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In the early days ofOne Piece, the series often felt like the whimsical adventure of a group of friends as they navigated an interesting world. With lower stakes, lots of downtime, and tons of moments of joyous exploration, the early stages of the franchise had something special that hooked future fans for life. In a way, at its early stages, tonally,One Piecewas something completely different from what it is today.
While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, with modernOne Pieceexploring interesting ideas and concepts that the early stages of the series could only dream of, at times, it’s hard not to miss what used to make the series so special. Nowadays, things feel like they’ve gotten a bit too big for their own good, with downtime, exploration, and whimsy, all at a minimum, and instead prioritizing high-stakes action and worldbuilding. However,One Piece’sElbaf Archelps to reintroduce some of the whimsy to the show, exploring some of the things that used to makeOne Pieceso special.
Softer Conflict and Exploration
At the end of Egghead Island, the Straw Hat Crew barely survived an encounter with the World Government at its deadliest. With the Elders themselves, an Admiral, and a world-changing message from Vegapunk,the intensity of Egghead Islandwas some of the highest the series has ever had. For that reason, after the Straw Hat Crew escaped and sailed towards Elbaf, the story definitely needed a slight change of pace.
Plants, trees, vines, flowers, insects, fish, birds and animals… everything is breathtakingly huge. - Louis Arnote
So far, this is exactly what Elbaf has given readers. From the beginning ofOne Piece’sElbaf Arc, the crew has been given a chance to explore and maneuver the strange island of giants, in a much more low-stakes and self-contained story. Events like half the crew being kidnapped by Road, Luffy meetingthe Elbaf prince, Loki, and the crew finally setting eyes on the land of Elbaf all feel like moments that tonally match earlyOne Piece, as well as calling back upon those very moments as well.
One Piece Alludes to Classic One Piece
Giants Make Their Full Debut
As manyOne Piecefans know, Elbaf has been an island that the Straw Hat Crew wanted to visit since the introduction of the first giants in the story, Dorry and Brogy. In fact, for Usopp specifically, this was one ofUsopp’s major dreams throughout the series. Due to this, of course, Elbaf was going to reference older and more nostalgic points of the series in order to capture some nostalgia for the franchise.
Firstly, tonally, although the power level of Elbaf Island is incredibly high, the stakes seem far gentler. With many moments being focused on the whimsy of exploring Elbaf, with beautiful set pieces, and interesting characters, it finally feels likethe world-ending drama ofOne Piecehas taken a backseat for some good old-fashioned pirating. On top of this, although Loki does seem like an intense figure, his conversations with Luffy and discussion of the world are a welcome change of pace from the Elders before.
Elbaf is Far More Whimsical and Adventurous Than Usual
An Enchanting Journey
On top of this, Elbaf also feels like it calls back to the original adventures of the series. Whenrevealing the Elbaf Kingdomitself, the story flashes back to a moment of Luffy and Usopp singing about wanting to visit the land of the giants. Although this moment was brief, the extra dose of nostalgia helped the full art of Elbaf look even more beautiful. Additionally, Elbaf divided the crew between its older and newer members, once again making the arc so far feel like a classicOne Pieceadventure.
Most fail to find words to adequately describe its immense grandeur. - Louis Arnote
Although the intensity of Elbaf will most likely pick up down the line, it’s nice to seethe story ofOne Piecereference and allude to what made fans fall in love with it in the first place. With clever nostalgic flashbacks, the return of characters like Saul, and the overall whimsical tone,One Piece’sElbaf Arc may very well be what older fans of the series have been looking for. In the end, whether or not Elbaf keeps this tone, it was nice to get a glimpse again at what madeOne Pieceso special in the first place.
