Warning: SPOILERS for the One Piece manga/anime are ahead!One Piece’s first two seasons consisted of smaller story arcs tied together through one or more shared connective threads. In season 1, that consisted of Garp’s pursuit of Luffy and Arlong causing trouble in the East Blue, while season 2 maintained Baroque Works as a constant presence in the Straw Hat Pirates’ adventures. Next season, however, will mark the first time Netflix’s live-action adaptation chronicles one continuous storyline.
At the end of One Piece season 2, Mr. 0, the leader of Baroque Works, was revealed to be Sir Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Miss All-Sunday, his second-in-command, was also officially identified as Nico Robin, who’d been wanted by the World Government since she was a child. These plot revelations, combined with the Straw Hats escorting Nefertari Vivi back to her homeland, set the stage for season 3, subtitled “The Battle of Alabasta.”
Like its predecessors, One Piece season 3 is expected to faithfully adapt the main beats of the original “Alabasta” storyline, as evidenced early on by the casting of characters like Portgas D. Ace (Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña) and Bon Clay/Mr. 2 (Difficult People’s Cole Escola). That said, the Netflix series also hasn’t shied away from taking creative liberties with Eiichiro Oda’s manga and the anime. As such, there are eight specific moments that the live-action One Piece will likely skip when season 3 is underway.
8
Luffy With The Kung-Fu Dugongs
As the Straw Hats sailed through the Sandora River, they encountered a pack of Kung-Fu Dugongs. Although it initially seemed like they would pose a problem, Luffy quickly defeated several of them. Because of their code of honor, these Dugongs, along with their cohorts, viewed Luffy as their new master and tried to follow him. Although Chopper persuaded them to go away, the Dugongs resurfaced to beat up a Sandoran Crawfish that attacked the Straw Hats (except Luffy, who was fighting Crocodile at the time) and use its body as transportation for them.
As funny as it is to watch these creatures bust out fighting moves and serve as unlikely allies to the One Piece protagonists, it’s ultimately not necessary to include them in the live-action adaptation. At least with the Unluckies, they were somewhat consequential to the “Little Garden” arc as opponents for Sanji to beat. The Kung-Fu Dugongs are barely consequential to the plot, which makes their antics unnecessary for the Netflix series.
7
Eyelash The Camel
The Straw Hats saved Eyelash the camel from a Sandora lizard while they were traversing through the desert. Though grateful for the rescue, Eyelashes would only allow Nami and Vivi to ride on him, drawing ire from the male Straw Hats. He also got involved with the climactic fight against the remaining Baroque Works operatives when he disguised himself as Vivi and rode atop one of the Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops.
Eyelash is simply too cartoonish to be included in the live-action One Piece, and the camel’s perverted nature especially wouldn’t go over well. It’s possible the Netflix show will show the characters riding cameras in the desert, and maybe they’ll have increased intelligence compared to the animals in real life. However, Eyelash just doesn’t mesh with the tone of this adaptation.
6
Luffy, Zoro, And Chopper Getting Lost In Ancient Ruins
At one point during the journey through the desert in Alabasta, Luffy, Zoro, and Chopper got separated from the group and fell into some underground ruins. As with so many things that happen to the Straw Hats in One Piece, it’s Luffy’s fault they end up in this predicament. Nevertheless, the three eventually found a way out of the ruins and made it back to the rest of the party.
This anime-only moment doesn’t service the “Alabasta” arc in any way other than to show that there was another kingdom in ancient times that fell and was forgotten by time. It interrupts the story’s flow and can easily be removed for the live-action series. Besides, a much better history lesson is later provided when the Poneglyph is discovered underneath Alubarna, Alabasta’s capital city.
5
Ace Vs. Scorpion
Luffy and the Straw Hats crossed paths with “Fire Fist” Ace in Alabasta because he was tracking down Blackbeard, a former member of the Whitebeard Pirates who killed one of his crewmates. In the One Piece anime, Ace got a tip that a bounty hunter named Scorpion had already defeated Blackbeard. However, this was merely a ruse to lure Ace so he could capture him, which Scorpion only did because he was trying to provide for his two sons.
Scorpion is an anime-only character, so he already has that going against him. More importantly, it’s an unnecessary addition to the plot. There are other ways for Ace to discover that Blackbeard isn’t in Alabasta, prompting him to bid farewell to Luffy and the others and search for his former crewmate elsewhere.
4
Hasami The Crab
Hasami came to the Straw Hats’ aid as they were fleeing from Crocodile at Rainbase, as the giant crab was revealed to be a friend of Eyelashes the camel. When Luffy stayed behind to hold off the Baroque Works leader, Hasami managed to transport everyone else halfway across the desert to Alubarna. He even tried to get them across the Sandora River with some prompting from Nami’s belly dancing, but failed to do so.
The crab’s perverted nature aside, it’s doubtful that Hasami will make the cut for Netflix’s One Piece given all the work that would be needed to bring him to life for so little payoff. This isn’t like Laboon the whale, who’s the focal point of the “Reverse Mountain” arc. There are more cost-effective ways for the Straw Hats to flee from Crocodile in the desert without using a giant crab, assuming that sequence is kept.
3
Luffy Hitting Vivi
At one point during the “Alabasta” arc, Vivi told the Straw Hats that she wasn’t willing to risk anyone else’s life in order to save her kingdom, only her own. Luffy responded to this by punching her and angrily saying that she needed to accept that her friends wanted to help her and put their lives on the line as well. This emotional declaration moved Vivi to tears and convinced her to place her full trust in the Straw Hats.
While the spirit of Luffy advocating for Vivi to lean on her friends for support might remain intact for Netflix’s One Piece, him hitting her to make his point would not fly whatsoever. Even accounting for Luffy’s headstrong nature and habit of acting before thinking, it was a baffling moment in the manga/anime that hasn’t aged well. Iñaki Godoy’s Luffy will need to rely on his words alone for Charithra Chandran’s Vivi rather than literally knock some sense into her.
2
The Peep Show On Nami And Vivi
In the manga/anime, the Straw Hats celebrated their victory over Crocodile and Baroque Works in a variety of ways, including some time in the palace bathhouse. All the male characters bathed together, while Nami and Vivi bathed in a separate area. Then, things took an uncomfortable turn when the males tried to catch a glimpse of the ladies naked. That included Neffertari Cobra, Vivi’s father, creepily taking part. Nami was willing to oblige their desires, albeit with a charge of 100,000 berries each.
Netflix’s One Piece has wisely avoided the wackier moments from the source material, as they just don’t work within a live-action setting. More importantly, it’s steered clear of creepy sexual moments, which is best evidenced by Sanji’s love of women being toned down. So, it’s a given that the bathhouse scene will follow suit, if not be removed entirely.
1
Pell Surviving The Explosion
Luffy might have defeated Crocodile, but it was Pell, a high-ranking guard in the Alabasta Kingdom, who flew the bomb that was going to destroy Alubarna into the sky. This heroic act saved the city, and naturally it initially looked like Pell lost his life doing this. However, he was later revealed to have survived, and he continues to serve as one of Vivi’s most trusted allies.
Netflix’s One Piece has shown it’s willing to kill off characters who survived in the manga/anime. This is demonstrated in season 2 with Mr. 9, Mr. 5, and Ms. Goldenweek’s deaths, as well as Igaram appearing to meet a more permanent demise than in the source material. Because of this, while it’s likely that Pell will appear in season 3, it’s doubtful he’ll survive the bomb blast if that’s kept in the story. He’s not important in One Piece going forward, so there’s no reason to keep him around.
- Release Date
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August 31, 2023
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Joe Tracz
- Directors
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Tim Southam, Marc Jobst, Josef Kubota Wladyka
- Writers
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Tiffany Greshler, Diego Gutierrez, Allison Weintraub, Lindsay Gelfand
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Iñaki Godoy
Monkey D. Luffy
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