One Piece‘s adventure-filled arcs are as different as night and day, but the Skypeia Arc, also referred to as the Sky Island Arc, is not only the Straw Hats’ most ambitious adventure but also one of the series’ most important ones. It also contained everything there is to love about the series as well as greatly expanded the lore and worldbuilding.

The Skypiea Arc is One Piece‘s thirteenth storyline. It saw the still-incomplete Straw Hats travel to the sky island of Skypiea in search of adventure, but it turned out to be way more than just that. They helped take down the cruel villain Enel, found the gold city of Shandora, and helped end a 400-year war.

Like every arc, Skypiea does have its fair share of issues, but the good heavily outweighs the bad, and it is criminal how underrated it is compared to other arcs like Wano or Sabaody. It was a great overall arc but it really picked up the pace towards the middle and concluded beautifully.

Many Popular Aspects of One Piece Shined Bright In Skypiea

From the Comedy to the Action, Skypiea Had It All

One Piece wouldn’t be the same without its humor and comedy, and this aspect shined the brightest in the arc. It birthed some of the most hilarious and iconic scenes, such as the camp bonfire, Luffy singing, Zoro imitating Tarzan, Chopper guarding the Going Merry, Enel’s iconic shocked face, Usopp retreating after seeing Enel, and many more that solidify Skypiea as the funniest arc in One Piece.

Up until that point, fans had seen heartbreaking backstories such as Sanji’s and Nami’s, but the backstory of Montblanc Noland and the Shandorans was as tearful as it was enlightening. It was also the first flashback that went back hundreds of years, giving viewers much-needed context on the centuries-old war and the tale of Noland. The fact that the story of Noland was set up in the Jaya Arc with his descendant and his false reputation, and later expanded at the end of Skypiea while also tying it in with all the major plot points makes it one of the most compelling backstories in One Piece.

Noland’s backstory also sets up the major theme of inheriting “will” from one generation to another. This theme is one of the most relevant of the story, as seen in Luffy inheriting Joyboy’s will, Zoro succeeding Ryuma, Momonosuke following in his father’s footsteps, Luffy again being a great parallel to Roger, and many other instances of succession. Wyper carrying on Calgara’s will so that Noland or his descendants could hear the bell was an incredibly touching moment.

One of One Piece‘s many amazing moments also occurred in the arc and was a great proof or reminder of just how incredibly written Luffy was. When Shandorra was about to be destroyed by Enel, Luffy refused to leave despite his crew trying to convince him to evacuate. He was dead set on ringing the Golden Bell so that Cricket, who was on Jaya, could hear the sound and know that the Sky Island and the city of gold existed and that his ancestor was not a liar. This heartwarming moment shows how empathic Luffy is, and he ends up freeing Cricket from the task of proving the city exists.

The Series’ Lore Was Expanded On Like Never Before

Many Important Plot Points Were Introduced or Explained

There were mentions of Poneglyphs in the series, with the first case being in Alabasta, but there wasn’t enough information on them yet. Skypiea was where the relevance and importance of these stones were displayed, showing they hold the secrets of the world and the Void Century, as well as Laugh Tale. The series became more than just going from one island to the next in search of adventure; it was in Skypiea where the mystery aspect of One Piece started becoming prominent.

Skypiea was also the first instance of Haki usage, with Enel and his priests using Observation Haki against the Straw Hats and Shandorans. This was a perfect time to introduce this power that could combat the powerful Logia and the next arc introduced the Admirals, some of the series’ strongest. Although Luffy and the others couldn’t use Haki until much later, a new power level and potential introduced made the future of One Piece much more exciting.

Skypiea Isn’t Without Faults

Despite everything amazing about Skypiea and the many things it did well, it unfortunately suffered some downfalls. The pacing was possibly the worst in the series, especially for anime viewers. The anime was trailing the manga by only 30 chapters, so the series became much slower, with pauses, reuse of scenes, and additions of irrelevant content. The manga does offer a better alternative for those who want better pacing, but it still drags on at times compared to other storylines.

The concept of damage and death also seemed to go out of the window. Many times characters were struck by millions of volts from Enel, yet they were still alive with barely any damage. Wyper using an Impact Dial multiple times yet surviving and recovering in a few days also felt awkward. This greatly reduced the feeling of tension and stakes in the arcs. Although future arcs showed that death is a very real possibility, the series as a whole shies away from killing off characters as the creator, Eichiro Oda, once stated.

Skypiea reached some of the highest peaks in One Piece, especially when the arc was nearing its end. Although the arc has its faults, the storyline beautifully weaves together multiple elements to make the arc as entertaining as it was while also clarifying many aspects of the series’ lore. Skypeia is truly a fun ride that pays off, and fans of One Piece shouldn’t be under the impression it’s fine to skip it, despite the popular rhetoric.