Get ready to sail into the emotional rollercoaster that is the Water 7 Saga! This legendary saga isn't just beautifully animated eye candy serving up one jaw-dropping action spectacle after another. No, it's an all-out masterstroke of character-driven storytelling that'll leave you mentally and spiritually drained by the mind-blowing final episodes.

Even though it starts off slow with some of the silliest adventures the Straw Hats have faced so far, it gears up to become an emotionally devastating piece. The entire saga ramps up the scale to biblical proportions. But the real showstopper is witnessing how these harrowing trials by fire fundamentally reshape and redefine the Straw Hat Pirates into a cohesive force of inspirational badasses.

Just as this saga drags you down into the emotional depths, it then launches you skyward by ramping up the hype to insane levels! We're talking about a full-blown badass invasion of the seemingly impenetrable judicial island Enies Lobby, filled with some of the best animated fight scenes you'll ever witness.

Water 7 Saga | Summary & Recap

Long Ring Long Land Arc

*This summary follows the canon events of the manga mainly, taking into consideration that the anime makes this arc much longer than the original.

The Straw Hat crew arrived at the peculiar Long Ring Long Land, an island where everything stretches as long as they please. Despite all of Nami’s courteous warnings, Luffy, Usopp and Chopper went ahead and ventured onto the island. They encounter some truly bizarre sights - a towering horse, long animals, and a nomad named Tonjit who's been living atop super tall bamboo stalk stilts for a decade!

Their peaceful introduction is soon interrupted by the arrival of the nefarious Foxy the Silver Fox and his crew. Foxy wastes no time challenging Luffy to a Davy Back Fight - a series of contests where the winning crew can claim members from the losers. Luffy, incensed by Foxy's unprovoked attack on Tonjit's horse, Shelly, unwittingly accepts the challenge.

The first event, the Donut Race, sees Nami, Usopp, and Robin facing off against Foxy's goons in a boat-building race around the island. Despite a solid lead, Foxy's trickery allows his team to overtake the Straw Hats, costing them Chopper for the first round. Zoro's tough-love speech motivates the despondent reindeer, vowing to win him back.

In the Groggy Ring, Sanji and Zoro face a ruthless team wielding illegal weapons, their bickering initially costing them. But a rare moment of teamwork lets them claim victory over the biased referee's protests, reclaiming Chopper.

The intensity ramps up in the one-on-one duel between the captains on Foxy's trap-riddled ship. Luffy's unique afro-power lets him overcome Foxy's cheating ways, pummeling the trickster out of the ring for a decisive win, stripping Foxy's crew of their dignity (their Jolly Roger in the manga).

As the crew celebrates with Tonjit, a new threat emerges - the icy presence of Admiral Aokiji. After briefly clashing, Aokiji departs peacefully, pondering if the Straw Hats' continued voyage with Robin will inevitably lead to their demise.

But the reprieve is short-lived as Aokiji returns, intent on ending Robin's infiltration once and for all. In a shockingly one-sided battle, the admiral freezes the Monster Trio and nearly shatters Robin before Luffy intervenes. Though his efforts only get him frozen solid, Luffy's stubborn defiance spares the crew from pursuit as Aokiji questions their true motives.

As the unscathed crew continues their journey days later, an exhausted Usopp wonders if they can handle increasingly powerful foes. But Zoro's resolute words reassure them - Luffy may have lost this battle, but he'll emerge stronger, undeterred in his quest to become the Pirate King.

Ocean’s Dream Arc

*This and the next arc are anime exclusive filler arcs and have no manga equivalent.

This filler arc begins with a strange young man playing an aquatic melody on his seahorse instrument, putting the entire Straw Hat crew into a deep slumber. All except Robin, who stays up reading.

Come morning, the crew awakens with a jolt - their memories completely erased! The only things they can recall are events from before joining Luffy's crew. Usopp tries spinning a whale-fighting yarn to explain their amnesia, but Sanji isn't buying it. As Robin fills them in on being pirates, Nami flees in terror, clinging to a photo of Bellemere and Nojiko as her only remaining memories. Zoro splits off too, seeing no reason to stick around without his past.

On the island, Nami learns the entire town has been memory-wiped as well, their only hope being periodic newspaper drops. Robin deduces the strange boy's music caused the amnesia, theorizing he may strike again that night, robbing them of everything. Sure enough, the boy returns, but the crew stays awake to confront him. Luffy shatters the mind-zapping instrument, restoring the crew's memories...except Zoro's, now brainwashed to fight them.

After running into an amnesiac Nami, Robin deciphers ancient runes revealing the boy isn't the true threat - it's his seahorse controlling him. Sanji boots the fishy hypnotist, freeing the crew from its spell. But the seahorse isn't done, cruelly showing visions of loved ones before draining everyone's minds completely, growing massively powerful. Despite total amnesia, Luffy instinctively battles and re-deflates the bloated sea monster, restoring everyone's memories.

As the crew celebrates regaining their pasts, the boy arrives with a mob, mistakenly thinking they caused the amnesia chaos. So much for gratitude - it's back to the ship in a hurry!

Foxy's Return Arc

After the Ocean's Dream debacle, the Straw Hats find themselves caught in a storm's grasp. Amidst the roiling waves, who should they cross paths with but that trickster Foxy and his lackeys, helplessly adrift.

With Luffy pulling them aboard, the reunited Foxy crew soon locate their ship, the Sexy Foxy. But a nasty surprise awaits - the Fanged Toad Pirates have mutinied and seized command in Foxy's absence! The usurping captain forces Foxy's crew to prove their loyalty by beating him senseless. Never one to play fair, Foxy challenges the toad to a Davy Back Fight duel. However, the crafty captain exploits the rules, letting his crew pummel Foxy instead.

As Hamburg and Porche are held hostage, Luffy's savior instincts kick in. Donning Foxy's trademark afro wig, he and the Straw Hats make short work of the traitorous Fanged Frogs. But Foxy’s treachery knows no bounds. He ensnares the Straw Hats in one of his rigged traps, dropping them into the bowels of the Sexy Foxy. Though they ultimately escape the perilous ship, Foxy's antics are relentless, leading to another encounter at sea via crab submarine trickery.

Just when you thought this Foxy farce was over, it paves the way for a far more formidable foe - the ice-cold Admiral Aokiji himself!

Water 7 Arc

After dealing with their fateful encounter with Marine Admiral Aokiji and barely making out alive, the crew encounters a swimming giant frog racing a Sea Train. After following this strange creature, they eventually stumble into the city of Water 7.

When they met the wacky locals like Kokoro, her granddaughter Chimney, and their bizarre rabbit Gonbe, they learned all about Water 7's skilled shipwrights and the Sea Train connecting the islands. The crew split up to take care of business, but stuff quickly gets out of hand. Luffy's group got mugged by the Franky Family gang when trying to get cash for ship repairs. They attacked the gang's hideout to get their money back, but their leader Franky had already bailed with the loot.

To make matters worse, they found out their beloved ship, the Going Merry, was damaged beyond repair. Usopp was so devoted to Merry that he challenged Luffy to a duel for ownership. Usopp gave it his all with new gadgets. Luffy wins handily, but still gives a heartbroken Usopp the ship out of respect.

Just when they thought things couldn't get weirder, the mayor Iceburg got attacked, with clues pointing to their friend Robin being involved against her will. Busting into the mayor's mansion, the Straw Hats discover an assassination group called CP9 was after the blueprints for some insane ancient weapon called Pluton. In a shocking move, Robin leaves with CP9 to protect her crew from getting blown away by the Navy's crazy Buster Call attack. As CP9 escaped with Robin hostage, Luffy swore to get her back no matter what.

It turned out Franky had a messed up past as an apprentice to the shipwright Tom, who got executed while safeguarding Pluton's plans that Franky inherited. This put Franky on the run from the government for years. CP9 managed to capture Franky and Usopp, setting their beloved Merry adrift into a wicked storm. They booked it on the stolen Sea Train Puffing Tom toward the judicial island Enies Lobby, with Sanji sneaking aboard.
The mayor revealed Robin's sacrifice aimed to shield Water 7 from destruction. Inspired, Luffy got the crew rolling on Tom's prototype train the Rocketman along with new allies to chase down CP9's train.

Aboard Puffing Tom, Straw Hat invaders like Sanji, Franky, and the disguised Sogeking fought their way to Robin, who stayed strong by refusing rescue to keep her end of the deal with CP9. After an insane trip across the raging Aqua Laguna storm, the Rocketman finally arrived at the imposing judicial island base.

Luffy and Zoro led the charge rushing ashore, determined to storm the World Government and CP9’s stronghold and bring Robin home no matter what crazy opponents they had to smash through. The ultimate clash was inevitable as the Straw Hats closed in on their goal.

Enies Lobby Arc

The Enies Lobby arc was a total game changer for the Straw Hat crew. Their mission? Free Robin and Franky from the government's hardcore stronghold before those shady CP9 assassins could whisk them away for good.

It was an all-out battlefield once the Straw Hats hit the island, fighting wave after wave of Marine soldiers and CP9 agents. Luffy was unstoppable, using his fresh new Gear Second technique to blitz that cocky agent Blueno into the dirt.

But the real heavy stuff dropped when we learned Robin's tragic backstory. Seeing how the World Government erased her homeland over some ancient history research was rough. Robin had spent her whole life just wanting to die until joining Luffy's crew. Hearing that crushed everyone, but it lit a fire under Luffy. Dude straight up declared war on the World Government and didn't hesitate to burn their flag from the sky. The absolute madlad.

From there, it was one crazy fight after another. Zoro slashed through that weirdo giraffe agent Kaku. Sanji busted out his new Diable Jambe fire kicks to scorch Jabra. Nami and Chopper both stared death in the face against their opponents but pulled through.

The biggest rumble though? Luffy vs. Rob Lucci. Lucci was no joke - a teenage killer groomed by the government into a human weapon. But Luffy wasn't backing down. He absorbed all of Lucci's insane attacks while his crew cheered him on from the sidelines. Usopp's words about not giving up hit Luffy hard and unlocked another level. Luffy's unbreakable spirit finally shattered Lucci into submission.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any crazier, the Going Merry came sailing in! The crew's old ship that kept them alive through thick and thin pulled up for one last heroic rescue. Grabbing the crew, Merry used its dying body to ferry them to safety past the Gates of Justice. Seeing the Straw Hats bid farewell to their lifelong ship partner was a real tearjerker. Merry's burning Viking funeral as the crew sang praises to their friend was beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. They were saying goodbye to start a new chapter.

The Enies Lobby arc was huge for the Straw Hats. Everyone got insane new power-ups that pushed them to monster levels. Luffy's new Gears, Zoro's Asura mode, Sanji's Diable Jambe - they've now got skills to seriously threaten the strongest fighters around.

Plus, by defying the World Government so boldly, they transitioned from plucky underdogs to dangerous outlaws with a big bounty on their heads. They're now a priority target after clashing head-on with the government's corruption.

Post-Enies Lobby Arc

After the harrowing events at Enies Lobby and bidding farewell to the Going Merry, the Straw Hat Pirates take a well-deserved break in Water 7. The city shows signs of rebuilding, with the Galley-La shipwrights and Franky Family hard at work. Meanwhile, Iceburg and Franky discuss ambitious plans to convert Water 7 into a colossal ship!

The Straw Hats awaken from their slumber, their belongings returned by Galley-La. Franky appears, revealing he purchased legendary Adam Wood, said to be indestructible, using Nami's stolen money to build a dream ship. He hopes the crew he admires will sail it, just like Tom's Oro Jackson for Gol D. Roger.

Their peace is shattered by the arrival of Vice Admiral Garp, the Marine hero who cornered the Pirate King. Garp punches Luffy awake, revealing to the crew that he's Luffy's grandfather! Luffy recounts Garp's harsh training and his desire for Luffy and Ace to become Marines. Despite their bickering, Garp updates Luffy on Shanks' new status as an Emperor of the Sea.

Zoro engages one marine wielding Kukri swords, while Luffy battles another using CP9's Soru technique. Shockingly, they're Helmeppo and Koby, now formidable fighters! Garp then drops a bombshell: Luffy's father is the revolutionary leader, Dragon. As they part ways, Aokiji secretly meets Robin, confirming her happiness with the crew.

Elsewhere, Shanks boards Whitebeard's ship, clashing over Blackbeard, once part of Whitebeard's crew. Shanks warns of Ace's peril from Blackbeard, their weapons splitting the heavens!

Back in Water 7, the Straw Hats receive new bounties, with mixed reactions. Iceburg presents their majestic new ship, the Thousand Sunny. After Robin's persuasion, Franky tearfully joins the crew. As the Straw Hats set sail, Garp and Aokiji give chase, but the Sunny's Coup de Burst ability rockets them to safety by making the ship fly ahead in just one leap. Usopp rejoins after a heartfelt apology and the complete crew celebrates their new ship's naming.

Word of their exploits spread, reaching allies and foes alike. Vivi trusts Robin, while Dragon notes Luffy's potential. The adventure continues towards the underwater Fish-Man Island! However, on a distant island, Ace clashes with Blackbeard, who reveals murdering Thatch for the Devil Fruit he craved. Their Logia battle leaves Ace's hat on the ground, foreshadowing an epic conflict ahead!

Water 7 Saga | Analysis & Review

Animation and Visuals | 10/10

The animation and visuals of the Water 7 Saga take the series to a whole new level. Even coming from all the fantastic settings of Skypiea, the Water 7 Saga's anime adaptation is simply a masterpiece in visual storytelling that elevates One Piece to new heights. From the first frame to the last, it's a jaw-dropping 10/10 experience that immerses you in the vibrant world of the Grand Line.

It’s not just about the animation, but also the art department did a more than amazing job adapting such a challenging saga. It’s like the manga panels are brought to life in a heartbusting saga. Each intense action set piece is a technical marvel of smooth motion and dynamic cinematography. The Davy Back Fight kicks it off as a frenetic circus unleashed onto the screen, just an appetizer for the grand animated feast ahead. As the saga escalates, so does the sheer wizardry poured into realizing the iconic story moments with spectacle. The Straw Hats' battles against CP9 at Enies Lobby blaze across the screen brilliantly.

But, it's not just the bombastic choreography that awes. Emotionally dramatic beats like Aokiji's chilling arrival and Robin's tragic backstory find staggering cinematic beauty through deft direction and visual poetry. Not to mention it brought to life some of the most iconic moments of the series, like the heartbreaking “I want to live!” scream that soared through the skies at Enies Lobby.

Yet no highlight pierces the soul quite like the Going Merry's sendoff. The elegiac burning Viking funeral is a crowning anime achievement – haunting lighting and heartfelt animation elevating this iconic narrative to masterful poignance. In short, this saga soars as a complete animated achievement of the highest order, melding technical brilliance and an auteur's artistry. Every moment crackles with big-screen energy.

Character Development | 10/10

While the Water 7 Saga's visual artistry is simply breathtaking, it's the saga's unparalleled character development that truly cements it as an unforgettable 10/10 masterpiece. This is where the Straw Hat Pirates face their most grueling trials yet, pushing them to their absolute limits and forging an unbreakable unity through fire and hardship.

Front and center is Luffy's becoming a true leader willing to wage war against the entire World Government for his crew's sake. Watching his fiery determination to rescue Robin at all costs, even burning the government's flag in defiance, solidifies him as far more than just an impulsive fighter. Luffy emerges as an inspirational force whose unwavering spirit rallies his crew through their darkest hour.

The crew members themselves all undergo massive evolutions. Zoro's stoic bonds of allegiance are tested by Usopp's heartbreaking departure, but he stays true. Nami matures from cowardly uncertainty about her place to an invaluable team player. Even Chopper sheds his doubts through witnessing the others' resilience.

However, it's Robin and Usopp whose arcs are the saga's emotional juggernauts. Robin's tragic backstory of enduring years of trauma simply to stay alive packs a visceral punch. Seeing her finally find a real home with people willing to sacrifice everything for her is both cathartic and deeply touching. Meanwhile, Usopp's crisis of insecurity, lashing out before recognizing the crew's strength, is a potent look at the struggles in realizing one's worth.

No character exemplifies these turbulent evolutions more than the Going Merry itself. The ship's incredible damage and Usopp's denial mirror the fractures within the crew. The legendary send-off honoring Merry's determination to protect the crew one last time is animation's most soul-stirring farewell. It's a poetic passing of the torch to usher in a new era for these newly battle-hardened pirates.

From Franky's recruitment to Garp and Shanks' revelations recontextualizing the world, every narrative plays a role in tempering the Straw Hats' resolve. By the saga's conclusion, we finally see them as a cohesive, battle-ready force whose dream of the Pirate King feels palpably achievable. The Water 7 Saga is an opus of character-defining arcs that remold the crew from ragtag underdogs into a true contender on the Grand Line's stage.

Sound and Music | 10/10

The Water 7 Saga's visuals may stun, but its audio work is equally a 10/10 masterpiece. The sound design completely immerses you. Each thunderous impact and sword slash resonates with ferocious power. Luffy's punches and the blasting canons on the ships have never sounded so intensely present.

The soundtrack is a narrator that accentuates every pivotal sequence with hunted beauty. Nostalgic notes help elevate Luffy's battles while mournful farewells lend the Going Merry's departure a soul-searing catharsis, as well as all the other heartbreaking moments we see in this saga. Not to mention all the cheerful and crazy moments we get throughout all these arcs.

These are melodies etched into your soul alongside the visuals. The Water 7 Saga has the viewers immersed through sound worthy of cinema's big screens.

Reception and Impact | 10/10

The Water 7 Saga stands triumphantly as not just one of the greatest arcs in the One Piece anime, but one of the most legendary sagas in all of anime. For many fans, this epic is considered the pinnacle of the series and among the finest works the medium has ever produced.

From critics to diehard fans, the praise for this saga's narrative mastery, visual artistry, and emotional resonance has been universal and overwhelming. It transformed One Piece from a beloved adventure series into a truly transcendent work of animated storytelling at the highest level.

The saga's ambitious scope, taking the Straw Hats from whimsical encounters through harrowing life-or-death battles against the World Government’s strongest forces floored audiences. Yet it's the organic character evolutions amidst the escalating stakes that made the tale feel so profoundly grounded and deeply invested in its cast.

Iconic character arcs like Robin's heart-wrenching tragic backstory, Luffy's maturation into an inspirational leader, and even the Going Merry's bittersweet send-off as a crew member left viewers absolutely shattered. The bonds forged through such tribulations instantly cemented the Straw Hats as an anime force like no other.

The saga backed up its narrative heft with historic production values elevating it to genuine cinematic heights. The visual creativity, from the animated action sequences to the poetically stylized character beats, shattered the boundaries of what fans thought possible in a long-running series. Compounded by the auditory craftsmanship's bone-shaking impacts and soul-stirring music, it was a complete audiovisual accomplishment.

Decades from now, the Water 7 Saga will still be hailed as an immortal classic and series-defining achievement for One Piece. It raised the bar for epic animated storytelling, cementing its place among anime's greatest sagas and the medium's master works. Few arcs have so profoundly captivated fans and critics alike through an exhilarating combination of grand adventure and intimately rendered character journeys. This saga is nothing less than legendary.

Overall Score | 10/10

The Water 7 Saga is truly animated greatness deserving unanimous praise as a 10/10 masterpiece. This saga has everything you could want from an epic adventure - jaw-dropping visuals, iconic character arcs that deeply resonate, and an overall narrative scope that expands the world while intimately developing the core cast.

The visual artistry alone is stunning. The animation team's choreography of the kinetic action sequences with Luffy's Gears and Zoro's swordplay is technical brilliance. Each blow lands with impactful eye-candy. But the true visual storytelling mastery shines in the more dramatic story beats. Robin's hauntingly portrayed tragic backstory and the elegiac Going Merry sendoff sequence are achingly poignant visual highlights.

While the visuals dazzle, it's the narrative depths and how the Straw Hats evolve that establish this saga's masterpiece status. Witnessing Luffy's transition from a whimsical fighter to an inspirational captain whose spirit rallies the crew through darkness is incredibly uplifting character growth. Then you have Robin finally finding her longed-for home after enduring years of trauma, and even the fan-favorite Going Merry getting an emotionally cathartic heroic farewell as the original ship companion.

To be honest, the anime did make it a little harder for this saga to get a perfect score, not because the adaptation was bad, not at all. It just expanded too much on Foxy and messed up the pacing a bit with some filler in between important canon moments. Even with all that, there’s just no going around giving this amazing saga the perfect score it earned.

By the end, you're fully invested in this misfit found family whose bonds were forged through fire and hardship. Fusing breathtaking spectacle with such an intimately rendered, character-driven narrative is rare – exhibiting storytelling prowess on every level. For many One Piece fans, the Water 7 Saga stands tall as the animated pinnacle the series has reached thus far.