What can we already tell you about Season 2 of One Piece? The first season of Netflix’s manga and anime adaptation has just premiered, but the pirate adventure of Luffy and his crew leaves us wanting more. And luckily, there is more. Much more.
One Piece
In One Piece, it’s all about Monkey D. Luffy. The series takes place in an alternative version of our own planet, during a sort of “Golden Age” of pirates. All these “Captain Jack Sparrows” rule the seas and they are all in search of a mythical treasure called… One Piece! This loot was left behind by the most notorious scoundrel of all time, Gol D. Roger. Luffy also wants to get his hands on this treasure in order to become the pirate king, but to accomplish that, he must gather a crew. A significant boost to his efforts is that one day (after eating a Devil Fruit), he gains superpowers! His body becomes rubber, which gives him incredible flexibility and strength, which he can put to good use when encountering pirates with evil plans.
Introduction of Characters
Season 1 of One Piece is mainly an introduction: we get to know Luffy and his crew members Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji. And of course, his grandfather and also vice admiral of the Marines, Garp. We also meet villains like Arlong and Buggy, and countless other characters. The search for the One Piece treasure hasn’t even begun yet.
Plot of Season 2
Because One Piece is not only a live-action series but also a long-running manga (over 1000 editions) and anime, we can already share some information about the second season on Netflix. Most likely, it will tell the Arabasta Saga: on their way to the Grand Line, Luffy and his crew encounter a “stranded” princess who wants to reclaim her homeland from a crime syndicate called Baroque Works. Season 1 of One Piece already hinted at this group, so it is very likely that the story will follow this plotline.
Cast
The original cast will of course make their appearance in season 2: Iñaki Godoy as Luffy, Emily Rudd as Nami, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zora, Jacob Romero as Usopp, Taz Skylar as Sanji, Vincent Regan as Garp, Morgan Davies as Koby, Aidan Scott as Heimeppo, Jeff Ward as Buggy, and so on. Additionally, we can expect a whole bunch of new characters.
Easter Eggs
The first season of the Netflix version of One Piece is filled with Easter Eggs. Showrunner Steven Maeda mentioned: “We have put a lot of attention and care into the Easter Eggs. We constantly asked ourselves: will the viewers notice this? Will they recognize it later on? We even started hinting at Baroque Works as an antagonist because they are introduced in the next 100 chapters of the manga. We want to make sure we hint at it, so that we can refer back to it later. There will definitely be viewers who say: ‘Hey, that was already shown in the first season.’ Yes, we have done those kinds of things quite a lot.”
New Characters
These Easter Eggs hint at the introduction of new Strawhat Pirates crew members, such as Chopper (a reindeer and ship doctor), Nico Robin (a member of Baroque Works), and Jinbe (a Warlord of the Sea). Of course, new villains must also be introduced, including Warlord Crocodile and Captain Smoker.
Eiichiro Oda
Why is One Piece so successful when previous live-action adaptations of anime failed? It’s all thanks to the involvement of Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the One Piece universe, who wishes to be involved in every aspect. And rightfully so, as the spiritual father of the One Piece world. He has to approve any releases, and we have already seen that he has made changes or requested scenes to be shot or acted in a different way during the filming of the Netflix show. Oda is like a final gatekeeper when it comes to the quality of the series, and this will likely continue for future seasons.
One Piece Season 2 on Netflix
Please note: Season 2 of One Piece has not been announced yet. Netflix still needs to do that, although it seems to be a matter of time, considering the popularity and cost of the episodes in Season 1 (reportedly $18 million per episode). Furthermore, the creators also have to deal with strikes by scriptwriters and actors in the United States, which is another obstacle. Therefore, you will have to be patient. It may be a rare occasion if Season 2 is released by 2024, but maybe we can aim for 2025 instead.
