One Piece’s Most Tragic Straw Hat Death Confirms The One Way the Anime Is Superior To Oda’s Manga
Ahmed Riaz
WARNING: LITE SPOILERS FOR ONE PIECE MANGA CHAPTER #1184
Toei’s anime adaptation of One Piece has gone through several evolutions in its 27 years on television, but the tragic death of a fan-favorite Straw Hat highlights an issue with the manga that it will never be able to fix. In the decades that it’s taken to tell One Piece‘s epic tale, it’s finally approaching its ending, which means that most of the long-lingering mysteries of the series will finally be solved. And judging by the anime’s recent quality upgrade, viewers are in for a treat.
After the Straw Hat crew finally made it to the giant’s homeland of Elbaph, the story only continued to deliver colossal reveals and twists, including the truth of the God Valley incident and the identity of the World Government’s secret ruler, Nerona Imu. Their evil Holy Knights have been leading a cruel assault against Elbaph and the Straw Hats. Still, the crew’s musician and a particularly strong follower of Imu share a shocking bond and a homeland: the once-triumphant land of instrument makers known as Esperia.
Grand Line · Pirate Adventure Edition The One Piece Anime Quiz
⚓CrewNakama
⚡PowersDevil Fruit
🌊ArcsAdventure
☠VillainsEnemies
🌎WorldBlue Sea
01
Monkey D. Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and dreams of becoming King of the Pirates. He gained his signature stretching abilities by eating a Devil Fruit as a child. What was this fruit originally believed to be called?
✓ Correct! The Gomu Gomu no Mi (Gum-Gum Fruit) was what Luffy’s Devil Fruit was believed to be — a Paramecia-type fruit that turned his body into rubber. Luffy accidentally ate it from the treasure chest of the Red Hair Pirates when he was a child in Foosha Village.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Gomu Gomu no Mi. The Mera Mera no Mi is the Flame-Flame Fruit eaten by Ace, the Bara Bara no Mi is Buggy’s Chop-Chop Fruit, and the Hana Hana no Mi is Robin’s Flower-Flower Fruit.
02
The One Piece world is divided by a massive geological formation that runs around the entire globe, separating the oceans. What is this continent-like structure called?
✓ Correct! The Red Line is a massive continent that circles the globe vertically, dividing the world’s oceans into four seas: North Blue, South Blue, East Blue, and West Blue. It intersects with the Grand Line at two points, including the holy land of Mary Geoise.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Red Line. The Grand Line is the ocean route where pirates compete, the Calm Belt is a windless sea surrounding it full of Sea Kings, and Reverse Mountain is the entry point to the Grand Line. The Red Line is the massive continent dividing the world.
03
In the One Piece world, there is a spiritual power that allows users to sense others’ presence, predict attacks, and even exert their willpower over others. What is this power called?
✓ Correct! Haki is a mysterious power that exists in every living being in the One Piece world. It comes in three types: Observation Haki (sensing), Armament Haki (invisible armor), and the rare Conqueror’s Haki (dominating willpower), which only one in a million people possess.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Haki. Chakra is the energy system from Naruto, Nen is from Hunter x Hunter, and Ki is from Dragon Ball. Haki is One Piece’s unique power system with three distinct forms: Observation, Armament, and Conqueror’s.
04
The Seven Warlords of the Sea (Shichibukai) were powerful pirates who worked for the World Government in exchange for pardons. Which of these characters was NOT one of the original Seven Warlords?
✓ Correct! Kaido was never a Warlord — he was one of the Four Emperors (Yonko), the most powerful pirates ruling the New World. Known as “the Strongest Creature in the World,” Kaido ruled over Wano Country with the Beast Pirates. Mihawk, Crocodile, and Doflamingo were all Warlords.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Kaido. Mihawk (the world’s greatest swordsman), Crocodile (the desert king of Alabasta), and Doflamingo (the Heavenly Demon) were all Warlords. Kaido was a Yonko — an Emperor of the Sea — a rank above the Warlords entirely.
05
The Marineford War arc is considered one of the most emotional and pivotal arcs in One Piece. Luffy desperately fought to save someone important to him from execution. Who was Luffy trying to save?
✓ Correct! Portgas D. Ace, Luffy’s sworn older brother, was captured by the Marines and sentenced to public execution at Marineford. Luffy broke into Impel Down prison and then stormed Marineford itself in a desperate attempt to save Ace, leading to one of the most heartbreaking moments in anime history.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Portgas D. Ace. Nico Robin was rescued during the Enies Lobby arc, Zoro is rarely in that kind of danger, and Sabo was believed dead at the time. Ace’s execution at Marineford triggered an all-out war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines.
06
Roronoa Zoro is the first member to join Luffy’s crew and serves as the Straw Hats’ swordsman. He has a unique fighting style. How many swords does Zoro wield in his signature technique?
✓ Correct! Zoro is famous for his Santoryu (Three Sword Style), wielding one sword in each hand and a third in his mouth. This unique fighting style makes him one of the most distinctive swordsmen in all of anime. His dream is to become the world’s greatest swordsman by defeating Dracule Mihawk.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is three. Zoro’s signature Santoryu (Three Sword Style) involves wielding one sword in each hand and gripping the third in his mouth. While he can fight with one or two swords, his three-sword technique is his most iconic and powerful combat form.
07
The World Government in One Piece is controlled by a mysterious group of individuals who sit at the very top of its power structure, above even the Admirals and the Fleet Admiral. What are they called?
✓ Correct! The Five Elders (Gorosei) are the highest-ranking leaders of the World Government, residing in the holy land of Mary Geoise. They command all military and political power, including the authority to order a Buster Call. Their true nature and abilities have only recently been revealed in the series.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Five Elders (Gorosei). The Celestial Dragons are descendants of the founding kings but don’t rule directly, the Revolutionary Army opposes the government, and the Yonko are pirate emperors outside government control. The Gorosei sit at the absolute top.
08
It was revealed that Luffy’s Devil Fruit is not actually the Gomu Gomu no Mi, but a mythical Zoan-type fruit with a much more significant true name. What is the fruit’s real identity?
✓ Correct! The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika is a Mythical Zoan-type fruit that the World Government had been hunting for 800 years. When Luffy awakened it during the Wano arc, he unlocked Gear 5 — gaining the power of “the most ridiculous ability in the world” with limitless imagination-based combat.
✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika. The Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix belongs to Marco, the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu was Kaido’s dragon fruit, and the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami was Yamato’s fruit. Luffy’s true fruit is the legendary Sun God Nika.
Voyage Complete Your Pirate Bounty
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Are you King of the Pirates — or still swabbing the deck?
As One Piece chapter #1184 proves, music has played a huge role in Brook’s life since he was a child. Elbaph’s second emotional, but narratively fascinating, flashback has explained Brook’s connection to Holy Knight Gunko and provided a glimpse into several time periods of his life. As an eleven-year-old street urchin, Brook loved to play music, even if he didn’t have the proper tools or lessons, which highlights one of the One Piece manga’s biggest shortcomings.
Brook’s Dramatic Musical Moments Cannot Land As Hard In The Manga
Despite the fact the Brook grew up in a life of extreme poverty, he always found joy in music. This ability to find happiness in the filthiest of situations charmed the kingdom’s Prince Reuven, who took Brook in and helped curate the young boy’s talents. Unfortunately, manga readers are only able to read the young street urchin’s song lyrics and not hear how truly bad the untrained Brook’s music was. And as the One Piece clip above proves, the Straw Hat musician’s most dramatic moments do not leave as much of an impact in the manga compared to the anime.
One Piece’s Next Anime Makes Dragon Ball’s Look Like A Complete Joke
The Dragon Ball franchise’s next anime is set to cover material not many fans want, while One Piece fans are gearing up for something much bigger.
Arguably the most heartbreaking One Piece moment takes place during the Thriller Bark arc. The Straw Hats encounter the skeletal Brook on the decaying pirate ship he’s been stranded on for decades. When he was alive, he and his crew were subject to a poison weapon that slowly killed everyone on the ship. The anime’s tragic adaptation of the crew’s final moments hears the musicians playing a song together while each instrument is heard and stops as the crewmates die, until only Brook’s piano remains. And One Piece chapter #1184 includes yet another emotionally devastating moment centered around Brook’s music.
The Evolution Of Brook’s Music Can’t Be Fully Enjoyed Unless Animated
One-Piece-Fishman-Island-Remaster-Brook-Concert
The death of Brook and his crew has a lot of extra impact with the anime’s musical accompaniment. When Toei’s One Piece adaptation reaches the events of chapter #1184, viewers will be able to truly appreciate how far Brook’s skills have developed as a musician by hearing how terrible his music was at 11-years-old. Besides hearing the inspiring musician’s attempt at music with a violin made of trash, the chapter also includes a moment that somehow makes Brook’s death in Thriller Bark even more tragic.
One Piece Confirms Another Straw Hat Swordsman Outclasses Zoro
A Straw Hat crew member’s past reveals sword skills that outmatch Zoro’s current abilities with techniques that could teach him a thing or two.
Chapter #1184 highlights exactly how important music is to Brook. After Marines mistakenly detained and tortured the prepubescent Brook, he thought it was the end, but to him, as long as he was singing, death did not seem so scary. That truth recontextualizes Brook’s actual death on the seas around Thriller Bark and further deepens the Straw Hat musicians’ bond with music. Time will tell how much more of an impact music will have on the final arcs of One Piece, but it’ll hit a lot harder in anime than in the manga.
