General & Others What Arc Has Hurt One Piece The Most?
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Obviously Wano
Post skip arcs were far from perfect for the most part but the hype and interest was still there
even after WCI we were all still hyped by Kaido and Wano (and other things/lore etc)
‘But after Wano the quality took such a huge hit that the hype and interest for the story as a whole deflated. We were a lot less invested in the next arcs, Wano should have been the peak and ended up being the doom
Post skip arcs were far from perfect for the most part but the hype and interest was still there
even after WCI we were all still hyped by Kaido and Wano (and other things/lore etc)
‘But after Wano the quality took such a huge hit that the hype and interest for the story as a whole deflated. We were a lot less invested in the next arcs, Wano should have been the peak and ended up being the doom
I probably dislike Wano the most. It's overly long, and full of side-characters that I just don't care about. Plus, Luffy ending the fight with Kaido with BIG PUNCH was...disappointing, at best.
...But, that's not the question, is it? The question is "What arc has HURT One Piece the most?" And I can't really say Wano has hurt One Piece, as a story, or ruined the hype. Any damage Wano might have done was INSTANTLY negated when Oda announced we were entering the Final Saga, and everyone got hyped about finally getting to see the end of the story. Honestly? Wano was probably when One Piece was at it's most popular. If only because covid lockdowns gave people a chance to catch up on this LONG story.
So, this is going to be controversial, but after thinking it over I think the arc that has actually "damaged" One Piece the most is actually...Marineford.
Now, hear me out! Marineford is a great arc! It's in contention for being the BEST arc of One Piece of all time. It's between Marineford and Enies Lobby for me. Although, with all the lore drops we've been getting recently, Elbaph has also entered that conversation for me, personally.
But, that also might be the problem. One Piece arguably peaked with Marineford. Or at least, it's one of the peaks. And whenever something happens nowadays that the fans don't like, I can FEEL them longer for those long ago days of Marineford. Subconsciously, I think every arc that has come after it, has been compared to Marineford. And most fans find the comparison with any Post-Timeskip arc lacking. Marineford...might have been TOO good. Especially since Oda almost had no choice but to DRASTICALLY de-escalate things afterwards with Fishman Island. Because otherwise he would have had scaling problems trying to one-up himself with every arc.
But, that's not even the biggest problem. Because I think Marineford's BIGGEST problem is that it showed that, One Piece CAN work just fine if you ONLY focus on Luffy. Now, this problem didn't start with Marineford. It started on Sabaody when all the Strawhats got separated. But, Marineford was the grand culmination of that whole subplot. And arguably the best chapter of that "era" of One Piece, if not the whole story. And it might have showed Oda that Luffy CAN carry this manga all by himself. You don't NEED the other Strawhats in the manga, to keep the story interesting.
And the manga was never really the same, after that. Sure, it's easy to blame the Timeskip for the lack of focus on the other Strawhats. But, I think Oda's attitude about Luffy started changing around this "era". After Marineford, Oda saw that Luffy WAS the main character. He's the one who gets all the focus. And the other Strawhats kept being pushed into the background more and more. This stopped being a ensemble story about ALL the Strawhat's dreams. And it started to be all about Luffy, and making sure HE was strong enough to fulfill HIS dream specifically. Marineford is arguably when Luffy became more important than anyone else in the story.
And there's other problems, too. Like setting up expectations for the Marines that never really get paid off (at least, not yet). During Marineford, the Admirals have TONS of aura. They're set up as THE biggest wall to Luffy's dream out there. And...they never really live up to that expectation after Marineford. Akainu gets stuck behind a desk, and I'm convinced that he'll NEVER have a big climatic fight against Luffy. Kizaru got demoted to a mini-boss during Egghead. Aokiji got roped into joining Blackbeard's crew and hasn't really done a ton since. The Admirals were set up as this big threat. And I feel like we've mostly skipped pass them, at this point. Who knows what the future holds? But, right now, we're fighting the Secret Devil King of the World. So, fighting the guy who's been filling out paperwork for the last 15 years, would feel a little like going backward, at this point. Unless Oda has something BIG up his sleeve for them.
And then there's smaller things that are still causing quibbles in the fandom to this day. Stuff like questioning why Garp didn't do more to try and save Ace. Or why Mihawk avoided fighting Vista (and also never getting into a fight after this.). Or why Shanks showed up late. The Whitebeard Remnants kind of being sidelined. Blackbeard making a BIG power move here, and then being content to sit in the shadows for the last 15 years. Sengoku retiring after this before we really got to even know him. Little things that are still causing arguments even today.
And then there's the OTHER big problem, which I've saved for last. Ace's death.
Ace's death is a great scene. And Oda's said in interviews before that Ace was always planned to die. But...was it a good idea?
Because here's the thing. Ace's death SHOULD be this huge sign that things are getting serious, now. There are actual consequences to your actions. Luffy failing or not being strong enough CAN cause the people around him to die. This isn't about "playing pirates" anymore. The people of the New World are strong, and you can't treat them like the foes you've faced before. You have to be smarter. The fakeout deaths are over, and death IS real. I'm convinced the reason that Luffy still has his massive scar on his chest after this fight ISN'T due to Akainu, but because of the emotional trauma left behind because of losing ace. With hindsight, it seems likely that Luffy's "Imagination" powers have left behind a literal "emotional scar" that he still hasn't fully healed from. Ace's death should have signaled a massive change in the tone of this manga from here on out.
And the thing is...it doesn't.
After Ace's death, we're still getting fakeout deaths. At this point, "fakeout deaths" are ALMOST one of Luffy's Nika powers. And things didn't really get more serious. If anything, thing got a lot lighter, compared to Pre-Timeskip, because the Strawhats started out so over-leveled at the beginning that they were showing off new powers and abilities in every arc. Death still isn't really that much of a threat.
Again, it's kinda about setting up expectations. After Ace's death, I think a lot of fans expected death to be treated more seriously in the manga. And it really hasn't. Sure, more characters HAVE died than during the Pre-Timeskip. But, it's mostly side-characters that we don't care THAT much about. Not on the same level as Ace. So, every time we get a fakeout death now, I can't help but wonder if fans long for that ONE moment in One Piece where a death actually had lasting impact on the story. Where a death impacted the plot, their emotions, and wasn't immediately undone afterwards, kind of invalidating the whole process. Things didn't really change much after Ace's death. And that's the problem with killing Ace. It set up expectations going forward that Oda never really felt like living up to. I can't say that's wrong. I don't think a massively "darker" One Piece would have worked as well. But...it is a problem, for a lot of hardcore fans.
So, yeah, as weird as it might be to say, I think Marineford is actually the arc that has "damaged" One Piece the most. It set up a lot of expectations amongst the hardcore fans that Oda never really followed up on. And a lot of fans are still comparing every single new arc to Marineford, usually negatively. For a lot of fans, I don't think any arc CAN possibly be better than Marineford, no matter what Oda does, at this point. Nostalgia, and thinking about paths not taken, has kind of irrevocably tainted this manga for a lot of hardcore fans. This manga did not go the direction a lot of fans thought it would. And I think Marineford is at the center of a lot of those expectations.
...But, that's not the question, is it? The question is "What arc has HURT One Piece the most?" And I can't really say Wano has hurt One Piece, as a story, or ruined the hype. Any damage Wano might have done was INSTANTLY negated when Oda announced we were entering the Final Saga, and everyone got hyped about finally getting to see the end of the story. Honestly? Wano was probably when One Piece was at it's most popular. If only because covid lockdowns gave people a chance to catch up on this LONG story.
So, this is going to be controversial, but after thinking it over I think the arc that has actually "damaged" One Piece the most is actually...Marineford.
Now, hear me out! Marineford is a great arc! It's in contention for being the BEST arc of One Piece of all time. It's between Marineford and Enies Lobby for me. Although, with all the lore drops we've been getting recently, Elbaph has also entered that conversation for me, personally.
But, that also might be the problem. One Piece arguably peaked with Marineford. Or at least, it's one of the peaks. And whenever something happens nowadays that the fans don't like, I can FEEL them longer for those long ago days of Marineford. Subconsciously, I think every arc that has come after it, has been compared to Marineford. And most fans find the comparison with any Post-Timeskip arc lacking. Marineford...might have been TOO good. Especially since Oda almost had no choice but to DRASTICALLY de-escalate things afterwards with Fishman Island. Because otherwise he would have had scaling problems trying to one-up himself with every arc.
But, that's not even the biggest problem. Because I think Marineford's BIGGEST problem is that it showed that, One Piece CAN work just fine if you ONLY focus on Luffy. Now, this problem didn't start with Marineford. It started on Sabaody when all the Strawhats got separated. But, Marineford was the grand culmination of that whole subplot. And arguably the best chapter of that "era" of One Piece, if not the whole story. And it might have showed Oda that Luffy CAN carry this manga all by himself. You don't NEED the other Strawhats in the manga, to keep the story interesting.
And the manga was never really the same, after that. Sure, it's easy to blame the Timeskip for the lack of focus on the other Strawhats. But, I think Oda's attitude about Luffy started changing around this "era". After Marineford, Oda saw that Luffy WAS the main character. He's the one who gets all the focus. And the other Strawhats kept being pushed into the background more and more. This stopped being a ensemble story about ALL the Strawhat's dreams. And it started to be all about Luffy, and making sure HE was strong enough to fulfill HIS dream specifically. Marineford is arguably when Luffy became more important than anyone else in the story.
And there's other problems, too. Like setting up expectations for the Marines that never really get paid off (at least, not yet). During Marineford, the Admirals have TONS of aura. They're set up as THE biggest wall to Luffy's dream out there. And...they never really live up to that expectation after Marineford. Akainu gets stuck behind a desk, and I'm convinced that he'll NEVER have a big climatic fight against Luffy. Kizaru got demoted to a mini-boss during Egghead. Aokiji got roped into joining Blackbeard's crew and hasn't really done a ton since. The Admirals were set up as this big threat. And I feel like we've mostly skipped pass them, at this point. Who knows what the future holds? But, right now, we're fighting the Secret Devil King of the World. So, fighting the guy who's been filling out paperwork for the last 15 years, would feel a little like going backward, at this point. Unless Oda has something BIG up his sleeve for them.
And then there's smaller things that are still causing quibbles in the fandom to this day. Stuff like questioning why Garp didn't do more to try and save Ace. Or why Mihawk avoided fighting Vista (and also never getting into a fight after this.). Or why Shanks showed up late. The Whitebeard Remnants kind of being sidelined. Blackbeard making a BIG power move here, and then being content to sit in the shadows for the last 15 years. Sengoku retiring after this before we really got to even know him. Little things that are still causing arguments even today.
And then there's the OTHER big problem, which I've saved for last. Ace's death.
Ace's death is a great scene. And Oda's said in interviews before that Ace was always planned to die. But...was it a good idea?
Because here's the thing. Ace's death SHOULD be this huge sign that things are getting serious, now. There are actual consequences to your actions. Luffy failing or not being strong enough CAN cause the people around him to die. This isn't about "playing pirates" anymore. The people of the New World are strong, and you can't treat them like the foes you've faced before. You have to be smarter. The fakeout deaths are over, and death IS real. I'm convinced the reason that Luffy still has his massive scar on his chest after this fight ISN'T due to Akainu, but because of the emotional trauma left behind because of losing ace. With hindsight, it seems likely that Luffy's "Imagination" powers have left behind a literal "emotional scar" that he still hasn't fully healed from. Ace's death should have signaled a massive change in the tone of this manga from here on out.
And the thing is...it doesn't.
After Ace's death, we're still getting fakeout deaths. At this point, "fakeout deaths" are ALMOST one of Luffy's Nika powers. And things didn't really get more serious. If anything, thing got a lot lighter, compared to Pre-Timeskip, because the Strawhats started out so over-leveled at the beginning that they were showing off new powers and abilities in every arc. Death still isn't really that much of a threat.
Again, it's kinda about setting up expectations. After Ace's death, I think a lot of fans expected death to be treated more seriously in the manga. And it really hasn't. Sure, more characters HAVE died than during the Pre-Timeskip. But, it's mostly side-characters that we don't care THAT much about. Not on the same level as Ace. So, every time we get a fakeout death now, I can't help but wonder if fans long for that ONE moment in One Piece where a death actually had lasting impact on the story. Where a death impacted the plot, their emotions, and wasn't immediately undone afterwards, kind of invalidating the whole process. Things didn't really change much after Ace's death. And that's the problem with killing Ace. It set up expectations going forward that Oda never really felt like living up to. I can't say that's wrong. I don't think a massively "darker" One Piece would have worked as well. But...it is a problem, for a lot of hardcore fans.
So, yeah, as weird as it might be to say, I think Marineford is actually the arc that has "damaged" One Piece the most. It set up a lot of expectations amongst the hardcore fans that Oda never really followed up on. And a lot of fans are still comparing every single new arc to Marineford, usually negatively. For a lot of fans, I don't think any arc CAN possibly be better than Marineford, no matter what Oda does, at this point. Nostalgia, and thinking about paths not taken, has kind of irrevocably tainted this manga for a lot of hardcore fans. This manga did not go the direction a lot of fans thought it would. And I think Marineford is at the center of a lot of those expectations.
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Wano .
Except Luffy vs Kaido fight which is extremely long and great everything else is complete disaster especially because Oda was slowly building up entire post skip for this arc.
Trash story , trash characters , 9 scabbards were waste of time , Oden and his flashback a huge failure , Kaido apart from his strength is a trash character and should have been defeated as Raid boss not and not in the end owned in 1 vs 1 by G5 Luffy , Big Mom ruined beyond saving in fact putting her there was huge mistake , missed opportunity for Zoro to have more time to shine and have some significant character development, introduction of Nika is one of worst moves Oda ever made.
Overall such a garbage arc.
Except Luffy vs Kaido fight which is extremely long and great everything else is complete disaster especially because Oda was slowly building up entire post skip for this arc.
Trash story , trash characters , 9 scabbards were waste of time , Oden and his flashback a huge failure , Kaido apart from his strength is a trash character and should have been defeated as Raid boss not and not in the end owned in 1 vs 1 by G5 Luffy , Big Mom ruined beyond saving in fact putting her there was huge mistake , missed opportunity for Zoro to have more time to shine and have some significant character development, introduction of Nika is one of worst moves Oda ever made.
Overall such a garbage arc.
Before the Dressrosa Arc, arcs averaged about 27 chapters, with the Skypiea Arc being the longest at 66 chapters. Even after removing some mini-arcs, the average comes out to about 30 chapters.
Dressrosa was 102 chapters long. There were pacing issues, it introduced a lot of side characters, and the Straw Hats were split mid-arc. Law received a lot of shine, more than any Straw Hat other than Luffy. This was the arc where Oda became comfortable with the issues people continue to complain about in future arcs, like WCI, Wano, and Elbaph.
That said, I still enjoyed the arc, but I see it as the beginning of a tired formula.
Dressrosa was 102 chapters long. There were pacing issues, it introduced a lot of side characters, and the Straw Hats were split mid-arc. Law received a lot of shine, more than any Straw Hat other than Luffy. This was the arc where Oda became comfortable with the issues people continue to complain about in future arcs, like WCI, Wano, and Elbaph.
That said, I still enjoyed the arc, but I see it as the beginning of a tired formula.
nopDR was supposed to be an escape arc, but Oda decided to siphon off part of Wano for it.
These things were supposed to happen in Wano imo:
- Doflamingo's takedown (confirmed by Oda)
- Formation of the Grand Fleet (which was a crucial part of Luffy becoming a Yonko)
- Destruction of the Warlord system and New World Order (Oda delayed this a bit so it did happen ~ Wano anyhow)
These things were supposed to happen in Wano imo:
- Doflamingo's takedown (confirmed by Oda)
- Formation of the Grand Fleet (which was a crucial part of Luffy becoming a Yonko)
- Destruction of the Warlord system and New World Order (Oda delayed this a bit so it did happen ~ Wano anyhow)
