The midpoint of every crew’s journey through the Grand Line, Sabaody Archipelago is one of the biggest hubs in One Piece. It’s right on the Grand Line, made up of huge mangroves bursting from below the sea. Sabaody is really just a mass of mangroves from the Mother Tree, but there’s so much more to it than that. Also, an entrance to Mary Geoise and The New World, Sabaody Archipelago hides some of One Piece’s greatest horrors beneath the bubbly exterior.
This article contains major spoilers for One Piece. Catch up on Viz or MangaPlus before continuing further!
Where is the Sabaody Archipelago?
Smack in the midpoint of the Grand Line, Sabaody Archipelago is right at the base of where the Grand and Red Lines meet. It’s really the giant groves coming from Eve, also known as the Mother Tree, which provides the springy ground and massive bubbles. The first thing many notice about Sabaody is the giant bubbles that are constantly floating up from the ground, bursting forth as soon as they reach an altitude above the Archipelago. The Archipelago itself is actually separated into over seventy separate groves, all with differing levels of safety.
The lower numbered groves are further from the main port of Sabaody Archipelago. These are often the deadliest of the groves to go into, but as the number grows higher, so do does the safety. The middle numbers of Sabaody will often host slave traders of all kinds who have hideouts there. They’ll usually step out from their hiding places to kidnap people around the Archipelago against their will, taking them to sell at the auction house in the popular groves.
Strong Trees
Each grove of the Sabaody Archipelago comes from a Yarukiman tree, strong enough to grow from the bottom of the sea to above the surface. These trees also excrete the sap that manifests over the city as bubbles, which are permeable but also incredibly buoyant, floating in the air above the Archipelago. The tops of the trees are solid enough to stand on, and relatively springy all things considered as far as the structure.
Bubbles are probably Sabaody’s biggest attraction. The Yarukiman tree’s sap first bubbles up from the roots far below the Archipelago. Thanks to the dense sap as well as air from the deep pressure below the sea, they’re easy to get into while also hard to burst. Merchants around Sabaody make a killing off renting small motors for them, which visitors use to zoom around on the bubbles. They also sell them though, which ends up being a huge scam as the bubbles pop outside of Sabaody’s environment.
Entrance to the Holy City
Sabaody Archipelago is also known as the entrance to the Holy City when coming from Paradise. The Grand Line’s first half ends at the massive Archipelago. In turn, there’s a huge lift reaching up the side of the Red Line. For any civilian travelers, merchants, or diplomats, there’s an option to ride the lift up. They can go to either the Holy City Mary Geoise or lower themselves to the other side of the Red Line. The latter leading into the New World.
Most diplomats from Paradise, the Grand Line’s first half, come through Sabaody in order to travel to the Reverie. After accompaniment by a Marine troop or commander, they’ll have their ship docked. From here they either ride the lift or have the entire ship taken up. It usually just depends on the visitor and their plans. This can definitely be a pain for those trying to leave Mary Geoise in a hurry, like at the most recent Reverie.
Divided Groves
With the Groves divided up throughout Sabaody, there are seventy-nine in total. The upper numbers from about thirty on are the more chill areas, full of theme parks, restaurants, and generally making the appearance of a great time. Sabaody is like a big Disney land, which makes sense because it’s the face of plenty of terrible things. From Grove Sixty and lower, the Archipelago descends into lawlessness.
It’s a slow change for the most part, with slavers taking up a lot of the thirties and forties, as well as most pirates meeting there. As the numbers get lower though, warnings begin to appear like Marine bodies strung up or various dead soldiers scattered. These are the truly dangerous places in Sabaody, and most normal civilians who dare to venture this far end up dead not long after arriving. Any grove above twenty is a death sentence for those unaware of what happens there, or at worst, a slavery sentence.
Travel Hub
The upper groves are fantastic for travelers, whether they’re going through to the New World or just on vacation. From sixty up is a tourist trap, with the various amusement parks and hotels nickel and diming everyone that comes near. This is also where most of the upfront and more family-friendly face of Sabaody takes place. Everything here is happy and cheery, full of humans taking part in the fun activities. Very rarely do Fishmen venture near the upper groves, with many facing the threat of slavery if they do.
Even though the upper groves of Sabaody are the main hubs of travel for civilians, pirates and others often have to park around back. Specifically in the forties, where pirates are a little less unwelcome thanks to the business they bring. These middle groves also have their own small towns with thriving little economies, though they all fear intrusion from the Celestial Dragons above. Meanwhile, some safe havens like Shakky’s Rip-Off Bar are located in Grove Thirteen.
Slave Trade
Sabaody Archipelago is the central hub of the slave trade in the entire Grand Line, if not One Piece world. The Sabaody Auction House is located right here in Grove One. It sells off human and Fishman slaves, with even more if they can find them. This is one of the most horrifying places in Sabaody, if not the entire Grand Line. It’s where people can come to easily bid on the lives of others to use for their own entertainment. If the slaves aren’t taken for some sick reason or another, they’re often sold in bulk. Usually to the Celestial Dragons above in Mary Geoise.
Even worse is that Sabaody itself lends to the slave trade in terrible ways. People go missing all the time from the higher-numbered groves. They usually end up in the auction house, with a price on their heads and no hope of rescue. They had no say in the matter, and often were powerless to fight back against their captors or sellers. The auction house is, unfortunately, open once more, even after the combined chaos of the Straw Hat, Kid, and Heart Pirates two years before.
Fishman Animosity
If there’s anywhere more unwelcoming to Fishmen than any in the Grand Line, it’s Sabaody Archipelago. Fishmen are open targets here, being taken no matter their age or race for slavery. They’re often the first pick, with many slavers taking them as soon as they’re spotted. When the Straw Hats break through the Human Auction House in Grove One, they free countless Fishmen in addition to a giant and multiple humans. Even worse, they put explosive collars on the people being kept for auction, ensuring they can’t escape.
While they’re not always desirable to the Celestial Dragons themselves, Fishmen are often used for their immense strength. Many are as strong as five humans in just their base state. That’s even before undergoing any kind of training to boost it. Thanks to that, they’re used for any kind of manual labor jobs around Mary Geoise, like the moving sidewalk. Otherwise, they’re often captured on Sabaody before being sold to private owners or shipped off to Tequila Wolf Bridge by the World Government.
Famous Residents
Sabaody isn’t outright known for these residents living here. Still, they do have some star power in the pirate world. Silvers ‘Dark King’ Rayleigh is one of the more infamous residents. He lives in the lower groves, though he’s more low-key these days. Rayleigh often keeps to himself, choosing to indulge in a gambling habit. Unfortunately for Rayleigh, his luck is more dead than his former captain Gold Roger. He ends up in enough debt to be captured and sold by the Human Auction House. However that’s just a ruse so that nobody will bother him before he breaks out with his Conqueror Haki.
The other famous member, Shakky, is a little more mysterious. The only thing anyone knows is that she owns the bar in Grove Thirteen. Oh, and that she’s a former Empress of Kuja. Amazon Lily’s former queen is now just a simple bartender in the Sabaody Archipelago, assumedly by her own choice. It seems she’s content living there though, and she and Rayleigh may have more of a relationship than anyone knows about.
The Sabaody Incident
When the Straw Hat Pirates arrive at Sabaody Archipelago, they don’t expect to cause an international incident within a day. They do though, with Luffy and the others making a run to the auction house. All for a desperate rescue after their Mermaid friend Cami is abducted. They get there just in time for Sir Charlos to shoot Hatchan. Luffy makes sure he’ll always remember that mistake. Punching out a Celestial Dragon has its consequences though, and the Marines call in the big guns on the Straw Hat Pirates in Sabaody.
Kuma and Kizaru both arrive at Sabaody within minutes of Luffy causing trouble. Luffy, Kid, and Law fight back against the small fry troops, but it’s a battle they’re very, woefully unprepared for. The Straw Hats are all eventually sent their separate ways by Bartholomew Kuma, who Paw-Paw Fruit powers them off to various islands. They eventually end up training their abilities enough to take on the Grand Line, and it’s all thanks to Kuma at Sabaody Archipelago.
This grove of undersea trees is one of the most pivotal locations in the world of One Piece. Despite the veneer of fun and excitement to most though, it’s an incredibly dangerous place for everyone. Maybe when the practice of slavery is finally antiquated from the world, One Piece can have Sabaody as a beautiful place of fun and freedom for all. No doubt the Straw Hats would spend days riding bubbles around Sabaody Archipelago if possible, after all.
