00:00:00 ⟾ Introduction, Overview {return of the Occasional Cat} 00:00:27 ⟾ Arlong Park to Alabasta, theme carry-over, sacrifice for other 00:03:46 ⟾ New characters, Baroque Works 00:04:30 ⟾ Crocodile, as villain, plans, strength 00:06:12 ⟾ Overall - Vivi, Luffy vs. Crocodile 3rd fight, world expansion, war 00:08:53 ⟾ Format - major plot points 00:09:58 ⟾ post Reverse Mountain, Nami 00:10:34 ⟾ Laboon, Rumbar Pirates, Oda’s planning, setup and payoff, context, layers 00:12:15 ⟾ Vivi/Miss Wednesday-Mr. 9 introduction, maintaining cover 00:12:47 ⟾ Luffy vs. Laboon, Luffy’s instincts, crew’s trust 00:15:33 ⟾ Crocus and Roger 00:15:55 ⟾ Small moments - Zoro 00:17:24 ⟾ Nami contrast, treasure, manipulation 00:19:06 ⟾ Luffy vs. Zoro, out of character 00:22:05 ⟾ Reactions - Vivi Crocodile reveal, Oda and subtext, Luffy and Usopp friendship 00:23:53 ⟾ Igaram and Luffy arc 00:25:09 ⟾ (Intermission) 00:25:18 ⟾ Little Garden, setting 00:26:08 ⟾ Dorry and Brogy, relationship 00:27:49 ⟾ Early villains, recontextualizing 00:29:06 ⟾ Galdino/Mr. 3, personality consistency, 00:30:19 ⟾ Zoro wax scene - humour, Zoro’s role/abilities/calm personality 00:34:27 ⟾ Luffy creativity 00:35:02 ⟾ Marianne/Miss Goldenweek, attitude, abilities? - Colours Trap 00:36:00 ⟾ Usopp - planning, out-thinking 00:36:13 ⟾ Luffy vs. Galdino/Mr. 3, instinct 00:37:01 ⟾ Sanji, phone scene, limited role 00:37:12 ⟾ Sanji giving Nami jacket 00:37:26 ⟾ Exit from Little Garden, trusting the giants, Usopp’s lies coming true 00:38:21 ⟾ Oda’s subtle parallels - Dorry-Brogy and Zoro-Sanji 00:40:25 ⟾ Drum Island, Nami selflessness, Vivi sacrifice, crew reactions 00:41:33 ⟾ Drum Island setting 00:41:42 ⟾ Luffy and the cold 00:41:47 ⟾ Luffy learning from Vivi 00:42:26 ⟾ Climbing scene, Luffy learning from Sanji 00:44:18 ⟾ Chopper - introduction, backstory, acceptance, Hiriluk’s speech 00:46:44 ⟾ Crew ‘embracing’ Chopper, Luffy and Sanji 00:47:47 ⟾ Luffy flag moment 00:48:02 ⟾ Chopper’s goodbye 00:48:14 ⟾ Ace 00:48:25 ⟾ Format, Previous Reviews, ‘missed’ details 00:50:23 ⟾ Alabasta, cross symbol, crew bond/moments, Vivi, Karoo 00:51:12 ⟾ Smoker-Ace-Luffy chaos 00:51:29 ⟾ Plot - Desert setting, Luffy-Usopp similarities, 00:52:40 ⟾ Luffy modifying the plan, 00:52:51 ⟾ {King] Cobra - character, motivations 00:53:16 ⟾ Captured, cage, Sea Prism Stone 00:53:28 ⟾ Vivi v. Crocodile, tenacity 00:54:26 ⟾ Sanji’s role, Mr. Prince 00:54:56 ⟾ Zoro saving Smoker, also Tashigi, future relationship? 00:55:45 ⟾ Chopper’s role - decoy and Hasami save 00:55:55 ⟾ Crew and Vivi 00:56:35 ⟾ Luffy vs. Crocodile, speeches, strength, climax, rain 00:58:27 ⟾ Smoker trusting Tashigi, Tashigi’s instincts and role 00:58:53 ⟾ Robin, Ponegylphs, Void Century, Oda’s foresight, Oda planting seeds 01:00:33 ⟾ Vivi - perseverance, victory = end of bloodshed 01:01:49 ⟾ Pell {Will of P.}, sacrifice 01:02:28 ⟾ Karoo, also Vivi 01:03:07 ⟾ Fights - Chopper-Usopp vs. Babe/Mr. 4-Lassoo- Drophy/Miss Merry Christmas, Usopp’s bravery 01:03:35 ⟾ Fights - Sanji vs. Bentham/Mr. 2, mutual understanding 01:03:53 ⟾ Fights - Nami vs. Zala/Miss Doublefinger, comedy, Clima-Tact, Nami strength/bravery 01:04:36 ⟾ Fights - Zoro vs. Daz Bonez/Mr. 1 01:05:03 ⟾ Little Moments - Cobra carrying Luffy 01:05:20 ⟾ Smoker and Tashigi 01:05:40 ⟾ Toto - face of the people, loyalty, determination, kindness 01:06:43 ⟾ Comedy - Chaka harbouring pirates 01:06:50 ⟾ Bentham/Mr. 2, fun, loyalty, sacrifice 01:08:25 ⟾ Vivi farewell scene 01:08:54 ⟾ Ending, deep themes, Overview 01:09:40 ⟾ Outro 01:09:43 ⟾ [Promo]

A lot of people don't realize that Vivi teaching Luffy to bow his head instead of resorting to violence comes back around in Amazon Lily where Luffy immediately bows his head for Boa Hancock to free the Amazons who helped him. Showing that he learned from Vivi. It's a small bit of character development that gets overlooked.

You know Merph, it is really a breath of fresh air in this community to have someone gush over story and character, and not just theorizing and powerscaling

Something that I love to think about is how the crew is unintentionally creating a kind of mythology around themselves. You catch a glimpse in Loguetown when a huge crowd of people saw Luffy about to be executed and saved by a literal lightning strike. We see it later on at the end of Skypeia with Luffy's shadow projected onto the clouds from above. Shooting the flag at Enies Lobby, punching a celestial dragon, busting into the paramount war only to become a major player backed by Whitebeard himself. And we see it with Laboon as well. As a completely unintended side-effect of Luffy inspiring Laboon to keep on living, EVERY crew to enter the grand line after them who happens to see this massive whale will see the straw hat symbol (misshapenly) painted across his snout. It really makes this story feel like it's a legend in the making, the thing future generations in this world would hear about and think 'that has to be exaggerated or metaphorical'. I just think it adds so much to the sense of grandeur.

Merphy: “zoro just stops, and calmly assesses the situation” Zoro: “yeah imma chop off my legs”

From 17 minutes in the original review to 70 minutes, this makes me so happy 💖 Fun Laboon fact (that'll make you shake your head), the 4kids english dub changed Laboon into an iceberg and cut his story, good thing 4kids didn't get to Thriller Bark, lol

I really like the scene of chopper stopping Luffy and Sanji from closing the door because there's a birds nest on top of it. It reinforces how much he cares about life.

Even though I only began reading one piece one year ago, the amount of nostalgia I have for this saga is insane. If Eas Blue is the prologue to the story, this really feels like the first book in a grand adventure. It's amazing how much nostalgia one can build in a small amount of time.

Fun fact about Zoro. He’s the night watch of the crew, so he usually spends the day sleeping. Since we mainly see the crew during the day, he can come off as narcoleptic. But he only sleeps if he knows he’s in safe hands

To add about Nami’s character, you can now see, post-Arlong, her absolute trust in Luffy. It hit me the most in Little Garden. She was so panicked about dying on that wax service, but the moment Luffy arrived, she was calm and knew it was gonna be okay. Even Vivi noted it. And it’s even better in Skypiea, especially at the climax. Boy do I love Luffy and Nami’s relationship.

The theme of how water/water consumption was used in Alabasta is one of my favorite things ever. On the way to Yuba Luffy was complaining, chugging/wasting water. He's used to it always being around. But when he meets Toto and sees/helps him work hard for just a small spring of water he treasures it. And it becomes the key to unveiling Croc's weaknesses and helping them fight him.

Nami sometimes is really given a hard time by people thinking she's just greedy and cold hearted, specially this early on...but like I think money was her safety net, and really wrapped up with her trauma, and it was the only type of power she could have growing up, and what she thought she could use to protect people. Like there are several times that she demands high interest payments, but she never actually follows through, and she's totally willing to give it all up to protect someone. Camie being the best example of this. Then she also uses money to show she cares with Lola at the end of Thriller Bark.... and yeah, this is longer than the 2 sentences I was planning on writing.... so I'll end here lol

Bon Clay's voice actor was so good in the anime that when Oda created Franky he made him specifically to be played by that same actor. His delivery really makes the character in the anime.

Alabasta was the first time ever I felt true despair in entertainment. When the bomb went off, the people paused and continued to fight, while Vivi was screaming and crying her heart out with nobody hearing her... I felt like I was going to faint from anxiety.

One of my favourite scenes of the drum island arc is Vivi teaching Luffy what it means to be a leader. She straight up calls him a failure for putting his crew at risk because of how impulsive he is and how quickly he gets into a fight. He listens to her and bows down to the people of drum island and asks for help. Their main aim was finding a doctor to treat Nami and violence wouldn’t achieve that.

Toto-ojisan! He's such an underrated character. From his first appearance being all mad at them for asking about the rebel army thinking they wanted to join, knowing that it is his son Koza that leads them to their collective backstory and why he trusts the king so much even now after 3 years without rain. He's also the one who gave Luffy the small barrel of water that allowed him to physically touch Crocodile in their first fight. Oda creates so many characters but then he gives extra attention to one or two small side characters each arc and really makes them shine.

One small moment i always thought was brilliant was the moment when robin pulls luffy out of the sand and asks him “why do you fight? Those of you with the name D” a question which seems innocuous seeing as we were introduced to the will of D at the end of drum kingdom but makes so much more sense when we learn about her past with Jaguar D Saul.

Character detail not a spoiler Luffy rarely has "thinking bubbles" 💭 , Oda has stated that Luffy will say or do what's he is thinking , more often than thinking beforehand This adds another layer to the character that you could appreciate while reading And it's in the line of Luffy been impulsive and having good instincts

Nami is my favorite straw hat other than luffy. Hearing your breakdown of how she went from selfless to selfish, and how her selfishness is symbolic of her freedom and how she can finally want things for herself… I started crying. Thank you Merph.

Have you noticed the hidden character of Pandaman? He's like a where's Waldo hidden in the panels.

About how the characters react : Oda is, I think, one of the rarest manga author who gives EXTREME reactions/expressions to his characters (even the "serious" ones). You know, "looney tunes style" with the mouth on the ground and the eyes out of the skull. We don't see this style that much nowadays... Even in western medias....

Fun fact about Oda and Vivi: It is absolutely true Oda plans and lays groundwork for many things years in advance, it’s very clear the main strokes and lots of little things have been well prepared for a long time - but he also gives himself the flexibility to be creative in the moment and come up with new things. Vivi’s initial appearance as Miss Wednesday was actually all she was initially going to be - a two-bit, minor gag villain with Mr. 9. At that point he had some major throughlines for Alabasta worked out, but on a creative whim he decided she “actually looked like a Princess” and went from there. It’s funny because you can sort of see how she really isn’t portrayed sympathetically for that first chapter or so, but I think Oda played it off well. Similarly, the immensely iconic silent farewell with the marks of friendship to cap off the arc and saga was something Oda came up with the day of writing that chapter.

You said they would laugh and call him names, would they let poor Chopper join in any reindeer games??

I’ve always had a theory with Ms. Goldenweek that her paints are made from the mushrooms that Luffy eats on Amazon Lily. They also make him laugh, cry, etc.

Fun fact,luffy final's punch towards Crocodile pushes him into the surface, exposing him into the light while the entire saga,he is always in the background or in the darkness. Oda always makes Luffy last punch means something thematically and symbolically,you will see this in later arcs and also in Arlong Park,where Luffy destroys Arlong Park to save Nami from her trauma.

I Dont know if it's a one piece Fan thing to love others getting into One Piece and fall in love with it, but it feels like a pattern, and watching your joy in this reviews is always heartwarming. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

Hearing someone from booktube just gush over One Piece for an hour every Friday is just so amazing to me. I catch myself just smiling for most of the video. You truly make my Fridays. Thank you!

(THIS IS NOT A SPOILER. THIS IS ALL IN SABAODY) Crocus the man caring for laboon is the Doctor of Roger's crew. Rayleigh said it in Sabaody. He said Crocus is a skilled doctor which enabled to ease or lessen the suffering of Roger with the disease he got. And Crocus only agreed to go with them because he is hoping to find Brook's crew for laboon. I think Merphy either forget it or just didnt bother to remember this detail. 😂

I don't know how I ended up like this, but every Friday night, I will make my coffee, bring my snack, sat down, and listening to your One Piece video. After a whole exhausting week, it feel nice to relaxed, revisiting my favorite book with you. Thank you.

Man I love how Merphy looks at the story from the romance perspective that Oda intends to and thats the way I see it too, I really have no words to express how good this story is, for me is one of the best pieces of fictions ever made.

These reviews make smile every week. Thank you Captain Murphy!

To be fair... Igaram (Curly haired man) really did look beautiful in drag

Absolutely adore you're excitement for this saga. So glad you love it on the reread!

Yeah the Luffy vs Zoro fight is one of the most inconsistent moments in the series. Much of the fandom dislike that moment, a lot of people speculate that Oda was talked into it by an editor, because that kind of rivalry/fight is a big trope in manga

It's an incredible testament to the power of Oda's writing that I can tear up while WATCHING A REVIEW because of how vividly I remember the feelings I had when I experienced these moments for myself. I've been reading One Piece week-to-week for about 12 years now. I've read the series 6 or 7 times and I've watched a lot of reviews from a lot of different people. Merphy, you honestly do the best job. Not only do you have the best analysis of the themes and the big moments, you're also the best at picking out the small moments that most people would just blow right past. I think Oda would be very, very happy if he saw your reviews.

Love your excitement for the series and how you are enjoying your reread and picking up things you may have missed.

Alabasta did a lot for One Piece. It was the first time a series of different stories connected together and showcased the way Oda writes. He puts a lot of care into his characters and leave options to link to bigger things that he thinks later on. It makes the re-read a lot more enjoyable to catch the little moments that he planted. His style is a big inspiration for anyone who wants to write stories that start small and slowly unveil big payoffs.

Alabasta is so nostalgic to me! The ending of this arc and the farewell to Vivi was my wallpaper for years back in the day!

I just finished reading one piece ch.1023 and I am in near tears at how beautiful the Wano arc is and how it is my new favorite arc. Now I'm watching this and realizing how this was my favorite arc before Enis lobby, and Enis lobby was my favorite before Marineford and now after 1000+ chs I'm still able to have new favorites on the wild ride of One Piece. Ive been read OP for 15 yrs now and I wish there was a way for me to properly expressed how grateful I am to be alive today to witness it. Damn, I love this series. I love all of you in this beautiful community, new and old. I hope nothing but blessings on Oda!

WE LOVE THE LONG VIDEOS, MERPH. No apologies needed for talking about stuff you want to talk about

Another thing you mightve missed is at the beginning of the Alabaster arc itself, Bon Clay makes a point that friendship is still friendship even though they mightve just met each other. Its played off like a silly moment, but this theme was carried over into Impel Down when Luffy and Bon Clay reunited to be friends yet again - which also didn't last very long lol.

I tried to read alongside you when you started but I was too busy and you went flying over the volumes. Now I literally have the manga open on the final battle of Alabasta and the re-review is up lol Thanks for going back all sagas, I can now read it all and go catch up to your reviews.

Luffy beating Crocodile from the underground is symbolism. Crocodile controls the country from the shadows and Luffy beat his ass to the sky. Fun fact: I did not realize this until this year and I've been caught up for three years.

Something that I just remember of Alabasta and Ace's appearance, is that the anime added basically filler episodes to Ace being there with the crew much longer than the manga. And it is one of my most favorite filler of One Piece because it makes Ace character just a bit more valuable to the story to me (way before the whole nightmare with his capture began i mean, i love those little moments they added in the anime). As always, love your one piece review Merphy, can't wait for more 🤍

Man, you gotta watch the ending fight of alabasta in the anime, the classical music combined with vivis voice acting makes this arc 10x more epic

luffy vs zoro is a 100% fan service.I remember people saying that back then the fans used to talk about who was stronger luffy or zoro. but it is part of the story so it's still fair to criticize

I think I remember you saying you were only going to reread up to hear because Skypeia is where you started to actually absorb the information. Whether that is true or not, I'd like to recommend you go ahead and reread Skypeia. Mainly because it is involved in A LOT of theories on the end game of One Piece and I think it would be good to have fresh on your mind. If you don't want to make a re-review vid that's fine but I still think you should refresh your memory. Anyway, love your reviews and can't wait until the next one!

Oh on the topic of Chopper! I love this little dude. He is a kid that was shunned since he was a baby. He finds the good Dr Hiluock and Dr Kureha that teach him medicine. When he gets into the crew, he takes after Zoro and learned a couple of things from him. When Franky joins up, i think he also learns something from him durring the raid to get back Robin. He looks up to everyone on the crew, especially Luffy and Usopp. Little dude found a family and, just like a kid in middle school, he's learning from his peers! I love Chopper because of this one small thing. Some of the things he does and the things he says displays his growth and its the most endearing thing ever because sometimes, you can see who he was inspired by on the crew!

i feel like the reason so many fans feel nostalgia for the early parts of the series (even if they only started reading a year or so ago) is because it really does feel like an adventure where we’re exploring the world. When we go back to the beginning we’re also seeing where the crew came from

Apparently Luffy vs Zoro was requested by oda's (ex) editor, Oda didn't really agree to it (bc obviously Luffy&Zoro wouldn't do that) but he had to since he was a lesser known artist at a time if I remember correctly?

I also feel like having Luffy's background re-contextualises so much - like how much he has to learn (and is willing to learn) when you realise how new to leadership he is at this point (he was the youngest brother) plus this is him coming off being the only person of his age group from what we saw for 3 years and now he has a crew and he's learning to lead them. Also seeing how empathetic he is after everything he went through as a kid to emotional pain, and also his attitude towards physical pain like how he doesn't seem to think its as big a deal cause he's so used to it (oof) - also after seeing his and Aces backstory I loved how happy they were to see each other again, now that we know its been three years and just seeing all the love and history that there is there - and Ace's impeccable manners and knowing that he actively learnt these so that he could properly thank Shanks for saving Luffy because as his big brother he had decided this was now his responsibility - man this story is so deep I love it! and knowing part of Ace's happiness (as he tells Jimbe in impel down) is that Luffy has friends that are so loyal to him and that he is happy and okay, because Ace knows how much Luffy can't bear to be alone 😭(this is such a good story!!! - literally only discovered it, I think in May this year, thank you Merphy for making me wonder what was so special about this that you decided to dedicate Friday's to it, now I know 😊)

Now that I’m thinking about it, Laboon is in danger. Luffy’s the type to keep whatever promises he gives someone. He told Laboon they would fight again someday. At the time, Laboon was too big for Luffy to really hurt too much. That’s no longer a problem.

I rarely feel intense negative emotions, but every time I see or hear about the Zoro Luffy fight I cannot stop the tantrum I start to throw. It’s probably because I’m so spoiled by Oda’s character consistency that the one time it dropped it broke my mind.

Still my favorite arc - gave me a massive love for desert settings when I was a kid in 2004. Nowadays I'm just hoping for Vivi to rejoin since she's still a Strawhat.

Yeah Oda is the undisputed master of long term planning and foreshadowing. Stuff like Rayleigh making an appearance almost 500 chapters before his official reveal and the stuff with Laboon is amazing. Oda even knew that he was gonna kill off Ace the moment he first appeared. The patience this guy has is on a whole different level.

I always felt like Alabasta was kind of underrated in the fandom because people strongly prefer the stuff that comes after it, and I do agree that some of the best of One Piece happens after Alabasta, but I genuinely think that the Alabasta Arc is one of the most well constructed and well written arc in the series and is probably my second favorite...

Also Usopp's first lie- Pirates are attacking the village And fun fact: Oda cried while drawing Vivi shouting for her people to stop fighting. Oda truly loves this world

Oda's way of stitching pieces of stories together is one of the best things I admire from the guy. Considering the series has already more than athousand of chapters, and sometimes those pieces were scattered hundreds of chapters apart. The level of planning he did for the series is just mindblowing.

Nami’s selflessness towards Vivi almost certainly arises partially from Nami fully understanding what it’s like to have a pirate destroy your home and family. While Nami is definitely selfish, throughout the story whenever she sees people suffering because of a person abusing power, she never backs down from that.

Hearing you talk about Alabasta just reminds me of when I first experienced it in the anime last year. Just like you, Arlong Park really started to show me what One Piece could be but Alabasta was when I was completely hooked, and I've loved this series ever since. The stakes, the way you finally see how large this world can be and the pay off for things that have been built up, I could talk about this arc all day, I love it so much! (Also, I think I speak for most of us, we love the long one piece videos. Keep em coming!!)

Scan release AND Murphy review!?!? What a day to be a one piece fan!

When does a man die.....He dies when He's Forgotten.....If you ever watch Episode 85 of the Anime Dr. Hiluluk makes a great quote about Pirates & Haki. Chopper: Dr. What is a pirate? Dr. Hiluluk: A pirate? Pirates are great men of the sea. They have a body hard like stone, eyes like eagles, and a voice that tears the sky asunder.

When Luffy climbing the mountain to find the doctor in the drum Island suuuuuper heartbreaking

I'm so happy you like little garden. It's so underrated but I love it so much

I love how you add these so early on in the day. Gives me something to listen to for an hour while I work.

I love the fact that Zoro wanted to die in a cool pose while becoming wax, and then later on when nothing happened he again was in a cool pose to keep his character consistent. Edit: If you think the last part of the Luffy vs. Crocodile fight is like cinematic brilliance, I would recommend watching the anime for it. The backing music is the 4th movement of the New World Symphony. I couldn't think of a better named piece to have playing.

I just started watching your videos on One Piece a few days ago, and I am enjoying them so much. I'm so glad that you mentioned the aspect about what Vivi had to do to become one of the top people in Baroque Works. I think so many people overlook that small piece of information about her. It was a little jarring for me to have her switch from the enemy to the the ally, but she definitely grew on me and I love her. Looking forward to listening to the rest of your videos!

Nami is indeed the best. I was surprised when you said in another video that you thought she faded into the background because IMO she's one of the Strawhats Oda uses the most. She constantly has moments for her to shine. Also I love you're appreciating Usopp and Luffy's relationship more in the re-read. Usopp's definetly Luffy's best friend (which is why Water 7 is so heartbreaking). Also once Chopper joins in, the three of them are amazing together. They're the youngest of the crew and are constantly acting like children. It's great.

Fridays are one piece day. Both merphy and Oda publish on friday, and i love it

Thank you for this re-review, I am so happy that you enjoyed it so much on your re-read

I hope to see you read Oda's SBSs also for One Piece to get more information on characters and Oda's personalities. Love your One Piece reactions. I cant wait for next weeks Friday's One Piece review, keep up the great work and keep safe much love from Jamaica.

I love these long form one piece videos so much. Perfect for listening to at work. Not many people have these long videos, so it's so nice.

The best moment was the fistfight between Luffy and Vivi. The raw emotions cooking over and the words exchanged were so powerful.

Fact about Nefertari Vivi a.k.a Miss Wednesday, she wasn't supposed to be the princess of Alabasta in fact she's a lucky accident by Oda Oda stated : To be honest, I have lots of such characters, but if I have to choose one, it must be VIVI!! No, she was Miss Wednesday. At first she appeared as an agent of Baroque Works, but I didn't think more about her. But, one time I drew Miss Wednesday with her hair down, and found, "Ohh she looks like a princess!" I got the plan of the Alabasta Kingdom arc a while before. And then what will it be like if this girl would be the princess of Alabasta? The Alabasta arc started like that. For that reason, still beloved by fans, the character, Nefertari Vivi was born. -ps. Did y'all remember when Vivi wants Laboons meat? hmm...a-and suddenly her personality was changed to a goofy/seductive character to empathetic/morally upstanding person...🧐

These one piece videos are my favorite thing to watch when it’s friday. Cheers from Denmark

A loooooongtime reader here. Love-love-loving your reviews. This 4 week wait until you restart the story is giving me the same feels I had during the 4 week hiatus over the time skip. Can’t wait till you restart :) Go Merph!

4:04 1000 chapters later and he still does it, beautiful world building

I think Oda avoids heavy-handedness in a lot of situations because of who much of the target audience is, teens who on some level are around for a fun adventure and some good fights. These layers add a lot for older readers though, and is IMO what allows his story to remain relevant to us over such a long period of time despite how much we may have aged out of other manga. Many of us started this as young teens, and are now pushing 30, some are much older! It hasn't alienated the older audiences though, because it stays evolving and maturing in different ways with enough subtext, parallels and themes to be interesting.

Notice how Luffy bowed as Vivi taught when he asked Boa to save Margaret the same way he asked for a doctor to save Nami in Drum Island?

So many great quotes in this saga, "When do you think a person dies?" being the best I think

Merphy: crocodile is an incredible villain Future villain : Hold my cape!

Oda's ability to end battles is unmatched. Taking crocodile out of the underground by hitting him out of the underground, tha releasing the rain powder causing the rain to fall, immaculate. Similar to the the end of sky Island where the ringing the bell closed like 5 story threads

It’s been so great seem your one piece videos! Read alabasta a really long time! But what a great arc! When vivi is in the middle of the two factions trying to stop it but her screams are muted by the mayhem! Such a great moment!!

Your excitement over this series is always an excellent way to start my days

I've been following One Piece since 2010, it has been probably the most influential fictional work in my life. I've done the reads, re-reads and re-re-reads. I get really glad when I see people discovering it for the first time, since even back in 2010 it was pretty hard to recommend due to the length. So thanks for this!

All the damage that The Going Merry takes throughout the first few sagas is hard to handle 😭😭

Btw these sagas deserve long formats. Never apologize! Youre the best!!

If you do nothing else once you've caught up, I highly recommend listening to the entire one piece soundtrack upon any further reads and re-reads you do in the future. A lot of the tracks perfectly capture all of the highs and lows.

I kinda wish she would re-read every arc through summit war. I'm pretty sure the following sagas will also recontextualize some things, and you'll see things you absolutely missed before.

Merphy should watch one piece openings 1-14, I’m not sure if she has already but I think she would really enjoy them.

Alabasta will always have a special place in my heart. Even now it's the arc I'm most fond of.

"Sanji and his superhero persona is so fun" haha yea, it sure is!

A chapter just came out just few hours ago with no break next week and now Merphy Napier drops a 1 hour video? Man we op fans eating good.

I'm so glad you loved Crocodile as a villain, he's a fan favorite amongst antagonists. I can' wait till you continue your read through and really get to meet Doflamingo, pink flamingo guy lol and also, so as not to spoil you, one of Luffy's greatest opponents yet since Rob Lucci in the subsequent arcs...I'm so excited for you!!

About Pell's Sacrifice - I understand what you mean about the fake-out deaths, but there's a bit of an interesting backstory when it comes to Pell. What I had heard, it could be wrong, but the story goes that Pell's sacrifice happened around September 11th, and he said there was too much sadness in the world at that point in time, and he didn't want to add to it with Pell's death. So he left it a bit open-ended whether or not Pell dies.

So happy for these! we've all re-read and had the same fun going back knowing everything that happens after and it just makes me love the series even more

One of my favorite moments was when Luffy confronted Vivi and asked why she always puts her life on the line and Vivi ask what else can I put on the line? Luffy responds saying to place their lives on the line as well because their friends. That scene hit me

The Zoro vs Luffy fight always read as an editor being like: "these two are very popular and we'd get a lot of engagement if they fought" with Oda being like "finnnne"

You’ve inspired me to reread it all and I’m currently on Alabasta myself. Love what you do. Thanks!

Crocodile's defeat is my absolute favorite moment in the entire anime - all 987 episodes - due entirely to the accompaniment of Dvořák's New World Symphony. Can't be topped.