I was probably most interested in this section of the story. It's nice that he seemed to impress Hawk-Eye. I think I like Zolo the best out of these first three characters. Obviously, I don't necessarily find this trait 'likable,' though. Nami is funny in her single-minded determination to get treasure. I like how confident Luffy is about getting people on his crew. Like, HOW long was that confrontation on the beach with the Black Cat Pirates? I think the correct answer is 'forever.' It's possible that it's still going on and I just *think* I finished that section because my mind couldn't cope with the reality. I have a harder time getting into this than other people I know.Īt times it feels like it takes a long time to get through a short span of story. To find a cook for their ship, Luffy et al go to Baratie oceangoing restaurant where they meet Sanji and Chef Zeff and confront Don Krieg and 'Hawk-Eye' Mihawk. Local boy Usopp and his kid pirate crew help defend their village and Miss Kaya, a young orphaned heiress.

Luffy and crew confront Captain Kuro, who's been posing as a butler, and the Black Cat Pirates.

Simple! He doesn't think about who they are or what they have done. I also really liked Sanji's personal code where if he comes across a hungry person he feeds them. We get some great character work for Zolo as he continues his pursuit to become the greatest swordsman in the world. We get some great action here and what I will say is that the villains we meet in volumes 3-6 are much more down to Earth than in the first three. It's not long before the restaurant is under attack by a group of pirates who have just suffered a massive defeat and want their ship. I love the way that Luffy doesn't really give people the option of joining his crew he just goes around acting like they already have until they give in. Here we are introduced to Sanji who may be my new favourite character (I believe this isn't an overly popular opinion). You might not get the food you want but you get one hell of a show. The next set of chapters sees the crew going to a floating restaurant (so much of this series revolves around food!) staffed by ex-pirates. I think Usopp leaving the village might be the first emotional beat of the series for me even though I'm not a huge fan of Usopp as a characters. I really liked the re-telling of the boy who cried wolf and Usopp's desire in the end not to tell the villagers that he was right so that they continued to feel safe. The fight between the two groups goes on for quite some time but doesn't feel boring or over done. Volume 4 picks up with the crew joining with Usopp to try and defend the village again the Black Cat Pirates and the ruthless Captain Kuro. I'm really enjoying the journey of Luffy as he continues to build his crew and attempt to get himself a reputation as a fearsome pirate. Another great set of volumes for One Piece.

One piece omnibus vol 5