Due to debate over translations, this saga is known both as Arabasta and Alabasta

After sailing through the beginnings of their extraordinary voyage in the East Blue Saga, the Straw Hat Pirates now embark on the next step of their journey - the action-packed Arabasta Saga!

In this thrilling phase of the story, Luffy and his spirited crew of pirates are tested by ruthless enemies, treacherous environments, and a nefarious scheme threatening to destroy a kingdom. From confronting unanticipated allies and enemies to crossing merciless seas and a scorching desert by foot, the Straw Hats must work together and dig deep in order to save Arabasta from catastrophe.

Along the way, they expand their ranks with eccentric new comrades, including an intelligent transforming reindeer and a mysterious but sagacious woman who once opposed them. Together, these diverse pirates must combine their complementary skills, quick wits, and fearless determination to expose the truth and defeat the imposing Warlord, Crocodile, and puppeteering events behind the scenes.

From the opening mysterious encounter with a giant whale, to the final climatic showdowns within ancient tombs, the Arabasta Saga spins a thrilling narrative of friendship, duty, liberation and laughter in the face of lethal adversaries. Now let us dive deeper into the Straw Hats' Grand Line ordeals and valor in the face of tyranny threatening Arabasta's future.

Arabasta Saga Summary

Reverse Mountain Arc

Right at the end of the last saga, a short two-episode arc introduces the second One Piece Saga. The Straw Hats are about to climb a mountain through a reverse waterfall, but right after climbing the mountain and falling to the other side, they are attacked and swallowed by a giant whale.

The entire Straw Hat crew was swallowed by the whale except for Luffy, as he was attacking the whale for destroying his “special seat” on the Going Merry. In the meantime, the Straw Hats while inside the whale meet an old man named Crocus.

Crocus turned out to be a doctor, and has been taking care of the whale, named Laboon for 50 years now. Laboon arrived at the mountain with his pirate crew friends on their way to explore the world. But they had to leave Laboon there, promising to return in three years, but sadly they never returned, leaving Laboon there with the old man.

The sad whale has been waiting for his pirate friends, tackling the mountain for years now. Crocus tells them that continuing to tackle the mountain would soon be the death of Laboon.

Inside the whale they are attacked by two members of the Baroque Works, Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday, who are trying to hunt Laboon. After getting out of the whale, Crocus explains Laboon’s situation to Luffy and the rest, and Luffy decides to fight the giant whale. Deciding it was a tie, Luffy promises the whale they would finish this battle after he returns from his journey, giving the whale a new hope for life.

Crocus tells them about the Log Pose, a special compass-like tool they’ll need to navigate through the Grand Line. And gives them one for their journey. Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday ask for passage home to Whisky Peak. The Straw Hats reluctantly agree and set sail, bidding farewell to Laboon and Crocus. Crocus wonders if Luffy could be the one Roger awaited. The Straw Hats voyage toward Whisky Peak, ready for adventure in the Grand Line.

Whiskey Peak Arc

After surviving a snowstorm, the Straw Hats arrive at Whisky Peak port where the townspeople greet them like heroes with celebrations and feasts. However, this is a deception, as the welcoming townsfolk are actually agents of the secret criminal organization Baroque Works.

Zoro and Nami had remained alert and only pretended to fall asleep. They foil the surprise attack when the agents, led by Mr. 8 disguised as town leader Igarappoi, attempt to kill the pirates in their sleep. The bounty hunter residents, known as Millions, pursue Zoro but he defeats them with ease. This leaves only the higher-ranked agents Mr. 8, Mr. 9, Miss Monday, and Miss Wednesday, who is really Princess Nefertari Vivi.

Vivi reveals she and Igarappoi (Mr. 8) infiltrated Baroque Works as spies. Her kingdom Arabasta is being torn apart by a civil war started by Baroque Works' leader Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords. Mr. 8 promises their crew 1 billion Beri to take Vivi home to expose the deception and stop the war. Vivi warns that learning Crocodile's identity has put them on his hit list.

Mr. 8 disguises himself as Vivi but his ship is blown up right after departing, seemingly killing him. The Straw Hats agree to escort Vivi home to Arabasta but are confronted by Baroque Works officer agent Miss All Sunday. She gave Vivi intel on Crocodile but also exposed the spies. Unsure of her motives, Luffy rejects her Eternal Pose to Arabasta, wanting to chart their own course.

Despite Baroque Works now targeting them, the Straw Hats head for Little Garden committed to helping Vivi save her kingdom by revealing the truth and stopping Crocodile's engineered civil war.

The Diary of Koby-Meppo Arc

This short series of events takes place in between manga chapters, presented as cover page mini-stories rather than full chapters, thankfully pacing-wise. While not part of the direct numbered chapters, these "cover stories" reveal unseen events that happened concurrently in the One Piece timeline.

Koby and Helmeppo have joined the Marines but are relegated to janitorial duties. Koby diligently does the chores while Helmeppo complains angrily, even stabbing a Luffy doll. But Koby studies hard at night, determined to become a true Marine.

They're shocked when assigned to guard the prisoner Morgan, Helmeppo's father. As they clean weapons, Helmeppo worries about his dad getting the death penalty. Suddenly, the legendary Vice Admiral Garp arrives to transfer Morgan. Koby restrains Helmeppo as Garp takes Morgan, but Morgan breaks free and holds Helmeppo hostage, escaping on a boat.

The Marines prepare to shoot Morgan down but Koby stops them to save Helmeppo. Garp reveals Morgan only slashed him while asleep. On the boat, Helmeppo abandons his father and swims back.

Koby, Helmeppo and the Marines deeply apologize to Garp for the trouble, calling themselves worthless. After consideration, Garp decides to take the two for training under him at his headquarters, where they'll still do janitorial duties but can train at night.

Back at their old base, a girl demands to know where they went. Under the legendary vice admiral's harsh training, the bruised Koby and Helmeppo continue pursuing their dream of becoming true Marines.

Little Garden Arc

Arriving at the prehistoric island Little Garden with Princess Vivi aboard, the Straw Hats find a land stuck in time, teeming with massive Jurassic era plant life and dinosaurs. Feeling uneasy, Nami and Usopp stay on the ship while Vivi and Luffy excitedly venture out to explore.

Soon they encounter Dorry, a giant warrior from Elbaf, who is friendly to them. He is stuck in a never-ending 100-year duel with fellow giant Brogy over a reason long forgotten. Each day the titans battle but their weapons have become too dull over the decades to ever kill each other.

Meanwhile, Sanji and Zoro have a contest to see who can hunt down the most meat, taking them deep into the island's jungles. Back on the ship, Nami and Usopp are terrified when Brogy appears, beheading a T-Rex and taking them to his camp, thinking they want to be eaten.

In another part of the island, Baroque Works agents Mr. 5, Miss Valentine, Mr. 3, and Miss Goldenweek conspire together, revealing there is a 100 million belly bounty on each giant's head. They decide to kill them along with the Straw Hats.

At Dorry's camp, he explains to Nami and Usopp how he and Brogy are stuck battling endlessly, unable to return to their homeland of Elbaf. Usopp is inspired to continue pursuing his dream of becoming a brave warrior of the sea. But soon after, Dorry suffers an explosion inside his body after drinking beer sabotaged by Mr. 5's Devil Fruit power.

Thinking Luffy poisoned him, an enraged Dorry pins Luffy under a boulder when he tries to stop the fight. Meanwhile, Mr. 3 captures Zoro and Nami in wax through his Devil Fruit power, while Vivi deduces Baroque Works is behind her missing friends. She's right - Mr. 3 imprisons Brogy and captures Vivi next, leaving only Luffy and Usopp.

Mr. 3 revels in slowly turning his captives into wax statues. Before Zoro can sacrifice his legs to escape, Luffy and Usopp arrive but Luffy shatters the wax set-up, accelerating the process. Miss Goldenweek then hypnotizes Luffy until Usopp frees him. Mr. 3 forms a battle suit to fight Luffy.

Usopp realizes the wax can be melted and has Karoo run around with an oil-soaked rope that Luffy ignites, freeing their friends. Nami and Vivi defeat Miss Valentine while Zoro stops Mr. 5 from killing Usopp. Luffy knocks out Mr. 3 and Karoo defeats Miss Goldenweek.

Meanwhile Sanji gets a call from Crocodile, who mistakes him for Mr. 3, and orders him to come to Arabasta as part of an assassination plot. The giants sacrifice their weapons to slay a giant goldfish blocking their path before the crew departs using an Eternal Pose.

Drum Island Arc

Shortly after departing from Little Garden, navigator Nami suddenly develops a lethal sickness with mysterious and perplexing symptoms that leaves her barely clinging to life. With no doctor aboard their ship to diagnose and treat her illness, the Straw Hat Pirates have no choice but to urgently detour their voyage to the distant and remote Drum Island in desperate hopes of finding medical aid to cure their beloved crewmate before it's too late.

En route to Drum, the pirates are attacked by tyrant King Wapol, whose Baku Baku no Mi Devil Fruit lets him eat and then assimilate anything into himself. Luffy defeats Wapol in a brief skirmish before sending him flying into the ocean, allowing the crew to continue onward to Drum.

Arriving on the shores of Drum, the pirates are met with immediate hostility by the armed militia forces of King Dalton's Bighorn town who assume the strangers to be vicious raiders or thieves. However, upon overhearing the gravity of Nami's mysterious illness and her now critical condition, King Dalton mercifully calls off the attack.

Seeing their sincere distress, Dalton explains how Drum has fallen into disorder and lawlessness under the previous tyrannical rule of King Wapol. The cruel monarch had issued a decree banishing all doctors from the kingdom except for the Isshi-20, the 20 most skilled physicians. This inhumane policy forced citizens to desperately beg and plead before the king for even basic medical help from just those scant remaining doctors.

A Perilous Quest to Find the Island's Only Doctor

With Nami's life fading away fast, Luffy and Sanji begin the dangerous climb up the steep, snow-capped peaks of the Drum Rockies mountain range toward the mythical Dr. Kureha, the island's only remaining physician and their final hope to save Nami. Trudging step by step in the deep snow, they battle attacks from vicious man-eating Lapahn rabbits and nearly get buried in a deadly avalanche during the treacherous ascent.

A gravely wounded Luffy struggles to carry on, bearing the now unconscious Nami on his back along with an also injured Sanji. He presses on through the biting cold and freezing winds, finally collapsing in utter exhaustion at the foreboding gates of the mysterious Drum Castle, home of the witch-like Dr. Kureha.

The Human-Reindeer Doctor

Within the ominous castle walls lives Dr. Kureha, nicknamed "The Witch" by locals, along with her odd reindeer assistant named Tony Tony Chopper. Chopper shockingly demonstrates he has gained human-level intelligence and can speak, owing to having consumed the rare Hito Hito no Mi, the Human-Human Devil Fruit. However, this miraculous gift has made him a pariah, tragically rejected and outcast by both reindeer and humans alike.

While beginning emergency treatment of the crew, Dr. Kureha reveals more of Chopper's painful past. As an infant reindeer, his naturally blue nose and unintentionally acquired human features caused him to be labeled an aberrant freak by both races, leaving him lonely and friendless. When found as an adolescent seriously wounded by gunshots, he was rescued and cared for by the eccentric Dr. Hiriluk, whose kindness first showed Chopper not all humans would shun him.

Dr. Kureha then continues recounting how Hiriluk took Chopper under his wing, imparting his medical knowledge to inspire Chopper to become a doctor himself. But this bond was cruelly shattered when Hiriluk later abruptly expelled Chopper from his home for reasons never explained.

Just then, the tyrant Wapol returns to Drum Castle along with his men, seeking to reclaim his throne by force. Enraged to see Wapol maliciously attacking the memorial flag of Chopper's beloved mentor Dr. Hiriluk, Luffy fiercely rises to defend his new friend's honor. Together with Chopper, they defeat Wapol's forces after an intense battle.

A New Pirate Crewmate

Having finally found acceptance and friendship under Luffy, Chopper decides to honor Dr. Hiriluk's dream for him sail the seas and joins Luffy's crew as their doctor. After an emotional farewell with Dr. Kureha, their new reindeer crewmate Chopper departs his home island, eager to begin his new life of adventure, purpose and freedom as a Straw Hat Pirate.

With their sick navigator Nami fully cured thanks to Dr. Kureha and Chopper the doctor now on board, the Straw Hat Pirates finally continue their dangerous voyage toward the desert kingdom of Arabasta, more committed than ever to helping Princess Vivi expose Crocodile's nefarious civil war plot and liberate her suffering nation from his web of lies and deceit.

Arabasta Arc

After intense battles and weathering storms in their journey across the first half of the Grand Line, the Straw Hat Pirates finally arrive in the desert kingdom of Arabasta, their ultimate destination. However, they quickly realize the country stands on the brink of an enormous civil war between the Royal Army led by King Nefertari Cobra and the rebelling forces led by Koza.

The crew lands at Nanohana Port but find the citizens in a panic over an apparent pirate attack faked by Baroque Works agents Mr.1 and Miss Doublefinger in disguise to provoke anger at the king. The seemingly confused townspeople call for him to be overthrown. However, Princess Vivi sees through the deception and tries warning Koza against being fooled by these troublemaking provocateurs.

Unfortunately, the rebel leader refuses to listen and vows to go through with the planned assault on Alubarna to expose the king's "corruption". Vivi feels helpless to stop the headstrong Koza. Meanwhile, other agents infiltrate the Royal Army to spark tensions from within.

Out of nowhere, Luffy's older brother Portgas D. Ace suddenly appears and thwarts Smoker's relentless pursuit of the Straw Hats, allowing them to escape to safety. Before departing, Ace privately gives Luffy a strange piece of paper for some mysterious reason.

Unable to sail directly to Alubarna with the Sandora River in the way, the crew prepares to cross the scorching desert by foot after securing provisions in Nanohana town. Vivi warns them of the harsh perils that await them ahead in the desert but Luffy remains determined to reach the rebels and stop the looming war.

Crossing the Scorching Desert

After leaving Nanohana Port, the Straw Hats begin their arduous journey crossing the dangerous Arabasta desert by foot, facing many unexpected difficulties and surprises along the way.

Shortly after entering the desert, Luffy impulsively gets into a fight with the seal-like Kung-Fu Dugongs and ends up having to appease them with food to stop their relentless challenges to become his disciples.

The crew get tricked out of half their supplies by devious Warusagi Birds who trick travelers before stealing their provisions when they let their guard down. Luffy tries chasing them down but returns only with an oddball perverted camel named Eyelashes who takes a liking to Nami and Vivi.

Passing through the dried up former oasis of Sandora, they are attacked by vicious predatory wildlife like the massive Sandora Rare Catfish and Lizard. After intense battles, the famished and exhausted crew finally arrive at the dried up former rebel base of Yuba only to find it abandoned and constantly plagued by sandstorms.

There they meet Toto, an old friend of Vivi's who reveals the rebels have moved their base near Nanohana Port to be closer to the capital. Despite the arduous trek through the desert, Vivi wants to turn back to talk directly with the rebels again and convince them to stop the attack. However, Luffy vehemently disagrees, arguing that only defeating Crocodile at Rainbase will halt the war by removing his manipulation of both sides.

After an emotional argument over priorities, Vivi relents and agrees to confront the Baroque Works mastermind Crocodile first. Trusting Luffy's judgment, she guides the crew onward through the punishing desert toward Rainbase, the casino city where the elusive Warlord resides.

Confronting Crocodile in Rainbase

Arriving exhausted and parched in the giant casino city of Rainbase, the Straw Hats' confrontation with Crocodile leads to tense standoffs, a daring rescue operation, and Luffy learning the Warlord's true plans for Arabasta Kingdom.

Seeking water and rest, Luffy and Usopp impulsively burst into Rain Dinners casino, only to find themselves face to face with Smoker and Tashigi who pursue them seeking justice. This commotion draws the attention of Baroque Works Billions agents, leading to a huge chaotic chase through the city streets.

In the ensuing chaos, Crocodile succeeds in caging about half of the Straw Hats in Seastone handcuffs using abilities of his Suna Suna no Mi, the Sand-Sand Devil Fruit. He imprisons them in a metal cage in the casino basement, keeping them from interfering in his plot.

An incognito Sanji then daringly returns to Rainbase posing as "Mr. Prince", a Baroque Works agent. He tricks Crocodile into handing over the cage keys so the captured Straw Hats can escape. Luffy stays behind in the basement to confront Crocodile directly.

After cleverly evading Crocodile's lethal deathtrap room, Luffy engages the Warlord himself in battle but initially can't damage his sandy body with normal attacks. An amused Crocodile reveals his longbrewing scheme to take over Arabasta Kingdom.

He plans to detonate a massive, extremely powerful bomb during the rebels' attack on Alubarna, which will spark even greater violence and shift blame on the king. This manufactured war and chaos will enable Crocodile to find the secret ancient weapon Pluton hidden somewhere in Arabasta and become unstoppable.

Luffy is enraged at this heartless plan. After further intense fighting, he discovers that liquid is Crocodile's weakness since it clumps up his sandy body. Luffy manages to land some hits using his own blood and a barrel of water but is poisoned by Crocodile's hook.

Left buried up to his neck in quicksand to die, an ailing Luffy is unexpectedly rescued by Miss All Sunday, Crocodile's partner. Though mistrustful of her motives, Luffy pursues Crocodile for a final confrontation to stop his evil scheme and save Vivi's kingdom.

Climactic Battles in Alubarna

While Luffy continues fighting Crocodile beneath Rainbase, the rest of the Straw Hats rush across the desert to reach Alubarna before the rebel forces arrive to unwittingly play into the Warlord's hands.

However, upon arriving at the outskirts of the capital, the crew immediately encounters the remaining Baroque Works officer agents lying in wait to ambush them. The villains had already infiltrated the city disguised as the Straw Hats to further fool the rebels into war.

Mr. 2, also known as Bon Clay, initiates a massive trap impersonating Usopp to lure out Vivi then giving chase to prevent her from stopping the rebel attack. Despite his deception buying time, Vivi's voice still fails to reach the marching rebels due to dust clouds spawned by hidden Baroque Works agents.

Mr. 1, Miss Doublefinger, Mr. 2 and the Mr. 4 team engage the Straw Hats in a series of fiercely grueling battles between their contrasting abilities and fighting styles. Each crew member overcomes a difficult one-on-one duel against their assigned officer agent pursuer.

After his defeat by Sanji, Bon Clay contacts his hidden subordinates to apprehend the Straw Hats' ship. Though it pains him to lose the vessel, Luffy allows the sacrifice so they can continue unhindered to Alubarna.

Atop the city walls, Vivi finally locates the massive bomb but struggles to diffuse it in time. In a daring chain of assistance, her friends help her climb the city's clock tower to reach the cannon firing the bomb. Perched atop the tower, Vivi manages to halt the cannon blast but still cannot stop the ticking bomb itself which continues to count down to detonation.

Exposing Crocodile and Ending the War

While Vivi and the others race to find the hidden bomb, Luffy follows Crocodile underground to the hidden Poneglyph chamber containing the secrets he seeks. After an intense final battle, Luffy finally defeats Crocodile and exposes his deception to the kingdom.

Though seriously poisoned in the battle, Luffy is aided by Miss All Sunday, who surprisingly provides him with the cure. Luffy recovers enough to carry her and Cobra away from the collapsing tomb before passing out.

The defeated Crocodile is arrested by Tashigi's Marines and stripped of his Warlord title, stopping his scheme. However, the bomb's massive explosion still happens over the city, signaling the climactic battle between the rebels and royal forces raging in the streets below.

Desperate, Vivi repeatedly pleads with both sides to cease fighting, but the combatants cannot hear her voice. Moved by the sight of rain miraculously falling for the first time in years with Crocodile defeated, the exhausted fighters finally stop their battle, realizing they had been manipulated against each other.

After publicly announcing the war over thanks to the Straw Hats' efforts, King Cobra helps a recovering Luffy reunite with his crew. For saving the kingdom, he promises the pirates safe passage to leave Arabasta secretly before the Marines arrive to avoid awkward questions over their illegal status.

However, one more surprise awaits the crew as they depart Arabasta: Miss All Sunday, better known as Nico Robin, has hidden on their ship, requesting to join the Straw Hats out of gratitude to Luffy for saving her life when she lost the will to live. Though confused by her presence, Luffy happily accepts her as their new crewmate.

With Princess Vivi staying behind to rebuild her nation and their newest member Robin on board, the Straw Hats set sail from Arabasta at last, ready to continue their extraordinary voyage across the remainder of the Grand Line's dangers and mysteries.

Post-Arabasta Arc (Filler)

After the momentous events in Arabasta Kingdom, this short low-stakes filler arc takes a step back to focus on the backstories and motivations of the Straw Hats besides Luffy and Robin. These episodes provide a chance to reconnect with each pirate on a more personal level before their next adventure begins.

In Episode 131, Tony Tony Chopper reminisces about creating his signature Rumble Ball transformation and treating the abrasive Dr. Kureha as his first real patient. Though difficult, Chopper's perseverance eventually touched Kureha's heart and gained her respect. This flashback shows Chopper's growth from an unsure apprentice to a confident doctor.

Episode 132 covers Nami's unwavering dedication to her mapmaking dream, as she works tirelessly through interruptions to begin redrawing her maps onto durable new paper. Despite lacking formal training, Nami's passion for cartography drives her to create the ultimate world map.

Episode 133 focuses on Sanji teaching cooking to Tajio, an aspiring young chef who snuck aboard the Merry. Though curt, Sanji hides valuable tips among his criticisms of Tajio's curry dish, enabling the boy to impress his superiors and continue pursuing his cooking dream thanks to Sanji's mentorship.

In Episode 134, Usopp bonds with a girl named Kodama whose parents died testing dangerous fireworks. When Kodama decides to set off the lethal firework herself, Usopp finds the courage to help her grandfather safely launch it, showing how far he's come in bravery.

Episode 135 flashes back to Zoro's bounty hunter days, as he selflessly protected a village from a bandit raid after his swords broke, showcasing his strength and kind heart beneath his stern exterior.

Though not advancing the main plot, these episodes take a valuable pause to showcase what inspires the Straw Hats' diverse dreams, how far they've come already, and the loyalty beneath their eccentric exteriors. This calm before the storm lets viewers reconnect with the crew before the next adventure.

Arabasta Saga Summary's Conclusion

The Arabasta Saga represents a pivotal point in the Straw Hats' extraordinary voyage, setting the stage for greater dangers ahead through these formative trials and tribulations. After weathering the fiendish machinations of Warlord Crocodile and liberating the desert kingdom of Arabasta from civil war, the pirates not only saved millions of lives but expanded their ranks with powerful new allies gained through the journey.

This thrilling phase pushed each Straw Hat to surpass their limits through cunning teamwork and steadfast loyalty in the face of lethal adversaries. From barely surviving the volatile entrance to the Grand Line within a whale's belly, to the scorching trials of the Arabasta desert, the crew persevered through friendship, duty and determination. Luffy's faith in his crew was rewarded in their valor liberating Arabasta from Crocodile's web of deceit.

This Saga introduces the concept of poneglyphs and gives a deeper level to the complexity of the One Piece universe. Not only this but also important characters like Ace, Luffy’s brother, Vivi, Bon Clay, and Crocodile, not to mention the two new Straw Hats Chopper and Nico Robin are introduced to the series.

With Princess Vivi staying behind to heal her nation and their newest eccentric members Chopper and Robin joining the crew, the Straw Hats stand poised for even greater adventures beyond the desert. Hardened by these formative battles, they are ready to continue pushing into the Grand Line's mysteries and pursue their ambitious dreams together against any foe.

Arabasta Saga Review

The Significance of the Arabasta Saga

The Arabasta Saga represents a major high point in the early One Piece development. Even though the series only continued ascending to greater heights from here, Arabasta still stands as one of the most complete and quintessential One Piece story arcs for multiple reasons.

Firstly, the rich setting of Arabasta Kingdom and the civil war going on there set the perfect stage for the Straw Hats to escalate their adventures compared to the East Blue Saga. but it is a natural evolution when you really think about it. Messing up with the complex status quo of corruption is one of the things the Straw Hats do best after all, as evidenced even in the early Romance Dawn or Arlong Park.

Crafting Tension and Resolution

This saga truly is a rollercoaster of experiences, and a masterclass in storytelling and world development by Oda. The slow brewing civil war manipulated by Crocodile built tension beautifully. Luffy's determination facing down a Shichibukai (AKA Warlord of the Sea) felt earned after arduous desert trials. The emotional moments with Vivi perfectly balanced the action.

And finally, Arabasta expanded the possibilities of the One Piece world exponentially. It revealed the mysterious Void Century and Poneglyphs while showcasing intricately intertwined factions and grand ancient conspiracies just waiting to be uncovered.

New Places to Explore

This saga isn’t limited to just the Arabasta Arc of course. Even the first arc, Reverse Mountain introduced the emotional journey of the saga with Laboon the whale and his tragic backstory, and the renewal of hope with Luffy’s promise.

Whiskey Peak was also an excellent way to remind everyone why messing with Zoro is never a good idea. On Little Garden we got our first glimps at the Giants from Elbaf, and Usopp got an inspirational boost and a new goal. This took us to Drum Island, the introduction of Tony Tony Chopper and possibly the most heartbreaking moments of the saga. These moments made the Straw Hat crew more united and determined.

Overall the Arabasta Saga blew it out o the water and took the show to the next level. While for some viewers the East Blue saga was a bit slow, the Arabasta Saga is an excellent hook to keep viewers glued to the series for years to come.

So while later sagas may have surpassed Arabasta in scale and spectacle, it still deserves recognition as a foundational One Piece arc. For veteran fans, it remains a nostalgic pinnacle that new viewers should experience to understand what makes this series so special. Arabasta set the bar higher in every way.

Overall Score: 9/10

If you enjoyed following the Straw Hats' exploits and growth during the Arabasta Saga, remember to check out our website as we'll be providing much more in-depth coverage on every arc of the entire spectacular One Piece Saga - from its early chapters through to the sprawling New World voyages. The journey has only just begun!