Netflix’s One Piece Season 2 is currently in post-production, and the exact release date for the upcoming season could be announced any day now. While anticipation is high and fans can’t wait to see what’s next, Netflix has been promoting the series with teasers from time to time. Since the new season will feature the Straw Hats finally setting foot in the Grand Line, the treacherous seas ahead, there’s still one small hurdle left: crossing the Reverse Mountain. In Eiichiro Oda’s manga and the One Piece anime, it’s here that fans are introduced to two major characters, one of whom is literally enormous.
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Warning: Minor spoilers from the One Piece anime and manga, and possible spoilers for the upcoming season of the One Piece live-action!
In the latest teaser, Netflix revealed first looks at the anticipated Crocus, played by Clive Russel, and Laboon, the fan-favorite whale. The Straw Hats’ encounter with Crocus and the giant whale Laboon is a memorable moment due to how the events unfold. In the manga and anime, Laboon swallows the Straw Hats’ ship, and inside the whale’s stomach, they meet Crocus, who lives within him. It’s an absurd idea, but the meaning behind this strange setup is deeply emotional, highlighting the bond between the two characters. However, the latest teaser suggests a change to Crocus’s living situation, possibly omitting the origin that gave these characters their emotional depth.
Netflix’s One Piece Season 2 May Adapt Changes to Enhance Realism
In the One Piece anime and manga, the Straw Hats meet the old man Crocus, who lives inside Laboon on a small fragment of an island floating in the water within the whale’s stomach, which is painted blue to represent the sky. This concept is naturally absurd, yet the origin behind it is deeply symbolic. Laboon circles the Reverse Mountain, waiting for someone, while Crocus stays with the whale out of grief and affection. Though the idea of him living inside a whale seems bizarre, it beautifully emphasizes their bond on a profound level. However, it appears this may be changed in the upcoming One Piece season 2 live-action adaptation.
A behind-the-scenes look featuring Crocus and the Straw Hats outside his house suggests that Crocus’s home is not inside Laboon but rather on land, possibly at the Twin Cape Lighthouse, which he also oversees. It’s understandable that while this setup worked in the manga’s early days in the late 1990s, it might not translate well to a live-action project, leading Netflix to make adjustments.
However, the essence of One Piece lies in its fantastical, nonsensical charm rather than realism, and this change may not sit well with long-time fans of the manga and anime. There may be practical reasons behind Netflix’s decision, and while it might not seem like a major alteration at first glance, it risks losing the symbolic depth of the original. Still, fans can look forward to this memorable encounter as the Straw Hats enter the Grand Line, especially since previous changes in the live-action have blended well, suggesting this emotional moment could be adapted successfully, too.
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