What Story Changes Could We See from Live Action One Piece Next?

In one of the most surprising moments of OPLA season 2, we had our first look at Sabo, Dragon’s 2nd in command of the revolutionary army, and a sworn brother of Luffy and Ace.

In the manga/anime, Sabo’s introduction and backstory weren’t revealed until after the events of Marineford in the Post-War Arc, when we get a flashback to Luffy’s childhood. Given where in the One Piece story Sabo’s formal introduction is, we could be many years away from ever seeing Sabo on our screens.

Picture (L to R): Young Luffy, Young Sabo, and Young Ace

Ace will be introduced in the third season, so it would be the perfect opportunity to bring that story forward and spend an episode on the trio’s backstory. Not only would it deepen the audience’s attachment to Luffy and Ace, but it would further increase their intrigue in Sabo, who is yet to be mentioned by name in OPLA.

Picture: Our first glimpse at Sabo in OPLA (left) and Sabo in the anime (right)

Introducing Haki Earlier

Haki is one of the most important and powerful abilities in One Piece. However, Luffy doesn’t officially learn what Haki is until the Marineford arc, although there are a few instances of Haki being used in the story prior to that point. 

Shanks used Conqueror’s Haki to drive off the Lord of the Coast when he saved Luffy’s life, and in the Sky Island Arc, Enel’s “Mantra” is Observation Haki. There was also the instance of Conqueror’s Haki being used when Shanks meets with Whitebeard.

Picture: Enel in the One Piece anime – Netflix

Luffy himself begins to use Conqueror’s Haki inadvertently pre-time skip against Duval’s bull Mount Motobaro, and during the events of Amazon Lily, Impel Down, and Marineford. However, it isn’t until after Marineford that Luffy learns explicitly what Haki is and how to use it from Silvers Rayleigh.

Picture: Silvers Rayleigh teaches Luffy how to use Haki in One Piece

OPLA could use the opportunity to introduce Haki much earlier in the story. While this could upset some fans by straying from the source material, it wouldn’t be a major grievance if Enel actually addressed the power as Haki and dropped the name Mantra. They could drop the martial arts ability Rokushiki used by CP9 agents in favor of Armament Haki.

Luffy’s Parentage

To this day, we still don’t know Luffy’s mother’s identity, but it wasn’t until the events of Enies Lobby that we learned Dragon is Luffy’s father. In the anime/manga, this is also when we learn that Garp is Luffy’s grandfather, but OPLA has already brought that revelation hundreds of chapters forward.

This won’t be too impactful on the story, but if this revelation comes earlier, it could be another way to galvanize the Navy (especially Smoker) to chase after the Straw Hat Pirates.

Picture: Rigo Sanchez as Monkey D. Dragon (left) and Dragon in the anime (right) –

However, this also presents a chance to use Dragon in Luffy’s backstory. While he is an absent father, he could be watching him from afar. This would also provide a further reason for why Dragon is in the region when he rescues Sabo after Sabo’s boat is destroyed by a Celestial Dragon, and he is left for dead.

Overall, we’d like to see this revelation used to add more context to Luffy’s backstory.

More of Sanji’s Backstory

What was a surprise in OPLA season 2 was Sanji opening up to Nami about his mother, her illness, and how he would cook for her. After her death, he continued honing his skills as a cook in her honor. It was an incredibly heartfelt moment, one well-received by fans. 

Picture: Taz Skyler has impressed as Sanji so far – Tomorrow Studios/Netflix

In the anime/manga, we don’t discover Sanji’s backstory until the Whole Cake Island Arc, which is over 800 chapters and episodes into the source material. While the events of Whole Cake Island are unlikely to be brought forward, that doesn’t mean we can’t learn more about Sanji.

Sanji is the youngest son of Vinsmoke Judge, the King of the Germa Kingdom. The Strawhat Cook fled from Germa as a child due to the relentless bullying of his brothers and having been deemed a “failure” by his father. 

Picture: Vinsmoke Judge (left) and Sanji (right)

In the source material, Sanji’s wanted poster is mistaken for Duval’s. But Duval isn’t introduced until after the events of Thriller Bark. Alternatively, OPLA could choose to reveal Sanji as a Vinsmoke when his first bounty poster is released. How they would work Sanji’s backstory reveal into the events of the show pre-time skip remains to be seen, but it could be a welcome addition to the story to have Sanji’s Vinsmoke heritage looming over his head.

Pell Dies

Very self-explanatory. Pelle is an excellent character introduced in the Alabasta Arc. One of the head guards of the Alabasta Kingdom, he is not only a dear friend of Princess Vivi but also one of the Kingdom’s strongest fighters.

During the events of the Alabasta Saga, Pell sacrifices himself to save the country from a bomb that had been set by Mr. 0. The explosion should have killed him, and it would have been one of the noblest of sacrifices seen in the entire One Piece story. However, he somehow survives the blast, is treated for his wounds, and makes a full recovery. Pell is a fan favorite, but surviving the bomb blast is often seen as a missed opportunity to raise the stakes.

Picture: Pell in the One Piece anime – Netflix

In the live-action, we’ve already seen the death of Kaya’s butler, Merry, at the hands of Captain Kuro, and Igaram is believed to have died at the hands of Mr. 5. If the live-action isn’t afraid to shy away from characters dying, then Pell’s self-sacrifice could be an incredible moment for the adaptation.

What story changes would you like to see changed in OPLA? Let us know in the comments below!