The legendary shonen anime One Piece is divided into a stunning variety of story arcs, many of which are grouped into larger sagas to explore a major phase of this anime adventure. Over time, protagonist Monkey D. Luffy explored a variety of islands and towns all across the four great seas, meeting countless friends and foes while getting into intense fights. Although there is definitely a basic formula in place for how these arcs and adventures play out, each story arc in One Piece has something unique to offer, and the best of them easily stand out from the rest.

Different One Piece fans will have their own preferences about which arcs in the anime are best, of course. Some fans may adore the less popular arcs, while others think the most popular arcs are totally overrated. Still, even so, there seems to be a loose consensus online about which One Piece story arcs are the series' best. Overall, the most popular One Piece arcs are those with memorable fight scenes, iconic moments, exciting dialogue, and cool characters who push the story forward in incredible ways.

Updated on June 28th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: This list of the best One Piece arcs has been expanded with five more entries to review some wonderful fan-favorite arcs that left a serious impact on One Piece fans everywhere. Some of these arcs are brief storylines from early in the saga, but they still mean a lot, since they show how Luffy's crew came together and have some serious nostalgia.

15 The Orange Town Arc Ushered in One Piece's Main Trio

One of the earliest story arcs in One Piece became a fan-favorite not because it had a huge cast and deep lore, but because it marked two important firsts in the story. For one thing, the anime finally formed its own shonen-style trio, with Luffy and Roronoa Zoro meeting the cat burglar Nami, a girl who ended up joining them in the fight against Buggy the Clown. From there, the Straw Hat Pirates crew would keep on growing.

Also, this story arc was the first time two Devil Fruit users fought one another. While Zoro fought Buggy's men, Luffy took on the clown pirate captain himself, testing his Gum-Gum Fruit powers against Buggy's Chop-Chop Fruit abilities. Looking back, that was a simple and easy battle with no Haki or awakened Fruit powers, but it still helped set the tone for One Piece's delightful combat system.

14 The Syrup Village Story Arc Featured One Piece's First Serious Plot Twist

At the time, One Piece's storyline was simple and broken up into distinct arcs, so a major plot twist in a single arc was a big deal at the time. Thus, when Klahadore the butler revealed himself to be Captain Kuro the villainous pirate, everyone was shocked, and the stakes shot through the roof. In the Netflix version of this twist, Captain Kuro even had a sinister horror monster vibe.

This arc showed Luffy overcoming his toughest enemy yet, and he also recruited the beloved trickster Usopp, who would go on to become a Straw Hat staple. Also, the Syrup Village arc introduced Luffy to his new ship, the Going Merry, which would be an iconic part of the anime until its eventual retirement at Water 7.

13 The Baratie Story Arc Introduced the Concept of Restaurant Ships

Another outstanding and nostalgic One Piece story arc from the early days is the Baratie story arc. That storyline introduced fans to the idea of a restaurant ship, which is more than a diner with sails. A restaurant ship is staffed by chefs equally adept at cuisine and combat, and no one embodied that strategy more than chef Zeff and his foster son, Sanji Vinsmoke.

Sanji quickly proved to be one of One Piece's coolest and most compelling characters thus far, a slick combination of elegant kicking, fancy cooking, suits, and a burning passion for beautiful girls. This arc also foreshadowed the brutality of the Grand Line when Don Krieg's ragged fleet limped its way back to the East Blue after visiting that place.

12 The Sabaody Archipelago Introduced the Supernovas and Did Some Grim Worldbuilding

The Straw Hat Pirates visited the Sabaody Archipelago twice, the setting for their post time-skip reunion two years later. During the crew's first adventure there, they met a variety of powerful characters, including a variety of the Supernovas, some of the most noteworthy pirates of their generation. That included Trafalgar D. Water Law, who would become a key ally of Luffy's in the New World.

This story arc produced mixed results for the Straw Hats. They were horrified at the slave auction house, but at least Luffy symbolically struck back by hitting Saint Charlos. The Straw Hats also met up with Silvers Rayleigh and Shakky, but things turned truly sour when the Straw Hats ran afoul of both Admiral Kizaru and Bartholomew Kuma.

11 The Whole Cake Island Arc Featured a Colorful Mix of Characters

Some might say that Sanji's flashback in the Whole Cake Island arc was too little, too late to deepen his character, but Sanji fans no doubt enjoyed finding out where exactly he came from. The truth was rough, since Sanji's flashback involved serious abuse from his brothers and father, who all deemed him inferior for not being born superhuman in Germa 66.

This story arc also involved some of the best fights of the New World, including Luffy's intense duel against Charlotte Katakuri, his true equal among the Big Mom Pirates, which is how Luffy learned to use Color of Observation Haki. Elsewhere, the Straw Hats and their Fire Tank Pirates allies fought the mighty Big Mom herself, who used the fierce power of her hat-sword Napoleon to terrorize them on the seas.

The Marineford arc continues to rank among the most popular One Piece arcs, and it's also one of the most action-packed and consequential story arcs, which may not be a coincidence. The Marineford arc is the climax of the overall Summit War saga, and it contains the entire Summit War that unfolds at the Navy's base.

Everyone who was someone gathered at Marineford to fight an incredible battle, a one-day war that shook the world as One Piece fans knew it. On one side was the massive Whitebeard Pirates crew, led by Captain Whitebeard himself, and various allied pirate crews. On the other side was the Navy and its best warriors, including the three fearsome Admirals. Monkey D. Luffy didn't care much about that great clash, however — his stakes were more personal, desperately trying to rescue his foster brother Ace before time ran out.

9 The Water 7 Arc Saw the Straw Hat Crew Partially Break Up

The Water 7 Saga challenged the Straw Hat crew in unexpected ways, and the protagonists of One Piece faced their most personal stakes yet, mainly Usopp the carpenter and Nico Robin, the newest member of the crew. By that point, the Going Merry was falling apart, especially after using the Knock Up Stream near Jaya, but Luffy and Usopp couldn't agree on what to do next with their ship.

Usopp was determined to save the ship, while Luffy was ready to discard it and find a new one to continue his high-seas adventure. That brought the crewmates to blows in an emotionally charged duel that made all the difference in Usopp's character arc. Meanwhile, Nico Robin quietly slipped away, handing herself over to the authorities to protect the crew from herself, a move Luffy couldn't accept.

8 The Enies Lobby Arc Saw the Straw Hat Crew Reunite Stronger Than Ever

The Enies Lobby story arc was the second-to-last arc in the overall Water 7 saga, and that arc saw the Straw Hat crew reunite with stronger bonds of loyalty and trust than ever before. Unwilling to let the World Government drag Nico Robin away, Luffy led his remaining crewmates across the sea to Enies Lobby itself, where he declared war on the World Government to make a statement.

What followed was an exciting, all-out battle for the island of Enies Lobby as Luffy's new friends, including Franky's crew, assaulted the island. Along the way, Luffy used a "talk jutsu" to convince a tormented Nico Robin to rejoin the Straw Hat crew, the only place where she belonged. Robin tearfully cried, "I want to live!" — an inspiring moment that really stuck with One Piece fans as an example of hope and love triumphing over fear.

7 The Skypiea Arc Combined Isekai With Intriguing Mysteries and Worldbuilding

The overall Sky Island saga began with the Jaya Island story arc in canon, where Luffy happened to meet Marshall D. Teach, or Captain Blackbeard. At the time, though, Luffy's worst enemy was actually the self-proclaimed god Enel/Eneru, who ruled over Skypiea from his cozy position in the Upper Yard, where no one could touch him.

After reaching Skypiea, Luffy and his friends fought their way through Enel's defenders with a series of challenges until Luffy defeated the arrogant lightning god himself. Luffy saved the entire sky island from certain doom, and along the way, One Piece indulged in some intriguing worldbuilding and lore-building with a Poneglyph and the remains of El Dorado/City of Gold. One Piece fans also love this arc for previewing Luffy's true nature as Joy Boy, thanks to that joyful shadow Luffy created near the arc's end.

6 The Drum Island Arc Saw Tony Tony Chopper Join the Crew

Luffy and his small crew explored a colorful variety of islands in the larger Alabasta saga, the first saga that took place in the Grand Line. The Straw Hat Pirates visited Reverse Mountain, Whisky Peak, and Little Garden before arriving at their fourth destination, the snowy Drum Island, the former domain of Wapol, the tyrannical king.

There, Luffy and his friends sought aid for Nami, who was stricken with a dangerous disease. The real story, meanwhile, concerned the talking reindeer Tony Tony Chopper, who was determined to follow in Dr. Hiriluk's footsteps to save lives as a medical professional. In the end, Chopper felt validated when the Straw Hats accepted him and helped him and Dr. Kureha fight off Wapol one last time to establish the benevolent Sakura Kingdom.

5 The Arlong Park Arc Dealt With Nami's Painful Past in Coco Village

The Arlong Park arc was the second-to-last canon arc in the East Blue saga, the very first saga that launched the One Piece adventure. Although Nami the navigator was introduced back in the Orange Town arc, her backstory and personal quest were not explored until the Arlong Park arc, a heartbreaking arc of loss, betrayal, and desperation against Arlong's cruelty.

Nami turned her back on Luffy's tiny crew to finish her grim business with Arlong, aiming to buy back Coco Village from him. When Arlong reneged on the deal, Nami tearfully turned to Luffy for help, and Luffy obliged her when he defeated Arlong for all time. At that moment, Nami became a true Straw Hat, and fans saw what a devoted friend Nami was to her fellow villagers, to her foster sister, and to her new crew.

4 The Alabasta Arc Was a Tense Desert Adventure for the Fate of a Kingdom

The popular Alabasta saga reached its climax during the Alabasta arc, a lengthy story arc that brought all members of Baroque Works to the fore. Earlier arcs introduced a few members, such as Mr. 3, Mr. 5, and Mr. 9 and their partners, but the Alabasta arc upped the ante with Mr. 2 Bon Clay, Mr. 1, and most of all, Mr. 0, or Sir Crocodile himself.

Sir Crocodile wanted to seize the Pluton superweapon at all costs, so he caused an entire civil war just to get his chance. The desert kingdom fell into chaos, thanks to a drought and that war, so it fell to the Straw Hats and the brave Princess Vivi to reach the capital in time to stop Crocodile and prevent the capital's utter destruction. It was the first truly epic adventure the Straw Hats had together, making it an important milestone in the story. Luffy even gained Nico Robin as a crew member in the process.

3 The Impel Down Arc Was the Ultimate Shonen Jailbreak

The Impel Down story arc took place partway through the Summit War saga after the Straw Hats got scattered all over the world by Bartholomew Kuma's attack. Alone, Luffy met Boa Hancock, who agreed to sneak him into the great prison Impel Down to rescue Ace. What followed was an exciting race against the clock as Luffy fought his way deeper into Impel Down, recruiting former enemies as he went.

The Impel Down story arc was a brutal one for Luffy, who was pushed to the absolute limit. He was in over his head when fighting warden Magellan and the jailers of Impel Down, and he nearly died until the revolutionary leader Emporio Ivankov gave him a fighting chance. Luffy miraculously recovered and, in the process, met some critical new allies while fans were given hints about the upcoming final battle with the Revolutionary Army.

2 The Dressrosa Arc Showed an Oppressed Kingdom in Revolt Against a Warlord

In the New World, Luffy and his crew had their first major adventure at Fish-Man Island, and then the Dressrosa saga began with the Punk Hazard arc. That led to the Dressrosa arc, a massive story arc that pitted Luffy and his growing roster of allies against the cruel Donquixote Doflamingo, a Warlord of the Sea and the king of Dressrosa.

Countless high-voltage battles unfolded as Luffy's team, including the likes of Trafalgar D. Water Law and the Tontotta people, fought to reclaim the island for the Riku royal family. Luffy also unveiled Gear 4, complete with his Bounceman form, to defeat his strongest enemy yet and bring freedom to all the people. In the aftermath, Luffy had an entire pirate armada formed around him, and Princess Rebecca owed Luffy a debt of gratitude.

1 The Wano Arc Pitted Luffy's Team Against Two Emperors in an Isolated Land

The most recent completed saga, the Wano saga, is the series' longest and definitely one of its best and most popular. The Wano saga's sole canon arc is the Wano arc, which saw Luffy's crew and various allies arrive at the secluded island of Wano, a place modeled after real-life Japan in more than one way. Wano was a place of isolation, samurai, recent industrialization, and, most of all, oppression.

The complex and lengthy Wano saga had countless memorable moments, from shocking plot twists and exciting battles to heartbreaking flashbacks and important insights into the One Piece anime's deepest secrets. The Wano arc also saw Luffy finally activate Gear 5, transforming him into Joy Boy, the one who will free all oppressed people with laughter and the Drums of Liberation. First, though, Luffy and his allies had to face two Emperors, including a vengeful Big Mom and the terrifying Kaido, the world's strongest creature.