One Piece is largely considered one of the greatest manga of all time. Created by Eiichiro Oda, the series has incredible worldbuilding and a large cast of characters that deeply resonate with fans. There have been multiple arcs in the series 100+ volumes, and here are the 10 best ranked.
10 Best One Piece Arcs, Ranked
10) Arlong Park
Arlong Park was the first major story arc in One Piece that felt like a true culmination of the events leading up to that point. With Nami and her tragic past at the center of Arlong Park, Luffy’s triumph over the notorious Fish Man who wanted to take over East Blue remains one of the most satisfying moments in the series. Arlong Park would be the blueprint for future major story arcs in the series, as Oda sets a pattern for Luffy to follow when recruiting future Straw Hats and helping others seek freedom that they can’t attain by themselves.
From Nami’s first cry for help to Luffy to the Straw Hats’ first big team effort fighting the Arlong Pirates, Arlong Park has several cathartic moments and was one of the first to show how amazing One Piece can truly be. Seeing every Straw Hat play to their strengths and fight for each other for the first time was a thing of beauty. Moreover, Luffy’s final fight with Arlong is extremely satisfying.
9) Whole Cake Island
Whole Cake Island is a post-time skip arc in One Piece taking place in the New World. With half the Straw Hats in Wano, Luffy diverts himself, Nami, Chopper, and Brook to go and get Sanji, who the Big Mom Pirates took for an arranged marriage. This particular arc plays to all the strengths of Oda’s writing, introducing a cheerful and dream-like island that holds darker secrets that take readers by surprise.
Whole Cake Island also gives Sanji some much-needed development, with a secret family history he had kept from Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats. Luffy’s relationship with Sanji is given time to shine in some of the series’ most emotional moments. This arc also gave Straw Hats, such as Nami and Brook, an opportunity to shine. And while Luffy didn’t get to fight the Emperor Big Mom, he still gets a visceral and drawn-out fight with her son Katakuri, a battle that’s one of the best in the entire series.
8) Dressrosa
There is so much to love about the Dressrosa arc of One Piece. On the surface, it seems like a reskinned version of the Alabasta arc. However, a deeper look shows that this arc has so much more to offer. Featuring gladiatorial arena fights, the Straw Hats on an undercover mission, and a Warlord of the Sea trying to keep his dark secrets at bay, Dressrosa is incredibly engaging. The Kingdom of Dressrosa itself is filled with so much compelling lore that ties into the greater themes of One Piece and hints at the greater injustices of the World Government.
Dressorsa is also the first time several popular characters make their appearance, most notable being Sabo, Luffy’s brother long thought dead, along with the brand new Marine Admiral Fujitora. Don Quixote Doflaminfgo is also a terrifying villain who is able to push the Straw Hats and their allies to the limit. Pulling the strings for hundreds of chapters beforehand, seeing Doflamingo finally being dragged out into the light by Luffy in his new Gear 4 form, followed by the liberation of Dressorsa, makes it one of the best arcs in the series.
7) Impel Down
Impel Down sees Luffy separated from his crew and in the most secure prison in the world. This arc, much like the Amazon Lily arc before it and the Marineford arc after it, shows Luffy’s capability even when he doesn’t have his crew. This arc is so much fun because of the unconventional team-ups that take place and the makeshift crew Luffy accidentally puts together that’s made up of previous enemies he’s fought throughout the series.
Seeing Crocodile, Bon Clay, and Buggy team up with Luffy to escape Impel down was a refreshing change of pace for the series. The arc also emphasizes how Luffy is the kind of character who draws people into his sphere of influence, with his sheer willpower and determination inspiring even those he once fought against. Despite the short time Luffy has with this improvised crew, there are still emotional moments in which unexpected characters put their lives on the line for the greater goal of escaping to rescue Luffy’s brother Ace.
6) Alabasta
Alabasta is the conclusion of the next major arc after Arlong Park, with the Straw Hats embroiled in a conspiracy concocted by the Warlord of the Sea, Sir Crocodile. With the backdrop of a civil war, the Alabasta Arc has all the makings of an iconic One Piece arc. The buildup of Vivi’s journey to save her Kingdom from Crocodile through several story arcs once again helped to make this specific arc especially epic and cathartic. Moreover, each Straw Hat gets a moment to shine with individual fights against Crocodile’s Baroque Works.
It isn’t just the Straw Hats who get to shine, but also characters native to Alabasta who have just as much depth. The arc also leaves hints to the larger story of One Piece, featuring hints at Nico Robin’s future and an emotional goodbye to Vivi that suggests her future as a Straw Hat is certain. Alabasta sets the precedent for what an event in One Piece can be, with enough moving pieces, political intrigue, and bombastic fights to drive the story to new heights.
Related: One Piece Chapter 1115 Recap & Spoilers
5) Skypeia
Skypeia is such an interesting arc because it almost feels like a microcosm of the entire story of One Piece. The Sky Island of Skypeia is something that could be representative of the world of the manga, with Enel, the malevolent god who rules over the residents with the terrifying power of the Goro Goro no Mi, representative of all the different types of totalitarian power in One Piece. The rich ancient history of Skypeia and its eventual liberation, thanks to Luffy, is a large part of why this arc is not just underrated but also one of the best of the series.
Moreover, the tragic and incredibly compelling flashback stories centered around the explorer Noland and Skypeian Kalgara help to accentuate the personal stakes for all the characters in the story as well. The double-page spread following Luffy’s victory against Enel is one of the best in the manga, and the foreshadowing of Joy Boy makes this arc an all-timer.
4) Marineford
Marineford is probably the biggest story arc in the entirety of One Piece. Oda has slowly been putting the pieces in place since the beginning of the story, and there are many things that could have gone wrong, making it feel overloaded. However, that isn’t the case at all. Marineford is payoff after payoff, with the Whitebeard Pirates at war with the Marines and the World Government in order to save Ace from execution, with Luffy caught in the middle as he attempts to save his brother.
Marineford truly feels like a war, and the way Oda conveys Luffy’s helplessness as so many other characters overpower him. Readers also get to have their first glimpse of how an Emperor of the Sea’s power and influence is bigger than Luffy could ever imagine. Paired with the overwhelming strength of the Admirals and Blackbeard’s genius orchestration of the conflict, this arc does a good job of establishing how much farther Luffy has to go. It’s an epic arc with all the emotions and action a One Piece fan could want.
3) Water Seven
Water Seven creates a tonal shift in One Piece in the best way possible. At this point in the story of the manga, Luffy’s abilities had only been tested physically. During the events of Water Seven, Luffy’s mettle as a leader is put to the test. Along with organically introducing future Straw Hat Franky, the conflict with Usopp over the fate of their ship, the Going Merry, puts Luffy’s position as captain into question.
Luffy rises to the occasion, making the hard decision to fight Usopp and also try to keep his fractured crew together as Nico Robin also disappears. It’s a dark time for the Straw Hats, and the way Oda tells the story with tight pacing and interesting development of the Straw Hats as a pirate crew, Water Seven could arguably considered the best arc of One Piece, containing one of the most emotionally intense fights in the whole series. The conspiracy thriller backdrop of the arc is just the icing on the cake.
2) Wano
The Wano Country arc was one that had been teased for years, and when the straw Hats finally reached the land of the samurai, it didn’t disappoint. Wano is a masterpiece in so many different ways, as Luffy’s alliance with Trafalgar D. Law to take down Kaido reaches its epic conclusion. Wano is arguably Oda’s most lore-heavy island, and Luffy’s arrival and showdown with Kaido feels like something that was decades in the making, thanks to the Kuzuki Oden flashbacks that could be a manga series on its own.
With the Straw Hats finally reunited after several arcs of being separated, seeing them work in unison to raid Onigashima is incredibly entertaining to read. Moreover, Jinbe’s long overdue induction to the Straw Hats is probably the best one out of all the members. Each member also gets imaginative and exhilarating fights. However, none were as creative as Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation, a new form that took the world by storm and signaled that the story of One Piece was close to its conclusion.
1) Enies Lobby
Enies Lobby is the arc that directly follows Water Seven and solidifies Luffy as a leader and the Straw Hats as a crew that can’t easily be broken apart. With Usopp and a Sniper King disguise and Nico Robin with what might be the most tragic backstory of all the Straw Hats, Enies Lobby is the best One Piece arc because it has all the best parts of the manga in a single arc. With Luffy’s first power-up in Gear 2 and the rest of the members also getting their own unique power-ups, the fights in Enies Lobby remain some of the best in the entire series.
Luffy’s showdown with Rob Lucci is grueling, and the motivation that he finds from his crew makes readers genuinely believe that he will one day become the Pirate King and find the One Piece. The inclusion of the Going Merry as its own character might be the best part of the entire arc, with its unexpected arrival to save the Straw Hats and the earful goodbye they share with their ship when the dust finally settles. Every aspect of Enies Lobby is perfect, making it the best arc in One Piece.
And that is the 10 best One Piece arcs, ranked.
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