For the fanbase of the live-action series of *One Piece*, there have been mixed feelings circling around the decision to omit the present-day Loguetown arc. This important phase of the story wasn’t included due to pressing budget and time constraints, a sacrifice the show’s co-showrunner, Steven Maeda, wished had been avoidable.
The plotline of *One Piece*, pivoting around the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates hunting for the legendary “One Piece” treasure, has captured many hearts. The pursuit, if successful, would crown their captain, Monkey D. Luffy, the “King of the Pirates”. Sharing their quest are several rivals, all with their eyes set on the same coveted prize.
Loguetown Arc: A Missed Opportunity
Loguetown, an iconic location in *One Piece*, is where Gold Roger, the King of the Pirates, was publically executed. It was here that the world first learned about the existence of the One Piece treasure. Although the Netflix adaptation starts with a brief glimpse of this historical Pirates’ town, it was soon left behind.
During an interview with Screen Rant, Steven Maeda touched upon the difficulties of incorporating the present-day Loguetown arc. He stated, “The biggest one for me that we didn’t get to do was Loguetown in the present day. And we needed two more episodes to be able to do it and there wasn’t the budget, there wasn’t the screen time. And there wasn’t room in the eight episodes to do it the way that it deserved to be done. We see Loguetown in the very beginning with Rogers’ execution. And then, of course, I wanted to come back to Loguetown and just couldn’t fit it in the eight episodes.”
Disappointment is palpable in his candid confession about the rushed execution and the prohibitively expensive production costs.
Chart-topping Performance With No Room For Romance
Despite the aforementioned misses, *One Piece* has celebrated an impressive debut on Netflix, claiming the top position in as many as 84 countries in its opening weekend alone. This achievement has effortlessly outranked the previous record holders – the fourth season of *Stranger Things* and *Wednesday* – each of which managed to be number one in 83 countries during their respective debuts.
Fans of the Manga may have been nurturing hopes of a budding romance between Nami and Zoro; however, the creator of *One Piece*, Eiichiro Oda, has made it clear that crew members will strictly remain romantically uninvolved, both in the manga series and the live-action show.
Steven Maeda further stated, “One of the mandates from manga creator Eiichiro Oda was against romance on the crew. That is a hard no as far as the manga and the live-action show are concerned. It’s fun to see what the viewers interpret and bring to the table when watching a show, even if it doesn’t necessarily align with the creator’s original intentions.”
*One Piece* continues to be streamed on Netflix, treating fans to the unfolding adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates, brimming with suspense, action – and importantly, lasting camaraderie.
