Chapters 10 & 11

Chapter 10: What Happened at the Bar

This issue starts right were the last one left off with Buggy's crew rejoicing over the return of their Grand Line map. Nami plans to  get all of the pirates to pass out drunk before stealing everything they own. This works out quite well until Buggy orders her to kill Luffy with a cannon. Nami being a good person can't bring herself to do it and tries to change the subject. Buggy reiterates his orders and Nami is forced to fight his crew. As Nami fights the fuse to the cannon has been lit and it appears as if Luffy might die. Just before the cannon fires Nami puts out the fuse and is attacked from behind by a group of pirates and it looks as if all is lost. Zoro appears instantly defeating four pirates with his swords still sheathed. Zoro shows his real skill when he cuts captain Buggy into four pieces with a single attack. Nami and Luffy are amazed at how easily Buggy is defeated and Buggy's men begin to laugh foreshadowing the peculiarity of the coming battle. My favorite part of this issue was seeing Zoro's true power because this is the last time in the first 151 issues that he fights uninhibited. Zoro is an amazing character and probably my favorite, all though Luffy does have his moments. Anyway this issue was enjoyable if for no other reason than that Luffy was hilarious when he thought he was gonna die and Zoro is a total bad ass.

Chapter 11: Flee

This issue is in all reality a good issue but I am biased against it because it begins with Buggy's hand stabbing Zoro though the side with a knife. Now I know that may not seem like a big deal but this is the longest lasting wound in the history of the world. I know I'm getting a little ahead of myself heat but this wound wont heal for at least 139 issues and it also keeps him from fighting at his full strength for that entire time. Anyway back to the issue we are on. Buggy reconnects the four pieces of his body and explains that he ate the bara bara fruit allowing him to separate or recombined any part of parts of his body that he chooses and to control the separated parts individually. After hearing this Luffy exclaims, "A sectioned man? This guys a monster" ironically Luffy being a rubber man also makes him a monster. Luffy resolves to defeat Buggy a statement which Buggy laughs at. Luffy tells Zoro to run and as if its some sort of code Zoro runs to Buggy's Cannon and aims it at Buggy himself. They fire the cannon and then Zoro, Nami, and Luffy escape, Zoro carrying Luffy's cage. Once again the injured Zoro shows once again how bad ass he is when the pirates exclaim that it took five people to drag the cage he just carried off. Luffy's crew hides on a roof and Buggy declares war on Luffy to end the issue. 

Chapters 8 & 9

Back
I had a lot less free time at the lake than I had expected I wanted to get the Buggy the clown arc finished but obviously that didn't happen so I'm starting it now with chapter 8.

Chapter 8: Nami Enters

This issue begins with Zoro discovering that Luffy has no idea how to navigate on the sea and both of them nearly pass out from the thought of hunger. Luffy spots a bird and decides to eat it. So he jumps up to it and is carried away. While trying to catch Luffy Zoro saves a band of three drowning pirates. The three pirates tell Zoro the story of how they were robbed by a woman who they found dying at sea and take him to land so that he can find Luffy. An unknown voice orders The bird and Luffy shot out of the sky as a woman is chased through the streets by pirates. Luffy is shot out of the sky and lands on the pirates saving the woman. The pirates get up the woman runs of claiming that her 'boss' save her and Luffy is forced to fight the pirates. After the pirates are all down for the count the woman reappears saying her name is Nami and that she is a thief who only steals from pirates. I found this issue to be an absolute bore if it wasn't necessary to explain how Nami and buggy got involved in this whole thing I would advise against reading it. The only good part of this issue was the three pirates reaction to being saved by Roronoa Zoro.    

Chapter 9: Evil Woman

This Chapter starts with Nami offering to work with Luffy in order to take treasure from Buggy to which Luffy casually replies "No way! I'm not interested in teaming up with you". The scene then shifts to the Buggy the Clown pirate crew where captain Buggy is getting incredibly irritated at the incompetents of his crew. After hearing that they were  unable to capture the thief Nami  Buggy executes a member of his crew. Nami explains to Luffy just how powerful and dangerous Buggy is and Luffy decides that the best way to beat Buggy is for Nami to join Luffy's crew. Nami declines showing her hatred of pirates. Then seeing an opportunity to profit she pretends to join Luffy only to turn him over to Buggy. Buggy puts Luffy in a cage and Zoro arrives on the island looking for Luffy. This issue was definitely better than the last one but it still lacked action and humor so although it did well to set up the arc, overall I didn't enjoy it. That being said it is important in setting up one of my  favorite moments in One Piece.

Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Friends

This issue opens where the last ended, with Morgan and his son laid out unconscious from Luffy and Zoro's attacks. The marines cheer and then Zoro faints from hunger. After regaining consciousness and eating they have some laughs before deciding to part ways so Coby can be a marine. A group of marines come in and order Luffy to leave for being a pirate. Luffy and Zoro begin to leave and Coby is questioned about being in their group. Luffy picked that moment to tell all about Coby's time with Lady Alvida. Coby punches Luffy and they break out in a fist fight. the marine takes this as proof that Coby and Luffy aren't friends and allows Coby to join the Marines. Coby has a revelation that Luffy had told them about his past to start a fight and clear up Coby's name. As Luffy and Zoro leave they are saluted by the marines who receive no food for a week for saluting pirates. This issue was a little slow but it did well to show off Luffy's wisdom and the marines being punished for following orders was hilarious the issue is the official end to this arc and issue 8 begins the Buggy the Clown arc.

Announcement

I will be on vacation for the next week so I may miss some posts. I'm going to take my boat out to the lake and live like a real pirate for a week so wish me luck. I will try to get through the Buggy the Clown arc this week but no promises. 

Chapters 5 & 6

Chapter 5: The Pirate King and the Great Swordsman

This is a great issue. It starts out funny with Luffy dragging Morgan's son down a hallway and then using him as a human shield. In the next few panels Coby freaks out because he believes he is going to die from the gun shot wound he received in the last issue. Coby tells Zoro that Morgan's had always planned to execute him and then they are surrounded by marines. Just as the marines prepare to kill them Zoro has a flash back. He flashed back to his childhood and his training to become a swordsman. In this flash back Zoro promises to do everything in his power to become the greatest swordsman in the world. After this long and dramatic flash back the guards once again take aim at Zoro and Coby. Just then Luffy bursts onto the scene and reflects all of the bullets that had been aimed at Coby and Zoro. This is the first time outside of the pilot that Luffy is seen reflecting bullets. Overall i really enjoyed this chapter. The art work is better in this chapter than in previous chapters and there is a little more action.

Chapter 6: The First Crew Member

Sorry that once again there is no picture but it looks like most of them have a title page from here on out. This issue is the climax of the Lieutenant Morgan arc and as such is full of action. Luffy really shows off his power in this issue by taking out a huge number of marines with a single hit. Morgan shows just how evil he must be when he orders three marines to kill themselves and they actually go through with it. After beating Morgan for a while Luffy shows his more reckless side and attacks Helmeppo who is holding Coby at gun point. While Luffy has his back turned Morgan sneaks up behind him and prepares to kill him. Only then do we see just how powerful Zoro is. Zoro defeats Morgan in an instant and then having just agreed to join Luffy's crew addresses him as captain (probably the only time anyone on his crew would call Luffy that). This is a great chapter because it really showcases Luffy's power and recklessness and gives us a peak at what Zoro is capable of.

Chapters 3 & 4

Chapter 3: Pirate Hunter Zoro Enters

This issue begins with Luffy and Coby (I don't know why it is spelled differently, although it could be my copy because i have noticed several spelling mistakes in it) reaching a marine base. Once there they notice the inhabitants of the island that the base is located on act very strangely around both the name of the famed pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro and the name of the commanding officer of the base Lieutenant Morgan. Luffy looking to create a pirate crew looks to recruit Zorro. At first Luffy isn't sure if Zoro is right for his pirate crew but as events transpire on the island he comes to realize that Zoro would make a perfect crew member. Luffy stands up for Zorro angering the marine Lieutenant Morgans son. I found this issue rather slow but it definitely  did a good job setting up the rest of this arc. I love how Luffy's personality has finally gotten into full swing by this point and his stupid humor never ceases to amaze me. This issue wasn't one of my favorites but it did its objective well.

Chapter 4: Marine Lieutenant "Axe Arm Morgan"

Sorry there isn't a picture for this chapter but the I can't find a title page for it. Anyway the issue begins right where the last one left off Luffy has just punched Morgan's son and is told that Morgan will definitely give him the death penalty. Luffy goes back to where Zorro is being held to free him and ask if he will join Luff's crew. Zoro repeatedly declines. This issue also gives us our first look at Lieutenant "Axe Hand Morgan". Morgan is one of my favorite villains in One Piece because he is the only villain I have seen so far that relies mainly on physical strength. He is also incredibly brutal and egotistical. Another thing that really made me like Morgan was when he smacked his good for nothing son. Don't get me wrong I'm not condoning child abuse but that kid deserved it. Over all this was an pretty good issue because it was loaded with humor and story.

Chapters 1 & 2

Chapter 1: Romance Dawn

Strangely enough this issue has the same name as the pilot and retells a lot of the same back story. Information not found in the pilot includes: the execution of the pirate king Gol D. Roger, Luffy's encounter with the mountain bandits, and "Red Haired" Shanks battle with the mountain bandits. The pilot and first chapter of One Piece are by far the longest both having 50+ pages. As I mentioned in my previous post there are a number of discrepancies between issues 0 and 1. the most important of these discrepancies are how Luffy came across the gomu gomu fruit, what shanks lost his arm to, and the lack of the word peace main. The idea of Luffy being a peace main was obviously dropped as I have not seen it anywhere in issues 1-150. This is one of my favorite issues because it gives us a much better idea about Luffy's relation ship with "Red Haired" Shanks than we got in the pilot. I also enjoyed the improved artwork in this issue.

Chapter 2: They Call Him "Straw Hat Luffy"

In this issue Luffy's journey to become pirate king finally begins. The issue starts with some great comedy as Luffy is sucked into a whirlpool. It appears as if Luffy has died and the scene shifts to the Lady Alvida pirate crew. This issue is the first in the series to have the usual 20-30 pages. As the issue progresses we see that Luffy's fighting capabilities have grown and that he has mastered his gomu gomu powers. Luffy also meets a cabin boy named Koby. Luffy protects Koby from  Lady Alvida and they form a friendship. Koby explains that he wishes to be a marine and Luffy promises to make that possible. This is the first time that the underlying theme of the manga begins to be clear and as I post more reviews you will notice that almost everyone Luffy befriends has a dream, Koby's being one of the tamer dreams. Overall this was a decent issue I found Alvida to be a little too weak and to have been defeated before creation of a real plot could take place, but Koby's plot had to start some where and this issue was a good place for that. I was disapointed by the return to the chapter 0 style art work.

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Intro & Pilot

Intro

One Piece is the best selling manga in the history of the world and one of my personal favorites. In the last two weeks I have read 151 issues of this manga. I decided to take a break to review these issues. I plan to have these reviews done by the end of the summer and then write reviews as i read.

Pilot: Romance Dawn

One Piece has a rather strange pilot in the fact that it actually ties into the story, well sorta. The pilot introduces us to Luffy D. Monkey a strange boy floating alone at sea with four jolly roger sails on his tiny dingy. The pilot sets the idea for the manga as Luffy wanting to become the greatest peace main (good pirate) who has ever lived. His dream is told to have stemmed from his admiration for the peace mains who lived in his village when he was a child. Luffy also displays strange powers that are said to be the result of his eating a gomu gomu fruit. This pilot does a pretty good job of explaining the character of Luffy and does an even better job of explaining his back story. This was much better than the Naruto pilot where I was completely lost. In conclusion I enjoyed this pilot. The only issues I had with it were the discrepancies between it and the first issue but I will describe those in my next post. Until next time.

Chris Smith