One Piece: What To Expect in Season 2

Spoiler alert: The following article reveals plot details from season 1 of the Netflix series One Piece and from the manga and animated series. If you have not watched the live-action or animated series or have not read the books, stop here if you wish to avoid spoilers. 

Eiichiro Oda’s legendary manga series One Piece has taken the world by storm three times over, first in manga form, then in the long-running anime adaptation, and now in live-action. The latter, a Netflix production that comes off their less-than-stellar adaptations of Death Note and Cowboy Bebop, debuted to wide acclaim, with a whopping 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics and viewers alike praising the cast, the look of the show, and even some of the adaptation choices in bringing Oda’s record-breaking, iconic series to life.

The first season followed Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) and his pirate crew, the Straw Hats, as they set out to find the legendary treasure known as the One Piece. By the end, Luffy has recruited four crewmates, acquired a shiny new ship, and set off toward the Grand Line, a treacherous sea route where adventure and treasure await.

Now that Netflix has confirmed a second season of One Piece, what will it look like? The easiest answer is to look at the source material. The manga and anime make it very clear where the Straw Hats’ journey will take them next, but the Netflix adaptation has taken some liberties that make things slightly more complicated. Nevertheless, we’ll hoist the flag and give you an idea of where the live-action One Piece show will head to next when it returns for season 2.

What Is the Plot for Season 2 of One Piece?

One Piece season 1 poster (Photo by Netflix)

Going by the anime and manga, One Piece season 2 will most likely follow the Straw Hats as they reach the Grand Line and get involved in a conflict against the nefarious Baroque Works criminal syndicate in their attempt to destabilize and conquer the Arabasta Kingdom. On the way, they face off against a Marine captain named Smoker in Loguetown, the place where Gol D. Roger was executed, they befriend a giant whale, meet two fighting giants, and gain a doctor and an ally.

While that is the general overview of the so-called “Baroque Works Saga” in the manga, the live-action adaptation is likely to condense some events and arcs, and skip others. That being said, we definitely know of at least one aspect of the story that will remain intact: a certain antlered doctor.

Will Chopper Show Up in Season 2 of One Piece?

Yes! In the season 2 announcement for One Piece, creator Eiichiro Oda himself said that the Straw Hats were going to need a doctor going into season 2, and proceeded to draw the character Tony Tony Chopper. While One Piece has introduced its fair share of weird and cartoony characters, none can compare to Chopper. For one, he is actually a reindeer, literally. After eating the Human Human fruit, Chopper gained the ability to transform into a human hybrid at will.

This power makes Chopper quite a formidable fighter, as he can change his form at will, like growing big arms to inflict damage, focusing his energy on his antlers, turning into a big fur ball, or even turning into a giant wendigo-like monster. Despite his strength, Chopper is very innocent and childlike, and like every Straw Hat, he has a big dream and a very sad backstory.

But Chopper is not the only big character we will meet in season 2 of One Piece. If we follow the Baroque Works story, we should be meeting Vivi Nefertari, aka Miss Wednesday, who is actually a princess who allies herself with the Straw Hats to take back her kingdom. There’s also the mysterious Nico Robin, aka Miss All Sunday, an agent of Baroque Works with an interest in history and archeology.

Will Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates Visit Arabasta in Season 2 of One Piece?

One Piece stars Emily Rudd as Nami, Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu Arata as Roronoa Zoro (Photo by Casey Crafford/Netflix)

In theory, they should! While Netflix hasn’t confirmed details for the upcoming second season of One Piece, it stands to reason it will cover the events of the Arabasta arc and the fight against Baroque Works, especially since they were mentioned already in the very first episode of the first season. Through the Baroque Works story we also learn a lot about the larger world of One Piece, like how we meet another Warlord of the Sea, learn about the ancient artifacts known as Poneglyphs, and even meet Portgas D. Ace.

Will Jamie Lee Curtis Join One Piece?

Jamie Lee Curtis (Photo by Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection)

While the live-action One Piece has done a great job with casting, avoiding names so big they might distract from the role, there is one big-name actor fans hope to see in season 2: Jamie Lee Curtis. In interviews, Curtis has talked about wanting to play Nico Robin in a live-action adaptation of One Piece, or barring that character (who, she concedes, she might be a “little old” to play), Curtis has expressed interest in the role of Chopper’s mentor, Dr. Kureha. While nothing has been confirmed, it would definitely be interesting to see Curtis in the role.

Will Buggy Be Reunited with the Straw Hat Pirates in Season 2 of One Piece?

Buggy the Clown (Jeff Ward) has become the unlikeliest standout character of the live-action One Piece show, even though he also somehow became a popular and rather important character in both the anime and manga after being initially dismissed as just a joke character. Fans hoping to see more of Buggy need not speculate any further. If we go by the sacred text, he is definitely set to show up again. After all, when he last saw him, Buggy was making an alliance with Alvida, the first pirate Luffy ever fought. The two reunite with the Straw Hats once they reach Loguetown, and the result is hilarious.

Since Garp and Koby Showed Up in Season 1, Will They Return in Season 2 of One Piece?

Vincent Regan as Vice-Admiral Garp, Morgan Davies as Koby, and Aidan Scott as Helmeppo in season 1 of One Piece (Photo by Netflix)

The biggest change by far made in the live-action One Piece is inclusion of Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp (Vincent Regan) and making him the overarching antagonist of the first season alongside Luffy’s friend-turned-rival Koby (Morgan Davies). We don’t know whether the characters will return for season 2, but given how big their roles are, it is fair to presume we haven’t seen the last of them.

Except, even if we continue to get a marine as an overarching season villain, there’s someone else who is likely to take the role from Garp. In an ending tag during the finale, we see another threat from the Marines with a keen interest in taking down Luffy — Captain Smoker, who has the powers of the Smoke Smoke fruit, which lets him turn his body into literal smoke. He is a formidable, if not always successful antagonist, and likely to have a big role come season 2 of One Piece.

85% One Piece: Season 1 (2023) is now streaming on Netflix.

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