The Straw Hats have reached the end of the East Blue Sea as they leave Loguetown for Reverse Mountain! This arc sees the crew travel up the famous entrance to the Grand Line, where currents from all four seas converge. Their grand entrance to this dangerous stretch will see threats right off the bat, first with a massive whale!
To recap, Monkey D Luffy accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Fruit as a kid, making him into a rubber boy! Years later, he sets out as Captain of the Straw Hats, gathering a crew across the East Blue that includes Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and Nami. Now, after making his name and earning a bounty for his heroics, Luffy is ready to enter the dangerous Grand Line and find the One Piece, the treasure of Gold Roger himself!
Weird World of One Piece
If there’s any question about One Piece’s view on physics and natural phenomena still lingering, Reverse Mountain should answer it. Nothing is off limits, even an upside down waterfall that climbs an entire mountain. It’s just the first ridiculous natural feature that this series has in store, and probably the most plausible, all things considered.
One Piece keeps the Straw Hats on their toes from here on out with the Grand Line’s odd weather and seas. Storms appear from nowhere, followed by snowstorms or seas hot enough to cook marine life. Hell, later in the New World when they reach Totto Land, they’ll sail through seas of syrup and jelly while cotton candy snow falls around.
Laboon!
Reverse Mountain was dangerous enough, but as the Straw Hats crest the top a larger obstacle looms ahead. A monster of a whale ends up swallowing the Merry Go, along with the crew other than Luffy. Inside are Crocus and two Baroques Works agents, but they’ll come later. Crocus gives the background for Laboon as they notice the many scars on the whale’s face. Turns out, he followed a pirate crew into the Grand Line and was left with Crocus with a promise to return.
The story presented here is that the crew fled the Grand Line in fear. Now, Laboon waits for decades as he smashes his skull against the Red Line, trying to let his friends in. The story of Laboon and this crew are sad enough already, but when Brook enters the Straw Hat crew it gains a glimmer of hope. Brook was one of the pirates who made that promise, but his crew met a terrible fate he only survived through his Devil Fruit.
Gold Roger’s Doctor
Crocus doesn’t say anything explicitly but says that he’s a doctor and sailed with pirates for a time. Naturally, Luffy asks him to join as their doctor, but there are other plans for that role. What Crocus doesn’t tell them is whose crew he sailed with Gold Roger’s, King of the Pirates! Crocus was their ship doctor and is shown in later flashbacks of the Roger crew by Silvers Rayleigh and Kozuki Oden. Crocus definitely knows that Roger’s will is present in this new boy with a Straw Hat.
Merry Takes a Hit
A constant theme until the Water 7 Arc, the Merry Go takes damage during every event on the Grand Line without fail. This time it’s the reckless crash through Reverse Mountain before Laboon smashes the mast and figurehead. Usopp can put it back together, but he’s only a carpenter, not a well-practised shipwright.
One Piece takes continuity pretty seriously when it comes to damage, whether on people or places. Merry bears these scars for the rest of her journey, with Usopp barely keeping her together the whole time. It’s going to play into a massive plot point when Water 7 sails around in a few arcs.
Anime Differences
For a manga reader, it’s a much faster way to catch up on the story. That said, panels on the page miss out on some of the humour and comedy that can only happen in animation. Physical comedy is still great, but that’s been on point for the entire show with its slapstick style. Reverse Mountain really took the opportunity to play with gags that can only be pulled off with sound and editing though.
The scene, where anyone asks Crocus a question, only for it to cut between shots of everyone dramatically, is gold. The fact that it runs repeatedly only to be acknowledged by Crocus sells it though. Then there’s something about Luffy’s deadpan delivery in situations that just comes across better when voice acted.
Promise to Laboon
Laboon has slowly killed himself over the years trying to smash the Red Line and find his friends. Luffy makes a promise to stop him, a promise to return after they travel the Grand Line for a rematch. Luffy and Laboon have fun sparring, and Laboon finally seems to have something to live for again.
Luffy’s giant painting of the Straw Hat Jolly Roger is hilarious. His art skills have been terrible from the start, and that awfully drawn Jolly Roger will never fail to draw a laugh. Their promise to Laboon will also play a part in Thriller Bark later on, when they meet Brook, who still intends to keep his promise.
Baroque Works Debut
This will be explored further in the next arc, Whiskey Peak, but here is the first debut of Baroque Works. The shady organization that employs Ms Wednesday and Mr Nine is only mentioned, pointed out as shadowy and secret. Baroque Works, meanwhile, will prove to be the main villain of this Saga, the journey to Arabasta!
Nefertari Vivi
More important than Baroque Works, a central player of the Arabasta Saga debuted in Ms Wednesday. Not that she goes by that for long, with her real name revealed as Nefertari Vivi, Princess of Arabasta. She’s undercover for now, but it’s only part of a mission to free her country from the villainous Baroque Works, led by the shadowy Mr. 0 and Ms All-Sunday.
Vivi will be explored more in the arcs to come, but she ends up an honorary member of the Straw Hats. Her strong resolve and desire to do good endear her to the crew, who help to free her home from the Warlord of the Sea Sir Crocodile.
The Grand Line’s Design
A little explanation about the Grand Line, because its geography is a bit strange. The world of One Piece is divided into four oceans, the North, South, East, and West Blue. These seas are divided by the Grand Line and the Red Line. The Grand Line is a massive stretch of sea dotted by islands that circles the globe. Meanwhile, the Red Line is a massive, mountainous ridge that runs around the entire world. The entrance to the Grand Line at Reverse Mountain is the only place where the Red and Grand lines intersect.
Why don’t they just sail straight into the Grand Line since it borders every sea? Again, the Grand Line doesn’t play by the rules of nature. It’s bordered on either side by a stretch called the Calm Belt. These Calm Belts are just that, still seas with no wind or current, damning sailors to drift forever if trapped. The other danger is that they’re full of Neptunians, giant monsters even more terrifying than the Lord of the Coast. There’s a reason only the best of the best make it through this place.
Important Notes
- Laboon’s promise is set up, along with Brook’’s eventual debut.
- Vivi is introduced as Ms Wednesday.
- Crocus, the ship doctor for Gold Roger, is introduced.
- Merry Go takes the first of many, many hits.
