With its first episode aired in Japan in 1999, One Piece continues to release new episodes to this day, having already passed the 960-chapter mark.
No wonder the acclaimed show that follows the Straw-Hat Pirates’ dangerous adventures has earned the nickname “endless anime,” but that doesn’t stop the production’s success around the world.
In fact, One Piece continues to conquer new admirers and maintain its already consolidated fan base, which can be checked here for a summary of all the sagas released so far.
East Blue Saga
Episodes: 1 to 61
The saga that marks the beginning of One Piece begins by showing us how the protagonist Monkey D. Luffy accidentally consumed the fruit Akuma no Mi and gained his rubber abilities as a child. Although the fruit also caused him to lose his ability to swim, he did not let it affect his dream of finding the One Piece treasure and becoming the Pirate King.
Over the years, Luffy learns to control his abilities better and begins to recruit his crew, experiencing different adventures and great danger with each new crew member he tries to convince to join his team.
The fight against a navy captain, the confrontation with the dangerous pirate Buggy and the feared Captain Kuro, the conquest of the Going Merry (the first ship in Luffy’s group), and the moment when he comes face to face with the tyrannical Arlong are some of the conflicts that the protagonist experiences.
All this as he gathers other adventurers in his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates until now formed by Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji.
Arabasta Saga
Episodes: 62 to 135
This saga begins with the Straw Hat crew embarking on an adventure into Reverse Mountain’s dangerous rapids. The goal is to enter the Grand Line. The ocean is currently known to be the most hazardous ocean region worldwide, which is why it has earned the nickname “pirate graveyard.”
As of the second arc of this saga, Luffy is already in possession of the Log Pose, the navigation device fundamental to traveling the Grand Line, which eventually leads the pirates to Whisky Peak, the first island the Straw Hats encounter on the route. The place is known to welcome pirates warmly, but Luffy’s crew soon discovers that there are many secrets behind this so-called welcome.
The second island visited by Luffy’s pirates is Little Garden, a summer island inhabited by prehistoric plants and animals and two giants, Dorry and Brogy. Marked by the dreaded Baroque Works’ pursuit of the giants and the war that the giants themselves seem destined to wage, this arc is known for its scenes of violence.
Nami ends up catching a deadly fever in Little Garden, which causes Luffy’s crew to leave for the next island, Drum Island, a region covered in year-round snow, where they go in search of a doctor for the pirate.
After facing attacks from other pirates and different creatures, they eventually meet Tony Tony Chopper, who joins the group and becomes the crew’s doctor.
Sky Island Saga (Skypiea)
Episodes: 136 to 206
Two filler arcs mark the beginning of this saga. In the first, Luffy and his crew arrive on an island inhabited by many sheep and take the opportunity to help a man who lives there while fleeing pursuit from the navy.
In the second, the attempt to escape from the navy leads the group of pirates to Ruluka Island, run by a dictator that Luffy’s team tries to confront while having to survive the use of the Rainbow mist, a kind of fog that opens a portal to another dimension and used to capture the crew.
The Straw Hats begin the Jaya Arc with a new crewmate, Nico Robin. In this arc, the pirates try to solve the mystery of a ship that fell from the sky and a map that shows a city called Skypiea while facing off against the pirates of Masira.
The adventure eventually leads the crew to the island of Jaya, home of the port city Mock Town, which is known to be full of pirates.
In the Skypiea arc, Luffy’s group arrives at the island in the sky known as Skypiea. Although their trip to the place was motivated by the search for another, the crew eventually realizes that the island is in danger of being destroyed by the dreaded Enel.
Water 7 Saga
Episodes: 207 to 325
Also known as the World Government Saga or CP9 Saga, it begins with the Long Ring Long Land arc, the first of the anime to air on Adult Swim.
It follows the feud between the Straw Hats and the Foxy Pirates in the Davy Back Fight, the traditional pirate rivalry created in honor of Davy Jones’s legendary. The arc also marked the beginning of the clash between Luffy and Aokiji.
After two filler arcs resulting in Luffy’s crew reuniting with Foxy, Porche, and Hamburg, a fight breaks out, culminating in Aokiji’s return. Finally, in the arc that gives the saga its name, the Straw Hats arrive at Water 7 Island, the 7th island they visit in the Grand Line.
In this water metropolis, Luffy’s crew, which seemed to be doing very well, gets into a clash with a mysterious organization called CP9. From there, the episodes bring multiple twists and turns that took anime fans by surprise.
The next arc marks the coming together of the Straw Hats, Sogeking, the Franky Family, and the Galley-La Company shipowners to rescue Nico Robin and Franky. But they will need the World Government forces, including the dangerous CP9 organization, to continue the hazardous clash that eventually causes Luffy to declare war on the Government.
This arc also marked several of Luffy’s crew’s growth in different ways and the group’s farewell from the Going Merry ship.
Thriller Bark Saga
Episodes: 326 to 384
With Franky in the crew, the Straw Hats travel through the Florian Triangle and eventually arrive at a ghost island known as Thriller Bark. Luffy and the other crew members have their shadows stolen by the Sea Warlord Gecko Moria, and they must race against time to get it back before sunset.
The group ends up with the unexpected help of Brook, a living skeleton that helps them fight against the Oars, giant creatures that Moria brings back to life.
Although this saga contains two filler arcs, the Thriller Bark arc delivers all the excitement anime fans could hope for, featuring breathtaking battles in several episodes and marking Brook’s entrance into the Straw Hats’ crew.
Summit War Saga (Whitebeard War or Paramount War)
Episodes: 385 to 516
The saga kicks off with the landmark Sabaody Archipelago arc, also named for the 10th island in the Grand Line to which the Straw Hats arrive and the setting for all the action.
Luffy and his team will need to face opponents such as a slave-trading gang and the dangerous group of new pirates, Eleven Supernovas.
The arc marked a central growing point for the Straw Hats, especially after they were defeated by enemies such as Admiral Kizaru, the Pacifist, Bartholomew Kuma, and Sentomaru.
After being defeated by Kuma, Luffy is thrown to Amazon Lily Island, inhabited only by women who kill any men who show up. All of the other crew members also end up separated in different locations, each experiencing varying challenges.
In addition to having to escape the island, Luffy encounters another obstacle before he can go back in search of his crew’s pirates: he must rescue his brother Ace from the Impel Down submarine prison. He manages to infiltrate it with Boa Hancock’s help, but escaping will be very difficult.
But Luffy doesn’t arrive in time; Ace has been transferred to Marineford, headquarters of the Navy. To rescue him, he escapes from Impel Down in the company of Jinbe, Emporio Ivankov, Crocodile, Mr. 1, Mr. 3, Buggy, and Inazuma towards Marineford. War is brewing with the dangerous clash between the titanic powers of the protagonist, the Navy, Whitebeard, and the other pirates trying to overthrow the Emperor.
The saga concludes with the dramatic Marineford Post-War arc. Whitebeard’s death has caused global pandemonium. Luffy, meanwhile, is not only in critical health – after he escapes from Impel Down and his confrontation with the Navy – but is entirely shaken by the death of his brother Ace in the conflict.
Under Boa Hancock’s leadership, the Heart Pirates take Luffy to Amazon Lily for him to recover. Meanwhile, the World Government takes alarming action. Consoled by Jinbei, Luffy regains physical and emotional strength to reunite with his crew.
Fish-Man Saga
Episodes: 517 to 574
Made up of only two arcs, this saga marked the beginning of the second half of the anime. The plot begins two years after the Marineford War events, with the first arc – Return to Sabaody – showing the Straw-Hat Pirates’ gathering. Return to Sabaody brought several changes to the characters and the reality around them after the time jump.
The bounty on Luffy is now 400,000,000 due to his crimes against the Marines. Meanwhile, the Marines have a new admiral, who has moved their headquarters to G-1 to challenge the Four Emperors.
The Straw Hat Pirates gather on Sabaody Island, each changed after two years of training, with new powers and greater mastery of their abilities.
Under pursuit from the Caribou Pirates, who plan to kill their opponents, Luffy’s crew makes their way to Fishman Island. The surprises on the journey to their destination and upon reaching the island are many. They must face the local inhabitants while trying to save the island from an even greater danger.
Island Dressrosa Saga (Pirate Alliance)
The 10th filler arc of the anime kicks off this saga by showing the Straw Hat Pirates finally arriving in the New World, where they soon come into conflict with the Navy and the New Navy.
In the first canon episodes, Luffy and his crew receive a distress call from Punk Hazard Island in the New World from a group of people who are under attack by a samurai. Pursued by Vice Admiral Smoker, the Straw Hats arrive on the island and face several challenges.
New and old enemies are on the island, which is also home to Dr. Vegapunk’s laboratories. And Luffy’s group will need to deal with the results of some of his terrible experiments. But Vegapunk has competition.
Caesar Clown wants to prove himself better than his former colleague with his mass murder weapons and illegal experiments. In this arc, we also discover that the group Eleven Supernovas has been causing anarchy throughout the New World, earning them the reputation as the “Worst Generation” of pirates.
In a new alliance, the Straw Hats and Trafalgar Law manage to capture Caesar Clown and take him to Dressrosa, where they intend to overthrow the nation’s new king, Sea Warlord Donquixote Doflamingo.
The group did not expect that their actions would influence so many other events in the world.
After a battle that had consequences across the planet, the groups that fought alongside the Straw Hats – Beautiful Pirates, Barto Club, Happo Navy, New Giant Warrior Pirates, Yonta Maria Grand Fleet, Tontatta Pirates of the Tontatta, and the newly formed XXX Gym Martial Arts Alliance – swore allegiance to Luffy and his crew, making the so-called Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
Although allies, Luffy lets them act freely.
Four Emperors Saga
Episodes: 751 to 965 (currently)
This saga begins with the Silver Mine filler arc, which links the anime with the One Piece Film: Gold. However, we soon return to follow the events after Doflamingo’s defeat. The Straw Hats, Trafalgar Law, Kin’emon, and Kanjuro are heading to Zou, the third island Luffy’s crew visits in the New World.
On-site, they discover that Sanji has ended up involved in personal and political complications and that the Pirate Beasts surround the island. And what may seem like just another mission or another obstacle may actually review the location of the Straw Hats’ ultimate goal: One Piece.
In the next canon arc, Luffy, Nami, Tony Tony Chopper, Brook, and the Pekoms make their way to Whole Cake Island, seeking to rescue Sanji and save him from his arranged marriage to Charlotte and finalize this political alliance between the bride’s families and the Vinsmoke.
However, the plot gets more and more complex as the episodes go on, and now Sanji’s rescue party must defeat the Big Mom of the Four Emperors.
The Straw Hats’ actions against the Big Mom have consequences worldwide, and the royalty gather for a world council made up of 50 leaders from among the more than 170 nations affiliated with the World Government. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Army prepares for its next plan.
The events of this arc cause the bounty on Luffy to grow to 1,500,000,000, and the pirate becomes considered the Fifth Emperor of the Sea. Im, the mysterious leader of the World Government, captures one of the Straw Hat pirates.
The Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance begins recruiting allies in Wano Country, intending to free the nation from the control of shogun Kurozumi Orochi, Emperor Kaido, and his crew, and the Beasts Pirates.
However, the group still has to deal with The Big Mom Pirates, who have followed them to the Wano Country in search of revenge. That’s when the Big Mom decides to ally with Kaido to conquer the world.
