The Straw Hats have their first ship, the Merry Go, but now they need an essential part of any crew, a cook! Luckily the Sailing Restaurant Baratie and its famous fighting cooks. This can truly be described as the arc where One Piece elevates itself. The addition of Sanji and hints at the dangerous journey to the Grand Line are phenomenal. So, pull up a chair while the Straw Hats meet Sanji!
When One Piece left off, the Straw Hats were sailing away from Syrup Village in their brand-new Merry Go! Along the way, they come across Johnny and Yasuke, bounty hunter brothers and friends of Zolo. Now in need of a chef, they head to the famous sailing restaurant Baratie to find someone to join them!
Enter Sanji
Head Chef of the Straw Hats and Wing of the Pirate King now, Sanji had humble beginnings in the Baratie arc. His perverted nature was apparent from the start, but his kindhearted side was revealed quickly. He feeds Gin, the washed-up Don Krieg pirate with no money, and sets himself up in the process as someone who cooks for others, not for themselves.
Zeff is the obvious influence on Sanji in both his fighting style and personality. The seasoned chef made his name “Red Shoes” on the Grand Line with his kick-based fighting style. The other discipline Sanji instilled in him is a respect for women and anger at wasted food. Those that want to make Sanji angry don’t need to do anything other than waste food. Whether it be by throwing the dish on the ground or trash, he’ll quickly put anyone in their place. Luckily, Luffy will eat anything he can get his hands on, edible or not, so Sanji’s cooking won’t go to waste.
The Perilous Grand Line
The Grand Line is known as where the One Piece is, but so far the danger of it is only hearsay. Don Krieg’s arrival changes that entirely, when most of his surviving fleet is chased back to the East Blue. His encounter with Hawkeye Mihawk is a horror story to scare the worst pirates. Even more now as Mihawk followed them in pursuit. One Piece has made clear how difficult and dangerous the journey there is, much less when in the perilous stretch. For Mihawk to leave the Grand Line with no issue just to chase down Krieg for laughs, that’s a power move.
Mihawk destroys Krieg’s remaining ship with a slice from his small boat. One slice, from far away, sunk fifty ships this way. Mihawk has only ever considered Shanks as an equal in a sword fight, so everyone else is a non-issue. If it says anything, Hawkeye’s status as a Warlord along with his age means he likely has some amount of Haki control. He beats the living hell out of everyone here with no effort.
Nami Skips Town
She’s been robbing everyone blind since her debut, but Nami finally skips out on the Straw Hats here. When Luffy has to work off his debts at Baratie, Nami takes the Merry for herself and sails off, Johnny and Yasuke in pursuit. Nami’s attitude took a turn when she saw a bounty poster the brothers dropped, going into a panic before taking off. She’s mostly able to slip away in the chaos of Krieg and Mihawk, but Luffy thinks quickly and sends the brothers after her with an injured Zolo.
Warlords of the Sea
Mihawk introduces the Seven Warlords concept, a major political force in the Grand Line. There are seven in total, and all are in a special agreement with the Navy and World Government to serve them. In return, they receive amnesty and continue their pirate activities, as long as it doesn’t interfere with Navy interests.
Mihawk’s power is nothing to laugh at, but he’s mid-tier when it comes to their power levels. Those will be more relevant once the Straw Hats enter the Grand Line, but some Warlords will be enemies while others are friends. One in particular even joins the Straw Hats further along in their journey.
Luffy is Bad at Most Things
One thing that some miss in modern One Piece arcs is some of the zany physical comedy. Every crew member has a different attitude and way of interacting with Luffy or each other. Zolo and Nami are the only ones allowed to hit their captain, though. The effect in the manga isn’t as visible, but in the anime when Zolo punches Luffy in Baratie, his head springs up and wobbles like a Jack in the Box. It’s just fun slapstick comedy that was unique to early One Piece.
Luffy’s role as a chore boy on Baratie was a totally different story and more damage than help. His method to wash dishes was to dip them in water and then throw the plates on the ground. The cooks finally got him away from that, but waiting tables for Luffy is like solving math for a newborn baby. Luffy takes a third option though, and ends up in a fight.
Zolo’s Ambition
He talked briefly about his drive to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman, but now Zolo gains resolve. When Mihawk shows up Zolo is stupid enough to challenge him. The Warlord wipes him out quickly but spares Zolo out of curiosity. Seriously, it can’t be restated how much of a power gap there is between the two. Zolo only lives because Mihawk sees a potential rival to replace Shanks. Mihawk and Shanks have a long history and dueled often until Shanks lost his arm saving Luffy.
Zolo’s defeat was a huge jump in his character arc. He gets humbled big time before he promises Luffy that he won’t lose again. He keeps that promise too, defeating everyone from Hachi to King without looking back.
The Tragedy of Sanji
Sanji’s backstory is tragic from the start, even before more background is dropped in Whole Cake Island. He ends up stranded at sea alongside Zeff, the infamous Red Shoes in his prime. Zeff is the typical old, uncaring tough guy, but his love for Sanji only shows with the flashback context. He and Sanji argue back and forth through the whole arc, and it’s a wonder Sanji sticks around. The real story explains everything.
Zeff and Sanji wash up on a beach with no hope of rescue and very little food. Zeff takes the food and splits it up before Sanji snatches his and heads to the other side. They both keep watch for other vessels, but days drag by with no luck and food dwindles. Finally, too hungry to stand it anymore, Sanji resolves to kill Zeff and eat him. Until he realizes Zeff already cut off his own foot and ate it after he gave Sanji all the food. This was the moment Zeff became Sanji’s father. Sanji looks up to him, and Zeff becomes a proud father as he makes his name on the Grand Line. These relationships come back to bite Sanji in Whole Cake Island.
Important Notes in the Baratie Arc
- Sanji joins the crew and vows to find the All Blue, a sea full of fish from around the world.
- Nami takes off to Arlong Park while Usopp takes Zolo and the brothers to follow her.
- Luffy and Sanji stay behind to kick Don Krieg’s pirates out and learn about Sanji’s tragic past (partially), plus his debt to Zeff.
- Zolo gets near-fatal wounds while fighting Mihawk, a Warlord of the Sea.
So, with the Baratie safe (wrecked, but safe) Luffy and Zolo sail on, into the next arc. Their pursuit is about to lead them into their most dangerous fight yet, and the final piece to the East Blue crew. Now, their journey to Arlong Park begins, and with it their fight against the Arlong Pirates, a crew of Fishmen.
The Baratie arc of One Piece streams on Netflix and Crunchyroll, covered in episodes 19-30 of the anime.
