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Oda’s Magnus opus,One Piece, is renowned for its excellent storytelling, which is evident from the anime and manga’s popularity throughout the past two decades. While most of the series' arcs are known for their excellent writing, one arc in particular often gets a bad reputation. The Skypiea arc was the second major arc for the Straw Hatson the Grand Line, though it didn’t exactly have the same reception as the previous arc.
While the arc introduced several new elements into the mix, it is often regarded as one of the worst arcs in all ofOne Piece, whether it’s due to the lackluster fights or the awfully slow pacing. While the critique may hold true, the Skypiea arc holds the key to many of One Piece’s secrets. Moreover, the arc is quite significant as it introducesOne Piece’sgrander themes to audiences, setting the stage for many of the series’ events.
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Air Date
June 04, 2025 – Jul 04, 2025
The Skypiea arc beginslike any other Shonen arc, with the Straw Hats' venturing into the sky to quench their thirst for adventure. While the events on Jaya, such as Luffy and Zoro taking a beating from Bellamy, are a bit heavier, the actual story on Skypiea begins on a lighter note. The Straw Hat crew makes its way to Sky Island and enjoys the beauty of God’s Land.
However, the arc soon turns grim after the introduction of several new elements, such as the presence of an omnipotent god, the war between the Skypieans and Shandians, and the overarching plot to destroy the islands altogether. While the arc begins a bit slow and boring, it eventually picks up pace after theStraw Hats face the Four Priests, and later participate in Enel’s survival game. Noland Montblanc and Calgura’s backstory is another key element in the arc. While the arc may seem simple at first glance, it holds several key nuances, and understanding these themes and nuances is important to realize why the Skypiea arc was necessary for the Straw Hats.
A Nexus of Nuanced Themes
The Skypiea Arc Introduced Several Key Themes to the Narrative
One Piece is laced with several hidden nuances and symbolic themes, some that are evident early on, while others become more apparent in the latter half of the series. While the Alabasta archad already introduced themes of fighting off a coup d’état, quelling a rebellion, and the overall power dynamics in a monarchal kingdom, the Skypiea arc expanded on these themes even more to add another layer of depth to the series. The very first nuanced topic that the Skypiea arc sheds light on is the concept of a god existing in the One Piece universe.
After the straw hats are introduced to the notion of an omnipotent god existing in the upper yard of Skypiea, Luffy immediately questions the existence of the god, with Zoro being one of the most staunch defiants of such a concept. These interactions shed light on the concept ofgodhood inOne Piece, as this concept was never explored before in any of their adventures. With a power system based on fantasy elements, the concept of gods and divinity is often sidelined, but Skypiea opens up a conversation about such an entity existing in the One Piece universe.
The series arc also brings into the debate the concept of authority, along with the consequences of colonization and the hatred between people. It’s clear thatEnel was an authoritarian leaderwho was respected by his people. However, this respect came from a deep-rooted fear, as he would strike down anyone who questioned his authority. However, the greater theme here was the concept of colonization, as the Skypieans drove away the Shandians from their homeland and deemed it a sacred land for themselves.
This selfish intent, along with the war that broke out between the two factions, is a clear example of real-world colonialism and how tribal nations have had their land stolen by colonizers throughout history. These aspects are even pointed out directly by the Straw Hats themselves after they accuse Gan Fall, the Sky Knight, of being one of the bad guys for taking away the Shandian’s land. These nuanced themes are the first of their kind in the One Piece series, and set the stage for future conversations and similar topics to take place.
New Elements in the Power System
The Arc Expanded One Piece’s Power System
Before the introduction of the Skypiea Arc,One Piece’spower system was primarilyconfined to Devil Fruits, with viewers initially believing that Devil Fruits are a linear concept. However, the events of Skypiea Arc changed this notion altogether, as it introduced the concept of different types of Devil Fruits, along with new powers that have nothing to do with Devil Fruits altogether.
Viewers were introduced to the power of Mantra, an innate ability possessed bythe people of Sky Island. Mantra is described as an ability that allows the user to hear the voices of people and their movements, in turn allowing them to predict their opponents’ attacks. This power was never explained in detail, as it was merely said to be an innate ability of those on Sky Island. This set the stage forOne Piece’spower system to become even more complex, as it introduced new concepts that have nothing to do with the Devil Fruit powers altogether. The existence of a nation floating in the sky, coupled with their unique powers, made it apparent that viewers can expect almost anything fromOne Piece.
Moreover, the Arc was the first to showcase an entirely new kind of Devil Fruit – the Logia Type. Known to be one of the most powerful types in the world.Enel’s Goro Goro no Mi Logia Fruitis the first to be introduced to the series. If it weren’t for Luffy’s immunity to lightning, Enel would surely have annihilated the Straw Hats. The mere existence of Logia Fruit set the stage for even stronger enemies to take center stage down the line. Moreover, this arc was the first instance where it was mentioned that Luffy’s Devil Fruit is a Paramecia type, a concept that was previously never explained. Overall, the Skypiea Arc served as a basis for new concepts to take root in the One Piece series.
Parallels to the Endgame Storyline
The Skypiea Arc Parallells Several Key Events in One Piece
Skypiea Arc may have been deemed a mere filler arc of sorts in theOne Pieceuniverse, with some even skipping the arc altogether due to its irrelevance to the story. However, the reality couldn’t be further from the truth, as the Skypiea Arc had several hidden nuances that parallel several endgame concepts of the series. Noland and Calgura’s promise, along with their descendents' attempts to fulfill their promise, is a clear parallel toGold Roger attempting to fulfill the willof the first pirate in the world, Joy Boy.
The revelation of the Ancient Kingdom falling to the Celestial Dragons, who were deemed Gods, is similar to Enel taking over Sky Island and proclaiming himself to be a god. The conclusion of the arc, where the Skypieans and Shandians come together and live in harmony, could potentially hint at the conclusion ofOne Piece itself, with Luffy liberating the seas for all. Apart from these parallels, the arc also revealed the fact that Gold Roger could readPoneglyphs left around the Grand Line, evident from the message he left on the Golden Bell in the ancient text. This further added intrigue to the lost history of the Void Century, and Gold Roger’s role in discovering it.
