One Piece: Freedom is a Revolution

Spoilers
The Straw Hat Pirates

Have you ever asked yourself, “What if I made a different decision?” That’s something I think about quite frequently. Honestly, I hope there aren’t many people reading this who feel the same. I have always made choices that feel safe and don’t push me out of my comfort zone. We should be making decisions that, even if they're scary, are the path we want to take forward. I need to free myself from the fear of the unknown, to be bold, to find true friends. Those are some of the lessons I learned while watching the anime series One Piece.

(One Piece spoilers ahead)

First, some background to cover my bases. One Piece is set in a fictional world with many strange phenomena, monsters, and supernatural powers. The primary setting of the show is the Grand Line, the most dangerous sea in the world, which surrounds the world like a ring. Stories say that on the last island of the Grand Line lies the mythical treasure, the One Piece. One Piece is the treasure left by the pirate king, Gold Roger, the only man to conquer the Grand Line. Gold Roger was the man said to have acquired everything the world had to offer: wealth, fame and power. On the day he was executed, he announced that anyone who found his treasure could have it. Twenty years later, the main protagonist Monkey D. Luffy set out to gather a pirate crew and find the One Piece.

I started watching One Piece back in my early high school days (which was years ago, sigh, so old). Starting this show was intimidating at first, how could it not be? I had never heard of a show with over hundreds of episodes before. Starting and continuing to watch this show would be one of the most significant commitments of my life. However, after watching the first few episodes, I was completely and utterly hooked. The first episode started a little slow, with some poor kid being forced to work for pirates. I even considered turning it off after two minutes and watching something else.

Luffy breaking out of a barrel

At the moment when my attention span and interest were about to expire, a dumb looking teenager with a scar under his left eye wearing a straw hat broke out of a barrel laughing. It was almost like the show knew exactly when I was about to close the screen. I was shocked and then intrigued, so I obviously kept watching. After multiple seasons of watching this teenager, Monkey D. Luffy, I became inspired to change how I want to live my life. I always wanted to be someone who could passionately follow his dreams.

Nami crying

Like an idiot, Luffy would drag his friends into danger just for the fun of it, but they kept following him. Now I would never put my friends and family in danger just to satisfy my sense of adventure, but I admire Luffy’s friends a great deal. They continue to journey with him even when they’re terrified of what he’ll decide to do next. This courage comes from the loyalty Luffy earned by helping his friends when they needed it the most. One of his crewmates, Nami the navigator, used to work for a pirate named Arlong, who forced her to steal treasure and make maps. If she didn’t do what he wanted, Arlong would have killed all the people in her village. Even though she had betrayed Luffy before, she still took the risk and asked him for help.

Luffy managed to defeat Arlong, who was a more well-known pirate and saved Nami’s village. Logically, if Nami kept working for Arlong, it would have been the safer option for her and the village. However, Nami knew it wouldn't last. If Nami had held back out of fear of being rejected and abandoned, she would have lost everything. Instead, her family and friends are safe, and she’s travelling the world to pursue her dream of making a map of the world.

This arc reminded me of an experience I had in elementary school. My class was practicing exercises for a sports competition, but I wasn't very good at it. We had multiple practices because we were going to this stadium (I can’t remember the name) to play against other schools. I was incredibly nervous to perform in front of so many people. There was a point where I considered saying I was sick to get out of it. In the end, I decided to go and perform to the best of my ability. Objectively, I didn’t do incredibly well, but I finished better than I ever had before during practice.

Ace dying in Luffy's arms

Unfortunately, things won’t always go your way and end happily, even if you put in all your effort. During the midpoint of the story, Luffy’s sworn brother Ace was captured by the Navy and set to be executed. After being separated from his friends and going through multiple trials, he gets to Ace, and they almost escape. In the end, Ace was killed saving Luffy, which broke his heart. Afterward, Luffy was so crushed he couldn't even think clearly. Only after one of his new friends smacked some sense into him did he realize something important. He may have lost Ace, but he still had his friends who needed him; he couldn’t give up.

Trying to connect one of the most heartbreaking moments in anime to my personal life is something I feel like I’ll get flamed for, but here we go. After I graduated from high school, during the COVID pandemic, I didn’t have much to do over the next year. I didn’t want to start college in that environment, and I was so tired of online classes. It was during those days that I wanted to find a part-time job, at least, and make some money. No matter where I applied, nothing came out of it. I know it’s normal, but at the time, I just felt useless. After being cheered up by my family, I decided to apply to college.

Although I was never the best student, I still put in a lot of work during my application. I didn’t manage to get into the program I wanted on my first try, but I never gave up. Three years and an associate certificate later, I’m about to graduate fully. Over those years, I kept changing myself, trying things that scared me and went through some setbacks with my achievements. The spirit to keep going and never quit was something I feel came in part from Luffy’s journey.

So, in honour of my pursuit to change myself, I’ll boldly make my final remarks. If you've ever felt the same way I have, remember it’s okay to be scared. Courage is not the absence of fear; stupidity is. Courage is knowing you’re afraid and moving forward anyway. You’re going to fail sometimes; it’s inevitable, but so is victory. It all depends on whether you’re willing to take the next step and put in the effort. There will also be people who will support you and pull you back up, as long as you remain true to yourself. Don’t give up your freedom for a false sense of security. You’ll never truly be safe, but you can always be free even inside a prison. Remember this phrase when you have to make a scary decision: What would a dumb kid in a straw hat do?

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Ishika Banerjee
Ishika Banerjee
 · 05/01/2025
I wish i could get on the one piece bandwagon but it will take me approx 70+ years to catch up at this point.
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carlosnorcia
carlosnorcia
 · 05/01/2025
It's been ages since I last watched One Piece, but I can totally relate to what Luffy represents to you! He's such a fearless and joyful character, I'd definitely like to be a bit more like him, too!
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marvelousmars
marvelousmars
 · 04/30/2025
Wow, your connection to One Piece sounds so sweet! I watched the live-action show when it came out just because everyone was talking about it, only to discover that it actually had a lot of heart! After reading this, maybe I'll give the anime a shot too... If I can come to terms with how long it is 😂
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Lucas.
Lucas.
 · 05/01/2025
🤜🤛
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