Manga Reviews: One Piece volumes 24 - 25

One Piece volumes 24-25
Story and Art - Eiichiro Oda
Rating - Teen

The “Straw Hat” pirate’s adventure in Alabasta has come to an end; after a few heartfelt words, the crew once again sets sail on their continued journey of the “Grand Line”. To their surprise, they discover a former enemy has stowed away in the hopes of joining the crew. Promising more adventure for the would-be pirate king, she tells Luffy and company of the legend of a sky island known as Skypiea.

A few unique encounters with monkey men and larger than life giants convince the “Straw Hats” to port in the town of Jaya, where they run afoul of the infamous pirate Bellamy as well as Black Beard. While they hope to discover a path to Skypiea, instead they find themselves being lectured with talks of dreams and what it really means to be a pirate, which only strengthen Luffy’s resolve. While exploring the tiny town, the “Straw Hats” happen upon a descendant of an infamous liar who also happens to be familiar with the legend of Skypiea.

Meanwhile, the World’s Government has begun gathering it’s forces in preparation for the growing threat the pirates represent, the greatest of their concerns being a meeting between the two pirate lords, White Beard and “Red Haired” Shanks.

After the lengthy Alabasta arc, these two volumes serve as a nice breather. Battles are scarce and the fights that are featured are kept short. Instead there is a renewed focus on adventure which almost serves to reinvigorate the series.

The artwork is typical of what fans have come to expect Eichiro Oda. The characters are all distinguishable with designs that are perfectly befitting of the world they inhabit. The pencils have a frenetic feel and lend themselves well to the hyper stylized nature of the series.

Thanks to the introductions of new characters and beginning of a new adventure, volumes 24 and 25 make for perfect jumping on points for those curious. For everyone else, these volumes offer up more of the same great writing and art that has made the series a worldwide sensation.

One Piece volume 24 - A
One Piece volume 25 - A