One Piece East Blue Saga Review: Luffy, King of the Pirates

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The greater the story, the more humble the beginning. This review starts the great saga of reviewing all of the One Piece anime. Right from the start until the very end of the anime years from now. Each review will cover a saga, and this one will document the East Blue Saga.  I’ll start with a quick overview of the whole saga and my main thoughts, and after that, I’ll delve into each specific arc. This is going to be a long journey, so unfurl those sails and let’s set off!

Before I get into specific parts of One Piece, there are a few things I want to address first. The biggest thing I’ve heard for people who want to get into One Piece is that it’s long. At the time of writing, the anime has crossed 1106 episodes, 15 movies, and the manga has 1115 chapters. To most people who see this, this is a lot of One Piece content. And I’ll admit, it does seem daunting. But if I can tell you one thing: it’s worth it.

Before I started, I too was intimidated by the number of episodes. But starting from the beginning, I’m currently in the Dressrosa arc, and I don’t regret anything. Each episode passes by surprisingly quick, and the story Eiichiro Oda constructed is a masterpiece. So, to everyone who’s on the fence about starting this journey, take that step and get started.

East Blue Saga Overview

The East Blue Saga sets the stage, introducing us to the One Piece world and its quirky, lovable, and sometimes fierce characters. Like Pirates of the Caribbean, it’s filled with swashbuckling energy, daring escapes, and larger-than-life characters. While it takes a little while to find its footing, the magic hits full force during the Arlong Park Arc. Here, One Piece hits a powerful stride, and from there, it’s hard not to get hooked.

Either way, One Piece is a unique story with so much detail and care put into the world. Oda is a master of his craft, and this story will leave you wanting more right from the start. With the general things out of the way, let’s get into my thoughts on each particular arc.

Romance Dawn Arc (Episode 1- 4)

The first arc of One Piece is the Romance Dawn Arc. This short arc is where we meet Luffy, a boy who wants to find the One Piece and become King of the Pirates. It’s a short arc but perfectly balanced with the humor, action, and emotion that define One Piece. During this arc, we also get introduced to Zoro, one of my favourite characters, whose ambition resonates with that of warriors like Vinland Saga’s Thorfinn. And the final big character that gets revealed is Koby, who has a much bigger role later on in the story.

The one thing I’ve really noticed in the early arcs of One Piece is that the show has a number of humorous moments. The natural bond between the characters and their environment is a great balance to some of the harsher and sadder moments in the series. Luffy is always able to bring a smile to everyone around him and this first arc demonstrates this perfectly. All in all, a solid start to the story.

Orange Town Arc (Episode 4-8)

The next arc in the anime is the Orange Town Arc. As I mentioned in the last section, early One Piece was quite the funny show, and this arc is where the balance of humor and tragedy meet. In this arc, we meet Buggy the Clown, who is the definition of fake it till you make it. Even though he was an apprentice of Gol D. Roger’s ship, his skills left more to be desired. On the other hand, what he lacked in skill, he made up tenfold in charisma. Buggy is the luckiest unluckiest person in existence.

Along with Buggy, we meet Nami for the first time ever. Although she isn’t one of my favourite characters of the Straw Hat crew, she still has her moments. The combination of Luffy’s daftness, Buggy’s idiocy, and Nami’s drive made for an enjoyable small arc. This arc also delved into the sadder themes found in this show, which helped balance out the humor.

Syrup Village Arc (Episode 9-18)

The Syrup Village Arc is our introduction to Usopp, the Straw Hat’s sniper. Being completely honest, Usopp is on the lower end of my list of favourite Straw Hats. His lack of confidence is something that has bothered me plenty. Although he gets moments here and there where he shines, most of the time, he’s weakhearted, which I find slightly annoying.

Back to this arc, his intro arc was my least favourite of all the Straw Hats. For one, I feel like this cowardly nature was turned up a bit more this arc, and it was annoying to watch him flounder around scared all the time. Although this arc was only 10 episodes, it definitely felt like a drag. The Black Car Pirates were an alright antagonist, but nothing too special. We do get to mete the Going Merry, which is the highlight of this arc.

Baratie Arc (Episode 19-30)

The Baratie Arc is when One Piece starts to pick up steam. In this arc, we get to meet Sanji, the future cook for the Straw Hats. This arc has everything that makes for a great arc. Not only was there a strong villain for Luffy and his crew to fight, but it had a heart wrenching backstory as well. Sanji’s relationship with Zeff was great to see. Luffy’s fight with Don Krieg was intense and creative. All in all, a solid arc.

This arc also introduces Mihawk, the strongest swordsman and a big influence on Zoro’s journey. When Zoro duels Mihawk, we see the first real test of the crew’s abilities. It’s humbling and inspiring all at once, and I loved the sense of perspective it brought to the story.

My favourite moment of this arc is when Sanji bids the cooks of Baratie farewell. Although they had tumultuous moments together, Oda was able to create a bittersweet farewell. You can feel that every cook there loved Sanji, and that he will be missed. But Sanji has his own dreams, and it was time for him to move on.   

Arlong Park Arc (Episode 31-44)

This is it: the turning point. In the Arlong Park Arc, we learn of Nami’s tragic backstory and her hidden struggles. The moment that sealed my love for this series and my interest in the anime was the scene where Luffy steps when Nami asks him to save her. For all of Luffy’s easygoing nature and carefree attitude, moments where he steps up as the Captain of the Straw Hats always gives me goosebumps.

This scene, where Luffy gives Nami his straw hat and the whole crew consisting of Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp marching towards Arlong Park was a wonderful scene. This scene was also nailed in the live action remake as well.

When it comes to the fights in this arc, Zoro is a beast first off. Pretty much half-dead, he takes out most of the fishmen, which in this universe, are typically stronger than their human counterparts. Sanji and surprisingly Usopp also get their moments in this fight as well, which is nice to see. But the final highlight of this arc is Luffy fighting Arlong. Although the fight seems pretty even, when Luffy eventually destroys the palace that Arlong built and defeating Arlong as well, it was a satisfying end to the best arc of this saga.  

Loguetown Arc (Episodes 45, 48-53)

The final arc of this saga, the Loguetown Arc, spanning 7 episodes, with fillers on episodes 50 and 51, introduces us to some powerful characters that return in the future. This town is the last stop before the Grand Line, a strip of sea and islands where all the pirates in this universe want to conquer in order to find the One Piece.

The first major character introduced here is Smoker, a man with the smoke-smoke fruit, which is something beyond Luffy’s fighting capabilities at the moment. We also meet Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army. Buggy also return in this arc, vowing to kill Luffy for embarrassing him in Orange Town.

As the final arc before the story truly begins, it was a satisfying bridge from the cozy East Blue and into the great unknowns of the Grand Line. It had a nice balance of humor and action. I think one of my favourite humorous moments was when Luffy and Buggy were interacting in the town. Luffy asking Buggy for directions for Roger’s execution platform, and Buggy giving those directions even though he was looking for Luffy was hilarious.

The Filler Factor: Warship Island Arc (Episodes 54-61)

After this arc, there is a small filler arc called the Warship Island Arc. Now, this arc is a filler, and as such, isn’t canon to the story. This arc was also quite boring, and it was something I didn’t really care for. It was here where I slowed down a bit, but after overcoming this arc, the rest was smooth sailing.

In Summary

The East Blue Saga might not be the pinnacle of One Piece, but it’s a rock-solid foundation. Its steady world-building, introduction of key characters, and gradual rise in stakes make it a strong start for this incredible journey. If you’re just starting, hang on through these early arcs—the payoff is on its way.

Next up: The Alabasta Saga. Keep sailing for deeper storylines, more complex villains, and some of the most exciting adventures yet!

Final Thoughts for Newcomers:
If you’re worried about the length, just start with this saga. The episodes are relatively short, and it’s easy to get swept along for the ride. One Piece is a marathon, but the East Blue Saga is the perfect warm-up, letting you dip your toes before plunging into the deep waters of the Grand Line.