The live-action One Piece adaptation has defied all odds in its second week of Netflix domination, and the easter eggs bring hope for many more seasons. While they won’t be caught by newcomers to the Straw Hat Pirates, avid fans of the series recognized these easter eggs immediately. These easter eggs aren’t just treats for eagle-eyed fans either, as these are actually hints at future events of One Piece!
Warning, This article contains spoilers for One Piece live-action, as well as the anime/manga. The live-action and anime are both streaming on Netflix, while the manga is available online through Viz or MangaPlus.
Are There Easter Eggs in One Piece?
There are TONS of easter eggs present throughout the first season of One Piece live-action, whether obvious or not. Some are only being caught on repeat viewings by fans, and it’s only the second week so there could be more. That said, these are the easter eggs that will pertain to the main story and hint at things to come. Some of these are more in your face, while some are just offhand mentions, but each one has an important part in the world of One Piece.
Noland the Liar
This was one of the easiest to catch for fans. When Zoro is unconscious after his battle with Mihawk, Zeff recommends the Straw Hats talk to him or tell him stories. Nami, not being great at talking about things, starts to read a storybook about Noland the Liar, an ancient explorer. It’s an old children’s story for most, but Noland was a real explorer who found the land of gold called Jaya. He told his king, and they returned to see the fantastical land but found no gold. This earns Noland the death penalty for lying, but he swears even at his execution that he was telling the truth.
The land of gold Noland found is real, the problem is it just isn’t where it was the first time. Both Jaya and Noland’s descendant Mont Blanc Cricket have a short arc of their own, with more expanding on Noland’s adventure. The real fun comes in the Skypiea arc though, where the. Straw Hats find where that strange city of gold went.
The Revolutionary Army
Anyone new to One Piece watching with an existing fan probably doesn’t know why they screamed during Roger’s execution scene. Because of a figure in a long green cloak standing among the Marines during Roger’s speech. Though he’ll remain mysterious, he’s an important figure. While there are the forces of the World Government and pirates fighting across the Grand Line, this man heads up the Revolutionary Army.
The Revolutionaries are a shadow group in One Piece, assisting citizens across the world in uprisings. The man in green is their commander, Dragon, whose sole mission is to dismantle the World Government. He’s a powerful character, though rarely has any chance to show off, and will play heavily into the Grand Line’s politics later.
Jimbei
Much like in the source material, a character named Jimbei gets a namedrop during the Arlong Park episodes. For good reason too, he’s a former crewmate alongside Arlong of the original Fishman Pirates. They were a fearsome crew, with Captain Fisher Tiger, a hero among Fishmen. He’s even admired among some humans for a daring raid on a slave camp atop the Red Line. He’s a tragic figure that’s explored later when the Straw Hats actually meet Jimbei at Fishman Island, underneath the intersection of the Red Line and Grand Line.
Jimbei himself at the time of Arlong Park is a Warlord of the Sea like Mihawk. He’s incredibly powerful, and captains the Sun Pirates, who are mostly made up of other members of the Fishman Pirates that didn’t go with Arlong. He’s an instrumental character during the Marineford War, which probably won’t come around until season five or so, and later joins the Straw Hats. Jimbei is a fantastic character and a very serious type of person which makes his interactions with the Straw Hats hilarious.
Baroque Works
Seeing Baroque Works get more history and presence throughout the world of One Piece has been awesome. The shadowy organization is one of the first big villains the Straw Hats come against. Getting the teases and seeing the Mr. 7 vs. Zoro fight was awesome. Hell, Mr. 7 was a sketch in the original manga, never actually onscreen, and just mentioned in an extras section. The little business cards they use and the fact that Garp has been chasing after them for some time are awesome additions to the story.
Baroque Works will most certainly play into the second season’s storyline. They’re the main villain for the Alabasta saga of the manga. Their leader is even one of the most frightening characters One Piece will introduce early on. It’s a vicious network of spies, and some longstanding One Piece characters that will return to help Luffy later. Most of the big Baroque Works members also have some strange Devil Fruits, such as the Wax-Wax Fruit and Clone-Clone Fruit, so things will get weird.
Bounty Posters
Most of these were pretty obvious in the trailer for the series, but it’s wild to know some of these characters are being set up so early. It’s a great show of faith that everyone involved has in the show because some of these characters like Cavendish don’t appear until MUCH later in the series. That said, it’s nice to see this thriving world where characters fans already know are well-established. The other two prominent ones, Bellamy and Foxy, will show up after the Alabasta arc if things get that far.
The other cool part of the bounty posters in One Piece- the crew behind them recreated the source posters perfectly. Even Luffy’s with his smiling face and Usopp’s head in the background, is a spot on recreation. It’s going to be awesome to see every Straw Hat get their bounty posters. Assuming the show gets there, as some are great gags for the characters.
Binks’ Sake
This one was more subtle, but the song Binks’ Sake was playing in the background of Luffy’s flashbacks to Shanks. The song is an old pirate shanty, important later with the character Brook, the Straw Hat Pirates’ musician. He’s an odd fellow, no bones about it, but becomes a central Straw Hat. This shanty is one of his favorites to play and sing along with the other crew. It also holds a sentimental place for the characters, as it relates to a certain whale that should appear in season two.
Loguetown
Everyone was really hoping that Loguetown would make it into season one of One Piece live-action, but unfortunately there just wasn’t time. The site of Gold Roger’s execution was seen in flashbacks but is also the last stop in the East Blue before Reverse Mountain. It’s the final destination for many pirates leaving the East Blue. Unfortunately, it’s the final port many pirates see before dying trying to enter the Grand Line.
It’s also an important milestone for the Straw Hat Pirates. It’s the site of their confrontation with Buggy and Alvida, plus it introduces Smoker of the Navy in the source. It wasn’t included in season one, but Smoker was teased at the end. With the Captain there, it’s likely Loguetown will kick off season two with a bang.
One Piece live-action is currently on hold due to the WGA and SAG strikes, but the creators are looking hopeful. According to writers, scripts for season two are already written and ready to start filming. From there, it should be one to two years before fans can expect to see the One Piece live-action series return with the Straw Hats. Hopefully, it’s sooner, as this is a show that has plenty of material to cover!
