Season 2 leaves out a large island and that makes some changes

Chopper’s home island Drum Island will probably be the second season finale. (Image sources: Netflix, Toei Animation)

Nobody could have predicted that the live-action series based on the manga and anime hit One Piece would be so successful. In order to make the whole story fit together, the creators had to make some changes – including in season 2.

Yesterday, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda personally announced news via X (formerly Twitter), including which islands will be visited in Season 2 – and the popular Alabasta is not included.

Link to Twitter content

Why this is important: Squeezing the gigantic story of One Piece into a live-action series is a herculean task. There was a lot of speculation about which islands would be shown in season 2 and when (and if at all). Now it is clear that Alabasta will be postponed until season 3.

Five islands in season 2

In the Twitter post above, Oda lists all the story arcs that Season 2 will cover. We will visit these islands together with the Straw Hat Pirates.

• Loguetown
• Reverse Mountain
• Whiskey Peak
• Little Garden
• Drum Island

The order makes sense. Not only because it appears that way in the original, but because it gives a good indication of how the season might unfold.

Process and potential changes

Of course, the Netflix series of One Piece cannot reproduce the manga or even the anime 1:1. However, with the announcement of the five islands, it is easy to speculate how the story will play out.

• Loguetown is the island where Gol D. Roger was executed and thus an ideal introduction to season 2. In addition, some popular characters make an appearance: Marine General Smoker (Callum Kerr), his right-hand man Tashigi (Julia Rehwald) and Dragon (Dean Damonse), whose background we do not want to spoil at this point.
• Reverse Mountain is the gateway to the Grand Line, where the adventure really begins. The Straw Hats also meet one of Gol D. Roger’s former members there, as well as the giant whale Laboum, who plays a central role for the musician Brook, who later joins the gang. Mr. 9 (Daniel Lasker) and the Princess of Alabasta, Vivi, disguised as Mrs. Wednesday, also make their debut here.
• Whiskey Peak could serve as an action set piece in which Zorro can show what he can do. Some of the foundations for the popular Alabasta are already being laid here.
• Little Garden introduces the giants with Boogey (Brendan Murray) and Woogey (Werner Coetser) into the world of One Piece.
• Drum Island is the island where Chopper lives, who will eventually join the Straw Hats as a ship’s doctor. It is safe to assume that this will be the emotional finale. Oh yes, and Luffy’s brother Ace makes his first appearance.

Although this division corresponds to the manga, there may be some changes for season 2.

• The popular villain Sir Crocodile will probably not appear in season 2 (at most as a teaser at the very end). This means that everything about his Baroque company and the agents serves as preparation for Alabasta in season 3.
• The rather unpopular villain Wapol (Rob Colletti) could be the Big Bad of the season. With Drum Island as the last island, he is also the last opponent of the Straw Hats in this season. In the manga he is not an important character (at the moment), but he could get more screen time and thus more character in the live-action series. His motivation (and especially his devil fruit power) allow for this.

What else is in Eiichiro Oda’s post?

In addition to the travel route and five pictures of the actors as their characters, there is a lot more information in the article.

New actors will be introduced over the next three days. Oda hints at important characters such as Princess Vivi as well as Miss All Sunday (also known as Miss Bloody Sunday), who later becomes known as Nico Robin. Performances will take place on August 21, 22, and 23.

The actors come from all over the world. One Piece is a work that celebrates diversity, and Oda himself revealed on his manga’s fan mail page that his characters could come from different places in the real world. The Netflix series is intended to reflect this.

What about Chopper? The creator also asks this question, leaving open whether we might soon find out how the reindeer that ate the human-human fruit will be realized: as a puppet or through computer effects?

Do you want to get in the mood for season 2? Then check out this announcement about the start of filming.

This is what our one-piece expert says: So now we have the roadmap for season 2, and I’m not surprised that Alabasta is being left out. The island itself is the first major story arc of One Piece with a lot of content, so it will probably take up the entire third season (should it come). That makes sense.

However, one piece of information surprises me: the inclusion of Whiskey Peak. In the manga, this island plays a relatively unimportant role. The Straw Hats are surprised by the agents of the Baroque Company (the group of the evil Sir Crocodile), but Zorro takes them apart single-handedly. Otherwise, we are only introduced to Vivi’s subordinate Igaram, who, with a little bit of leniency, could have been written out of the series.

However, since the creators have already shown great sensitivity with season 1, I am putting myself in their hands with confidence for season 2. They’ll do it!