It’s been a long journey for the brand-new Straw Hat Pirate crew as they head off towards the Grand Line in the hopes of making all of their dreams come true. But before they start their brand new adventure together, they had to go through one of their toughest battles yet as several members of the crew had to deal with their past and their future. So were they successful? And are they still together or did something else bring them apart?
Here’s the ultimate breakdown of the season 1 finale of Netflix’s One Piece.
Wait, so what is going on with Nami?
We venture off to the past to see a young Nami, who has joined Arlong’s crew, getting her shoulder tattoo done, officially marking her as his own. We also see more what it was like when she was working under him which included being chained and forced to make maps in an effort to pay back her debts.
Going back to the present, an emotional Nami sees what’s left of her village after Arlong had betrayed her. Several townspeople, now knowing how much she had sacrificed in order to try to buy their freedom from Arlong, ask for her forgiveness. However, she says that it is not necessary. They all try to band together to fight against Arlong and his crew, however, Nami tries to stop them in fear that they will all be killed. Luffy reminds her that it is no longer just her fight or her village’s, but also the Straw Hats’ since she is now part of the crew.
Over on a Marine boat off the island, Captain Nezumi meets up with Bogard and Vice Admiral Garp who are there after hearing of pirate activity in Coco Village. Nezumi lies to them saying that it’s not Arlong who planned the attack, but Luffy. Both Helmeppo and and Koby immediately call him out on his lie, while Garp stops Nezumi from attacking Luffy and the other Straw Hats.
Watch ‘One Piece’ on Netflix
Watch ‘One Piece’ on Netflix
Wait, so will the Marines get in the middle of their plan against Arlong?
Back at Arlong’s HQ, the Straw Hats and the Coco Village villagers start attacking Arlong’s crew, with Luffy going specifically after the man in charge. Multiple fights break out, while Nami and Luffy also set off to try to find the map to the Grand Line. Arlong finds them before they can escape from the room.
He reveals his plans to one day make sure that fishmen rule the world over humans, including Nami for her recent betrayal. Luffy points out that everyone should be equal and also starts to fight against Arlong after he calls her a tool to be used.
The rest of the Straw Hats and villagers continue their respective fights with Usopp completely leaving the base, while Sanji and Zoro try to see who can take the most down. They also discover the location of Buggy’s body, who reconnects it to his head and immediately leaves after seeing how wild the situation has gotten.
Instead of trying to beat him directly, Luffy starts attacking the structure of the building that he’s in with Arlong, causing it to cave down on them. Everyone looks in horror at the possibility of losing their new leader, however, Luffy immediately jumps up showing that he is perfectly fine. I mean, he is made of rubber, after all!
Phew, but there’s still the Marine problem…
Back in Coco Village, the crew and the villagers start celebrating the night with Sanji cooking a special meal and Usopp telling some totally real stories before Garp and his crew arrive. Immediately spotting Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats, he orders his cadets to arrest them, but Koby and Helmeppo immediately go against his orders.
Garp decides to sidebar with his grandson and shares his disappointment that Luffy never followed his path to become a Marine, but that he chose to become a pirate. Luffy tells him that he has always been a pirate, causing them to have a showdown between the two family members.
After a couple of swings from both sides and Luffy tells him that he will never give up on his dream, Garp accepts that he will never be able to change and notes that he was just testing him to make sure that he knows what path he has accepted for his life. Garp tells Luffy that he’s on his own, but Luffy tells him that he actually has his crew.
So what’s their next move?
The next morning, Nami visits her mother’s grave and apologizes to her for everything, while noting that she is finally free to make her own choices again. Nami’s sister, Nojiko, stops by and points out her new tattoo that covers Arlong’s previous symbol has changed to be a tribute to Coco Village.
Luffy, who is lounging around Nojiko’s place, spots Koby who gives him a special surprise: his first wanted poster. The two friends share their excitement over them following their dreams, despite the fact that they are now seemingly enemies. They share one final goodbye as friends.
Back on the Grand Merry, Luffy shows his new crew his new wanted poster, while other characters from Luffy’s past also see that he’s a wanted man after it was shared all over the East Blue. Buggy and Alvira are seen at the same bar, hinting that they will now work together to take down Luffy. Meanwhile, Garp congratulates both Koby and Helmeppo for following their own code over the Marines noting that it’s their time to step up.
Mihawak is seen on a beach heading towards somebody, who is revealed to be none other than Shanks. He presents him with Luffy’s wanted poster. Shanks and his crew are excited to see that he is officially a pirate and celebrate together.
The Straw Hats crew start to set sail to the Grand Line with a new official Jolly Roger marking them as a true crew. Nami notes that there is a mistake on the map because it looks like there may be a canal or river going up a mountain which may make their journey harder. Sanji brings out a barrel and the Straw Hats have a ceremony where they share their goals and dreams as they set off on a new adventure together.
Awww, what a happy ending!
Not so fast! Because Netflix dropped a surprise on all of us. After the One Piece logo appears, a mysterious figure is seen using a cigar to burn through Luffy’s wanted poster, hinting at a new villain for the upcoming season.
What does this mean for season 2?
Well, fans of the original anime definitely know who he is and what to expect next! We’re not going to spoil a lot here, but if you’re curious…
Anyway, what we can say is that the show is definitely still following the timeline of the anime and manga, which means we can easily say that the next story they will tackle is the Loguetown Arc. So get ready, because there’s a lot more coming up next if the show gets renewed for season 2!
Watch ‘One Piece’ on Netflix
Entertainment Editor
Tamara Fuentes is the current Entertainment Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers TV, movies, books, celebrities, and more. She can often be found in front of a screen fangirling about something new. Before joining Cosmopolitan, she was the entertainment editor over at Seventeen. She is also a member of the Television Critics Association and the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.