All Main Story Arcs in One Piece, Ranked from Worst to Best! – Part 1

One Piece is undoubtedly the GOAT of all shōnen series worldwide.

With the manga flying off the shelves and the anime garnering millions of views, it continues to dominate the genre even after crossing the legendary 1000 episode and chapter mark.

Having over two decades of phenomenal storytelling under its belt, it boasts a vast array of diverse and engaging characters plus surreal environments spread over a whopping 31 arcs minus the fillers.

While each arc is enjoyable and a marvel of its own, some outshine the others. But since this number isn’t just a handful, I thought it’d be best to rank all of them from worst to best.

But given the sheer volume of content in each of them, I’ll be splitting them between two posts. So without further ado, let’s jump into right it.

33. Orange Town Arc

Orange town focuses on Luffy, Nami and Zoro’s encounter with Buggy the Clown.

In addition to seeing the trio fight as a well-oiled team, we also got to see our first battle between two Devil Fruit users.

Although Buggy’s unique power and his connection to Shanks made him an interesting adversary, he felt relatively flat compared to his reappearances later in the series.

Also, his henchmen were very forgettable and only served the purpose of disposable side characters.

So even though the arc had good fight scenes and moments that made me chuckle, the lack of plot development and fleshed-out villains puts it dead last.

32. Long Ring Long Land Arc

This arc is centred on the Fox Pirates and their ‘Davy Back Fight’ consisting of fun and quirky games like Donut Race and Froggy Ring.

While Foxy and his henchmen proved to be entertaining antagonists, their comical genius soon wore thin since the jokes were stretched on for far too long.

Even though Luffy’s final boxing match provided some reprieve with his memeable afro and decent action, it was already too late to save the arc.

Thankfully, Admiral Aokiji’s arrival at the end gets the plot rolling again by teasing Robin’s past, thus offering a great setup to the masterpiece of Water 7.

31. Amazon Lily Arc

As a side quest for Luffy after the Straw Hats’ crushing defeat at Saboady Archipelago, this arc sees the young pirate transported to the island of Amazon Lily, home of the Kuja Pirates and their leader, Warlord Boa Hancock.

Hancock was a drop-dead gorgeous narcissist with a horrific past, and it made her a much more endearing ‘villain’ compared to the previous two.

I especially found her signature move of looking down on others quite hilarious, as she bent so far back that she was actually looking up!

While the fight against her sisters gave us some action, the story had pretty much halted until news of Ace’s imprisonment reached Luffy, finally letting the fact that he’s alone sink in.

In the end, it’s a solid arc that provided a launching pad for the Impel Down arc.

30. Reverse Mountain Arc

It’s a wonder how Oda manages to squeeze quite a lot of content in a short arc like Reverse Mountain.

Keeping the theme of adventure in mind, the arc focuses on the crew being swallowed by a whale named Laboon as they enter the Grand Line.

While we got a fair bit of action during Luffy’s tussle with Mr 9 and Miss Wednesday, Laboon’s sad past and Luffy’s heartfelt promise to him stole the show as well as our hearts.

The arc also had a few titbits on Laugh Tale plus the comedy goldmine of Crocus’s repeating gag. So overall, it was an enjoyable first step into the Arabasta Saga.

29. Syrup Village Arc

Syrup Village is one of the worst arcs of the series that would be kissing the bottom of this list, if it wasn’t for Usopp joining the crew and The Going Merry’s debut.

Although Usopp was initially an off-putting addition to the crew since his cowardice and incessant lying was constantly used for gags, we know it’s only a temporary trope as the series progresses.

The arc also suffered because of his main antagonist Captain Kuro, as his past self seemed more interesting than the bland butler version, who Zoro easily and predictably beat.

The Black Cat Pirates did little to help as they came off as your standard bowling pin-like henchmen. Although Jango provided a healthy dose of comedy ith his hypnosis, he wasn’t given enough time to shine.

In the end, the arc’s dreadfully slow pace and dull villains nearly cost the series its viewers, if not for the Baratie arc that set things straight.

28. Levely Arc

A massive info dump manifested itself as the Levely arc.

With virtually no action or the Straw hats taking up most of the scenes, it served as a recap for the nostalgia and a bombshell for a whole new set of mysteries – Im’s debut, Shanks’ secret meeting, a giant straw hat, and Kuma’s plight.

It also had essential worldbuilding as news of Luffy’s exploits in Totto land went viral worldwide, with Big Mom and Kaidou revealed to be ex–Rock Pirates and Garp’s rise to Hero of the Marines explored.

There was also the crew’s priceless reaction to Luffy’s new bounty and the resurfacing of familiar faces like Rebecca, Vivi and Shirahoshi along with whole new ones, like the commanders of the Revolutionary army.

All in all, it was a fantastic arc that spectacularly built up the hype for the future of the show.

27. Post-War Arc

After the devastating defeat at Marineford and the loss of Ace, this arc handled Luffy’s emotional trauma exceptionally well.

Seeing him depressed and devoid of any self-esteem after years of being a cheerfully optimistic captain was heart-wrenching.

But what hit me right in the feels was his interaction with Jinbe, where he tearfully remembers he still has his nakama after all the misery he’s been through.

We also get to explore his backstory some more, especially his training with Garp and how he worked hard to master his Devil Fruit abilities.

Although the arc dragged out the sombre mood longer than it should have, we did get to see the fallout of the power vacuum left in the wake of Whitebeard’s death and the chaos that spread throughout the seas.

26. Little Garden Arc

Little Garden took us to the prehistoric world of Giants, where we’re introduced to Dorry and Broggy – the most light-hearted and carefree characters I’ve ever seen.

But their peace and century-long battle was interrupted by the Baroque Works gang of Mr 3, Mr 5, Miss Monday and Miss Goldenweek.

Although we had some pretty good fight sequences, Mr 3 wasn’t fleshed out as much, and the others seemed underused.

While Usopp’s cowardice was again used for comedic relief, his brave declaration of becoming a sea warrior was a welcome change to his character.

25. Whisky Peak Arc

Whisky Peak put so much on our plates within a mere four episodes and nine chapters.

Solely dedicated to Zoro shine-time, we got his 100 bounty hunter takedown plus his clash with Luffy.

We also had our first lead into the Arabasta arc when Miss Wednesday was revealed to Princess Vivi and Miss All Sunday’s aka Nico Robin’s debut.

All in all, it was a short and sweet blend of incredible action and comedy, coupled with essential plot progression.

24. Drum Island Arc

Taking a detour from Little Garden after Nami fell ill, the crew wound up in the harsh snowy landscape of Drum Island in search of a doctor.

Finding one more crewmate in Dr Chopper, the arc also showcases Luffy’s raw determination to save his friends no matter the cost, as seen during his brutal ascent up the mountain with Nami and Sanji piggybacking along the way.

Although Wapol was supposed to be the arc’s designated villain, he ended up being used for comedic relief when Luffy and his crew easily dispatched him and his subordinates.

The true antagonist turned out to be the environment of the island itself, which was a nice touch, as it brings to light the struggles of adapting to new surroundings.

23. Punk Hazard Arc

It focuses on the crew sailing to the elementally split island of Punk Hazard after a distress call.

Although Caesar made a great villain for a while, he didn’t inspire any dread like his underlings, Vergo and Monet.

They were a lot more intriguing and made full use of whatever little screen time they were given, especially during their fights with Zoro, Luffy and Smoker.

But what the arc lacked in a great antagonist, it made up for in multiple plot points for future arcs – Kid and Luffy’s alliance, SMILEs, teasing the Wano Arc with Momonosuke’s entry, Artificial Devil Fruits, setting up Doflamingo as the big bad of the Dressrosa Arc.

In the end, the hype-inducing info dump, its memorable antagonists and the hilarity of the body swap made it a pretty solid arc.

22. Wano Country Arc Part I

Part 1 of the arc is centred on the crew’s separate missions of disguising themselves in the Flower Capital of Wano while planning their all-out attack on Kaido.

While the rest of the crew blended in, Luffy and Zoro’s adventure of the neighbouring towns brought some amazing fight sequences to the table and revealed the horrid status quo of the country’s inhabitants.

We also had a brief history lesson on Kozuki Oden’s past and uncovered the Red Scabbards’ time-travelling secret.

But the highlight of the arc was Luffy’s brutal defeat after receiving a single blow from Kaido, which served as a grim reminder that the Straw Hat Captain was still leagues behind the Pirate Emperor.

21. Jaya Arc

Jaya burst the bubble of our Straw Hat only perspective by expanding the world by introducing the Admirals, the Seven Warlords and the overarching power structure of the world.

Picking off after bidding Princess Vivi goodbye, we see Robin joining the crew plus a surprising insight into Blackbeard’s ideology through his poignant speech about dreams as he encourages Luffy to pursue his.

But it wasn’t restricted to worldbuilding alone; there was plenty of action in the Luffy vs Bellamy fight, with the highlight being Luffy’s one-shot punch that put the whinny showboat in his place.

It also provided a fantastic lead up to the Skypiea arc with the mystery of the falling ship and Cricket’s ancestry.

20. Romance Dawn Arc

It is the first arc of the series that gets the ball rolling by giving us a rundown of Luffy’s past and his inspiration for pursuing his dream of becoming the Pirate King.

Shanks’s wholesome interactions with Luffy and the latter’s adorable stubbornness instantly draws you into the show. We even got a glimpse of Zoro’s past and how he came to be Luffy’s first crewmate.

And when it comes to action, there’s a decent amount of it when Luffy faces off against ex-Marine captain Morgan, his bratty son Helmeppo and the pirate captain Alvida.

All in all, it’s a great start to the show as it really pumps you up for what’s to come.

19. Thriller Bark Arc

Centred on the crew’s adventure on the haunted ship, Thriller Bark, the arc was unfortunately held back by its main antagonist Gecko Moria.

However, its saving grace was the addition of the Soul King, Brook, to the team, plus his heart-warming and heart-wrenching backstory involving Laboon.

While there was plenty of action against the Warlord and his underlings, especially against the zombified and twisted versions of the Straw Hats and Perona, it was nothing compared to Zoro’s battle against Kuma.

Even though it took quite a while to get there, Zoro’s bravery to go up against Kuma’s lethal Paw Paw Devil Fruit abilities for the sake of his friends definitely made the wait worth it.

In the end, it was a decent arc that incorporated everything that makes One Piece.

18. Fish-Man Island Arc

Fish-Man Island suffers intense backlash because of its lacklustre and overzealous villain, Hody Jones. Although I agree with the overwhelming opinion, there are still many amazing things about this arc.

For starters, Oda has masterfully woven in the concept of racism and the conflicting types of approaches to it.

I love the polar opposites Fisher Tiger, and Queen Otihime represent. While the former opts for fear, the latter chooses peace to tackle the age-old conflict plaguing the Fish-Men and the surface world.

We also have a little light shed on the elusive yet vital character, Joy Boy and the revelation that princess Shirahoshi is actually Poseidon!

Moreover, the setting of Fish-Man Island is breathtaking. The design of the environment and the vibrant colour palette really made the whole Island come to life.

I was also in awe of Luffy’s stellar development when he took out 50,000 Fish-Men Pirates with his Conquerors Haki and when he challenged Big Mom.

In the end, Fish-Man Island deserves more love, regardless of its flaws.

17. Skypiea Arc

Although Skypiea gets a bad rep for going on a tangent, it embodies the essence of One Piece – adventure.

While the arc did drag on for far too long, it made up for it with an apathetic villain who had a God complex. Enel’s Logia Devil Fruit put him on a whole other level with his lightning attacks that fried anything or anyone in his path.

While the crew had the worst time fighting him, Luffy not only had the ‘god’ thoroughly shook when he withstood his power but also defeated him with a single kick to the guts.

In addition to the awesome action of the final battle, we also got the iconic moment of Luffy ringing the Great Golden Bell to exonerate Noland and Roger’s guide to the Rio Poneglyph that he left when he visited the Sky Island.

16. Loguetown Arc

This arc was packed with symbolism as Luffy paid homage to Gol D. Roger by visiting the place of his birth and execution, Loguetown.

In addition to declaring his dreams, Luffy also got a taste of the dangers of the New World when Smoker defeated him and almost killed him if not for Dragon’s last-minute rescue.

Zoro also shared the spotlight with his new swords, the Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri.

Overall, the setup for the New World and the parallels between Luffy and Roger made the arc a fitting farewell to the East Blue Saga.

About One Piece

One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.

The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!

Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.