Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat pirates head to the Grand Line in search of the ultimate lost treasure “One Piece”. Before they reach the Grand Line, they meet the first villain of this set, the very selfish Commodore Nelson. He wants to capture the Thousand Year Dragon Ryuji to get the source of eternal youth, and he hires Eric the Whirlwind to battle the Straw Hat pirates in order to achieve his evil plan. Compasses generally do not function at the Grand Line due to the magnetic fields, and it is almost impossible to navigate accurately. Luffy and his crew encounter with the Giant Whale Laboon, who is haunted down by Mr. 9, a Baroque Works Frontier agent. Hence, this is the beginning of Baroque Works Saga.
 
Even though the characters and their special skills are quite original, the format of One Piece is similar to many other series that are featured on Shonen Jump, especially to long-running ones. The main plot takes time to develop and unfold, and while the subplots can be exciting, they also may make viewers forget about the main plot.
 
Since I have never read One Piece’s original manga series, I do not know whether the anime episodes in this set are fillers or not. There is no shortage of action in One Piece, but the tale of the Thousand Year Dragon (a.k.a. Warship Island Arc) is a bit of a drag, as it stretches from episode 54 to 61. However, some light and comical moments help to move the story along while Luffy sails and battles his way across the high seas.
 
The animation and the character design are definitely not the most attractive. The characters are no doubt distinguishable and unique, but most of them look a bit freaky for my taste, and more childish than their personalities and attitudes would suggest. Hence, it is not very easy to differentiate between the good and the bad guys. I would also like to mention that this particular set may be suitable for older children since it is uncut and unedited. If I had a lot of leisure time at my disposal, I would not mind following this series more closely and consistently. This is another anime series that viewers will either get addicted to or give up on due to the long running period.