter, but don’t worry, he’s pretty much OK. Luffy finds Zolo’s swords (emphasis on the plurality) with a little help from Helmeppo. This leads to one of manga’s greatest origin stories and the most absurd cases of the “fridging” trope that I’ve ever seen.
You see, even as a youth, Zolo wanted to be the greatest master swordsman. Unfortunately, he was always bested by his peer and sensei’s daughter, Kuina. Kuina has beaten Zolo 2000 times, but because the world is horribly sexist, she’ll never be able to become a master swordsman. Zolo, ever the gentlemen, promises to beat her with his own hard work and not with gender privilege. Unfortunately, the next day Kuina dies in a tragic stair accident. In order to keep his promise to Kuina, Zolo takes up her sword and pledges to become a master swordsman whose name will be known in heaven.
I make light, but this is actually kind of a sad and sweet story, despite its goofiness. I’m really starting to think that it’s the goofiness of “One Piece” that makes it so endearing.
6. Number One
I’ll let the art speak for this one.
7. Friends
With Captain Morgan defeated and Zolo set free, we come to the close of our first “One Piece” arc. Luffy, Zolo, and Koby celebrate as heroes after their well-earned victory. Luffy and Zolo prepare to set out for the Grand Line, but it’s here that we say goodbye to Koby, who decides to stay behind and realize his dream of joining the Navy. The parting of Luffy and Koby is the stuff shonen stories are made of. Of course, I mean “Friendship.”
Their parting is quite touching, but I’ll wager this is not the last time we’ll see Koby.
8. Nami
It turns out that Zolo, while a veritable killing machine, is a worse navigator than Luffy. If only they had a smart, resourceful crew member to guide them safely to guide them to the Grand Line. Perhaps a female character, to balance things out a little?
Enter Nami, who makes a terrific debut by hoodwinking a trio of pirates out of their ship and treasure and subsequently pinning the blame of another heist on Luffy. Of note, the stolen item is none other than a map of the Grand Line. How convenient!
Besides Nami, this chapter has a couple cool things going for it. First, there’s Oda’s top notch visual comedy, something I’ve failed to sufficiently note. Luffy rubber banding up to catch a bird, only to get caught in its beak, is absolutely delightful. Second, this pirate ship.
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That wraps up my thoughts on the first volume of “One Piece!” Check back next week as I dive into volume 2 and find out just how well Luffy and Nami get along (my guess is…not well).
