STRONG WORLD.
LUFFY: How could I know how to use swords, you idiot!
ZORO: ...
YOSAKU: Wha-what is he talking about?!
LUFFY: I don't know anything about navigation!
NAMI: ...
LUFFY: I can't cook!
SANJI: ...
LUFFY: I've never lied to anyone!
USOPP: Hey...
LUFFY: I'm sure that if no one helped me, I couldn't survive!!
ARLONG: Ha ha, I never thought you'd be this worthless. You're only good at talking big! Your crew must have a headache with a captain like you. Why should they have to risk their lives for you? A person like you with no pride isn't worthy of being a captain! What can you do?!
LUFFY: I can beat you.
One Piece is an incredibly long-running shounen manga series written and drawn by Oda Eiichiro. One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy who gains elastic abilities after inadvertently eating a supernatural fruit, and his diverse crew of pirates, named the Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy explores the ocean in search of the world's ultimate treasure known as the One Piece and to become the next Pirate King. On his journey, Luffy battles a wide variety of villains and makes several friends. Since its release, One Piece has become one of the most popular manga series of all time in Japan. It is the highest-selling manga in the history of Weekly Shounen Jump, as well as currently being its most acclaimed manga. One Piece is also currently ranked as the best-selling series in manga history. It enjoys a high readership, with more than 230 million volumes of the series sold by 2011. One Piece has wide critical acclaim from reviewers, primarily for its art, characterization, humor and story.
The series begins with the execution of Gol D. Roger, the King of the Pirates. Before his death, he set into motion the legend of his treasure, the One Piece, which is hidden somewhere for whoever finds it to take for his own. Roger's death causes what is known as "The Great Pirate Era", as countless pirates set out to look for his treasure.
Twenty years have passed since Gol D. Roger's execution, and Monkey D. Luffy, a young boy inspired by the pirate known as "Red-Haired" Shanks, sets off on a journey from the East Blue to be the next King of the Pirates and find the treasure. Along the way, he organizes and leads a crew named the Straw Hat Pirates. Although One Piece is a shounen manga and therefore features the prerequisite fight sequences, stupid ultimate moves, and ridiculous power-ups, it is at its heart a story about the relationship between this group of friends.
Including Luffy, the crew of the Going Merry/Thousand Sunny is made up of a current nine members (arguably ten if you count Vivi, who left the crew to rebuild her country but who will remain one of their nakama forever), with ten as Luffy's stated goal. Roronoa Zoro is a swordsman and an ex-pirate hunter; he uses three swords (one in his mouth - I know, it's dumb, get used to it) and as per a promise he made to a childhood friend, is aiming to become the world's greatest swordsman. He's serious and put-upon, the straight man of the group, but he supports Luffy's dream more than anyone. Navigator and thief Nami's dream is to draw a complete map of the world; in spite of her mercenary exterior, she's got a lot of heart. Usopp's only special skills are sharpshooting, inventing, and lying through his teeth; his weakness as a fighter weighs heavily on him, and he constantly fights to become a person worthy of his friends. Sanji, the ship cook, knows how it feels to starve and so will never refuse someone a meal. He's a skilled fighter, and his greatest weakness is ladies.
The ship's doctor is an anthropomorphized blue-nosed reindeer (run with it) named Tony Tony Chopper; naive and incredibly timid, he's the most childish of the group, but his dream is to become a doctor that can cure any illness. Like Luffy, he is easily impressed at things like beams, cannons, and hidden abilities, and he finds the worst possible role models (Usopp); his speech gets nastier the more he's being praised, but his heart is bigger than anyone's. The archaeologist and ex-villain Nico Robin joins the crew later on; quiet and reserved, she rarely shows emotions. However, when she finally admits her true feelings (I WADDA LIVE!!!) it becomes clear how much she needs and treasures her crewmates. Robin's dream is to find the Rio Poneglyph which tells the True History.
When the Strawhats' original ship, the Going Merry, finally can't take any more abuse, they are joined by a cybernetic shipwright named Franky; in spite of his kind of (totally) bizarre personality and his unwillingness to wear pants, he's a brilliant shipbuilder and a good guy (although his habit of crying uncontrollably whenever he hears a sad story can get in the way at times). Finally and most recently the Strawhats picked up a musician skeleton named Brook (a response to a running joke that whenever the other characters list off specialists they need in their crew Luffy always responds "A MUSICIAN!!"). Brook enjoys simple pleasures like a walk in the sun and looking at ladies' panties (although he's terrified of ghosts).
As is the case with One Piece itself, tracks are about half about Luffy, half about the crew, and all about the adventure. Hopefully they stand on their own. Chronologically speaking this fst is immediately post-time skip and reunion, although most of the tracks can be seen as pre-time skip focused (save a focus on Luffy's parentage). Definitely post-spoilers-about-Ace. Posting this on Luffy's birthday is pretty much just a coincidence. I have literally no idea why this turned out so damn twee.
One Piece and the Strawhat Pirates belong to Oda Eiichiro and Weekly Shounen Jump, music belongs to its respective artists, front cover art belongs to this person and back cover art to this one. Individual tracks are listed below with relevant lyrics, there is a zip file with high quality cover-art included at the bottom of the post, or you could always opt to skip the bullshit and
LISTEN ONLINE?!
No song will ever express everything I feel about One Piece, however, the way that the new opening by Amuro Namie does (my bitter, overjoyed tears).
1. "maybe", the submarines
For such a long time now we're doing battle with our own familiar inhibitions; far away from home our trusty compass fails to find this strange and new position. Can we leave this struggle behind? maybe, maybe, maybe we're strong; maybe, maybe, maybe we're wrong.
2. "fools", the dodos
Our fathers have been entangled in things; he's been squandering, he's been squandering. And we don't do a thing, 'cause we're busy and think we're just wandering, we're just a-wandering like fools.
Too late to return to the ones that you've earned; no they don't give it back, no they don't give it back to fools. And the stance that we take isn't much to bear; yeah, we leave things to change on their time.
3. "cherry tulips", headlights
I want the sea; I want the whole sea (and endless cherries) for you and me (for crimson colors); for you and me (all just for you and me).
4. "the cave", mumford and sons
'Cause I need freedom now, and I need to know how to live my life as it's meant to be; and I will hold on hope, and I won't let you choke on the noose around your neck! And I'll find strength in pain, and I will change my ways. I'll know my name as it's called again.
5. "it's as clear", let's go sailing
It's as clear, it's as clear as the maps they drew for me and you when there were no rules. It's as clear, it's as clear as when we agree, as my silence screams when you're next to me. Ooh, ah! It's as clear, it's as clear as the games I won, as the arctic sun on my one man island. It's as clear, it's as clear as a little bit closer, as a rock and roll poster staring down on you and me. It's as clear it's as clear as the first time I looked out in the sky and realized how far away it felt.
6. "swansea", joanna newsom
And yonder, wild and blue, the wild blue yonder looms: 'til we are wracked with rheum by roads, by songs entombed. And all we want to do is chew, and chew, and chew! Dear one, drive on; when all we want to do is chew, and chew, and chew!
7. "folding chair", regina spektor
Just come and open up your folding chair next to me; my feet are buried in the sand and there's a breeze. There is a shadow, you can't see my eyes. And the sea is just a wetter version of the skies.
8. "your misfortune", mike doughty
When everybody says no, no, no, well it's your misfortune and none of my own - wrong, wrong, wrong; well it's your misfortune that sweetens my song. I can be the friend you want; I can be your confidante. I can be the right reminder at the right time, throwing out the lifeline. When your face is caked with mud come and speak to me. When the chill creeps in your blood seek my sympathy. I can be the air you drink, every single thought you think. I can be the right notion in the meantime, warm you like the sunshine. Stand in the light. Stand in the light. Stand in the light.
9. "moth's wings", passion pit
Dear friend, as you know: your flowers are withering, your mother's gone missing, your leaves have drifted away. But the clouds are clearing up and I've come reveling, burning incandescently like a bastard on the burning sea. You're just like your father buried deep under the water; you're resting on your laurels and stepping on my toes. Whose side are you on? What side is this anyway? Put down your sword and crown; come lay with me on the ground. You come beating like moth's wings, spastic and violently, whipping me into a storm, shaking me down to the core.
10. "be good", tokyo police club
It's been alright, but we have fought; ways of the samurai, parry, thrust, do or die: not the fighting type, not the killing kind. get the story down.
11. "polynesia", mother mother
We're on the sea; we're in a ship and we are sailing by all of the fish and all the octopi. We look them right into their octopi eyes. I'm on the sea; I caught a mermaid looking right at me. I said, "Hey, baby. Why don't you come up top? You could flip flop while we cruise the Florida Quays." Remember when we said, "You gonna see us on a red ship sailing"? We'll think of you on your solid ground; we hope you think of us out here sailing around, sailing around, sailing around, sailing.
Remember when we said, "you gonna see us with a sailor tan"? We'll think of you and your stark white hands; building your model ships, wishing you were sailing around, sailing around sailing around. sailing.
12. "oboes bleat and triangles tink", say hi to your mom
We can fly a kite in a lightning storm, but we can't stop this thing from what it's gonna be. Silly girl, that's just the way it is. How atoms turn to planets eventually. And oboes will bleat and the triangles tink, but we can't stop this thing from what it's gonna be.
13. "wavin' flag", k'naan
When I get older, I will be stronger. They'll call me freedom just like a wavin' flag.
♥ BONUS
Click to viewDREAMIN!!! DON'T GIVE IT UP LUFFFFFY!!! FACE MADE OF RUBBER!!! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN!! YO HO HO HE TOOK A BITE OF GUM-GUM
L-A-D-Y NAMI'S NOT SHY!!!!!!!!
You didn't think I was gonna go without commenting on this, right?
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