The Arlong Park arc serves as one the place the Straw Hat crew’s navigator Nami (who might be performed by Emily Rudd within the reside motion) is the primary character of focus. Initially one of the secretive characters of the group, Nami’s backstory will get a shine and introduces us to a small, however extremely highly effective group of fishmen led by a lad named Arlong. 

Except for being genuinely scary-looking, Arlong is maybe greatest recognized for his remedy of Nami — benefiting from her expertise as a sea-charter and navigator with the specter of killing the remainder of her village if she refuses. Solely after accruing a daft sum of cash, Arlong claims, will set Nami and her village free. 

The arc is, to myself and lots of different One Piece followers, a basic. You’ll typically see questions — and even jokes from the naysayers — on-line about when the collection “will get good”, however I’ve all the time discovered it to be a slightly uninformed query. 

A lot of the start of One Piece, whereas nonetheless crammed with its personal share of violence, is generally handled as a foolish, effervescent journey with a motley crew. Even in the primary character’s identify — Monkey D. Luffy, the longer term king of the pirates — there’s silliness to be discovered. Luffy and his crew go alongside and put some comically evil evil-doers of their place. And it’s a complete blast! Watching a stretchy lad yell about meals, a big-nosed sniper cower in concern at each given alternative, or a green-haired swordsman continually getting misplaced for no purpose, crammed me with blissful pleasure. 

So it isn’t a query of when the collection “will get good” however slightly when it begins to open up; for my cash, that’s the Arlong Park arc. It’s extremely brutal in comparison with all the pieces else seen at this level, and even to at the present time Nami’s backstory stays one of the profoundly unhappy of any character within the collection. The reasoning behind why she’s nearly obnoxiously obsessive about cash, her affinity for oranges, and the destiny of her adoptive mom all hit you proper within the coronary heart. 

Plus, it’s one of many first instances you get a better have a look at the corruption of the World Authorities — introducing the concept most of the evil pirates (on this case Arlong’s fishmen crew) are very a lot allowed to do as they please because of the inaction of stated authorities as a way to retain the established order.