When One Piece first took the world by storm over two decades ago, countless anime fans set aside their former favorites and fell in love with Eiichiro Oda’s masterpiece. From Naruto to Bleach, every series experienced a significant decline in its fan base as many fans transitioned to One Piece and have been following it ever since. The primary reason for this epic transition was the heart-touching moments that were portrayed in the narrative.
From quiet acts of loyalty to full-blown battlefield tragedies, there are ten pre-time-skip moments that majorly contributed to the success of the series.
10. Nami’s Cry and Straw Hats Walk (Arlong Park Arc)
The Arlong Park sequence that begins with Nami’s tearful request to Luffy is one of the earliest moments that convinced viewers that One Piece is more than just a story filled with fun and adventure. The reveal of her past, Bellemere’s sacrifice, and her burden of saving everyone combined to form a simple but devastatingly effective plotline that changed fans’ perspectives forever.
What came after that was even more effective. The story saw the Straw Hats walking past a crying Nami while she clutched her hat. It is an image that many One Piece fans remember to this day. It gave fans a glimpse of what friendship means to Luffy as the protagonist of the series and the resolve of the Straw Hat Pirates as a crew.
9. Tony Tony Chopper’s Backstory and Dr. Hiriluk’s Death (Drum Island)
Chopper’s origin story during the Drum Island saga is an early example of One Piece using backstory to create emotional weight and impact. It was one of those moments in the story that made fans cry their hearts out. From being sidelined because of being different to unintentionally speeding the death of Dr. Hiriluk, Chopper carried a lot, and when it was portrayed, it created something sad and beautiful.
The emotional impact of this storyline increases tenfold when Chopper is asked to join the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece. He inherited Hiriluk’s dream and Kureha’s knowledge, which eventually cemented his place in the crew and in the hearts of One Piece fans. To this day, Chopper is considered to be one of the best-written characters in the series.
8. Luffy vs Rob Lucci – Gear Second (Enies Lobby)
Luffy has been a fan-favorite character since the beginning of the story, but what changed the fans’ perspective towards him was his battles during Enies Lobby. When he first awakened Gear Second against Blueno, it was confirmed that he is serious about his dream and his friends, thus willing to go to any lengths in order to save them.
What added more weight to the plot was Luffy’s battle with Rob Lucci after burning down the flag of the World Government. This not only confirmed his fight against the tyranny of the World Government, but also added a new element to the combat sequences of the One Piece story that Eiichiro Oda uses even today.
7. Zoro Takes Luffy’s Pain and Says “Nothing Happened.” (Thriller Bark)
During the Thriller Bark arc, Zoro was given a choice by Bartholomew Kuma to take Luffy’s suffering and pain. Without even thinking about it, the Straw Hats’ swordsman agreed to it, which gave fans a glimpse of his quiet but brutal testament of loyalty towards Luffy and his crew. His willingness to accept overwhelming pain and possibly death for his captain pushes the theme of sacrificing their dreams for friendship, which was totally unexpected.
What made this scene even more iconic was Zoro’s simple “Nothing happened,” which not only confirmed the fact that he was alive but also pointed out that he endured all of that pain without a wrinkle on his face. To this day, One Piece fans remember this scene as one of the greatest Zoro moments in the series.
6. Luffy Punches a Celestial Dragon (Sabaody Archipelago)
When Luffy saw that his friend was shot by a Celestial Dragon, it enraged him to the point where he punched the lights out of him. While it was probably the biggest crime in the One Piece world, it established a symbolic statement about Luffy’s refusal to accept injustice. One Piece has focused on the cruelty of the aristocratic World Nobles, and Luffy’s punch was the most satisfying reply to it.
What made this scene even more dramatic was the fallout from that punch, which later on spiraled into the biggest defeat for the Straw Hat crew. However, when they met again after two years, they were stronger than ever and ready to face any kind of challenge that the One Piece world was going to throw at them.
5. Whitebeard’s Last Stand and Death (Marineford)
The Marineford battle to save Ace from execution is something that One Piece fans will remember until the end. However, the one character who was responsible for it becoming the greatest memory was Whitebeard. The mission to rescue Ace turned out to be his final battle, and it was a perfect display of loyalty, power, and tragic dignity.
His last stand, when he declared the fact that the One Piece is real, sent shivers down the spine of every fan. This thrilling scene was turned into an emotional but inspiring moment when Whitebeard finally succumbed to death, and the lore of his journey and his scars during the battle were narrated. It proved that he was one of the strongest forces of the pirate world in One Piece.
4. Ace’s death at Marineford (Marineford)
Ace’s death in One Piece is one of the most emotional gut-punches in the history of Shonen. It was a scene that broke many fans, and to this day, it remains stuck in memory as a defining moment that changed the series forever. The reason this scene holds so importance is because it completely destroyed Luffy to the point where he couldn’t even breathe.
Luffy has mostly been a cheerful character, and thus, witnessing him break down in raw grief after losing Ace was a painful reminder that he also feels suffering. Plus, it also brought a major change in his personality that helped him grow so much and become one of the strongest characters in One Piece.
3. The Going Merry’s Funeral (Enies Lobby)
One Piece fans never thought that the burning of a ship would make them cry their eyes out. The Going Merry was a significant member of the Straw Hat Pirates, and when the time came to bid the ship farewell, it turned out to be one of the saddest moments in the history of the series. What made it even more emotional was the reaction of the crew who were sentimentally attached to the ship.
The scene also reflected Oda’s brilliant storytelling abilities, which helped One Piece become one of the greatest pieces of art in history. To make fans fall in love with an object and then embed it as a crucial element into the story is something that not everyone can achieve.
2. Nico Robin – “I want to live!” (Enies Lobby)
When Robin was apprehended by the World Government (CP9 Agents), she believed her destiny was to die and thus accepted her fate. However, Luffy convinced her that she is worth living and forced her to say the words “I want to live,” which became one of the greatest scenes in the history of One Piece. Plus, Luffy declaring war against the World Government just to save her friend made it even more special.
Nico Robin is a significant member of the Straw Hat Pirates now, and it is only possible because Luffy broke all barriers to save her. The scene combined emotions with combat, and thus, even today, when fans look at Robin, they are reminded of what she went through and the struggles her crew went through to save her.
1. Luffy saving Sanji and Nami (Drum Island)
During the Drum Island storyline in One Piece, Nami got seriously ill, and the crew had to take her to a doctor. During this journey, Sanji also got seriously injured, and the responsibility fell on Luffy to carry both of them through snowstorms and cross mountains, which once again reflected his friendship and loyalty towards his crewmates in One Piece.
It is one of the greatest scenes in the history of anime as it reflects the extreme lengths that Luffy is willing to go to save his friends. This was one of the first scenes where fans fell in love with Luffy, the Straw Hat Pirates, and One Piece. And since then, the series has amassed a huge fanbase that is even bigger than the population of certain countries.
| One Piece Moments | One Piece Arcs | Anime Episode Number |
|---|---|---|
| Nami’s cry and the Straw Hats walk | Arlong Park arc | 37 |
| Tony Tony Chopper’s backstory / Dr. Hiriluk’s death | Drum Island arc | 86 |
| Luffy vs Rob Lucci — Gear Second debut | Enies Lobby arc | 273 |
| Zoro takes Luffy’s pain (“Nothing happened.”) | Thriller Bark / Kuma scene | 377 |
| Luffy punches a Celestial Dragon | Sabaody Archipelago arc | 396 |
| Whitebeard’s last stand and death | Marineford arc | 485 |
| Ace’s death | Marineford arc | 483 |
| The Going Merry’s funeral | Water 7 / Enies Lobby | 312 |
| Nico Robin — “I want to live!” | Enies Lobby arc | 278 |
| Luffy saving Sanji and Nami (climb) | Drum Island arc | 83 |
One Piece is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
