In Season 1, Episode 8 of the Netflix series One Piece, titled “Worst in the East” the narrative continues the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), Nami (Emily Rudd), Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), Usopp (Jacob Romero Gibson), and Sanji (Taz Skylar). The episode begins with Captain Nezumi (Rory Acton-Burnell) meeting Vice Admiral Garp (Vincent Regan) regarding Luffy’s presence in the Conomi Islands.

In Arlong Park, Luffy and his friends begin fighting the Arlong Pirates, leading to their disbandment and eventual capture when Luffy destroys Arlong Park, defeats Arlong (McKinley Belcher III), and frees Coco Village from the pirates’ oppressive reign. During the fight, Buggy (Jeff Ward) reunites his head with his body and escapes the scene of the battle. The aftermath of the battle leads to a party in Coco Village as the villagers celebrate their liberation until they are interrupted by the arrival of the Marines. Vice Admiral Garp reunites with his frightened grandson, who is fearful of his grandfather and his presence. However, the reunion is cut short, with Garp ordering the Marines to arrest Luffy and the rest of his “crew.” Koby (Morgan Davies) and Helmeppo (Aidan Scott) refuse to comply, protesting due to their knowledge of Luffy’s innocence, as the real villains on the Conomi Islands are the Arlong Pirates. The vice admiral is annoyed at the disobedience but shrugs it off to confront his grandson, leading to a fight between a conflicted grandfather and a rebellious grandson.

Luffy badly loses to Garp, who defeats the Straw Hat Pirate with a few strong yet light Haki punches. Despite Luffy’s defeat, the Vice Admiral couldn’t crush Luffy’s will and dream to become King of the Pirates, recognizing the will of Roger in his grandson. Therefore, Garp relents and allows Luffy to venture into the Grand Line to become a great pirate, ordering his Marines to arrest the Arlong Pirates. In truth, Garp was testing Luffy to see if he was truly willing to become the King of the Pirates and no longer dependent on Garp’s protection, a fact Luffy acknowledges, but he still has the support of his friends to help him out.

Humiliated by the result of Garp’s decision to spare Luffy and the possibility of the captured Arlong Pirates exposing him as a corrupt Marine, Captain Nezumi assigns Luffy a wanted poster with a pirate bounty of 30,000,000 berries. The wanted poster makes Luffy an official pirate with the highest bounty in the East Blue, and this news, along with a wanted poster of Luffy, is given to him by Koby before the two set out on different journeys, with Koby aspiring to become a great Marine and Luffy to become a great pirate. Excited about the wanted poster, Luffy shares it with his friends, who express mixed excitement and worries because Luffy will now be hunted by both Marines and bounty hunters in the East Blue. However, Luffy eases their worries because they will be heading to the Grand Line.

The news of Luffy’s wanted poster spreads: Makino (Kathleen Stephens) sees the poster with joy in a newspaper, Kaya (Celeste Loots) sees the back of Usopp’s head in the poster with happiness, Zeff (Craig Fairbass) hangs the poster in his kitchen with pride, Buggy sees the poster in anger and vows to kill Luffy as he allies himself with Alvida (Ilia Isorelýs Paulino), who shares the same desire as Buggy. Garp sees the wanted poster with amusement, Mihawk (Steven Ward) shares the poster with the Red-Haired Pirates to the excitement of Shanks (Peter Gadiot), and Captain Smoker sees the poster with caution. Later, Garp congratulates Koby and Helmeppo for standing up to him for the right things and plans to personally train them the next day so they can get stronger as Marines to best Luffy and Zoro when they grow up.

At the Going Merry, the Straw Hats unveil the official Straw Hat flag and officially declare themselves as the Straw Hat Pirates: Luffy is the captain, Zoro is the combatant, Nami is the navigator, Usopp is the sniper, and Sanji is the cook. Before heading to the Grand Line, each Straw Hat crew member shares the dreams they wish to fulfill during the journey to find the One Piece: Luffy’s dream is to become the King of the Pirates, Zoro’s dream is to become the world’s greatest swordsman, Nami’s dream is to draw a map of the world, Usopp’s dream is to become a brave warrior of the sea, and Sanji’s dream is to find the All-Blue.

Straw Hat Luffy’s Wanted Poster: Bounty of 30,000,000 Berries

In One Piece Season 1, Episode 8, Director Josef Kubota Wladyka, Writers Matt Owens, and Steven Maeda, along with the legendary Eiichiro Oda successfully delivered a captivating live adaptation of the Arlong Park Arc. However, noteworthy differences from the original manga were introduced, adding a unique touch to the episode.

One significant alteration is the timing of the personal reunion between Vice Admiral Garp and Monkey D. Luffy. In the manga, this encounter occurs later in the storyline, allowing for a more gradual development of the relationship between the characters. In the live adaptation, the reunion takes place earlier, potentially impacting the dynamics between Garp and Luffy and accelerating certain plot points.

Additionally, the episode deviates by revealing the dreams of the Straw Hat Pirates ahead of their journey into the Grand Line via the Reverse Mountain. In the manga, these dreams are typically disclosed as the narrative progresses, creating a sense of anticipation and unveiling the characters’ aspirations organically. The decision to disclose the dreams early in the adaptation alters the pacing and narrative structure, providing viewers with a glimpse into the characters’ motivations sooner than in the original source material.

Despite these differences, the creative choices made by the team contribute to the adaptation’s overall appeal. The early reunion and dream revelations may offer a fresh perspective for both new and seasoned One Piece fans, introducing surprises while staying true to the essence of Oda’s world. As with any adaptation, these changes open up new avenues for storytelling and character development, making the live adaptation a distinct and engaging experience for viewers.

Rating: 9/10