English Professor’s Thoughts on the Skypiea Saga of One Piece 

There's nothing a one piece fan enjoys more than seeing someone enjoy this story for the first time, the way we once did

He got all the symbolism in the arc. My friend, most reviewers doesn't see half of you saw.

Fun fact: Oda revealed one of his favorite panels is in Skypiea, in chapter 253, the panel when the bonfire party took place. In fact he also specified that his purpose to drawing Skypiea is to draw that very specific scene. Oda looooves parties 😂

I'm talking to you, my fellow one piece nerds: we must protect this man at all cost. We all know how this fanbase can potentially be toxic, but this pure, wonderful individual must be protected

This arc genuinely has some of the strongest senses of adventure in all of One Piece. And the comedy is just so good. "A placre we're not supposed to go... heheheheh." Peak.

The story of Noland shows the power of narrative and the importance of who is telling the story. Winners write the story of the future. In this case a good man's name was ruined for making a king feel foolish. We already saw at the end of Alabasta that the World Government will spin the narrative in order to maintain their aura of power and giving themselves credit for saving the country instead of the Strawhat pirates.

Blackbeard’s debut is such a wonderful scene. He and Luffy have exact opposite opinions on the lemonade and cherry pie, but in the end, he’s the only one in the bar who understands the value and power of dreams. Establishes right away that this is someone totally unlike Luffy in personality who still sees the world in the same exact way underneath that all and takes that in his own direction - a perfect nemesis. And this one arc after we meet Ace, presented as this ideal version of Luffy who lacks many of his faults as another aspirational figure. It’s always so clear how Oda thinks about Luffy’s place in the world and what characters can best highlight his strengths and his faults.

The part where the snake is having the worst day of it's life when Luffy's inside it cracks me up so hard

I love how wyper gets his own main character arc where he almost kills enel. Its a pretty respectful take on colonisation and how shandians are portrait, and that they had the right to be angry, and ganford, is also complicit and did . I mean thats a great portrayal in fiction.

its crazy how you just nailed down robin’s character so succinctly right off of the cuff. shes the center of a certain arc that the fandom tends to place at the very top, but youre already so primed for it- i think its gonna blow you away.

I just love the way you put this story into your own words. It is like I’m reading the story again for the first time.

"As above so below" pretty much sums up Skypiea

I really enjoy seeing people who are not into anime/manga and hear their thought on the story, because the anime/manga fandom is your typical comic fans most of the time arguing who is stronger than who and it kinda makes the discussions of the story a bit bland because people are often powerscaling the characters and all of that, so seeing people actually paying attention to the story itself is really refreshing. Just wanted to say this because i've enjoyed your videos and it reminded me of Merphy when she started one piece and how refreshing it felt hearing her thoughts on the story.

If you plan to continue the series till the end, I strongly recommend that you get someone who reads comments for you. The series is so big that sometimes people can throw at you a spoiler because they misremembered when something happened. And of course, there are others who have bad intentions and purposefully spoil things. Edit. Seeing you document your thoughts on the series as you go through it is also a really fun experience, I hope you keep doing these reviews saga per saga.

What’s so fun about these videos is that I feel like I’m back in literature class, but the lessons are on my favorite piece of fiction. Your insights are incredibly enjoyable and well said. This story only gets better as well. Very excited for more reviews!

i think its also worth mentioning how luffy is enerus perfect counter, not just because rubber beats electricity, but luffys loyalty and trust he has with his companions is the perfect rebuttal to enerus authoritarian control on his subordinates

Your face fits so well on gan fall's body 😂 Keep it up man, love hearing your thoughts and opinions on the series 👍👍

A lot of people dislike this arc and even skip it because of its overall detachment from the greater story, and some people defend it because of its relevancy to the future story that is only seen through hind sight. Personally I think this is miss guided. We shouldn’t only enjoy one piece because of what will happen at the end, rather the components that make up this story are what matter which is why I think Skypiea is one of the better sagas. It feels like Oda also believes this and tries to spread it as one of his messages. Overall it’s great to see you enjoying the series and I think everyone should see this saga the way you do.

Jaya-Skypea is the most important arc of all the series in my view, the metaphors and parallels are spot on. I look at this arc as a short of a map oda drew ;) (the small detail of chapter 222, the 3 seagulls fly over merry, are shot down by Augur, hitting the deck of the boat, that symbolises the start of a theatre play with the 3 strokes on the stage, and after that all actions are scripted, that is why Augur talks about fate in that way. This story is truly a masterpiece!)

Man glad you're catching up. Maybe biased but if theres any parts of the anime to watch just for experiencing it the black beard quote, the history of Noland and Calgura and the next arc as a whole is just those moments that finally set the series in stone that never can be done justice without the original takes, the voice work and emotion is permanently stained in my mind.

I believe here is where one piece starts getting heavy on the lore. It's awesome that you like it so far man! Love your videos!

To me the Noland/Calgara flashback is so interesting too, because it talks about the differences between more ancient cultures and current societies, and how, despite the differences, we all just want to overcome the world. You have the ancient Shandians who are sacrificing people to their snake god to heal those afflicted by the tree disease, and then you have Noland, who just wants them to not cut off bonds just because of some stupid ideology. Noland representing more modern cultures who understand science as opposed to religion. God or no God, we’re all just people, looking to survive. Looking to lend a hand. And that idea of brotherhood that can survive even through generations, through time itself, that crying out of, “You’re not alone, brother.” Skypiea is truly phenomenal.

All of these have been great, but this one is a real testament to your ability to analyze media… without spoiling anything, you are really latching on to things that have a ton of importance as the story goes on. Excited to keep watching!

I watched most one piece when I was in middle school, so a lot of the symbolism went completely above my head. Really like how you talk about the series, it’s fun hearing your take and dissection!

The One Piece fandom used to look down on this arc as being 'Canonical Filler', however as time has gone on it's become clear that this is one of the most important arcs in the entire series.

I really love your review on OP. One of the biggest critisism I see online by new OP reader/watcher recently is that Luffy's character is very naïve, a dufist, goofy and hungry all the time besides the time where he just randomly get serious. It made me think that maybe I was looking back at it with rosetinted glass when I first watched the series. But everytime you describe a scene or character it tugs a string within me, of how I emotionally feel when I was first experiencing the series.

been following one piece for the last 17 years , This is one of the best analisys of skypea , thank you

I cant wait to see your room slowly have more and more one piece in the background as you get further into the story. i think thats happened with every single youtuber ive seen start the series from the start and its funny.

Skypeia is one of my favorite arcs in the entire series. The worldbuilding, mini magic systems, lore reveals, *chef's kiss* So glad you enjoyed it. But it'll only get more insane from here.

I think the main drawback of reading everything first is that you miss out on the soundtrack that is so wholesome and adds so much to the show. Trying listening to a couple of the songs and feel that vibe with it!

I love watching people fall in love with One Piece and your joy for the story is radiating through the screen. I hope you can continue to enjoy One Piece like this! Even as a long time One Piece fan you still managed to point out some references and connections I hadn't realized before, really loving your analysis so far!

Im so happy youre continuing the story, my only sadness is youll never experience how the big moments pair so amazingly with the sound track the anime uses, but at least you dont suffer the pacing issues

Im so happy that this is getting continued, easily the most exciting videos to watch this year for me!

i love jaya arc. i love how the town where luffy's dream was mocked is called mock town, the town of mockery. i kinda like to imagine that it was named mock town as a reminder that this is the town where pirate king luffy's dream was mocked, it kinda becomes a fable kids in the future just know about. even tho its just my head canon ahaha

BOY this show and analysis brings me so much JOY

I must say I have become a huge fan of your commentaries! They are so cool and profound on something I really enjoy as it is One Piece. Thank you for your videos!

My nakama, we have a good one sailing with us. Such insight, such story-telling view. This is refreshing, too. Let's enjoy the ride with him until we all find where the poneglyphs lead us!

It's interesting to see in retrospect how Oda pics up a theme by starting several stories which relate to it at the same time, for example the unreliability of historical records as you mentioned here, or uncertainty in the Arabasta arc!

After learning more of the One Piece story, this arc shows incredible significance

So nice to see you made it to Skypeia. I watched this Saga early in High School almost 20 years ago so it resonated with me as well. I'm from the Philippines so the Strawhats defying a deity really sparked a sense of rebellion inside me. I was always adverse to blind obedience and societal constraints. I was a cartoon by nature and I saw that within Luffy and his friends. His very essence of being a Rubber Man (which also harkens to old cartoon animation styles) renders him impervious against a God's power (in which I love the irony). So it led me to believe that if I stay true to myself and accept that my own nature can work within this world if I do. So I became a comic book artist and cartoonist preaching the great stories I've come across from Batman: The Animated series to Bojack Horseman to even One Piece.

An english professor saying 'Anna-may' brought me joy in a humble weeabo way lol Great videos! Excited to see you in Egghead!

So I just found you today, but I try and keep up with people doing reviews and read through of one piece, one piece is an amazing story that is filled with depth and wonder and joy you haven't even scratched the surface of yet, and it is a joy to experience them. The story is so layered and well established that every new piece of information youlearn changes everything you read before. You can only read one piece the first time once but it is always a joy to get to experience someone else read it for the first time

6:35 I love that moment too and the translation I had read said “A MAN’S DREAM NEVER DIES” and it hit me hard

I love watching you break down my favorite show and talk about what makes it so great :) Keep up the spectacular work Philip!

I still cry when I think about Norland 😭. It was in the sky Norland! THE SKY!!

The next saga is the reason why so many one-piece fans are so obsessed! The main reason why so many people love these read-throughs is because of getting to this section and seeing how people react! You would absolutely not have any of this amount of dedicated community or positivity going on whatsoever if you didn't come in after The next saga came out. We didn't even know that Oda was considered a great author and a genius at this point one piece itself had only really critical acclaim with the Alabasta ark and when Skipea was first printed the week to week pacing wasn't alway the most engaging. It was only after reading the next saga that that many of us became so in love with this manga and people started naming their kids after characters, An official wing of the emporers Royal Palace became a dedicated one piece museum. There's even an official national holiday in Japan one piece day. We had to go back and reread everything because we just noticed all the layers, clues and foreshadowing for the first time because we didn't know what kind of story it was at the time. Oda even said that the story was half way over at the end of Alabasta so we had no reason to believe it would be as big as it is now 20 years later at this point.

I never knew what that french phrase meant. Never even paid attention to it. It's such a beautiful subtle addition to that spread. Thank you for pointing it out and translating. I love that I can learn new things about the series by watching your vids.

One thing I love about skypea is how gunfall is dressed like quixote (Spanish character) and all the shandia theme is maya like (South American) making a direct reference to Columbus reaching America

The bell's symbolic value and meaning is very underrated. The way it ties together every single theme of this arc is masterful. Quite like the strawhat placed on Nami's head in the East Blue arc. Two very elegant (and eloquent) symbols that are incredibly powerful and compelling.

This was the arc that first pulled me into one piece Thanks for sharing your experience with it, its so cool to hear it fresh again

hey just got recommended this video! love how you retell the story and i can hear your appreciation for it. welcome to the journey!!!!

I am currently watching a Canadian Teacher reading One Piece, Mom Piece lol so this will be just as interesting. Hope you enjoy your Journey, The Community is mostly great and please do just think about everything. Lead us too the One Piece.

skypiea is one of my favorite arcs! hope you enjoyed it

All your analyses so far have very eloquently put to words what I (and so many other fans) love about One Piece! You’ve hit every major point that resonates with a lot of the fandom so far! Very excited for you to read the next saga (it’s mine and a lot of the fans’ favorite)! Without giving any plot points away I think the next saga (especially the main arcs) really showcases the core of each crew member and their most base beliefs, and how those beliefs influence their relationships/interactions with each other. It’s also a real tearjerker so be prepared!!

Love this video. Can’t wait for the following arcs

Love this. If this guy was my English professor I would’ve been front row. This is such an amazing POV of how others digest one piece especially a Professor! BRAVO 🎉

Hi, I subscribed to your channel because you started covering this series I have a few tips and I'm keeping this spoiler-free 1. The next arc (Long Ring Long Land) will be a short funny arc. A lot of people don't like it but I don't agree. The next arc after the short one is another huge one with big stakes so Long Ring Long Land is a great break 2. Some people will advise you to watch anime here. There is an anime-only arc called G-8 and while it's filler (doesn't change anything in the storyline) it is really well written and if you decide to watch it it will help you imagine the crew's voices. About your video because I loved it too Oda wrote about colonization better than anybody I saw. While he showed its bad sides he also showed that not everybody under the colonialist flag was an evil-doer. Both Noland (who served the colonialist kingdom) and Gen Fall are good people who were born on the side that is far from perfect but their actions speak louder than history itself. I think it also connects with Luffy's idea of not acting about the past. Luffy doesn't care about your past. He knows you have it and you are shaped by it but in the end, he cares about who you are which is very well shown when Nojiko wanted to tell Straw Hats about Nami's past and he refused. Luffy didn't fight Enel because of Skypeia's history. He thought him because the man was threatening his friends (old and new like Conis) and because he wanted to ring the Bell so Cricket could hear it - because it was Cricket's dream. Luffy stands in the way of people who enslave others and destroy dreams. Believe me, it's a theme you should keep your eye on Oda tells us that the way forward is in the future not in the past. Robin is an interesting one here because this is her first adventure with SHs and this is where she regains hope. By the end of Alabasta she said she lost hope in her dream and yet on the first adventure with those misfits she finds a piece of her dream I also love the flashback of Noland and Calgara. I think they are kind of based on Gilgamesh and Enkidu

I’m so excited to hear your thoughts on the rest of this series. It’s funny to me how just about every saga of one piece was my favorite until I got to the next one, and even looking back I have the same reaction. Also I want to give a shoutout to the anime-only filler arc that follows Skypeia, which solves the narrative problems of filler arcs (being that the characters have to be in the same situation and the story can’t advance in any way) in a very satisfying manner that’s worth checking out, or even just watching the beginning and ending of

I genuinely look forward to your arc reviews whenever they come out. Skypiea is such an underrated arc with many themes that are really important to the overall story as you pointed out. I can’t wait to see your reaction to the Water 7 saga and the rest of the story! Keep up the good work :)

I love the story of Nolan and the irony and misinformation. The weight and gravity given to the past, and the cyclical nature of things as you discussed. Sins of our fathers or ancestors. And redemption! Perseverance. The part w the Bell is amazing. I like the thumbnail a lot

Ngl, I had to do a double take when I saw the thumbnail. It looks so good and quite authentic! 18:45 I think Enel/Eneru looks like Eminem just because Oda is a fan of him. No further reasons I really enjoyed your thoughts and opinions especially on the themes and questions of the respective arcs! Thank you for reviewing this saga! Just some head-ups: the filler arc in the anime (meaning that Eichiiro Oda has not written/drawn the arc, and is anime exclusive) right after Skypiea is called G-8 arc. This anime filler arc is beloved in the fandom, thus this arc is often recommended to be watched and I agree! So if you want to watch some anime episodes to learn their names, hear the voice acting and get a good grasp on the comedic timing, I highly recommend to watch G-8 arc (episodes 196-206)! Sadly the next canon arc is not so loved, but the rest of the saga is crazy loved and you might want to start arc-reviews instead of saga-reviews. But you do you, and I wish you a fun and good experience!

I love your breakdowns, as someone who’s just about to finish the anime, hearing you breaking down things is so captivating. The story develops so much and has so many things relevant to the current state of the world, the way they go about the subject is so brilliant. I don’t know if you’re planning to go more in depth at a later date, but I notice you start talking about something and then say you’re going to go more in depth later on and I want to hear your thoughts! I’d love for you to break down the things Luffy learns from his fights and the different fighting styles you’ll see throughout and how they overcome them.

Everytime he shows up on my feed I get giddy

SUPER love your reviews of One Piece, excited to see you explore the rest of the story 👀

Oh my goodness, I just finished the last video and upon a page refresh I saw that you had uploaded this 10 minutes ago. Here we go! I really enjoy your thoughts on this as you are fresh to the shonen manga tropes and storytelling ways. It's very interesting and honestly lends more insight on how nuanced Oda's writing is seeing people less experienced in the genre that can still take away the same if not more out of it from experienced readers

I love all the support the fellow One Piece fans in these comments are giving you. I adore walking down memory lane with you. I’ve only watched the anime (I’m on the Punkhazard arc for those who know). You’re doing great, and I’m so happy for you to love this story as well. ❤

don't take comments like " the anime drags on" " it has terrible pacing" etc etc to heart too much. A lot of people who make those comments are people who have rewatched or re-read one piece 3 or 4 or even 8+ times over and over again. those people tend to forget that for first time audiences, the pacing is actually very fast especially now that you can binge watch and binge read instead having to wait weekly.

What i love about your videos is how respectful you are towards One Piece, always being able to connect very well with the characters, the themes and the story, it reminds me of when i was reading this amazing manga years ago, it's just heartwarming. And your analysis as someone who reads a lot and who is a writer itself is just incredible, i'm eager to see your reactions as your journey continues, wishing you all the best!!

Heso!!!🤙 In comparison with Lord Of The Rings, you are at Rivendell, just after Frodo decides to be the ring bearer, the moment in the story where you can start to see the journey ahead and the mission to Mount Doom. At the ending of skypiea you see Roger and I think its the first time you can really start to guess the most important question of the series "What is the One Piece?" Also, I love the bell symbolism. Through the story you can see how different people give the bell a different meaning: -For the ancient Shandians, the sound of the bell was used to guide their ancestors souls to the trees where they believed rested. After Nolan cut down the trees due to the plague and Kalgara apologized for the misunderstanding, the bell rang to guide Nolan again to Jaya saying "We are here", as a promise of "We will see each other again". -When the island rose to the sky, the bell rang and the inhabitants of Skipea called it "the song of the island". After years of war, creating the legend that "when the island sings again, the war with the Shandians will end and all of Skypiea will be at peace" -For Wyper was the symbol of the greatest regret of his ancestor kalgara, for not being able to keep his promise to ring the bell and say "we are here", so he wants to ring the bell so that the souls of Kalgara and Nolan can rest in peace. -And for Luffy ringing the bell was a way to let know the Cricket that his ancestor was not a liar so that he stops searching at the bottom of the sea since the island is in the sky. (because Cricket has divers disease and will die if he continues) So every promise was made full when Luffy punched the bell, the promise of peace for the island, the message to the souls of Kalgara and Nolan and Cricket knowing the truth. I also think I didn't mention it in your alabasta video but I think you would like to hear a couple of songs, the first is the song they used in the anime when Luffy defeated Crocodile and the second its the song the anime uses when they are navigating or in moments of discovery, both are full on Orchestra!!! . (You can get spoil if you search in youtube but they are on spotify) -Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, B. 178 "From the New World": IV. Allegro con fuoco by Antonín Dvořák -World's Number One Oden Store performed by Lars Sorensen (not the original of the anime but pretty close) Finally, I don't know if anyone has warned you, but using manga panels on video can be dangerous because the publisher is known for claiming videos, so I would recommend not using them, just to protect yourself.

Skypiea is PURE ADVENTURE!! I experienced genuine joy and childlike wonder when I was watching the arc in the anime for the first time… The elements and larger than life figures feel like the stuff of classic legends and epics to me… it’s such a specific and wonderful flavor, and I love the sincerity of it all. I’m glad you enjoyed this arc, you’re about to experience my favorite arc of the series.

Skypia is a very important saga, as you said it its about believing in the impossible. I love that luffy learn from Shanks to fight the right way, and not to has unnecessary conflicts something that now in day is hard to see

I love all the things you noticed in this arc! I’m so excited to see you go through this story and see how everything connects as cruise along!

so glad to hear the comments are keeping this experience spoiler free for you, cant wait for you to catch up and to hear your thoughts on the foreshadowing and overall structure of this massive story. happy reading!

i was starting to think youtube is too young for me. until i happened upon your channel. i’m gonna eat up your content like there’s no tomorrow

There is usually a recommendation to check out the G8 anime filler that occurs right after Skypiea. It is not canon but many fans consider it to be ascended canon because of how good the characterization everything is and just the good story it tells. Otherwise, up next, a devisee arc for the fanbase, Long Ring Long Land.

i've been loving your one piece videos so much!! i just finished skypiea yesterday and really enjoyed it, it had such a great sense of adventure with this fantastical creative setting, and i loved the themes about traditions and change and what you choose to learn from history, plus that good old fashioned pirate hunt for gold. i liked your thoughts about luffy's character development and about robin, i can't wait to learn more about her eneru is maybe my favorite villain so far because of how much he embodies selfishness and subjugation and how satisfying (and funny) it was to see him get taken down by someone immune to his powers (and his crew!!!) to me that's a major facet of what one piece is all about! like how leading through fear, rejecting companionship, and destroying things you don't understand only leads to your downfall. i'm so excited to keep going with this story and this crew, and for your future videos!!

Just knowing what lies ahead in the story for you has me excited for you. Keep enjoying, it’s only still the beginning!

Very cool to be tuning in at this point. Keep it up doc

What a nice surprise, this feels like a gift since I have just graduated with my AA today. This arc is probably the most underrated arc in the entire series and it is really upsetting when a lot of people don't properly understand it's importance in the story as a whole. Another great video from you.

At this point the whole world starts growing exponentially and it's full of life. Oda's worldbuilng is second to none and it will continue to show. You are in for a treat with what is to come! Oda will continue surprising you and outdoing himself. I'm enjoying your reviews very much and all the analysis of the themes and hiw you read the characters spot on. Also, if you ever want to get on watching the anime, there is a project called ONE PACE where they edited the episodes to match them with the manga's pacing and it cuts the viewing time about 50% I think it's the definitive way of watching it. There are some emotional moments in the story that the voice acting and the soundtrack make it all the more special and hits you differently. Please keep these videos coming!

Absolutely have loved watching your literary analysis of this series all of us love so much. Look forward to watching the rest of your breakdowns!

Skypiea is one of my favourite arcs on the entire series. I personally believe the influences that led to this arc are way deeper, and go back to the Epic of Gilgamesh (the story of the two friends, the cutting of the cedar forest, Eneru and "the arc" (Enlil being one of the gods in mythology that created the flood)) It's such a beautiful story, and your analysis was excellent.

Absolutely loving these videos and the unique literary insights that you bring to the discussion!

A little piece of trivia: The bonfire scene, with the Strawhats dancing with wolves (possibly another reference to the natives by Oda there, in which case, shoutout to Kevin Costner). At some point Oda was asked about his favourite moments in the series, and he said the bonfire panel was one of his favourites to draw

Next arc is my favorite can’t wait for you to read it.

An unconfirmed bit of information is that the Maxim's name also may have come from the "Circus Maximus", an ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium east of the temple for Summanus, the god of nocturnal thunder.

Your on an amazing journey. I'll see you in wano. Be there

Theese videos truly brighten my day! Keep enjoying the journey

Philip's thumb nail game is outstanding. Only thing that he is better at than thumb nails is writing fantasy books! Good Job Philip👍.

Skypiea is one of the best arcs in the early parts of one piece (in my opinion haha). There is So Much foreshadowing in this arc for a lot of stuff that happens later on in the story, so hearing your thoughts on some of the themes in this arc was really neat as a caught up fan haha. Robin is one of my favorite characters and I’m super excited for you to learn more about her. These next upcoming arcs are my personal favorites so I’m very much looking forward to hearing your thoughts on them! Thanks for the great video as always!

I always look forward to these. I am glad you are still enjoying the series!

the detail of this arc like how people in skypia has three type of wings designe

dreams never end and a man only dies when he is forgotten

Just stumbled on ur video by accident I have loved one piece since I was a kid I am a father in my mid 30s now I am excited to hear your journey of one piece !!!👍

I can't wait for you to get to the Enies Lobby saga (I'm pretty you're 2 arcs away). Enies Lobby is the point that most say that One Piece goes from being pretty good to HOLY CRAP THIS IS AMAZING! Both arcs happen to have some of the most emotionally impactful moments, it also brings the scale of One Piece up by quite a bit. Now I will say that before you get to the Enies Lobby saga you have to get past the Long Ring Long Land arc which a lot of people find to be really bad, but I have a feeling you might enjoy it more than most because of the humor in the arc.

If you have time by the way..there is a great filler arc in between this arc and the next arc in the animecalles G-8, thats a handful of episodes. Im sure the community will recommend this to you, so if you have time and want extra content that material is actually great! No worries if you wana just stick to the manga though:)

The chapters with Blackbeard, Warlords... Etc is what most of the time people call Lorepiece. Most of the time we either catch up on other characters, see what's happening in the world, answer one question and introduce 10 more... Etc. I love them And I don't know if you remember but Blackbeard was first mentioned in Drum Island. Dalton talk about Blackbeard attacking the island and destroying the kingdom, which what lead to Wapol escaping to play at being pirate for a while. Also, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but there are cover chapters stories sometimes, not just art requests. Buggy's and Coby's are two examples that already happened. They're events that are happening in the world while the Straw Hats are moving forward

I would highly recommend the G-8 anime-only arc right after Skypiea. It's considered to be the best filler and shows a bit of fun and depth to the marine bases (or the G-8 base). A clever and genuinely good guy of an antagonist. I also love it when the strawhats are just goofing off rather than the more serious stuff from time to time.

I love your insights. Thank you for taking us on your joruney with you through one piece!!

The scene with Blackbeard proclaiming that dreams never end is my favorite scene in the series. It encapsulates the core of onepiece perfectly. Not to mention the foreshadowing.