Netflix's 'One Piece' Cast Reacts to THOSE Surprise Season 2 Cameos: "I Screamed!"

Editor's note: The below interview contains spoilers for One Piece Season 2.Netflix has once again invited fans to come aboard for Season 2 of One Piece, the rip-roaring pirate adventure that took the world by storm and broke the live-action manga/anime adaptation curse. Despite the near-impossible task of adapting Eiichiro Oda for live-action (particularly thanks to the downright dubious reputation of previous attempts to do the same with other manga/anime IPs), Season 1 of One Piece did just that with huge faithfulness to the source material, a stunning mix of impressive visuals that expertly balance practical and digital effects, and an incredibly charismatic cast. Iñaki Godoy (Monkey D. Luffy), Mackenyu (Roronoa Zoro), Emily Rudd (Nami), Jacob Romero (Usopp), and Taz Skylar (Sanji) all brought an immense level of life and likability into their respective characters, and now they get to do it all again with Season 2.

Aptly titled "Into the Grand Line," One Piece Season 2 adapts the first half of the Alabasta Saga of the anime/manga, where the Straw Hat Crew begins their journey into the vast and expansive stretch of ocean before getting caught up in a deadly conspiracy that could destroy an entire country. Along the way, they meet a colorful new cast of characters, like a princess masquerading as an assassin (Charithra Chandran), an anthropomorphic reindeer doctor (Mikaela Hoover), and more, including a few fan-favorite characters who showed up sooner than some fans may have expected. To go over some of Season 2's biggest surprises (and perhaps a little of what to expect from Season 3), Collider had the chance to talk with Godoy, Mackenyu, Rudd, Romero, and Skylar about some of the show's biggest surprises.

Mackenyu Screamed When He Saw Dragon, Sabo, and Brook in 'One Piece' Season 2

COLLIDER: The first two episodes of the show really drop a couple of bombs on us. My jaw hit the floor when we saw characters like Dragon, Sabo, and Brook, characters that I don't think most people are expecting to see this early. Since I know you're all fans of the source material, what were your reactions when you found out those characters were going to be joining a lot sooner than expected?

MACKENYU: I screamed! Literally. We saw the first episode together, and I was screaming. I nearly lost my voice before we shot a scene for Season 3.

EMILY RUDD: Also, the way that this show is, there are a lot of scenes that we’re not even remotely involved in. Like, we read the scripts, so we know, but actually seeing it in real life, like seeing Sabo come out in the background, was like, “What? How are we allowed to do this?” We know how. It’s [Eiichiro] Oda. But still, to be able to see these characters way sooner than we originally would, it's just so exciting, and I think it's something that fans are really going to be super stoked on.

Seeing Brook, especially, just seems like the perfect choice.

RUDD: Oh, he’s so good!

JACOB ROMERO: [Martial Batchamen] is a wonderful, wonderful person. Such a big heart. So genuine.

RUDD: It’s awesome.

How Chopper Will Adapt To Becoming the Straw Hat Crew's Doctor in 'One Piece' Season 3

One person, of course, that we do meet this season is Chopper.

IÑAKI GODOY: That's right!

Now that he's officially a member of the Straw Hat crew, what's his transition into pirate life going to be like? Is he going to take to it right away, or does he kind of need to get his sea legs?

ROMERO: Rough. I got him on a strict training regimen starting immediately — clean the toilets, mop the decks, repaint the railings. I'm throwing him right in there.

RUDD: The adjustment is just chores on the ship. Otherwise, everything else is the same.

ROMERO: Specifically, all of Usopp’s chores.

MACKENYU: Every single time Usopp tries to bully him, he hides behind me and asks me to kick his ass.

ROMERO: Which isn’t gonna save him.

RUDD: I think his biggest adjustment is that he has to cuddle with Zoro every night. They share a bunk. Otherwise, I think Chopper's going to take to it pretty well.

One of my favorite bits of the season was just the subtle scene where he's crying, and seeing the blossoms fall, and Zoro comforts him.

MACKENYU: I enjoyed that scene so much. One of my dreams came true, putting him on my shoulder.

Crocodile Is a Big 'Oe Piece' Season 3 Threat, but Iñaki Godoy Is More Worried About 2 Other Villains

Speaking of another big character that shows up this season, Joe Manganiello as Crocodile, who looks incredible. Is it safe to say that he's the biggest threat that the Straw Hats have faced?

GODOY: No.

TAZ SKYLAR: Quite literally. He's the tallest man we’ve ever faced.

GODOY: There is a bigger threat, guys.

ROMERO: It's Luffy!

GODOY: It's the otter and the vulture. Come on! The Unluckies? Those guys. Listen, listen, I'm a big Mr. 0 fan, alright? But the truth is, in my opinion, one of the best villains in the show is definitely the Unluckies, because it's an otter in pajamas on a vulture with a machine gun. When you think about the great characters of TV, you’ve got Walter White, you’ve got Tony Soprano, you’ve got all the great characters of TV. What do they share in common? They are iconic. They make a presence when they are in the scene. That's what they do.

RUDD: They wear pajamas.

GODOY: When you see the Unluckies, they immediately get your attention.

SKYLAR: Magnetic, some would say.

GODOY: They are magnetic. They're iconic. Even though their appearance is brief, it makes an impact. So, I think people should be really excited about this, guys. And also, Mr. 0.

ROMERO: And Joe’s amazing.

GODOY: But maybe that's more of a Season 3 thing.

SKYLAR: We all have secretly discussed how the otter is probably the next Brad Pitt.

The 'One Piece' Crew Know Fans Want More Seasons — and They Want It Fast

Speaking of Season 3, we're now three years and two seasons in, with the third on the way. It still feels like we've only scratched the surface of what One Piece has to offer. Is there now more of an incentive to get these seasons out quicker, or do you feel like it's at a good pace so far?

RUDD: We had to pause because of the strikes, but now we obviously want to work and do this show. We have so much fun doing it. I think the fans want to see more. There's a certain amount of time that we have to put into post-production. We have so much that we have to add to the show, even though a lot of what we do is practical. But I think we're all keen to move at a pace that is as quick as humanly possible, so that's what we're doing.

SKYLAR: So yes, we do feel incredible pressure to put them out as quickly as humanely possible.

ROMERO: Yeah, it's both. It's very much both. We want to keep the fans as excited as we are. We get to read the scripts, we get to work on the show. We have an idea of what's coming, what's going on, and what to be excited about. It also takes so much to create these worlds, to build these costumes, to build these sets, to write these scripts, and also the quality. So, as fast as we can without sacrificing quality, I think, is the sweet spot for us. The mix of CGI and practicality is definitely a formula that, I think, as a production, we're honing in on and getting more efficient and fantastic.

Iñaki Godoy Can't Wait for Fans To See His "Buddy" Xolo Maridueña in 'One Piece' Season 3

One quick question before I go: Iñaki, your dream came true when it was announced that Xolo Maridueña was joining the cast of Fire First Ace. What was your reaction when you first heard he's joining the show, and what can fans expect from him?

GODOY: When I heard that Xolo was going to be joining the show, I thought in my head, “My boy!” I was like, “Yeah! My buddy! My buddy Xolo is going to be with me.” Working with your friends is always a blessing. It makes me super happy that Xolo was able to join. He's a super cool guy. He's really talented, and I can't wait for all of you guys to see his performance in Season 3.

But before you watch Season 3, you’ve got to check out Season 2, because there's this otter in pajamas who’s riding that vulture, and they're shooting this machine gun, and I think that's worth your time, and you should see it.

If that’s not a pitch for people to watch it if they haven't already…

SKYLAR: Thank you for flagging to everyone where my fight is with the otter in pajamas. I really appreciate it. By the way, it's a one-shot, and it's really beautifully shot. It's my favorite fight of the whole thing. It's actually very pleasing and incredibly entertaining.

One Piece Season 2 is streaming now on Netflix.