One Piece Arcs Tier List: Ranked Best To Worst

We ranked all One Piece main story arcs from best to worst in this tier list, so read it & learn the overall ranking hierarchy of the manga.

One Piece is one of the longest-running anime/manga titles, being in production for over 25 years, since 1997, with more than a thousand, published chapters. This abundance of material may prove “too much” for viewers, especially newcomers. That is the reason we have made the One Piece Arcs Tier List, ranking all of the main story arcs from best to worst in Tiers ranging from S to F.

Key Highlights

  • One Piece Arcs features 31 main story Arcs spread across the game’s more than a hundred tankōbon volumes and ten Saga parts. 
  • The ranking of all One Piece Arcs depends on how much real value they offer in the main plot. To determine that, we considered Spectacular and Sensational fight sequences
  • Enies Lobby, Alabasta, Wano Country, Dressora, Post Enies Lobby, and Marineford are currently the best in-game Arc to consider. 
  • All of these Arcs render significant impacts on the anime/manga story and pull notable actions. 
  • On the other hand, Drum island, Orange town, and Syrup Village contest as the weakest Arcs in our One Piece Arcs tier list. Nevertheless, given some of their critical plot points’ potential, you might want to give them a chance.
  • If you still want to skip some options, we recommend overlooking the following Arcs instead: Spa Island, Little East Blue, Z’s Ambition, Caesar Retrieval, Silver Mine, Oceans Dream, Cidre Guild, and Marine Rookie.

One Piece Arcs Tier List Ranking Table
TiersArcs
S-TierEnies Lobby, Alabasta, Wano Country, Dressora, Post Enies Lobby, Marineford, Whole Cake Island
A-TierLittle Garden, Levely, Thriller Bark, Arlong Park, Skypiea, Saboady Archipelago, Water 7, Impel Down, Post War
B-TierBaratie, Zou, Loguetown, Whiskey Peak, Fishmen Island, Jaya, Romance Dawn, Fishman Island
C-TierPunk Hazard, Reverse Mountain, Long Ring Long Land, Amazon Lily, Return To Sabaody
D-TierDrum Island, Orange town, Syrup Village

Eiichiro Oda is the author and illustrator of the Japanese manga series One Piece. It has been published in Shueisha’s shonen manga publication Weekly Shonen Jump. The various chapters have been collected into 102 tankōbon volumes. While on the topic of One Piece and Tier Lists, we would like to divert your attention to our Tier List for King Legacy so you can easily decide on the best Devil Fruits in the game.

The plot revolves around the exploits of Monkey D. Luffy, an inheritor of the powers of Devil Fruits. Devil Fruits are mysterious fruits that give superpowers to the Pirates who eat them but also make them unable to swim in the water.

Luffy had made this trade and gained the qualities of rubber throughout his whole body. He traverses the Grand Line with his pirate crew, the Straw Hat Pirates. In pursuit of the late King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger’s ultimate prize was known as the “One Piece” to become the next King of the Pirates.

Arcs And Sagas in One Piece

Arcs And Sagas - One Piece Arcs Tier List
Arcs And Sagas

Both the manga and anime versions of One Piece’s plot are frequently broken down into several story arcs for ease of comprehension. It is widely accepted that an arc starts when the Straw Hat Pirates arrive on a certain island and ends when they depart, but the exact distinctions are a little hazy.

The majority of storylines—if not all—are compiled into grander Sagas that frequently represent the targets or foes that the Straw Hats hunt throughout several islands. Smaller plot arcs are used to split up each tale. 

The main story comprising 31 arcs can currently be divided into ten parts:

  • The East Blue Saga
  • The Alabasta Saga
  • The Sky Island Saga
  • The Water 7 Saga
  • The Thriller Bark Saga
  • The Summit War Saga
  • The Fish-Man Island Saga
  • The Dressrosa Saga
  • The Whole Cake Island Saga
  • The Wano Country Saga

These are the 31 arcs we have ranked in our tier list; most, if not all, of the other arcs are fillers with no real importance in the main plot. However, we would still recommend watching them if you enjoy the series as a whole. Because even if they may prove less emotionally involving yet, they are just as entertaining.

Furthermore, if you are interested in Pirate games such as Lost Ark, you should definitely check out our Lost Ark Tier List.

S Tier

S Tier of One Piece Arcs Tier List
S Tier

We all know what S Tier stands for, and no need to worry for those who don’t because they will. S tier stands for Sensational and Spectacular fight sequences featured in these arcs. S tier stands for the Scenic and Striking visuals that can be breathtaking. But most importantly, the S tier stands for its Superior and Scintillating nature, which makes it difficult for you to take your eyes off each and every scene.

MARINEFORD

Marineford is and has been the best arc for a long time. And it is only deserving that this takes the first spot in our One Piece Tier List. It has many moments that make viewers think all is going to go well and many moments where One Piece becomes exceedingly dark as our anti-heroes are all beaten, bruised, and slain, and it’s all done with style.

To avoid spoilers, Ace is saved by Luffy (and “oddly far more plot significant than I’d ever have guessed” Mr. 3), and he then starts to go while Whitebeard, who is already seriously hurt, stays behind. Ace is slain in Luffy’s arms despite escaping when Admiral Akainu comes up to them, and despite an infuriated Whitebeard getting some measure of retribution, he too dies as he was always going to.

The “villains” of the narrative very much completely beat the good people, and a severely wounded Luffy has a mental collapse after seeing his elder brother’s brutal death.

Furthermore, I have to admit that Whitebeard coming behind Akainu, terrifying the Admiral before quake-punching his face so hard into the ground that it distorts, was a fantastic moment, a little measure of retribution for what the high-ranking Marine did to his loving “son,” as I said above.

Whitebeard’s destiny is in the hands of the late-arriving Blackbeard and his crew, which now includes a slew of high-ranking Impel Down criminals, despite being stabbed by his own subordinate as a consequence of Marine scheming and sustaining multiple injuries. Before being shot and stabbed to death in a horrifying black, white, and red-toned scene, Whitebeard temporarily injured Blackbeard.

WHOLE CAKE ISLAND

One of the best arcs in One Piece, Whole Cake Island, features some major breakthroughs, such as Luffy unlocking the Fourth Gear. Moreover, Pedro also dies in this arc. Furthermore, To save Sanji from a political union between the Vinsmoke Family and the Charlotte Family, Luffy’s party journeys to Whole Cake Island.

They must work together with Jinbe, Caesar, and the Fire Tank Pirates to defeat Big Mom and save the Vinsmokes since they are caught in the middle of the families’ covert plans.

ENIES LOBBY

Enies Lobby and Post Enies Lobby are two of the best arcs in the whole series. After previous events, the remaining Straw Hats set out to retrieve Robin before she is sent to Impel Down and lost forever after learning she has been taken prisoner along with Franky and is being brought to Enies Lobby, an impenetrable bastion of the World Government where offenders are tried.

Many of the crew members break their limits while facing the difficulties in Enies Lobby. Luffy obtains his infamous Gears, Zoro obtains Kyutoryu, Usopp: Kabuto, Chopper: Monster Point, Sanji: Diable Jambe, and, Nami: Perfect Clima Tact. Additionally, the Going Merry is sunk due to the events.

Furthermore, this arc has six volumes, 56 chapters, and 46 episodes from 264 to 312, with episodes 279 to 283 being recaps.

ALABASTA

Alabasta, as suggested by the name, is the main and last arc in the Alabasta Saga. I won’t go into great depth about everything because the Alabasta arc is extensive, and a lot happens. Just know that they encountered Ace, Luffy’s cool brother, as they arrived at the harbor in the first city of Alabasta.

They then travel across a desert to a city that is suffering from drought before arriving at Crocodile’s compound, which is a casino. Crocodile is the first work of Baroque, a former hero of Alabasta and one of the sea’s seven greatest fighters. They are briefly held captive at the casino by Sanji (Mr. Prince), and they have to flee to preserve Alabasta’s castle hastily.

Moreover, as the Alabasta arc is one of the longest, it is spread over 8 volumes which have a total of 63 chapters. This is then adapted into 39 episodes. Furthermore, it is said if you wanna pick up One Piece and wanna see if it is according to your taste or not, you should try watching at least until the Alabasta arc as it is where One Piece picks up the pace. 

However, there are more variables at play than that. At the same time, Koba, a friend of Princess Vivi who became weary of Alabasta being controlled improperly, is leading its civil war. Additionally, Mrs. All Sunday (Nico Robin) deserts Crocodile and allies herself with the Straw Hats.

Since characters are in different political alignments and whatnot, I adore all of these aspects of politics. It is a very entertaining and engaging arc to watch. Furthermore, I enjoy how the plot develops into a bigger picture and how certain minor details, such as the enemies’ use of technology as opposed to the Straw Hat’s customary rawness, are intriguing.

WANO COUNTRY

Here we are, all caught up with One Piece in our One Piece Tier List. Wano Country Arc is an ongoing arc that is currently airing. In Wano Country, the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance gathers to be ready for the fight against the Beasts Pirates.

Allies change on all sides of the siege when information about Kozuki Oden’s past and his connections to Wano Country, Whitebeard, and Gol D. Roger is made public. The Alliance also attacks Onigashima to defeat the armies of Kaidou and Big Mom, who have partnered with them. The planet undergoes significant changes as a result of the recent Levely occurrences.

DRESSORA

The Dressora arc is the longest arc in One Piece, with 11 volumes, 102 chapters, and 118 episodes. It has many similarities with Alabasta. It has great action and interesting politics. The plot has interesting developing dynamics. As the Straw Hats, Law, Kin’emon, and Momonosuke travel to Dressrosa in order to negotiate with Doflamingo.

Additionally, they hope to take down his SMILE Factory and release Kanjuro Law’s argument with Doflamingo swiftly takes a personal turn as they learn that both Doflamingo and Dressrosa are cloaked in mystery. While the other Straw Hats deal with rumblings of unrest among Dressrosa’s inhabitants, Luffy seeks to get his late brother’s Devil Fruit. The alliance’s efforts are made more difficult by the arrival of a new Marine admiral called Fujitora to handle them.

POST ENIES LOBBY

As the name suggests, Post Enies Lobby follows the Enies Lobby ARC as the Straw Hats are taking a breather after the events in Enies Lobby and their fight with CP9. The arc is just shy of the greatness of Enies Lobby arc as it is much smaller and not much happens; however, it is very enjoyable and entertaining.

Moreover, It consists of 2 volumes, 11 chapters, and 13 episodes which is actually a first with an arc having more episodes than chapters. Also, the Thousand Sunny is obtained in this arc to compensate for the loss of Going Merry. Furthermore, Franky and Usopp join the gang, Ace and Blackbeard engage in combat, and the four emperors are introduced.

In this arc, the Straw Hats return to Water 7 to recuperate after their victory against CP9 and recover from their trauma in Enies Lobby. A few visitors from Luffy’s past arrive, and Franky invites himself to join the group after revealing a brand-new surprise for the team. Additionally, an incident on another island sows the seeds for global upheaval.

Their world is flipped upside down when familiar people return with surprising disclosures for the next leg of their adventure. Moreover, when a familiar face with a terrifying new ability appears down the Grand Line, Shanks moves to defend Whitebeard’s subordinate Ace.

A Tier

A Tier of One Piece Arcs Tier List
A Tier

These Arcs contain some of the most interesting plot developments all over the One Piece Universe. They also contain well-known and talked about boisterous fight sequences. They are the most entertaining and fun arcs to watch apart from those in the S tier.

SABOADY ARCHIPELAGO

The group looks for a means to travel to the renowned Fish-Man Island after reaching the Red Line. However, when a mermaid and a talking starfish emerge, the Straw Hats are soon sidetracked from their hunt and find themselves rescuing an old foe from a kidnapping ring. Moreover, the Eleven Supernovas, Celestial Dragons, Rayleigh, and the Voice of All Things are all introduced, along with Luffy’s first use of Haki.

Additionally, when a Marine admiral, a Warlord of the Sea, and representatives of the World Government surround the Straw Hats at every turn, things start to go south, and the group is split up. Furthermore, this arc consists of chapters: Volumes: 4 (50–53), 24 (490–513), and Episodes: 21 (385-405).

WATER 7

The crew travels to Water 7, an island renowned for its shipwrights, after their somewhat harrowing experience with Aokiji to get the Going Merry repaired. However, getting to the island turns out to be the only positive aspect of the trip as a slew of unfortunate events and news threaten to split the team apart.

Additionally, Robin and Usopp take their leave from the crew, and Cipher Pol is introduced. Moreover, it has 6 volumes, 53 total chapters from chapter 322 to chapter 374, and 37 episodes from Ep 227 to Ep 263.

IMPEL DOWN

In an attempt to stop his brother Ace from being executed before the Whitebeard Pirates and the World Government engages in their last clash, Luffy is able to raid Impel Down’s jail after winning the heart of Hancock.

This arc comprises 25 chapters (525-549), 27 episodes (422-425 and 430-452), and 3 volumes (54-56). Additionally, Ivankov and Jinbe are introduced, and many of Luffy’s previous adversaries escape from prison, which is the main story aspects.

POST WAR

The world is in shock following Whitebeard’s death, causing instability to spread over the Grand Line. Luffy, still reeling from Ace’s loss, recalls that he has something as precious to him: his crew. Sabo joins as the Straw Hats begin their two-year training, and the three kinds of Haki are publicly introduced.

LITTLE GARDEN

The Straw Hats arrive in Little Garden, which is actually a sizable island that is still trapped in the prehistoric past, on their quest to bring Princess Vivi to Alabasta. Moreover, the group quickly learns, though, that the island is home to more than just dinosaurs when they come across two giants who have been engaged in a battle for more than a century as well as four senior Baroque Works employees.

Additionally, this arc has 15 chapters (115-129),  8 episodes (70-77), and  3 volumes (13-15)

Levely

As nobility from all over the world congregates at Mary Geoise for the Levely, word of the Straw Hats’ triumphs in Totto Land is broadcast to the world. Big Mom speaks to Kaidou about Luffy while the Revolutionary Army gets ready for their next move.

THRILLER BARK

The Thriller Bark Arc is the only arc in Thriller Bark Saga. The arc has 5 volumes, 48 chapters, and 45 episodes. The Straw Hats’ crew encounters a talking skeleton named Brook on a ghost ship during their next stop, who first looks to be nice. However, as a result of their encounter, the Straw Hats wind up stranded on an island home to strange creatures. Additionally, Gecko Moria, another Sea Warlord, runs the establishment.

Additionally, Brook joins the Straw Hats, and Zoro gains Shusui in this arc.

ARLONG PARK

The Straw Hat Pirates pursue Nami to an island ruled by the Fish-Man pirate Arlong after Nami steals the ship. Additionally, Sanji from the Baratie joins the crew. To subsequently steal the Straw Hat Pirates’ wealth, Nami admits that she is a member of the Arlong Pirates.

Furthermore, the story includes Luffy getting a wanted poster, Fish-Men being introduced, and Nami officially joining. It spans over 4 chapters (8-11), 27 chapters (69-95), and 14 episodes (31-44)

SKYPIEA

The Straw Hats reach the skies after traveling to the island of Skypiea on the Knock Up Stream. The island’s “God,” Eneru (actually just a fancy term for the ruler of the island), who intends to entirely destroy it, casts them as criminals and draws them into a long-running conflict between the Skypieans, the Shandians, and Eneru. This conflict has been going on for a long time.

The Skypiea arc is actually quite long, having 7 volumes, 66 chapters, and 43 episodes. However, not much happens in this arc, even though it is important to the plot.

B Tier

B Tier
B Tier

These arcs are entertaining to watch. They contain important development of the One Piece world as a whole. The only thing lacking from them are the huge scale, extremely exciting, and absolutely bonker fight sequences in One Piece, which is more of an action-packed war than a fight.

JAYA

The Jaya arc is the first of two arcs in the Sky Island Saga. This adventure actually falls out of the sky as a ship comes down from the air into the water. With Vivi safely back in her own country and Nico Robin, a former employee of Baroque Works, now a member of the crew. A map of an island in the sky may be found by investigating the sunken ruins.

Additionally, the Five Elders, including Marshall D. Teach, Whitebeard, Bartholomew Kuma, and Donquixote Doflamingo are introduced in the arc. Moreover, the Jaya arc has 2 volumes,19 chapters, and 9 episodes.

Furthermore, the team stops on the pirate-run island of Jaya in search of further details, where they encounter an arrogant pirate rookie named Bellamy and come upon a progenitor of a fabled historical hero.

ROMANCE DAWN

The first arc in East Blue Saga, as well as the very first arc of the whole series. The arc entails the start of a beautiful and long-lasting journey. Luffy begins his adventure to become the Pirate King by following in Shanks’ footsteps. He meets a little boy named Koby at the start of his adventure who aspires to join the Marines.

However, when they arrive in Shells Town, they run upon the pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro, the corrupt Marine commander Axe-Hand Morgan, and his son Helmeppo.

Moreover, the Romance Dawn arc begins, as well as ends, both in the first volume of the series. It comprises chapters 1 to 7, which were later adapted into episodes 1-3 for the anime.

Additionally, the important narrative aspects include Roronoa Zoro joining the crew and Monkey D. Luffy becoming a pirate after being inspired by Shanks.

BARATIE

Usopp is brought on board as a sharpshooter. The Straw Hat Pirates visit the Baratie, a seaside eatery, in quest of a cook for their ship. The formidable Don Krieg, who has just returned from the Grand Line and intends to use the Baratie as a vessel to travel back, however, attacks the eatery.

Moreover, the important narrative highlights include: Nami departs on the Going Merry; Sanji joins; Zoro is scarred by Dracule Mihawk and vows never to lose again; and the introduction of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Additionally, this arc spans four volumes (5-8), twenty-seven chapters (42-68), and twelve episodes (19-30).

ZOU

To meet up with the Straw Hats and Momonosuke, who had left Dressrosa early. Law, the samurai, and the Straw Hats travel to Zou. When they encounter the locals of the Mink Tribe, they learn that Sanji has vanished as a result of becoming caught up in a scheme involving the Big Mom Pirates and his family.

The samurai also disclose how closely related Kaidou is to them and to their home in Wano, which prompts the development of a new alliance. They also learn about how the Jack of the Beasts Pirates had assaulted Zou. Later, the Straw Hats split off once more in order to save Sanji and see Wan.

LOGUETOWN

The Loguetown arc is the last of the East Blue Saga main story arcs. There is one other non-cannon arc that we have not included in this tier list. It consists of volumes 11 and 12, with chapters spanning from 96-100. Moreover, it was animated into episodes 45 and episodes 48 to 53; however, episodes 50 and 51 are fillers.

Additionally, the story follows our Straw-Hat crew which moves into Loguetown, the last town before the Grand Line’s entry, where Gold Roger was both born and killed.

They will have to contend with not just a formidable Marine commander but also prior adversaries seeking vengeance. Furthermore, the key narrative elements include the introduction of Logia-type Devil Fruits, Zoro’s acquisition of Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri, and the appearance of Monkey D. Dragon.

WHISKEY PEAK

The Whiskey Peak Arc directly follows right after Reverse Mountain Arc. There are a lot of similarities between both arcs, but I preferred Whiskey Peak a little more. It is fun to see Zoro fight in this arc, and he had his moments to shine here.

In the arc, the Straw Hats go to Whisky Peak under the direction of the enigmatic Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesday, where the locals throw a celebration to mark their arrival. However, the community is more complex than it first appears to be.

Additionally, It has nine chapters (106-114) spread across two volumes (12-13), later adapted into Four episodes (64-67). Moreover, the unofficial joining of Nefertari Vivi and Karoo is a major story aspect.

FISHMEN ISLAND

The Straw Hats are finally starting their trek to Fish-Man Island under the sea after two years. Due to other links to the Big Mom Pirates, Jinbe is asked to join the crew but rejects. Additionally, a local fortuneteller’s prediction that Luffy will destroy Fish-Man Island leads to The Straw Hats being falsely accused of being criminals.

To make matters even more difficult, an alliance between Hody Jones and Vander Decken IX prepares to conquer the Ryugu Kingdom. Moreover, Shirahoshi is revealed to be the current Poseidon, and Joy Boy is introduced. Furthermore, Luffy can hear the Voice of All Things. 

Fishman Island

Many One Piece fans were let down by the Fish-man Island arc. After the time skip, fans wanted to see the growth of all characters which was sorely missing from this arc. It simply lacked sufficient tension. After all the character development from the previous Summit War Arc, the Fish-man Island arc was quite tiresome and boring with no good pacing.

The royal family needed to be protected from hostile intruders, who were defeated by Straw Hats without any effort. The action is not really good and there was zero tension in any of the battle scenes. It was a poorly done action arc with the exposition stuffed in the wrong place.

C-Tier

C Tier
C Tier

The arcs in the C tier of our Arcs Tier List are neither bad nor the best. These One Piece Arcs are only placed here because they are not as good as the ones in A Tier and B Tier. However, they are plenty eventful on their own and contain story aspects that amplify your experience for the other arcs.

PUNK HAZARD

The Straw Hats are sent to Punk Hazard by a distress call after arriving in the New World. They encounter a samurai who is looking for his son there. Moreover, they come into conflict with Smoker’s brand-new Marine unit. And they also join Trafalgar Law in a scheme to overthrow one of the Four Emperors.

The party is charged with arresting Caesar Clown, the island’s resident mad scientist. However, it is all a part of a scheme after learning of his links to the Underworld and its powerful middleman, Warlord of the Sea Donquixote Doflamingo.

The primary plot of the Punk Hazard arc stands apart from everything else that has previously occurred in the series. Punk Hazard is merely a prelude story for the saga that follows in the upcoming Dressrosa arc. For this sole purpose, this arc is unnecessarily stretched out into more episodes which ruins the pace of the series. The characters introduced in the Punk Hazard arc play an important role in the canon story. So, you can not skip this arc.

REVERSE MOUNTAIN

The Reverse Mountain Arc is also known as the Laboon Arc. It is the first story arc of the Arabasta Saga and continues the story after East Blue Saga. Additionally, the arc spans one volume (12) and five chapters (101-105) and was later adapted into two episodes (62-63).

Moreover, this arc’s episodes were heavily edited, and the 4Kids version completely skipped over a big section of the arc. In these episodes, the Straw Hat Pirates visit Reverse Mountain and begin the perilous task of ascending its difficult rapids to reach the Grand Line. As they make their way down the mountain, they come upon a big item that is blocking the entrance. Furthermore, the Reverse Mountain arc also outlines the backstory of a future Straw Hat member.

At first, the Reverse Mountain arc can get annoying because of the warship filler episodes. The One-piece community was furious when they found out about the filler episodes. These episodes have no ties with the original canon story of One Piece. However, as you progress through this arc, it certainly gets better over time.

LONG RING LONG LAND

Long Ring Long Land Arc is the first arc in the Water 7 Saga. In the arc, the crew is challenged to a “Davy Back Fight” after they return to the Blue Sea with gold and dials from Skypiea. A  set of contests where the winning crew recruits members from the losing crew.

Additionally, the party still has to confront an opponent they have little chance of beating after defeating Foxy. Furthermore, the Admirals and Aokiji are introduced in this arc. It has 3 volumes, 19 chapters, and 13 episodes.

The Canon story isn’t affected by the Long Ring Long Land arc as much as it is by other arcs. The arc does have a few funny moments parts that worked well, but overall it comes out as feeble and unconvincing. The risks and drama in this arc appeared entirely superficial and irrelevant.

One of the major flaws of this arc is the Foxy Pirates. The side characters were not compelling in the least. One would assume that these characters would be significant figures or at the very least formidable opponents for the Straw Hats, given that a whole arc is devoted to them. However, they were not the kind of rivals who could enable the Straw Hats to exceed their limits.

AMAZON LILY

Each Straw Hat Pirate is sent flying from the Sabaody Archipelago to a separate island by Kuma. Luffy, who finds himself on an island populated solely by women, is the center of this arc. In Amazon Lily chapter, Luffy also learns of Ace’s death via execution.

Moreover, soon after arriving on the island, Luffy learns that Boa Hancock, a warlord of the sea, is in charge of the ladies. Amazon Lily arc consists of 11 chapters (514-524), 2 volumes (53-54), and 14 episodes (408-421)

When compared to other One Piece arcs that are far superior, the Amazon Lily arc isn’t all that wonderful. Despite its short length, there are moments when it drags to pass the time, which can be really frustrating.

The major fight between Luffy and the two sisters of Boa Hancock was not intriguing. Luffy kept getting pummeled all over the arena because he still couldn’t use the Haki power. There are still more tedious and annoying characters filled within this arc which makes it really hard to watch the Amazon Lily arc in One Piece.

RETURN TO SABAODY

Return to sabaody is the first arc of the Fish-Man saga. The arc picks up after the crew has been separated for two years, and the Straw Hats have been training hard since then. They are now prepared to rejoin and continue their trip from where they left off. It has 1 volume, 5 chapters, and 6 episodes.

After the time skip, all the Straw Hats gather at Sabaody Park. Luffy and his crewmates have gone through a lot of character development in this arc. The encounter with Kuma and their ultimate separation left the audience in awe. The story’s journey is filled with both heartbreaking and exhilarating moments, and you are left wondering what will happen next.

D-Tier

Although these arcs are placed at the bottom of our One Piece Arcs Tier List, neither does it entail that they are necessarily “bad”, nor does this mean that they should be skipped? Some of these contain very important plot points that would prove damaging to your overall experience if skipped over.

These arcs were simply placed at the bottom of the tier list because they are lackluster and stretched. However, they are still somewhat entertaining, and you should watch them if you enjoy watching the series overall.

DRUM ISLAND

Drum Island arc starts when the group is forced to stop near a developing country, “Drum Island”. The country is struggling to establish a new government. At the same time, the straw hats stop due to Nami contracting a severe disease.

However, there is only one remaining doctor, a “witch” named Kureha, who resides on a mountain’s summit due to the actions of the former king, Wapol. Moreover, Luffy and Sanji are compelled to climb the mountain as the banished King Wapol returns to regain his kingdom.

Additionally, there are 25 chapters in all (130-154), fourteen episodes (78-91), and three volumes (15-17). Furthermore, the crucial story points Tony Tony Chopper joins, the Will of D. is acknowledged, and Zoan-style Devil Fruits are provided.

The main flaw of the Drum Island arc was its pointless backstory about the rabbits. They don’t play any role in the canon plot. After a while, it just gets dull and mundane. It has some good and emotional moments, but nothing particularly groundbreaking for the series. Wapol, the primary antagonist in this arc, is not much liked by the fans. Even his sidekicks were lame and plain characters. Additionally, the Drum Island arc is unnecessarily extended. A number of elements like this do not help the arc in any way.

ORANGE TOWN

Orange Town falls directly after the events in Romance Dawn Arc. It is the second arc in One Piece taking place in between volumes 3 volumes (1-3). Spanning from chapters 8 to 21 which were adapted into 5 episodes (Ep 4-8).

The story follows Luffy and Zoro as they go to Orange Town, where they encounter Nami, a thief who despises pirates. However, the three fight as an unexpected alliance to rid the town of Buggy the Clown’s reign. Additionally, the key plot points include Nami unofficially joining.

One of the main issues with the Orange Town arc was that it had a very lackluster beginning. Above all, the conflict between the Straw Hats and the Buggy Pirates was overly prolonged without any reason. The villains in this arc rarely gave any hard time to Zoro and Luffy yet the pacing was not really good. The Mayor and Shushu characters were not bad characters but not really interesting either. They played a part that was somewhat loosely tied to the canon story.

SYRUP VILLAGE

Following the events after Orange Town, the party arrives in Syrup Village and looks for a ship to utilize after Nami teams up with the two as their navigator. Moreover, they run across Usopp, a dependable liar. The Straw Hats get ready to clash with the Black Cat Pirates when a cunning scheme is revealed. Due to all this Usopp’s bravery is put through the wringer.

Moreover, the Syrup Village arc spans Volumes 3-5, with chapters 22-41 and episodes 9 -18. Additionally, the major plot points include Usopp joining the party and the party receiving the Going Merry.

The Syrup Village arc was noticeably slow and centered on a rather uninteresting plot. Its major problem was that it lingered too long. After more concise and well-balanced One Piece arcs, this one felt awkward and took too long to finish. The Straw Hats have to stop the wicked mastermind Kuro from taking a young girl’s fortune. Most segments of this arc were filler. Some of the episodes are quite interesting at some point. However, the general tone of the story from beginning to end is stretched too much.

Filler Arcs To Skip 

Since the manga and anime of One Piece are in production with new episodes and chapters being added regularly, there can be some issues regarding to the importance of each chapter or episode. This leads to filler arcs in the anime. 

Since the updates of manga are not that consistent and the manga needs time to create each chapter commander anime will have some filler episodes in it in order to keep the audience engaged till a new chapter gets released. Some of the filler arcs are actually important and should not be skipped.

However, most filler episodes are skippable; we will list them below. 

  •  Warship Island Arc 
  •  Goat Island Ark 
  •  Post-Arabasta Arc 
  •  Ruluca Island Arc 
  •  Oceans Dream Arc 
  •  Cidre Guild Arc 
  •  Marine Rookie Arc 
  •  Silver Mine Arc 
  •  Caesar Retrieval Arc 
  •  Z’s Ambition Arc 
  •  Little East Blue Arc 
  •  Spa Island Ar 
  •  Foxy’s Return Arc 
  •  Ice Hunter Arc 

Skipping these arcs won’t affect the main story as much. We recommend skipping the ones we mentioned as One Piece is quite long and if you are a beginner then catching up to the latest episodes might require a lot of time. 

Conclusion

So this is it for our One Piece Arcs Tier List. We ranked all the main story arcs from best to worst to the best of our abilities. However, with things like these, opinions change drastically from one person to the next. Keeping that in mind, it is inevitable for people to have a different opinion than ours. So, if you have a difference of opinion or any kind of query, leave it down below. We would be happy to listen to what you have to say.

Moreover, seeing as you enjoyed this tier list and made it all the way to the end. We would highly recommend you check out some of our other tier lists for games, such as Elden Ring builds tier list, Fortnite weapons tier list, and Monster Hunter Rise weapons tier list.

One Piece is undoubtedly one of the most popular, if not THE most popular anime/manga ever to exist, remaining the best-selling manga of all time with over half a billion copies sold worldwide. In addition to its overwhelming popularity,

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Muhammad Sanan Khan


With half a decade in Video Game Journalism and an everlasting bond with all things related to video games, Sanan Khan can't even stop himself from blabbering about video games in his sleep. He is also the Founder of TopTierList.

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