With Chapter 1000 closer than ever, there's no better time to look back on One Piece's run and determine the 10 best arcs of this legendary pirate manga. We'll be looking at each individual arc's internal pacing, conflict, theming and art to determine the rankings. Every arc has offered something to enjoy, so don't feel bad if your favorite storyline didn't make the cut.
10. Thriller Bark
Thriller Bark isn't without its issues, primarily with the perverted invisible Absalom who brings out the worst parts in Sanji. What it does well, however, it does really well. With the spooky haunted atmosphere that Thriller Bark brings, Oda's able to craft some especially frightening characters like Perona, Moriah and, of course, Brook. The end of Thriller Bark featuring the fight between Oars and Moriah vs. the entirety of the Straw Hat Crew feels like an occasion that One Piece was building up to forever. Just when you think the crew is finally safe, Bartholomew Kuma arrives to take the head of Luffy and it's up to his crew to defend him when he can't defend himself.
9. Reverie
While short in length and missing the anticipated World Summit Meeting, the Reverie stands out as being the only arc in One Piece without the Straw Hat Pirates. It's a warm reunion with many familiar faces like Vivi, Rob Lucci and Garp, while also introducing some mysterious new lore as a mysterious crowned figure is gazing over a massive straw hat.
8. Punk Hazard
Often overlooked by the heavier packed arcs of the time-skip like Dressrosa and Whole Cake Island, Punk Hazard offers nothing if not a different experience for the Straw Hats. Stuck on an island that's half on fire and half freezing cold, they must navigate through an ex-government laboratory run by the mad scientist Cesear Clown. The events here set the gears in motion for Dressrosa all the way to the present-day Wano arc, beginning with the alliance Luffy forms with Trafalgar Law. We also see the return of two of the series most beloved characters, Smoker and Tashigi. It's always fun to see "forced team-ups" between characters established as enemies and Luffy's all for it.
7. Jaya
The theme of Jaya is dreams and whether or not they're good for anything on The Grand Line. When Luffy and co. meets Bellamy, the foul-mouthed pirate laughs at the rubber man when he asks about the sky island. Bellamy represents the worst of pirates, a fellow who only sees dreams as a weakness, and those who seek the One Piece as chasing a fairy tale. Luffy realizes that no matter what you do or say, there will always be people who mock you for your goals, and letting them get under your skin is just what they want. He and Zoro don't waste a single punch on the spring man, not till Bellamy goes after Cricket for his gold, which is when Luffy finally puts the spring man in his place for hurting Cricket. Luffy socking Bellamy at the end of Jaya is incredibly cathartic.
6. Alabasta
The buildup towards Alabasta is still what makes it stick in so many One Piece fans' heads to this day. By the time we get there, the anticipation is palpable. While Vivi is not a physically powerful character, what makes her compelling is her unflinching resolve to do right by her people. Crocodile and the Baroque Works agents make for wonderfully devilish villains, as this is truly the first time we see each crew member square off against their own foe. The ending with Vivi calling out to the Straw Hats as they depart, asking if they'll still be friends, is still one of the all-time saddest but uplifting endings to an arc in One Piece ever.
5. Arlong Park
Arlong Park feels like the kind of story Oda was waiting to tell since he started One Piece. The arc explores Nami's tragic past coupled with the strength the bonds Luffy and his crew truly have with one another. Shonen heroines may get the short end of the stick at times in terms of development or role, but not Nami and this arc prove it. Many fans say the moment they truly fell in love with One Piece was the "Help me" scene, when Nami stabbed herself in the arm before finally turning to Luffy to save her from Arlong. It's an emotionally hard-hitting scene, and Luffy's response is equally meaningful when he gives her his treasured straw hat to keep safe.
4. Impel Down
Impel Down is the arc that challenges Luffy the most when you take away his greatest strength: his crew. With the time until his brother's execution ticking away, Luffy must break into the most heavily guarded prison in the world to reach the bottom and save him before it's too late. It's a load of fun watching Luffy make new allies out of his oldest enemies in Impel Down, such as Buggy and Crocodile. There are also powerful emotional moments, like Bon Clay's unwavering determination to save Luffy in the face of impossible odds and Iva respecting Luffy's willingness to shrink his lifespan just to make it to his brother sooner.
3. Marineford
Translating something like a war to the pages of the manga is a herculean task, and yet Oda managed to pull it off so seamlessly. While not the introduction of Whitebeard, this arc is where the series explores his character and the Whitebeard Pirates' general sense of family. Luffy's charge to save Ace is inspiring. Even when against multiple characters much stronger than him, Luffy never loses sight of his goal, which makes the grand finale to this arc all the more tragic.
2. Sabaody Archipelago
Nobody could predict the direction the Sabaody Archipelago arc would go from where it began. Beginning as a fun romp through a resort island, the crew then comb through the island when their new mermaid friend Camie goes missing. We learn of the prejudice the citizens of Fishman Island have faced for centuries and the crew must then battle it out against the Pacafistas and a navy admiral. As Luffy watches his crewmates vanish one by one in front of them, it's truly apparent they are still not ready for what awaits them in the New World. This is an unflinching honest arc, to say the least.
1. Water 7
While Enies Lobby has a flawless climax, it's nothing without the brilliantly paced setup that Oda managed to achieve with Water 7. Seeing the different plot threads being spun on the Venice-inspired island before they tangle together all into one in the bedroom of Iceberg's mansion is comic storytelling perfection. It excellently balances personal conflict (Luffy and Usopp's fight over the Merry) with big action (the crew's desperately searching for Robin before amidst a titanic monsoon), making it Oda's best arc to date.
