“I don’t get it. Why would anyone want to be a pirate?”

“‘Cause it’s the best thing there is. You have the… the wind in your back, the salty sea air, your loyal crew by your side. You never know what’s on the horizon. It’s all about being… free.”

That’s what Monkey D. Luffy, played fantastically by Iñaki Godoy, tells the cabin boy Koby, those last five words summarizing one of the many themes of the show more succinctly than I first surmised.

See, as a young pre-teen, when I first saw the commercials for the English premiere of the anime, in between Saturday morning episodes of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh, the only item of interest they showcased was a plucky little boy on a ship with goofy-looking Jolly Roger claiming he’d one day become ‘King of the Pirates,’ whatever that meant. I was already watching a show about an optimistic, young lad trying to be “the very best, like no one ever was,” so my unaware, pre-teen mind saw it merely as a copycat. By the time I had realized it was its own story to tell, it had evolved into a multi-hundred-episode juggernaut that seemed overwhelming to engage with.

It wasn’t until I heard the live-action adaptation received stellar reviews that I finally sat myself down and saw what all the fuss was about… and how much I had missed out on. It was then that I learned about the expansive world with sea beasts the size of skyscrapers and Devil Fruits that granted reality-defying powers to those that consumed them. But even more importantly, I learned about the ongoing struggle between the pirates and the World Government, the planet-wide organization that seeks to bring order and justice to all. However, the very definition of justice can be as blurry as the fog surrounding Thriller Bark. When reading about pirates that treat their crew like family and Marine captains that treat their subordinates like pawns in chess, you realize that this world, despite its magic and charm, has some unsettling parallels with our own world.

Look at the rich and arrogant Celestial Dragons, for example. Given their wealth and status, they can openly break the law to get whatever they desire, much like the greedy billionaires who hoard their wealth while others live in poverty. A similar real-world parallel can be found within the struggles between the humans and the Fish-man race. Despite being stronger and just as smart as humans, Fish-men are looked down upon as freaks of nature by most. When one takes into account the history of enslavement by the World Nobles and their fight for an alliance with the World Government, only an uneducated fool would be unable to see the reflection of xenophobia and racism in our ongoing history.

Nonetheless, despite everything, there’s always one constant that shines through even the darkness moments of the series: the freedom to follow your dreams. Whether it’s to become the world’s greatest swordsman, or to become a brave warrior of the sea, or to find the legendary All Blue, never be afraid to chase your dream.

In Luffy’s eyes, giving up on your dreams is tantamount to death. So it’s nothing short of inspiring to see him follow not just his own dream to find Gol D. Rogers’s treasure and become King of the Pirates, but the dreams of his crew members as well.

It’s why I started reading the manga after I finished the first season of the live action series. It’s also why I ended up reading all 1100+ chapters before the second season comes out next year. But mostly importantly, it’s why the Straw Hat Jolly Roger is a symbol of rebellion against unfair powers: from across the globe in Indonesia and Nepal, to here in my own state of New York. Because there’s nothing as powerful or as cathartic as the freedom to follow your dreams.

So whether your dream is something as simple as learning to draw or as noble as fighting for the downtrodden and oppressed, I urge you to follow it, enjoy the journey every step of the way, and don’t let anyone the evils of the world stop you from achieving it.

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Ahoy there everyone, and Happy Spooky Month!

This year I decided to dress as the indomitable spirit of the Sea and the future King of the Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy! And I had the super talented  NitaNi to help!

Seriously, though. Go watch the live action adaptation of One Piece, especially if you want to get into the world, but are too intimidated by the hundreds of chapters/episodes to start like I was. It takes the first 90 or so chapters of the East Blue Saga (the first one) and condenses them neatly into eight hour-long episodes full of both the humor and the heart of the source material. It's a show you that you can tell was made by die-hard fans that understood what made it great, whether it was the writers and main cast that perfectly adapted the characters and their large-than-life personalities from the page, or the set and make-up designers that brought this fantastical world and its denizens to life. The next season is expected to come out sometime in early 2026, so now's the perfect time to get caught up!

Fun fact: I actually wore my One Piece shirt, with a big Straw Hat Jolly Roger on it, to a really big event that may or may not have occurred on October 18th, 2025. And while I was there, I happened to run into someone proudly waving their own Straw Hat Jolly Roger. It was an unexpected coincidence, but nonetheless a fun moment of camaraderie between two One Piece nerds that believe in standing up for what's right.