Few fictional worlds have travelled as widely – or endured as long – as One Piece.
First published by Japanese creator Eiichiro Oda in 1997, the manga has grown into one of the most successful comic series in history, with more than 500 million copies in circulation worldwide.
The story, which follows aspiring pirate Monkey D Luffy and his crew of Straw Hat companions as they search for legendary treasure known as the One Piece, has expanded across anime, films, video games and now Netflix’s ambitious live-action adaptation.
When the streaming series debuted, expectations were cautious. Live-action versions of beloved anime properties have often struggled to satisfy long-time fans. Instead, One Piece quickly became one of Netflix’s most widely watched shows, introducing the decades-old story to a global audience.
For Jacob Romero Gibson, who plays sharpshooter Usopp, the longevity of the series comes from the themes at the centre of Oda’s world – particularly the idea that wildly different characters can still pursue their dreams together.
“I definitely had that same question as I was introduced to the world of One Piece,” he tells The National. “As I started to watch the show and consume this story, the heart that's present in it – the lessons about life it brings up – that to me is the secret potion of why this works so well.
“It is a pirate adventure story, but underneath that is this heart, this chase after your dreams, this diversity of experiences coming together and supporting others through adversity. There are things in this show that are important to the human experience, and that’s why it's resonated globally for so long.”
Those ideas become even more central in the newly released second season, as the Straw Hat crew leave the relatively familiar waters of the East Blue and enter the far more unpredictable Grand Line – a stretch of ocean filled with strange islands, powerful enemies and new allies.
Across eight episodes, the story expands through several arcs from Oda’s manga, including Loguetown and Drum Island, steadily pushing the crew towards the larger Arabasta storyline that fans have long anticipated.
For the actors, returning to the series after the success of the first season has also meant stepping more fully into their characters.
“It feels like settling into your favourite pair of shoes,” says Emily Rudd, who plays navigator Nami. “It feels like coming home. These characters have become so much a part of us, and the show as a whole is an absolute dream. So, yeah, it’s a complete joy to be able to return to it.”
The new season also allows the series’ action to grow more ambitious. For Mackenyu, who plays swordsman Roronoa Zoro, that meant pushing the character’s physicality further on screen.
“A lot went into that scene,” he says of one of Zoro’s key battles. “First off, it was Zoro’s first time fighting with his new swords. He starts off with one, and in season two he gets introduced to two, and he specifically comments on both swords. That was a really fun sequence to do.
“And it was his first time where he got to fully show what he was capable of – both him and me. It was a challenge, but it was a great time for me.”
As the scale of the show grows, the actors say the goal is not simply to repeat what worked the first time.
“Season one was great,” says Romero Gibson. “And we don’t just want to recreate it. We want to do better. We want to evolve. If we get the opportunity to continue on, that’s exactly what all of us expect to do – deepen what we’re able to offer these characters and go deeper in the performances.”
Beneath the pirates, battles and fantastical islands, the cast say the appeal of One Piece ultimately remains rooted in something simple: friendship, loyalty and the pursuit of impossible dreams.
One Piece season two releases on March 10 on Netflix worldwide
