As stunning as One Piece‘s anime may be, especially as of late, the original manga illustrated by Eiichiro Oda still retains a sense of irreplicable charm that is best captured through the series’ stunning double spreads. Though Oda’s art style has changed greatly over the last two and a half decades, the series’ double spreads have only continued to get better. That said, many of the earliest ones, though simplistic are still just as evocative, often carrying a sense of nostalgia attached to the moments depicted.
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Over the last thousand or so chapters Oda has easily drawn well over 1200 double spreads. Thus, for simplicity’s sake, this list will be narrowing down the best of One Piece‘s full double spreads instead, i.e., double spreads wherein a singular panel spans two whole pages. Oda has drawn exactly 51 full double spreads as of Chapter 1139, with the latest being the Elbaf mural that took fans by storm not too long ago.
The Straw Hats All Get Bounties (Chapter 435)
In the aftermath of the Enies Lobby Arc and the Straw Hats effectively declaring war against the World Government, Chapter 435 of One Piece finally sees every member of the crew get a bounty. With the exception of Luffy, Zoro, and Robin, this moment marked the rest of the Straw Hats at the time getting their first-ever bounty in the series, even if some like Chopper were given hilariously low bounties.
This also included Franky, who, though not pictured in the double spread, would join the crew not long after. While not as impressive as some of the other double spreads in the series, this collage of the Straw Hats’ bounty posters is quite memorable and arguably even makes for quite a good wallpaper background or poster.
Oars Makes His Debut (Chapter 456)
The Thriller Bark Arc is often considered one of the funniest canon story arcs in One Piece. That said, blinded by its brilliant zombie gags and Straw Hat shenanigans, many often fail to notice the spectacular art during the arc, which is best represented by this stunning double spread in Chapter 456.
The double spread introduces fans to one of Gecko Moria’s ultimate weapons, the zombie corpse of Oars which is later animated by Luffy’s shadow to birth one of the funniest battles in the arc. The interesting composition and perspective of the double spread effectively communicate just how towering Oars is, managing to make even Gecko Moria look tiny in comparison.
Luffy Arrives at Marineford (Chapter 557)
While double spreads are fairly sparse in the early half of the series, The Marineford Arc interestingly has over a hundred just by itself, which is part of the reason why the arc is such a delight to read through. That said, as far as full double spreads go, there’s only one in Chapter 557, and a memorable one at that.
The panel depicts Luffy’s arrival at Marineford with Buggy, Crocodile, Ivankov, Jinbe, and the rest of the Impel Down escapees in tow. Impromptu rescue team aside, the double spread sees Luffy strike his iconic Gear Second pose while declaring to Ace that he’s there to save him, a scene that has been embedded in fans’ memory for years since.
The Sea Train First Appears (Chapter 322)
One Piece‘s world is full of wondrous islands, strange phenomena, and even stranger devil fruit powers that can even be absorbed by objects. As such, a train seems quite ordinary in comparison. However, in classic One Piece fashion, the series manages to turn even this seemingly mundane means of transportation into something wondrous simply by making it a train that mysteriously runs on the sea.
Fans first see the Sea Train chug past the Straw Hats in an epic full double spread in Chapter 322 while making their way to Water Seven. Every minute detail of the train is meticulously drawn, as are the crashing waves. The perspective and speed lines also perfectly convey just how huge the Sea Train is and how fast it whizzes past, making this particular double spread quite an underrated one.
Luffy’s Jet Gatling vs. Rob Lucci (Chapter 427)
Luffy’s fight against Rob Lucci at Enies Lobby is without a doubt one of the most memorable pre-time skip fights and a huge reason for this is its epic conclusion illustrated in this double spread in Chapter 427. After what can only be described as a gruesome battle of perseverance, Luffy finally lands the winning blow, or rather multiple winning blows against Lucci using his new Gear 2 technique Gum-Gum Jet Gatling.
The dynamic One Piece double spread depicts all these blows hitting Lucci at once together with a fierce expression of determination on Luffy’s face as he yells out the name of his new attack. While the anime does an excellent job of animating this memorable scene, this double spread is one of the few examples of the manga simply being better.
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Luffy Punches Saint Charlos (Chapter 502)
Luffy punching Saint Charlos at the auction house at Sabaody is often dubbed one of the most satisfying moments in the series. Even though this action brings down the entire might of the Navy on Sabaody and inadvertently causes the Straw Hats to be separated, it remains a necessary defining moment for Luffy’s character.
Despite everyone around him cautioning him not to, Luffy, without any hesitation, steps up and punches Saint Charlos, representing his strong moral code when a person’s freedom is concerned. While the anime does this double-spread justice fairly well, the manga best conveys the grittiness of the scene as half of Charlos’ face folds inwards from the impact.
The Five Elders Descend on Egghead (Chapter 1110)
One of the most stunning recent double spreads in One Piece was in Chapter 1110, which finally revealed the demonic forms of the Five Elders in full as they all assembled on Egghead to take down Sun God Nika, or Luffy. Part of what made this double spread so exciting was the fact that the last full double spread prior to this was seen back in Chapter 800 which was released exactly a decade ago in 2015.
Moreover, the double spread finally gave fans a clear view of each of the Five Elders’ transformations, which were teased in silhouette form back in Chapter 1085. Safe to say, the full reveal was quite epic and it will be interesting to see whether the anime will be able to capture the Five Elders’ intimidating aura.
“I Have My Crew!” (Chapter 590)
Easily one of the most heartfelt moments in One Piece can be found immortalized in a full double spread in Chapter 590. The panel sees Luffy remember he still has his friends by his side as he attempts to come to terms with the overwhelming grief of losing Ace at Marineford.
The quote from Luffy has since become one of his most iconic ones, though the art itself during the scene rarely gets the appreciation it deserves. While Luffy sobs in the forefront, the background features a collage of the Straw Hats smiling brightly, which gives Luffy the hope to move on for their sake.
The Three Worlds (Chapter 1138)
A double that spread that has recently completely overturned the fandom with speculation and theories is that depicting the Elbaf mural in Chapter 1138. The mural and the accompanying Harley texts sent One Piece theorists, both professional and self-proclaimed, into overdrive, with the panel having huge implications for the lore and the future of the series.
The double spread features Franky staring at a detailed mural on Jewel Tree Adam so vast that it makes the Straw Hats’ beloved cyborg look tiny in comparison. The panel was also accompanied by the highly speculated ancient Harley texts of Elbaf, describing two distinct points in One Piece‘s history as well as a prophecy about the future, all of which are depicted in the mural for fans to discover.
The Race To Find the One Piece Begins (Chapter 1121)
Easily one of the best, most exciting double spreads Eiichiro Oda has delivered as of late is the collage from One Piece Chapter 1121, which marks the epic conclusion of Vegapunk’s worldwide broadcast. Vegapunk’s message effectively reignites the race to find Laugh Tale and the legendary treasure with his loaded declaration that the fate of the whole world rests on who ends up finding the One Piece.
As a result, what was initially a treasure hunt among pirates quickly turns into a heated race with even the Revolutionary Army, Marines, and the World Government now entering the fray with a vengeance. As such, the epic double spread depicts all the front-runners in this last sprint to Laugh Tale. This includes the new Emperors of the Sea, Buggy, Blackbeard, Luffy, and Shanks; Marines and ex-Marines such as Akainu, Aokiji, and Koby; Revolutionaries such as Dragon and Sabo; Holy Knights such as Shamrock and Garling; and lastly, Imu.
One Piece is available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
