Curious about the journey of the great Buggy the Clown? Well, look no further than this little explainer of the Orange Town arc from One Piece! The second arc sheds more light onto the world of Pirates, and even more detail on the mystical Devil Fruits. So, what happens in Orange Town, and what comes back later in One Piece’s long, epic saga?
Previously in the Romance Dawn arc, the young pirate Straw Hat Luffy set sail from his small village. Gifted with a Straw Hat and the Devil powers of the Gum-Gum Fruit, he recruits ‘Pirate Hunter’ Roronoa Zolo as his first mate. After the two defeat corrupt Navy dictator Ax Hand Morgan and free the base, leaving Koby to join the Navy, they set off once more. While they sail into unknown waters, they end up separated from Luffy already on the island. Zolo manages to come across some of Buggy’s men in the water and puts them to work rowing.
Buggy: Captain to Emperor
Orange Town arc saw the debut of a central player in One Piece’s grand political landscape. Buggy the Clown, Captain of the Buggy Pirates. Buggy is every bit what he presents, a dangerous coward with anger management issues behind a massive red nose. That said, he has a habit of falling upward into widespread infamy.
He’s resilient, and a big player thanks to massive luck with timing. Here he’s defeated relatively easily, but as he reaches the Grand Line, Buggy ends up an unintentional hero to pirates worldwide. Even in the current arc, he’s the face of Cross Guild and one of the Four Emperors beside Shanks, Luffy, and Blackbeard. There’s so much more to him than meets the eye, but that will be left to explore in a later arc.
Cat Burglar Nami Steals Hearts
Nami slips in and out of the East Blue Saga until Arlong Park, where her tragic story unfolds. She’s just in Orange Town to take some money from whoever she can, adding to her already massive haul. Nami is only shown onscreen with motivations of greed at first, but it’s understandable considering the scope of her personal arc. She’s a big character to set up and develop, but that greed is already obvious and doesn’t get much better.
Her haggling with Luffy is the first clue that Nami knows how to navigate, both with words and sea charts. She cuts a deal to break him out but isn’t without her own motives, stealing a treasure map that Buggy is after. That map, to the Treasure of Captain John, is a recurring part of Buggy’s ongoing plot as well.
One Piece Gets Sad
The most tragic thing to happen so far is Helmeppo’s existence, so One Piece took a little unexpected turn for the sad in Orange Town. Know what the easiest thing to endear an audience to is? A dog named Chou Chou. The poor pup was once owned by a kind shop owner, and would always wait outside the shop for him. One day, the owner died, and Chou Chou has been waiting, guarding the shop ever since.
This dog’s insistence on staying with the shop, guarding it against Buggy’s top fighters, was bravery that anyone could root for. It endeared him to Luffy at least, who quickly beat the crap out of Buggy’s men before making his way to the Clown himself. It’s the anime equivalent of Futurama’s Jurassic Bark episode but ends on a happier note.
Devil Fruits Are Weird
Buggy’s intro also introduces more Devil Fruits outside of Luffy’s Gum-Gum Fruit. His ability of the Chop-Chop Fruit allows Buggy to do just that- get chopped to bits and still recover. It makes him a menace against Zolo, who initially thinks he landed a killing blow. Buggy injured him instead, slicing him with knives held in his now airborne hand. The fight almost met an end until Luffy and Nami worked together, tying parts of Buggy together. Once he was all restrained in a couple of neat bundles, it was Luffy’s turn.
The debut of both the Gum-Gum Gavel and Gum-Gum Bazooka set a high bar for Luffy’s finishers. Gavel saw him twist his rubber arms around and grab an enemy, in this case, Richie the Lion, and spin-slam them into the ground. Bazooka meanwhile, launches Buggy’s tied-up arms and legs far away. Although, his head, feet, and hands went in a different bundle and direction. Gavel didn’t stick around as a move, but Bazooka is still a vital part of Luffy’s arsenal.
Important situations that happend in Orange Town Arc
- Future Emperor Buggy makes his debut, along with the Chop-Chop Fruit.
- One Piece pulls the first of many tragic animal stories.
- Buggy flies away, but not in One Piece (laugh, dammit).
- Luffy develops the Gum-Gum Bazooka, a beloved finisher turned mid-level attack.
Orange Town arc ends with the Straw Hats heading in a new direction, now navigated by Nami. They’ll still need a ship of their own, and Nami hasn’t given a confirmation that she’ll join, but there’s plenty of time left before everyone enters the Grand Line. The Orange Town arc can be streamed on Crunchyroll or Netflix, in episodes 4-8 of the anime. Onward, to Syrup Island!
