One Piece Season 2 Can't Afford To Skip This Small Zoro Moment After New Manga Reveal
Summary
- For pacing purposes,
One Piece
season 2 may have been tempted to cut the scene where Zoro acquires new swords in Loguetown. -
One Piece
chapter #1117 makes this scene too important to remove. - The scene was already too vital for Zoro’s character to remove from the live-action adaptation.
A Roronoa Zoro moment that Netflix’s One Piece might have been tempted to skip in live-action just became essential thanks to a new manga reveal. One Piece earned its reputation as Netflix’s best live-action anime adaptation by staying true to Eiichiro Oda’s original manga. Nevertheless, cramming the entirety of One Piece‘s East Blue arc into only eight episodes required cutting many minor manga elements, from Luffy’s battle against Don Krieg to Zoro’s friends Johnny and Yosaku. The forthcoming One Piece season 2 will undoubtedly need to repeat that strategy.
A story One Piece season 2 will not skip is Loguetown. As the Straw Hats’ last stop before entering the Grand Line, the lack of Loguetown in season 1 raised concerns before showrunner Matt Owens stepped in to confirm Loguetown will feature in One Piece season 2. While Luffy’s live-action crew will definitely explore Loguetown, however, the Going Merry may not dock there very long. With plenty of other business to attend to – Laboon, Whiskey Peak, Dorry & Brogy, Baroque Works, Alabasta, etc. – Loguetown may need to be a flying visit. With that said, Zoro’s biggest moment in Loguetown is now a must-have for One Piece season 2.
Related
How Many One Piece Episodes Netflix’s Live-Action Covers (& Where To Start Watching The Anime)
The One Piece anime has over a thousand episodes, so Netflix’s live-action series has a lot of ground to cover. Here’s what One Piece season 1 covers.
One Piece Season 2 Definitely Can’t Skip Zoro’s Loguetown Sword Scene Now
One Of Zoro’s New Swords Packs A Big Canon Punch
During the One Piece manga and anime’s Loguetown arc, Zoro replaces the swords that were broken during his battle against Dracule Mihawk. Instead of showing Mackenyu’s live-action Zoro rifling through barrels of swords and bartering with the local merchant, Netflix’s One Piece season 2 could have justified skipping the sword scene altogether, with Zoro acquiring his new weapons either offscreen or at a more convenient place in the story. This is no longer possible, as One Piece chapter #1117 makes one sword Zoro buys in Loguetown – and the manner in which he buys it – far more important.
Skipping over the sword’s introduction in
One Piece
season 2 would represent a huge injustice.
Zoro obtains two swords in Loguetown: the largely insignificant Yubashiri and the massively significant Sandai Kitetsu. The latter is a cursed sword the merchant begs Zoro not to take, but Luffy’s mossy-headed friend refuses to heed the warning and adopts the doomed blade as one of his signature weapons. For the vast majority of the One Piece story, Sandai Kitetsu’s curse goes unmentioned. Chapter #1117, however, confirms a long-held theory that the major villain Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, a member of One Piece‘s Five Elders, also carries a Kitetsu sword, likely the predecessor of Zoro’s own Kitetsu.
Zoro’s Sandai Kitetsu pulls him deeper into One Piece‘s expansive lore, drawing a direct connection to the franchise’s very biggest villains. Moreover, wielding a Kitetsu sword makes Nusjuro a natural enemy for Zoro, giving the fan-favorite swordsman another fated duel beyond just One Piece‘s inevitable Mihawk rematch. Netflix skipping over the sword’s introduction in season 2 would represent a huge injustice.
Zoro Getting New Swords Will Be An Important Character Moment In One Piece Season 2
Zoro’s Loguetown Scene Has A Second Reason For Being Included In One Piece Season 2
Even without the connection to Nusjuro, it could be argued that Zoro’s acquisition of Sandai Kitetsu in Loguetown marks a pivotal character moment Netflix’s live-action One Piece simply cannot skip in season 2. Upon hearing the blade is cursed, Zoro tests his fortune by tossing Kitetsu into the air and letting it fall toward his arm. When it narrowly misses, Zoro claims the weapon as his own. The scene perfectly demonstrates Zoro’s devil may care attitude and commitment to the art of the blade. Zoro’s willingness to risk his arm on Sandai Kitetsu’s will is a defining moment in his journey, and a fine example of the “honor first, body second” attitude he exudes throughout One Piece.
If the Going Merry sails onto the Grand Line without Mackenyu first recreating Zoro’s manga and anime sword trick, live-action Loguetown could only be seen as a disappointment – especially after One Piece season 1 adapted its source material so faithfully. Netflix’s adaptation may not last long enough to pay off Sandai Kitetsu’s connection to the Five Elders and the sword’s true history, glossing over its introduction would not give the weapon the respect it deserves.
One Piece (Live-Action)
Based on the popular manga/anime series, One Piece is a live-action Netflix adaptation of the story from Eiichiro Oda. The show follows the exploits of a band of pirates, the Straw Hats, led by the energetic and adventure-loving Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy is a young man cursed with strange powers after accidentally eating a mysterious fruit. With his friends Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji, Luffy will head across the vast ocean to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece.
- Cast
- Iñaki Godoy , Mackenyu , Emily Rudd , Jacob Romero Gibson , Taz Skylar
- Release Date
- August 31, 2023
- Seasons
- 1
