Welcome back! If you joined us for our spotlight on Punk Hazard, we are so glad that you are joining us again as we take a look at the next arc: Dressrosa.
The Dressrosa Arc in One Piece revolves around the Straw Hat Pirates’ efforts to free the kingdom of Dressrosa from the tyrannical rule of Donquixote Doflamingo, a powerful and manipulative Warlord of the Sea. It’s a little too long, but it has some iconic moments. Let’s take a look at five special moments from the Dressrosa Arc.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The Dumb Disguises
Some of the best gags in One Piece involve little silly drawings on the characters, like the little faces that were drawn on the Straw Hats when they body-swapped during the Punk Hazard arc. When the Dressrosa arc starts, most of the crew has silly props on their faces as disguises, including Luffy’s ridiculous beard. While most of these come off within a couple of chapters, Luffy remains in disguise as “Lucy” through his time in the coliseum. The absurdity of their disguises and their attempts to blend in with the locals provided much-needed comic relief amidst the arc’s intense drama. It wouldn’t be One Piece without genuinely awful subject matter like taking someone’s personhood if it wasn’t paired up with silly stuff.
Impressive Feats
There aren’t a lot of moments in One Piece where something a little cosmic happens. Fujitora drops a whole meteor on Green Bit, and somehow the Law, Doflamingo, and Fujitora are all standing after that. Seriously, readers are treated to the meteor being sliced in half, broken into many pieces, and repelled, leaving the three combatants alone on small pillars, surrounded by a decimated environment. There isn’t much more that happens after that, but this was a sweet chapter for seeing some impressive feats.
Franky took on my favorite Doflamingo subordinate, Senor Pink. Oda didn’t need to give Senor Pink a tragic backstory, he could have been a guy in a baby costume and that would have been enough. Of course, the story is incredibly sad, making Senor Pink easy to connect to for readers and Franky. Their fight wasn’t long, but the connection that the two formed left an impression, and Franky beating someone so intimating is pretty cool.
Another impressive feat that deserves mention is Nico Robin catching Hakuba, who is established as this insanely fast being. This moment reaffirms her position as one of the Straw Hats’ most impressive crew members when it comes to ability in combat.
Zoro absolutely bodied Pica in his first genuinely cool fight since the time skip.
Even Sanji did something cool when he deflected one of Doflamingo’s kicks. Actually, this wasn’t Sanji’s worst arc, and I was cheering for him, which is a change of pace from when I’m just really annoyed with his perversion. It’s been especially bad since the time skip.
Usoland
Usopp has always been known for his tall tales and wild imagination, but during the Dressrosa Arc, he actually earns his legendary status. This moment was both hilarious and heartwarming, as Usopp’s exaggerations and lies inspired the dwarves, leading to their unwavering support in the fight against the Donquixote Pirates. Even more impressive is when he defeated Sugar using Haki for the first time, more or less saving everyone from an awful end during the Dressrosa Saga.
Gear 4th
I didn’t get to read One Piece when Gear 4 happened, but I have to imagine that the internet went nuts with hype. How can you not? The new gear felt inevitable to beat a warlord of the sea, and Oda’s framing as Luffy inflated his body was excellent. Every panel teased just enough until we were finally treated to Gorilla D Luffy bouncing around. It’s the perfect blend of excellent and funny, making this new form feel perfect for Luffy and One Piece. It’s hard to top the hype of going from Kong Gun to Rhino Rhino Schneider to Culverin, but Luffy tanking Doflamingo’s kick was the icing on the cake. It was just an excellent moment with one of One Piece’s best antagonists.
Donquixote Doflamingo
This arc stretched a little too long, which is a shame because Doflamingo is one of the best villains in One Piece so far. He is well-developed, incredibly threatening, and easy to hate. He’s tragic in many ways, but he is also monstrous. His design is excellent, and every facial expression is full of energy even with the sunglasses. Villains like Doflamingo are rare in manga, and it would be great if he could get an encore of some kind before One Piece ends.
The Dressrosa Arc is undoubtedly one of the most iconic arcs in One Piece. What are your favorite moments? Let us know in the comments.
