Published Jun 27, 2026, 11:50 PM EDT
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After more than a year of silence, WIT Studio has finally given fans a proper look at The One Piece with its first teaser. The remake already looks gorgeous, but its biggest job has nothing to do with sharper visuals or smoother animation. Long before the pacing problems, filler episodes, and stretched-out reaction shots became the biggest complaints about Toei Animation's adaptation, the anime made a surprising decision in its very first episode that changed how One Piece began. Nearly three decades later, WIT Studio finally has the chance to tell the opening of Eiichiro Oda's story the way it was originally written.
Whenever fans talk about problems with the original anime, the conversation almost always goes in the same direction. Dressrosa, Fish-Man Island, and Wano are usually the first arcs brought up because of their slow pacing. Those criticisms are completely fair, but they have also overshadowed a much older issue. The anime's first major departure from the manga happened right at the beginning, long before the series had to worry about catching up to Oda's weekly chapters.
That is what makes The One Piece so exciting. WIT Studio is not simply remaking a beloved anime with modern animation. It has the rare opportunity to revisit the story from page one and stay much closer to Oda's original vision. For longtime readers, that means finally seeing the opening of One Piece unfold the way the manga introduced it nearly three decades ago.
Toei Animation Completely Ignored The Original Romance Dawn Chapter
Anyone who only watched the 1999 anime might not even realize how drastically Toei Animation altered the beginning of One Piece. Eiichiro Oda started the manga with Chapter 1, "Romance Dawn," focusing entirely on Luffy's childhood. It introduced his bond with Shanks, revealed how he ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, and explained how he got the scar under his eye.
The 1999 anime totally ignored this setup. Instead of adapting the first chapter, Episode 1 jumped straight to the present day, where Luffy bursts out of a barrel aboard Alvida's ship, while his childhood story was pushed back until Episode 4. His departure from Foosha Village, where he first claimed to be the King of the Pirates, was not shown until Episode 504, more than 500 episodes later.
The Ultimate · Straw Hat Challenge Set Sail for Trivia “I’m gonna be King of the Pirates!”
⚕CrewNakama!
🌊SeasEast Blue
🍋Devil FruitsGomu Gomu!
☠VillainsFear the sea
🏆DreamsOne Piece!
SET SAIL →
01
Monkey D. Luffy accidentally ate a Devil Fruit as a child, giving him rubber-like abilities. What is the name of that fruit?
AFlame-Flame Fruit BChop-Chop Fruit CGum-Gum Fruit DSmoke-Smoke Fruit
✓ Correct! The Gum-Gum Fruit (Gomu Gomu no Mi) turned Luffy’s body into rubber. He ate it from Shanks’ treasure chest as a kid, gaining stretchy powers but losing the ability to swim forever.
✗ Overboard! The answer is the Gum-Gum Fruit. The Chop-Chop Fruit belongs to Buggy, the Flame-Flame Fruit to Ace, and the Smoke-Smoke Fruit to Captain Smoker — but Luffy’s rubber powers come from the Gomu Gomu no Mi.
NEXT →
02
Luffy’s iconic straw hat was given to him as a child by a famous pirate who inspired his dream. Who gave Luffy the hat?
AGold Roger BMonkey D. Garp CDracule Mihawk DRed-Haired Shanks
✓ Correct! Red-Haired Shanks entrusted his straw hat to young Luffy in Foosha Village, telling him to return it when he becomes a great pirate. That promise drives Luffy’s entire journey.
✗ Overboard! The answer is Red-Haired Shanks. While Gold Roger originally wore the hat, it was Shanks who passed it down to Luffy after saving his life from a Sea King — a defining moment in the series.
NEXT →
03
Before joining the Straw Hats, Sanji works as a sous chef at a floating restaurant on the ocean. What is the name of this restaurant?
AThe Galley-La BThe Baratie CThe Sea Rat DMakino’s Tavern
✓ Correct! The Baratie is the ocean-going restaurant run by Chef Zeff, Sanji’s mentor. In the live-action series, it’s one of the most stunning sets — a fully realized ship-restaurant on the open sea.
✗ Overboard! The answer is The Baratie. Run by the legendary pirate-turned-chef “Red Leg” Zeff, this floating restaurant is where Luffy recruits Sanji as the Straw Hats’ cook.
NEXT →
04
Roronoa Zoro is famous for his unique sword-fighting technique. How many swords does he wield in his signature style?
AOne BTwo CThree DFour
✓ Correct! Zoro uses Three-Sword Style (Santoryu), wielding one sword in each hand and a third in his mouth. His dream is to become the world’s greatest swordsman by defeating Dracule Mihawk.
✗ Overboard! The answer is three. Zoro’s iconic Three-Sword Style places one blade in each hand and a third clenched between his teeth — a fighting technique unique to him in the One Piece world.
NEXT →
05
Each Straw Hat crew member has a personal dream. What is Nami’s ultimate goal that drives her journey?
ATo find the One Piece treasure BTo become the greatest navigator CTo draw a complete map of the world DTo defeat every pirate on the Grand Line
✓ Correct! Nami’s dream is to draw a map of the entire world. Her cartography skills and navigation talent make her indispensable to the crew, and her passion for mapmaking was nurtured by her adoptive mother Bell-mère.
✗ Overboard! The answer is to draw a complete map of the world. Nami is a gifted cartographer whose dream goes beyond just sailing — she wants to chart every sea and island so no one is ever lost again.
NEXT →
06
A powerful Marine Vice Admiral is revealed to have a surprising family connection to Luffy. Who is this high-ranking Marine?
ACaptain Smoker BAdmiral Akainu CCaptain Morgan DVice Admiral Garp
✓ Correct! Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp is Luffy’s grandfather. Known as “Garp the Fist,” he’s a Marine hero who wanted Luffy to become a Marine — not a pirate. Their family dynamic is a major subplot in the live-action series.
✗ Overboard! The answer is Vice Admiral Garp. Monkey D. Garp is Luffy’s grandfather and one of the most legendary Marines alive. Despite being on opposite sides of the law, their bond runs deep.
NEXT →
07
Usopp is recruited into the Straw Hat crew after the pirates help defend his home village from Captain Kuro’s Black Cat Pirates. What is the name of Usopp’s village?
AFoosha Village BShells Town CSyrup Village DCoco Village
✓ Correct! Syrup Village is Usopp’s peaceful hometown where he was known for telling tall tales. It’s also where Kaya lives, and where the crew acquires the Going Merry from her estate.
✗ Overboard! The answer is Syrup Village. Foosha Village is Luffy’s hometown, Shells Town is where Zoro was held captive, and Coco Village (Cocoyasi) is Nami’s home — but Usopp hails from Syrup Village.
NEXT →
08
The Netflix live-action adaptation was praised for its casting. Which actor plays Monkey D. Luffy?
AMackenyu BTaz Skylar CIñaki Godoy DJacob Romero Gibson
✓ Correct! Mexican actor Iñaki Godoy won fans over with his infectious energy and earnest portrayal of Luffy. Mackenyu plays Zoro, Taz Skylar is Sanji, and Jacob Romero Gibson plays Usopp.
✗ Overboard! The answer is Iñaki Godoy. The young Mexican actor perfectly captured Luffy’s boundless enthusiasm. The other actors all play Straw Hat crew members — but Luffy is all Iñaki.
REVEAL MY SCORE →
Voyage Complete Your Pirate Record
⚕
/ 8
Are you King of the Pirates — or lost at sea?
↻ SET SAIL AGAIN
While many may think that it is not that big a problem, as Toei did show it later. That was not the only change. When the anime finally covered Luffy's backstory, it removed one of One Piece's most memorable scenes. In Oda's original version, Luffy stabs himself beneath the eye with a knife to prove to Shanks that he is serious about becoming a pirate. The anime cuts the moment entirely, leaving many viewers wondering where his scar even came from.
That is exactly why The One Piece feels so promising. Everything revealed so far suggests WIT Studio is sticking much closer to Oda's manga. The teaser already shows Luffy setting out alone in his small boat, and the first episode is titled "Romance Dawn," just like the manga's opening chapter. If that approach carries into the full series, the remake could finally give fans the introduction One Piece was always meant to have.
Early Television Censorship Drastically Softened The Darkest Moments In One Piece
While fans usually point to the original anime's slow pacing and endless recaps, the early censorship arguably had a much bigger impact on One Piece’s story. Toei Animation did not just rearrange scenes from the manga; it also softened some of Eiichiro Oda's most powerful moments. The Baratie arc remains the clearest example. In the anime, Zeff loses his leg after it gets caught in an anchor chain while saving Sanji. It is still an emotional scene, but the manga tells a much darker story.
After being stranded on a barren rock with almost nothing to eat, Zeff realizes there is only enough food for one of them. To keep Sanji alive, he smashes off his own leg and eats it himself, leaving every remaining ration to the young boy. That moment completely changes the weight of Zeff's sacrifice. It is one of the first times Oda shows just how cruel the world of One Piece can be and how far its characters are willing to go for someone they care for.
Related
6 Reasons To Abandon One Piece's Anime For the Manga in 2026
As the anime undergoes major production changes, switching to the manga is a great way to experience the rest of the story safely without spoilers.
Those kinds of changes were common throughout the East Blue saga. While the censorship made sense for a daytime television series aimed at younger viewers in the late '90s, it also took away some of the edge that made the manga stand out. That is one of the reasons why The One Piece has so many longtime fans excited. With WIT Studio producing the remake for Netflix instead of traditional television, it finally has the opportunity to bring those scenes to the screen much closer to the way Oda originally wrote them.
First Film One Piece: The Movie
Cast Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi
Created by Eiichiro Oda
Character(s) Monkey D. Luffy, Roronora Zoro, Nami (One Piece), Nico Robin, Usopp (One Piece), Vinsmoke Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Franky (One Piece), Jimbei (One Piece)
English (US) ·