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One Piecehas some of the most creative fights in all of anime. With the interesting scope of powers in theOne Pieceuniverse, each fight feels like it could go in any direction, especially when it involves an unpredictable character like Luffy. With the advent of Gear 5 and its Toon Force-related powers as well, One Piece fights have been one of the best parts of the show in recent years.
However, not every fight inOne Piececan be a winner, even when it involves Luffy. Although most of Luffy’s fights are far from being anything close to boring, one fight of Luffy’s may be the most boring in all ofOne Piece. The fight, Luffy versus Hody Jones, was supposed to be Luffy’s triumphant return after histime skip training arc. Instead, it became a slog to get through, acting as a sad finale to an underwhelming arc.
Hody Jones and One Piece’s Fishman Island Arc
A Polarizing Arc
The main antagonist of Fishman Island Arc is Hody Jones. Hody Jones and the New Fishman Pirates came into conflict with the Straw Hats early on in their adventures onOne Piece’sFishman Island. Being a pirate who is against seeing the unification of Fishmen and Humans, Hody Jones attempts to usurp the throne of Fishman Island and eliminate anyone standing in his way.
Land-dwellers are inferior! We will rule them. Or they will die! - Hody Jones
Of course, this goes against everything theCaptain of the Straw Hat Piratesstands for, putting Hody Jones in direct conflict with Luffy. After invading with a massive army, while each of the other Straw Hats shows off their new abilities, Luffy faces Hody Jones in what is arguably the most boring fight of the series. Here, Luffy must both defeat Hody Jones in his desired environment, underwater, while trying to stop the massive boat, Noah, from crashing into the island.
Hody Jones Versus Luffy is Unbalanced
Hody Needs More Than Energy Steroids
This fight feels like such a slog to get through for several reasons. Firstly, in terms of strength,One Piece’sHody Jonesposed no real threat against Luffy. Mainly, this problem was circumvented by having Luffy fight Hody in the water, though by the time they were both on Noah together, it felt like the fight should have wrapped up soon after. However, Luffy continued to struggle with the New Fishman Pirate, further extending an already needlessly long battle.
Next, Hody Jones himself, being one of the least interesting characters intheOne Pieceseries, made what should have been an interesting clash of ideologies about the fate of human and Fishman relations into a one-sided conversation about Hody Jones' hatred. While hating something for virtually no reason is an interesting characteristic, it doesn’t make for an interesting perspective in terms of a fight. On top of this, Hody utilized the Energy Steroids for most of the battle, something that artificially boosted his own power, making the character seem especially pitiful.
One Piece’s “Ticking Clock” Problem
The Start of it All
Finally, the final fight forOne Piece’sFishman Island Arc, like many other fights in post-time skip, was made more tense by the presence of a “ticking clock,” or, in this instance, the falling of Noah onto the island. In a way, adding this “ticking clock” element to the fight scene feels like a cheap way to artificially generate tension in the scene. In turn, elements like the ideological clash between Hody and Luffy get overshadowed by a giant boat slowly making its way to destroy the island.
This’ll be over in a snap! - Luffy to Shirahoshi about his fight with Hody Jones
Although the Hody Jones versus Luffy fight is one of themost boring in all ofOne Piece, it’s far from being the worst. The fight does have some interesting elements, like the introduction of Luffy’s Red Hawk and Elephant Gatling. On top of this, Hody Jones himself is a far more interesting character than most give him credit for. He is sneaky, underhanded, and shallow, and although many fans hate him for it, that’s the point of his character.
In the end, thefights inOne Pieceare often made interesting by their creativity and choreography. Hody Jones versus Luffy had none of these elements and, sadly, was boring to watch. Luckily, many of the fights that came past this inOne Piecestepped up their game and left behind what could be one of the most boring fights in the series.
