Awesome / One Piece (2023)

Moment pages are Spoilers Off, so all spoilers were removed. Proceed with caution. Also, meta moments are off-limits in moment pages.

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General

• Arlong is given a big time Adaptational Badass upgrade here, in line with his high bounty. His first scene is with him interrogating Buggy, and later threatening the Baratie after Mihawk leaves. He has the full presence of The Dreaded in the East Blue, and most of the denizens fear him.
• Just like the original material, Luffy defeating Buggy, Kuro and Arlong is pretty cool to watch, each with a recreation of the moves Luffy used to defeat them in the manga.

Episode 1: Romance Dawn

• In his final moments, Gold Roger gets the last laugh against Garp by telling everyone present at his execution where to find his legendary treasure. This inspires the Great Pirate Era at a moment that Garp likely saw as his own ultimate victory.
• Luffy is shown to be a bit smarter in this incarnation, allowing him to strategize around Alvida and later Morgan in their fights.
• Luffy spends most of his fight with Alvida merely dodging her attacks, but when she tries to take out her anger on Koby instead, he decides that enough is enough, effortlessly deflecting her mace with his head before sending her flying off the ship with a single punch. He then turns to Alvida's crew and asks if anyone else has a problem with Koby. The entire crew backs down and lets them leave without further resistance.
• From the moment we meet him, Zoro proves his status as a Master Swordsman without actually using his swords half the time. This also makes the moment where we finally see him use his signature 3-sword style against Axe-Hand Morgan a truly memorable moment, showing how seriously he takes his opponent.
  • He spends the first part of his fight with Mr. 7 casually blocking the latter's attack from behind, before sheathing his sword and doing nothing but dodges, trying to show this guy that he's beneath him. When Mr. 7 persists, he only bothers using two swords shortly before ending his life.
  • He doesn't use his swords in the fight with Helmeppo and the Marines; instead, he only uses the sheath of one sword, the occasional kicks, and any Improvised Weapons he could get his hands on.
• It's a small moment for Mr. Seven, but it is impressive that he's able to keep on Zoro's tail for three days given how easily Zoro gets lost.
• Nami shows herself as a Adaptational Badass as she is able to sneak into Morgan's base and blends in fairly well before the Marine she stole the uniform from recognizes her. Her use of her staff is also quite impressive, not only knocking out said Marine(s) when he recognizes her, but also single-handedly taking out over a dozen Marines herself, including keeping any support away from Luffy/Zoro's fight with Axe-Hand Morgan.
• While searching for Axe-Hand Morgan's office, Nami and Luffy stumble into the man himself. It looks like they're busted when Morgan doesn't believe Nami's escorting-a-prisoner bluff, because Morgan says he doesn't recognize her, yet Nami thoroughly fools him. She sells a story about how she's a new transfer that specifically requested to serve under him, and he buys it immediately. She even steals his office keys while selling this lie.
• Both Zoro and Luffy shock Nami with their incredible strength; Luffy rips the safe out of a concrete floor, and Zoro later hefts it over his shoulder when they make their escape from the base.
• In the manga, Koby is held at gunpoint by Helmeppo and needed to be saved by Luffy. In this show, Koby knocks Helmeppo out so Luffy, Nami and Zoro can escape.

Episode 2: The Man in the Straw Hat

• During the brawl at Windmill Village, one of the pirates gets Lucky Roux in a headlock. Yasopp lines up a shot, but decides to do one better and ricochets a bullet off a nearby post and into the pirate's head, killing him and freeing Roux without a scratch.
• Shanks saving Luffy from the sea monster like in the canon, with only a staredown and a firm command, he makes the giant eel swim away in terror.
  "Get. Lost."
• Buggy is a much tougher opponent in this take, able to fling his body around as a pseudo hurricane of body parts and fight the trio of Luffy, Zoro and Nami at once. It takes some clever planning with some of the crates to downsize Buggy enough for Luffy to send him flying away.

Episode 3: Tell No Tales

• When coming across Koby and Helmeppo doing knot-tying drills, Garp recognizes the job as Koby having spent time at sea, in contrast to Helmeppo's work (particularly since the latter tried to set up Koby, thinking he'd done a worse job), and leaves with some parting shots to the latter.
  Garp: Come with me [Koby]. Leave all this drilling to the raw cadets.
  Helmeppo: ...Uh, sir. What about me?
  Garp: Find a rope and practice. I would've hoped that your father had taught you better.
• Koby playing Go against Garp. He starts off losing badly because of playing timidly and defensively. However, when he learns to be more aggressive, he begins beating Garp consistently. Also, he begins playing as black, which those familiar with the game know has an advantage due to playing first. By the end? He’s playing as white, meaning that he’s winning with a disadvantage.

Episode 4: The Pirates Are Coming

• Zoro, using only the memory of his vow to Kuina, gets the willpower to climb out of the well the Meowban siblings tossed him into under Kuro's orders.
• Sham and Buchi are able to keep up with Zoro with their teamwork, which is a far cry from the Anime and Manga version where it took a hypnosis effect from Jango for them to even the odds. Sham was even able to swipe the Wado Ichimoji right out from Zoro's nose.
  • Speaking of which, once Zoro gets his blade back, one might think that he'll start using his signature 3-sword style now that it's become personal. Instead, he simply sheathes it before continuing the fight as before, kicking their asses in seconds; without saying a word, its clear that he decided they're not worth it.
• While Kaya is scared for her life and physically much, much weaker than Kuro... she still sneaks her father's letter opener to try and stab a infamous pirate who's known for his speed, intending to show she's not gonna live in fear in her final moments.
• Props to how Kuro is portrayed as well. He manages an air of legit terror that his manga/anime counterpart never did, coming across like a horror movie villain toying with his prey (much like a cat, appropriately enough) and it is amazing to behold. You can honestly believe that this man was a truly feared pirate captain in his day.
• Luffy uses his smarts to listen for the movements, indicating Kuro is going to pull a super speed move, then sends his arm stretching around the corners and smacks him to the ground. This one move unravels the smug and arrogant Kuro, basically ending the fight before it's even finished, leading to Luffy catching and holding onto Kuro's arm-blades. Wearing a grin throughout this struggle, Luffy lets him sweat for a little before headbutting the guy through the window with Gum Gum Bell.
• Hearing an instrumental version of "We Are" when they first set sail aboard Going Merry.

Episode 5: Eat at Baratie!

• Garp throwing a cannonball with the force of an actual cannon. Luffy also gets his moment when he uses the Gum-Gum Balloon to bounce the cannonball back and completely destroy one of the Marine ship's masts. Garp is too proud of his grandson to be angry.
  • Afterwards, Luffy admits that this was the first time he'd ever used the Gum-Gum Balloon power. He didn't even know he could do that!
• Sanji establishes his fighting prowess when he quickly diffuses a feud between Captain Fullbody and Crescent Moon Gally on the Baratie. While holding a tray of bread throughout most of it, not spilling a single crumb.
• Mihawk's Establishing Character Moment is his decimation of Don Krieg's armada that took place offscreen in the manga and anime. This time, we get to see him utterly slaughter Krieg and his men while also casually having a conversation with Garp. Capped off with slicing Krieg's Last Stand bullets and cannonball in half, which end up killing two of Krieg's men behind him, and delivering him a glorious Death by Adaptation.
  • Also one for the show's effects, as it is the first hint we get of their ability to support the moves of the strongest characters of the One Piece world. When Mihawk cuts an entire ship in half with Razor Wind from Yoru's swing, it is just as glorious as the manga.
• Zoro meeting Mihawk at a late night party, with a bit of an acknowledgement of his admiration for him... but also shares a sadness that that he'll have to kill him in the morning. This catches Mihawk's attention.
• Zoro and Mihawk's battle are almost blow for blow similar to the manga and anime, with Mihawk having full control of the fight with using only dodging and a little knife to block the blows. Which leads to a full battle between Zoro's three swords vs. Yoru, with both making a jump blow. Zoro loses like in canon, but the spectacle was done well.
  • At the start of the fight, Mihawk gets in some understated yet nonetheless spectacular badass boasts that perfectly emphasizes the sheer gap in ability between himself and Zoro:
    Zoro: (upon seeing Mihawk arming himself with the tiny dagger) What the hell is that? I'm here for a sword fight.
    Mihawk: I don't hunt rabbits with a cannon.
    Zoro: (draws his swords) I'm no rabbit.
    Mihawk: That remains to be seen.

Episode 6: The Chef and the Chore Boy

• It's lowkey, but Koby's conversation with Garp after Mihawk's visit shows not only his belief in Luffy, but also starts showcasing his growth along the way. The balls it takes to stand your ground and tell your superior officer that you think they're wrong shouldn't be understated.
  Garp: I was too easy on [Luffy].
  Koby: Sir, it wouldn't have mattered, because Luffy knows exactly what he is: A pirate. He's always been a pirate, and always will be. No matter how many assassins you send after him, that'll never change. He'd rather die first.
  Garp: So what are you saying? That I should just let him be a damn fool pirate?
  Koby: Would that really be the worst thing, sir?
• Buggy is shown as a disembodied head to the Straw Hats while they are at Baratie, with him revealing part of his "Eyes and Ears" Trick is him literally hiding one of his ears in Luffy's Strawhat. This shows a strong sense of strategic planning on his end, given no one noticed for what was likely weeks in-story.
• Give Kid!Sanji credit where it's due. He charged right at a legendary dangerous pirate captain with nothing but (presumably) a fish knife when he found his way into the kitchen.
• Zeff definitely deserves credit. He doesn’t flinch when Arlong comes in and holds the joint hostage and manages to shoot him in the back. True, the bullet doesn’t even scratch the fishman and it just gets him a swift beating by Kuroobi, but it shows just how brave the former pirate is.

Episode 7: The Girl with the Sawfish Tattoo

• Credit where credit is due - Arlong manages to throw a house in the flashback.
• It's low-key, but when Luffy is talking to Genzo, he says his usual "I'm a pirate" line, only for Zoro to add "hunter", taking over to say their little group wants to collect Arlong's bounty. This small action ensures that they get the information they're looking for, while avoiding any unnecessary complications or treatment. Intentionally or otherwise, it shows that Zoro's learned from the incident in Kaya's mansion.
• The "Help Me" scene is treated with the reverence it deserves, serving as the emotional centerpiece of the season. After Nami finds out Arlong betrayed her, she runs, but collapses. Emily Rudd acts the hell out of the scene, first repeating Arlong's name quietly before shouting at full volume, stabbing the tattoo on her arm before Luffy stops her. When she asks Luffy for help, tears are running and her voice is nothing short of broken.
  • Not to be outdone, Iñaki Godoy also puts in a great performance, quietly telling her he will help after he puts his hat upon her head. Then his entire body language changes, oozing with fury as he repeats it to himself, then full out screams it to the heavens. To top things off, the crew are all waiting for his command, with Zoro, Sanji and Usopp positioned in ways that evoke the manga and anime.

Episode 8: Worst in the East

• When Koby stands up for Luffy, Nezumi tries to admonish him by saying that he's just a cadet while Nezumi is a captain, only for Garp to coolly remind him that he's a vice-admiral, so he can stop with the grandstanding.
• The whole damn battle scene is astounding. Highlights include Sanji hitting flying kicks with his hands in his pockets, while Zoro is leaping around slashing guys left and right with ease, while he's still injured to boot and with only one sword.
• In the manga, Usopp had to carefully plan his assault on Chew by ensuring he'd grab the bottle of rum Usopp threw at him before getting subjected to a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown. Here, not only did Chew bring his own rum - thereby showing off Usopp's ability to improvise - but the combustible that Usopp launched at him was strong enough to give Chew a OHKO.
  Chew: I'm a fishman; I don't catch fire. (takes a swig of his rum)
  Usopp: Maybe you don't. (readies his slingshot) But alcohol does. SPECIAL ATTACK: EXPLODING STAR!!
• Arlong vs. Luffy - Round 2:
  • Arlong starts the fight by leveling Kiribachi at Luffy’s neck, who doesn't even flinch, and taunting him about how he’d never make good use of Nami. Luffy reaches up and grabs one of the shark-tooth-like blades so hard it draws blood… in fact, Arlong can't move his weapon at all while Luffy starts cracking it, all the while giving him a Death Glare. What follows is a perfect Shut Up, Hannibal! rebuttal as Luffy then shatters the blade.
    "Use? Nami isn't some "tool" to be used! She's a person, with wants and dreams of her own, and you took those away from her! You're no better than than axe-hand guy, or that fake-butler, or anyone else who tries to hurt other people... so I'm gonna kick your ass just I like did theirs. Because no one messes with my friends."
  • Luffy's "Eureka!" Moment that leads him to start demolishing the building. As Arlong loudly proclaims that he made Nami who she is today and that she'd be nothing without him, Luffy looks at the maps on the wall — the ones Nami was forced to draw for Arlong, and which form the backbone of his entire plan – and you can practically see the exact moment he realizes precisely what he needs to do to bring the villainous captain down.
    Luffy: No, you'd be nothing without her. (...) Maybe I can't beat you. (grins) But I can destroy everything you've built.
    (Luffy begins attacking the support pillars)
    Arlong: (instantly going from cocky to horrified) NO!!!
  • Luffy gets some bonus awesome where, after taking out a few pillars, he lets Arlong get in close to him to swing at him, then just dodges, letting him break down the pillars to hasten the destruction. The way Arlong looks on in horror at a pillar he just demolished is truly cathartic.
  • Luffy's final blows to Arlong, first hitting him with Gum Gum Gatling, then - just after Arlong yells that "No puny human can bring down Arlong Park!" - he kicks the roof off before smashing him from above with everything he's got. Arlong is sent straight through the floor(s) and upon reaching the bottom, a shockwave is created that brings the entire building down upon them. Iñaki Godoy's full-throated yell only heightens the moment.
    "Gum-Gum... BATTLE AXE!!!"
  • The way the collapse of Arlong Park is done isn't just awesome; it's visceral in a way that the manga and anime versions just can't match. You can see the way individual pieces just start crumbling with a thunderous din, spreading and accelerating as a small mountain of dust and debris billows outward, which is every bit as visually impressive as the climax is satisfying.
  • As Luffy stands atop the rubble of this wanna-be empire he destroyed, his victory is cemented by the declaration of protection and friendship he gives to Nami, demonstrating once more how different he is to the man she has been freed from. Nami can only cry Tears of Joy.
    "NAMI! YOU ARE OUR FRIEND! WE ARE YOUR CREW!"
• Luffy vs. Garp: In a kinda frightening way, Garp's casual beatdown of Luffy during their fight. No matter how powerful Luffy is, no matter the tough opponents he just defeated, there is Always Someone Better. And this was just a Secret Test of Character, as Garp reveals he wasn't even trying while Luffy couldn't even touch Garp. Of course, this is East Blue-Luffy vs. the man that cornered Gold Roger several times; Luffy isn't going to be able to reach Garp's level for a long time.^note In the manga, Luffy only reached a level where he might potentially be able to surpass Garp after the Wano arc, a good 1,000+ chapters/episodes after the East Blue Saga.
• Afterwards, when Garp has dismissed the Marines to go find the rest of Arlong's Pirates, Nezumi demands that Garp arrest the Straw Hat pirates as well - Nami promptly whacks him in the head to knock him out, which Garp completely overlooks. Considering that Nezumi stole her money that would've freed Coco Village, and otherwise left her at her absolute lowest point, that had to have felt good for her.
• The iconic scene where the crew all props their legs up on a barrel, and declare their dreams for the whole world to hear, as Luffy shouts into the sky. The camera then pans over the ship as News Coos fly overhead, and the title card swoops into view, all while a Triumphant Reprise of "We Are" plays. Let the adventure begin anew...
  Luffy: This is it, crew. The Grand Line. NOTHING'S GOING TO STAND IN OUR WAY!
• In the stinger, we are shown none other than Captain Smoker himself. And he looks absolutely amazing, especially when he uses a lit cigar to burn Luffy's wanted poster.

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