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’m covering volume 2, consisting of chapters 9 through 17. This volume dives into the book’s second arc, ‘Orange Town,’ and introduces some interesting new villains and conflicts for Luffy to manage.
Written and Illustrated by Eiichiro OdaAs a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming the King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally gained the power to stretch like rubber…at the cost of never being able to swim again! Now Luffy, with the help of a motley collection of pirate wannabes, is setting off in search of the “One Piece,” said to be the greatest treasure in the world!
Chapter 9: Femme Fatale
This chapter feels pretty important for two reasons. First, we get our introduction to the next big bad, Pirate Captain Buggy the Clown. Buggy is significant because he’s the first character we’ve seen, aside from Luffy, to have the power of a Devil Fruit. It’s unclear just what type of power he has, but he seems to force choke a guy over a perceived nasal insult.
Second, we get an introduction to a core theme of this arc, that being the concept of a “treasure.” Luffy tells Nami that his hat is his treasure, which is why he got so upset at the end of the previous chapter. We know this hat is important, because it was a gift from Shanks. It’s worth noting in a story about pirates, that treasure isn’t always gold or jewels. I remember from my Manga Club reading that this theme plays a particularly important, albeit somewhat hamfisted, role over the course of this arc.
This chapter wraps with Nami once again betraying Luffy, this type to Buggy himself. Thankfully, Zolo returns to (hopefully) make things right.
Chapter 10: Incident at the Tavern
Nami thinks she can hang with the pirates, hoodwink them, and make off with their treasure. She’s got street smarts and she’s a good deal brighter than Luffy, but she’s a little naïve about the nature of pirates like Buggy. She’s placed between a cannon and a hard place as Buggy asks her to kill Luffy to prove her allegiance. The weapon of choice, Buggy’s patented “Special Buggy Balls,” which possess the ability to level a small town.
Unwilling to kill Luffy, Nami turns on the pirates in a fantastic action sequence culminating in yet another last second appearance from Zolo. Of note, we find out that pirates “took someone dear” to Nami, which is why she holds such a strong vendetta against them. This will probably be important later. Zolo then makes very quick work of Buggy, slicing him into pieces. That seems…a little too good to be true?
Chapter 11: Flight
Luffy is a rubber man, or even a Gum Gum man if you prefer, but in this chapter we find out that Buggy is a “Chop Chop” man. I can’t blame you for not guessing what this entails, but conveniently, Buggy’s ability allows him to separate parts of his body and control them telekinetically. This allows him to get the “upper hand” on Zolo who had previously “disarmed” him.
Despite his injuries, Zolo picks up Luffy, cage and all, and makes a daring escape.
Since there’s not much to say about this chapter, I’ll take a moment to rave about great Oda’s artwork. Not even a dozen chapters in, he’s establish such a distinct and lovable style. He moves gracefully from action, to comedy, to suspense. Everything feels utterly bombastic, as it should.
Chapter 12: Dog
Yep, that’s right, this chapter’s all about a dog. I’m more of a cat person, to be honest, but I have a serious weak spot for all pet related stories.
Fleeing from Buggy, our trio takes refuge in the village of Port Town, where they meet the mayor and dog named Chouchou. Chouchou has been waiting for his owner, Hachiko-style, ever since he left to be hospitalized months ago. Unfortunately, his owner has passed on, so now Chouchou guards the pet food store they once ran together. Truly heart wrenching stuff. Why would he do this, you ask? Well of course, because his master’s store is his treasure.
Continued belowUnfortunately, this very good boy’s treasure is now under threat from Buggy’s first mate, Mohji The Lion Tamer, who has caught up with Luffy and the gang. Mohji is a rather interesting fellow with a terrific character design. Just don’t ask him about his hair. What’s with all these villainous pirates with crippling body image issues? Just goes to show that most bullies have problems with self-confidence.
Chapter 13: Treasure
In this chapter, we get the tragic showdown between Mohji and…Chouchou? Interspersed with graphic scenes of animal violence, we get flashbacks to happier times between Chouchou and his master, showing how they created a thriving business together. Again, it’s real tear-jerker stuff. Unfortunately, Chouchou is no match, as Mohji and his lion overpowering the pupper and laying waste to the pet store.
This has quite the effect on Luffy, akin to Goku going Super Saiyan following the death of Krillin, though on a significantly smaller scale. Nevertheless, Luffy makes quck work of Mohji, avenging his new friend’s lost treasure.
Chapter 14: Reckless
Remember the mayor, Boodle, from a few chapters back? Much of this chapter is devoted to a rather rousing speech regarding, you guessed it, his treasure! His treasure, of course, being the town of which he is mayor, is under threat from Buggy, something he will not abide. However, even as he prepares to take arms against Buggy, he is met with rather overwhelming force.
However, he will not be turned. As Buggy prepares a second salvo, Boodle and our heroes prepare for an assault on Buggy’s compound.
It’s worth noting here that the trio of Luffy, Zolo, and Nami are finally starting to come together. Three is a powerful number. Just look at the famous trios within Star Wars, the trinities of DC and Marvel, or the myriads of trios with manga titles like “Naruto” or “Promised Neverland.” This chapter is the first time that they truly start to feel like a team.
Chapter 15: Gong
While they dispatched Buggy’s first mate, they now must deal with his arguably more formidable second mate. Continuing the circus theme, Cabaji the Acrobat styles himself as a swordsman, so one might imagine that he will immediately draw the ire of Zolo.
This chapter is mostly setup for the climactic showdown between Luffy and Buggy’s respective forces. We get some great moments from Boodle, a frightening display of Buggy’s powers, and some triumphant heroism from Luffy. Oh, and Luffy also does this:
Chapter 16: Versus Buggy’s Crew and Chapter 17: High Level, Low Level
I’m tackling these chapters together because they’re essentially one long battle sequence. Shonen manga, like western comics, are a lot like wrestling. One of my great joys as a youth was memorizing and analyzing all the great fights within “Dragon Ball.” From big headliner fights like Goku vs. Vegeta, to smaller cult favorites like Piccolo vs. Android 17, a good old mano y mano brawl is the stuff of shonen legend.
In this case, we have a two on two match up between the teams Luffy/Zolo and Buggy/Cabaji. While the emphasis could easily be placed on Luffy and Buggy, Devil Fruit darlings as they are, the more interesting pairing may actually be Zolo and Cabaji. With Zolo being the “coolest” character in “One Piece” thus far, I feel like allowing him to go up against a proper swordsman must have been quite exciting for early “One Piece” fans. The fact that he goes in to the fight injured, and then self-inflicts further wounds as a handicap, raises the stakes to an even higher level.
Oda does not disappoint with this confrontation. Cabaji is a zany, unorthodox fighter, utilizing fire breath, kamikaze tops, and his unicycle to run circles around Zolo. Meanwhile, Buggy plays dirty, using his chop chop powers to make quick work of Zolo. Thanfully Luffy intervenes at just the right time, allowing Zolo to deliver a signature final blow.
With Cabaji seemingly down for the counter, volume 2 wraps up with Buggy recalling a red haired pirate with a distinctive straw hat, similar to Luffy’s. Could Buggy have run up against Shanks in the pass (yes). Will Luffy have something Very Important to say about this (most likely)?. Come back next week to find out. Also feel free to chime in if you’re reading along, or if you have specific memories about this particular arc!
