Netflix's One Piece: Why It's Good Season 2 Is Avoiding Alabasta

Alabasta seemingly won't be a part of One Piece's second season and that might be a good thing.

By Evan Valentine

When Eiichiro Oda confirmed that there was some big casting news on the way for One Piece's live-action adaptation, there were other tidbits in the creator's letter that threw Straw Hat fans for a loop. On top of creating portraits for each of the young actors that bring Luffy and his crew to life, Oda revealed an interesting factoid about the upcoming second season. While the mangaka confirmed that familiar One Piece areas such as Little Garden, Loguetown, and Drum Island would arrive in season two, Alabasta was left off the list and the live-action adaptation might be better for it. 

To start, Alabasta is one of the biggest storylines in One Piece history. The arc itself sees the Straw Hat Pirates arriving on the titular island wherein they discover that the desert landscape is being terrorized by a "Warlord of the Sea", Crocodile. In this arc alone, we are introduced to not only Crocodile but the likes of Ace, King Cobra, various members of Baroqueworks, and countless other residents of Alabasta. While many fans believed that Alabasta would be the biggest component of the live-action second season, leaving it for season three should be seen as a boon to the Netflix series.

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(Photo: Toei & Netflix)

One Piece: Alabasta For Season 3

Alabasta on its own is a giant storyline that introduced numerous moving pieces in around forty episodes of the anime adaptation. With the first season running for ten episodes, placing Alabasta in the second season alongside the big locales such as Drum Island, Little Garden, and Loguetown would require some major elements to be cut. Alabasta itself is so essential to the Straw Hats' journey that losing vast swaths of it would do a disservice to the live-action series.

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Losing Alabasta also means that more focus and attention can be brought to the locales that will be featured prominently in One Piece's second season. The giants of Little Garden, Tony Tony Chopper, Dr. Kureha, Dr. Hiriluk, the exploration of Loguetown, Gol D. Roger's legacy, and so many other storylines will get the attention they need when it comes to season two. The lack of Alabasta also solidifies the idea that the young actors and Netflix will have more than enough material for the future as it might take decades to catch up with the source material.

Want to stay updated on One Piece's big live-action comeback? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for the latest updates on the Grand Line. 

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