Eiichiro Oda’sOne Pieceis filled to the brim with incredible story arcs as Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates have embarked on an epic adventure since they first set sail in search of the eponymous treasure. The fans' journey with Luffy started off in an incredible fashion with the East Blue Saga and only got better with arcs like Alabasta, eventually hitting a whole new level in the likes of Enies Lobby and Marineford.
While there is no denying that those are two of the strongest arcs inOne Piece, the one that embodies Oda’s story the most is none other than Skypiea. As evident from the very beginning of the story, Oda wantsOne Pieceto be an adventure like no other and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that worldbuilding and adventure are two of the most important aspects of the story. WhileOne Piecedoes featureincredible arcs that everyone loves, none of those arcs come even remotely as close to Skypiea when it comes to giving the fans an idea of what the story is about. With incredible storytelling, mind-blowing lore, and what seems to be a preview of what’s to come inOne Piece’sendgame, Skypiea might very well be the most important arc in the story so far.
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Skypiea And The Ideals Of One Piece
Oda begins the arc with a quote from Willy Karen, a physicist, who says, “Anything man can imagine is a possibility in reality,” and with that, Oda plants the seeds for not just the Skypiea Saga, but the remainder ofOne Piece.
Although short, Jaya establishes the importance of dreams in the world of pirates. When Luffy doesn’t fight Bellamy in Mock Town, it is made abundantly clear that a pirate without dreams isn’t worth fighting because those who stay grounded to reality will never attain the heights of one with such high aspirations as Luffy, Gol D. Roger, and even Blackbeard. Finding the One Piece is just as much a mystery to the people of the Grand Line as proving the existence of the Sky Islands, and Oda specifically draws a comparison between the two in Mock Town, when Luffy meets Bellamy.
Bellamy, a pirate grounded in reality, laughs at the idea of One Piece and more specifically the existence of Sky Islands but Luffy embraces them. Even when Luffy is ridiculed for believing in dreams, he realizes that Bellamy is a person not worth fighting as he knows he is right, and fighting a man without any dreams would do absolutely nothing.
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The Sky Island exists, and so does the One Piece, but to those who have never seen either, it is hard to accept. At the same time, unless people are willing to dream big and take their chances, they will never truly experience this romantic ideal andthis is simply what One Piece is about, as evident from the first arc being titled, Romance Dawn. Oda masterfully shows how Skypiea truly is a microcosm of the entirety ofOne Piecein more ways than one in the arc.
Why Sky Island Is More Important Than You Think
Skypiea builds heavily upon the very ideas that Oda has built the entirety ofOne Pieceon and that is the concept of Inherited Will. From the very first moment fans meet Montblanc Cricket, the idea that he has a deep connection to Montblanc Noland is made clear. Noland was executed for having lied about the existence of the City of Gold 400 years ago and currently, his descendant risks his life to find the city by putting his body in harm’s way time and again. Cricket is, in more than one way, just like Luffy and believes in the romance of adventure while carrying out a much larger promise.
Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King,himself was a man who was trying to carry out the will of a man named Joy Boy and eventually failed to do so. In steps Luffy, who will carry out the will of Roger and Joy Boy, who came even before him. In essence,One Pieceis truly focused on this massive promise and shockingly, Noland’s friendship with Kalgara is a metaphor for it in the Skypiea arc.
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Oda deeply tugs at the heartstrings of the reader when Noland and Kalgara are separated. The very same Knock-Up Stream that the Straw Hat Pirates rode to Skypiea lifted half of Jaya into the sky. The promise of Noland visiting Jaya once more and Kalgara ringing the Great Bell is left unfulfilled. Shandora is taken over by the “God” of Skypiea, and the Shandians wait for the promise to eventually be fulfilled. It isn’t hard to see that is very much like what the true story ofOne Pieceis all about. Joy Boy’s promise is left unfulfilled and is eventually passed down generations until Luffy can finally fulfill it. In a similar manner to Shandia, the Ancient Kingdom fell after the Void Century tothe “Gods” of the One Piece world, who are the Celestial Dragons.
In the Skypiea arc, Skypiea is ruled by Enel, a man who believes himself to be a God. The fact that the true villains ofOne Pieceare the Celestial Dragons who hold the very same belief is no surprise. Oda specifically chose Luffy, a D and a descendant of Joy Boy to vanquish Enel, a God, and labeled him “the enemy of the Gods.” In retrospect, this was simply Oda’s way of telling fans what’s to come in the endgame ofOne Piece.
In the Wano Country arc,Oda introduced the fans to the Sun God Nika through Who’s Who. According to him, slaves in the distant past used to believe that the Sun God would eventually come and bring freedom, putting a smile on their faces. Surprisingly, Oda repeatedly referred to the concept of the Sun God in the Skypiea arc. As the God of the island,Enel, casts eternal darkness over the island with Raigouand people have no option left but to pray to a God, Luffy steps up and breaks through the dark skies, allowing the sun to shine on everyone and bringing back the smiles.
To take things a step further, Skypiea might have hinted at what the end ofOne Pieceis going to be like, further adding to its importance. The conflict of Skypiea ended with the God of the country falling and peace being made between the Shandians and the Skypieans, thanks to Luffy. Vearth eventually belonged to no one because it exists for all to enjoyed.
In a similar manner, after Luffy takes down the Celestial Dragons the seas will, more likely than not, belong to everyone and not just him. It is no surprise that Luffy loves banquets as much as he does. He loves to connect with different people, after all. It is entirely possible that once the Celestial Dragons fall, the fans will be treated to the greatest party that signifies the fulfillment of a centuries-old promise and the dawn of a New World.
