Luffy’s journey of becoming the Pirate King by finding the One Piece has been filled with a lot of emotions. Until now, Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates have managed to escape every possible danger and move forward constantly. This experience that fans gained through Luffy’s adventures is the reason why One Piece is considered the peak of anime and manga.
While there have been many instances in the One Piece story where Eiichiro Oda has shown off his genius, one particular scene from the Arlong Park arc was the one that convinced fans to abandon their other favorite anime series in favor of One Piece. Although it was too dark for the story, it pointed out why the characters of the series(especially Luffy) were different than other anime.
The scene was Nami stabbing herself after being duped by Arlong and failing to save her village. This scene marked a pretty dark moment in One Piece and this is when fans understood that One Piece is not just any ordinary story. After that, what Luffy did made fans realize that he was different from other anime protagonists.
The Moment That Made Everyone a Fan of One Piece
When One Piece entered the anime world, fans were too cryptic about the series as it explored the story of a 17-year-old kid who wants to become a Pirate King but has the power of rubber as his strongest ability. While the plot was unique it certainly didn’t sound as interesting as the intergalactic battle(Dragon Ball) and the world of ninjas(Naruto).
It was during the Arlong Park arc that fans got serious about One Piece as it showed something that was never seen before in a Shonen anime. Nami’s struggles against the tyranny of Arlong and her need to save her village was a big emotional moment for One Piece fans.
However, this moment suddenly turned dark when fans saw her inflicting self-harm because of her frustration with her situation. While this was certainly a little questionable, it also marked the peak for One Piece as what came after it made fans fall in love with Luffy and his crew.
The Peak Moment of Arlong Park Arc Raised a Lot of Questions
Nami stabbing herself out of frustration felt psychotic, and many even believed that Eiichiro Oda went too far with it.
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It raised a lot of questions considering One Piece was majorly watched by kids in the beginning. But these doubts faded in front of the love that the series got because of this particular scene.
While the questions were understandable, fans were more concerned about the symbolic meaning behind the scene and how it enhanced Luffy’s character. This was the moment when fans learned what Luffy’s friends meant for him and how far he was willing to go for them. Since then, no one has questioned Luffy’s loyalty towards his crew as a captain and as a friend.
If Oda wanted, he could have easily moved past this scene and continued the story, but he took the risk and portrayed the scene just like he imagined. And it turned everything in his and One Piece’s favor as the series went on to become the epitome of the anime and manga industry.
One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
