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‘One Piece’ Season 1 Recap: What To Remember Before Netflix’s Fantasy Adventure Series Returns

Emily Rudd, Iñaki Godoy, and Mackenyu Arata looking confident in One Piece.Image via Netflix

By Ryan Cortero Published Mar 8, 2026, 7:42 PM EDT Ryan Cortero was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, the home of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and The Boys. He's passionate about all types of movies and shows, especially reality TV, superhero content, and indie dramas. When he travels, it’s mainly to Disney Parks around the world (Tokyo Disneyland Resort is his favourite). He graduated from Carleton University with a postbaccalaureate in Film Studies. He’s been working in the journalism industry since 2022 as a social media director and writer. Ryan has interviewed talents such as Joe Locke, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Kevin Durand, Owen Teague, and John Paesano. Sign in to your Collider account Add Us On follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Almost 30 years since Eiichiro Oda introduced One Piece to the world, the franchise has become one of the most popular ongoing manga and anime stories of all time, spanning over 100 volumes and 1,100 episodes to date. So it's no surprise that a big company like Netflix would release a live-action One Piece. Unlike Netflix's previous live-action anime adaptations like Cowboy Bebop that failed to capture the essence of the source material, One Piece was considered a hit amongst fans of the manga/anime, and also drew in new audiences. Thanks to its relatable characters, action-packed sequences, and heartwarming stories, One Piece became one of the highest-viewed Netflix shows in the second half of 2023.

Although One Piece Season 1 has only eight episodes, show developers Matt Owens and Steven Maeda managed to adapt most of the East Blue Saga, which covered almost 100 manga chapters and 61 anime episodes. Before the Straw Hats set sail for the Grand Line in Season 2, let's recap everything you need to know from One Piece Season 1.

Monkey D. Luffy Assembles the Straw Hat Pirates To Find the One Piece

One Piece opens with the legendary Pirate King Gol D. Roger (Michael Dorman) about to be executed for his crimes of piracy. Before his death, he reveals that he hid his treasure, known as the One Piece, and whoever finds it will get wealth, fame, and power. This led to the Great Pirate Era, as everyone went off in search of this treasure. 22 years later, no one has found it, but our hero, Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), is up for the challenge. Since he was a child, he's always dreamed of being King of the Pirates after befriending Red-Haired Shanks (Peter Gadiot) and wanting to join their crew. As he digs through their treasure, Luffy finds and eats a Gum-Gum Fruit, one of the Devil Fruits, that changes his body to have rubber-like properties. Although Luffy never ends up joining Shanks' crew, Shanks entrusts his straw hat to the boy and tells him to return it once he's become a great pirate.

Flash forward to the present day, Luffy is still on the path to fulfilling his ultimate dream, but he needs a boat, crew, and a map to the Grand Line, where Luffy believes the One Piece is. He meets Koby (Morgan Davies), a cabin boy for the cruel pirate Alvida (Ilia Isorelýs Paulino). After freeing Koby, the two travel to a Marine base, which is rumored to have a map to the Grand Line. Luffy allies with a thief and navigator named Nami (Emily Rudd), who is also trying to steal the map. They free Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), a skilled swordsman and pirate hunter, to help defeat the Marines during their escape. Although they're a trio that shouldn't get along on paper, they work well together when needed. Koby decides to stay behind and fulfill his dream of becoming a Marine. Knowing they'll be on opposite sides of the law, Luffy and Koby share a heartfelt farewell.

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After defeating Buggy the Clown (Jeff Ward) and his pirate circus crew, Luffy, Zoro, and Nami meet Usopp (Jacob Romero), a dockworker, as well as Usopp's friend and shipyard owner, Kaya (Celeste Loots), who they save from certain death at the hands of the disguised pirate captain Kuro (Alexander Maniatis). Kaya repays the Straw Hats with a ship that Luffy dubs the Going Merry, and Usopp also accepts Luffy's invitation to join the crew. When the group stops at Baratie, a floating restaurant, Luffy pays his compliments to one of the chefs, Sanji (Taz Skylar), for the delicious food. However, a skilled pirate swordsman, Dracule Mihawk (Steven John Ward), shows up to take Luffy in. Zoro steps up to challenge Mihawk, but ends up badly wounded and inches from death. Mihawk leaves Zoro alive out of respect and hopes they get to have a rematch once Zoro is stronger, while Sanji has his boss and guardian, Zeff (Craig Fairbrass), tend to Zoro's wounds. Once Zoro is healed, Luffy vows to help Sanji for his kindness and asks him to join the crew.

The Straw Hats Are Betrayed by One of Their Own in 'One Piece' Season 1

Emily Rudd as Nami with the straw hat in One PieceImage via Netflix

Just when it seemed like everything is going as well as could be, Arlong (McKinley Belcher III), the most dangerous pirate in all the East Blue, shows up and defeats Luffy while looking for the Grand Line map. In a shocking twist, it's revealed that Nami has been secretly working for Arlong, but there's a heartbreaking explanation behind it. The Straw Hats learn from Nami's adopted sister, Nojiko (Chioma Umeala), that Arlong and his crew invaded their village and killed their mother, Belle-Mere (Genna Galloway), when they were kids. To protect Nojiko and the rest of Coco Village, Nami made a deal with Arlong to buy back her village's freedom for 100 million berries. Until she pays off her debt, she's forced to work for him.

Nami ultimately tries to pay her debt to Arlong, but he goes back on their deal after making another agreement with Marine Nezumi (Rory Acton-Burnell) to let him off the hook for his crimes in exchange for Nami's money. Nami is left devastated that her betrayal was all for nothing, and attempts to carve out the tattoo on her arm that identifies her as a member of Arlong's crew, but Luffy finds her and agrees to help her defeat Arlong. The One Piece Season 1 finale is an epic battle between the Straw Hats and the Arlong Pirates, where each of our heroes shows off their unique skills and newfound teamwork. Luffy manages to defeat Arlong, finally freeing Nami and Coco Village from his rule.

Their celebration is cut short when Nezumi calls in Marine Vice Admiral Garp (Vincent Regan) to take Luffy in. Garp played a part in Gol D. Roger's execution and has sworn to put an end to piracy across the world. Since breaking into the Marine base and stealing the Grand Line map, Garp has been after Luffy. It's also revealed that Garp is Luffy's grandfather and that he's been trying to make Luffy a Marine so that his grandson avoids the same fate as Gol D. Roger, despite Luffy's professed desire to become King of the Pirates.

More Dangerous Foes Are After the Straw Hats in 'One Piece' Season 2

With little time to recover after defeating Arlong, Luffy is no match for Garp. Despite trying to forcefully stop Luffy from being a pirate, Luffy's determination is strong. As a sign of respect, Garp lets Luffy and the Straw Hats go. Before heading off, Koby reveals that Garp has ordered a bounty for Luffy's arrest at 30 million berries — the highest in all the East Blue. This garners attention from previous villains like Alvida and Buggy while also teasing a mysterious new villain for Season 2 in Smoker (Callum Kerr). The news also reaches Shanks and his crew, who are more than happy to see Luffy achieve his dream of being a famous pirate.

As the Straw Hats make their way to the dangerous current known as the Grand Line, they realize that the bounty on Luffy's head will only draw more unwanted attention their way. While they were victorious against the toughest pirate in all the East Blue, they're not aware of the dangers ahead of them in the Grand Line. As the One Piece Season 2 trailer shows, a criminal syndicate, Baroque Works, will come to collect, and it won't be an easy fight for our beloved Straw Hats.

One Piece Season 2 premieres March 10 on Netflix.

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One Piece

Like Follow Followed TV-14 Action Adventure Fantasy Release Date August 31, 2023 Network Netflix Showrunner Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Joe Tracz Directors Tim Southam, Marc Jobst, Josef Kubota Wladyka Writers Tiffany Greshler, Diego Gutierrez, Allison Weintraub, Lindsay Gelfand