One Piece has a knack of giving its characters an impactful debut, especially the Straw Hat Pirates. However, Sanji didn’t enjoy such treatment.
One Piece follows a ragtag group of pirates referred to as the Straw Hat Pirates. Every member has a vision that is so ambitious that it will be ridiculed by the general public as their captain, Luffy, is aiming to be the Pirate King and the crew is slowly but surely realizing the possibility. It wasn’t always that way. When they first set sail, Logia Devil Fruit users were their only opponents. They were unable to defeat them without having a loophole. Despite this, Straw Hats were amazing at the time. The majority of them are featured in cool ways through One Piece– with the exception of Sanji.
The Straw Hats Adventures began with a simple Luffy who left his home without even anything more than a basic boat. Luffy was able to make it to each island, almost entirely relying on luck. Incredibly, his first partner did not join the Straw Hat Pirates but instead set out to become a Marine. But thanks to Koby’s help, Luffy got to meet Zoro. Nami soon joined their motley group and was soon followed by Usopp and Sanji. They set their eyes on Grand Line, where further members were hired.
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The East Blue Saga Members Were Pretty Badass
One Piece began with a flashback showing Luffy’s humble beginnings. Luffy was a brat who had a snot nose, asking Shanks as well as his crew for permission to sail with them. Luffy was only 13 years old however, he already had a lot of courage. To show his bravery, he tried to stab his eye. He also confronted some mountain bandits who had slammed his pirate buddies. Luffy eventually was saved by Shanks, but Luffy did not give up after his turning. He started sailing by himself, however, he was sure to give the sea monster that took Shanks’s arm a huge dose of his pistol.
The next three Straw Hats also receive spectacular introductions. Zoro was the first to be seen kept prisoner by a Marine base. Koby introduced Zoro as a famous character and it was reinforced afterward. Zoro was unable to eat for several days and continued to assist Luffy in the destruction of the Marine base after the base was liberated. Nami might not be the most powerful of the bunch however her debut was packed with action. She escaped from the terrifying Buggy the Clown and helped Luffy defeat the murderous pirate. But the most memorable moment was her naked hands to prevent a gun from being destroyed and also saved the protagonist’s life.
Usopp, the weaker member of the Straw Hats, also had an impressive debut in One Piece. Despite his cowardly nature, he chose to face Kuro as well as the Black Cat Pirates as they attempted to usurp his hometown. Luffy defeated Kuro but Usopp delivered the ultimate blow to Jango.
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Sanji has an emotional story that is similar to the other straw hats
It’s not unusual to see One Piece have tragic backstories This is particularly true for the main characters. Sanji isn’t an exception. Like the others, Straw Hats were made public at the time Sanji was introduced. Sanji was a chef since childhood. But his life changed dramatically when Red Zeff’s pirates arrived at their restaurant. The storm that hit the restaurant was very severe and all the staff, with the exception of Zeff and Sanji who were both killed, went down. They then were confined for the rest of the time as castaways.
They might have escaped the harsh weather however they were not out of danger. They had limited food supplies and were divided. The truth was revealed that Zeff had supplied all the food needed for young Sanji, while the latter was forced to eat cannibals and severe his own leg to satisfy his hunger. Sanji was stunned to hear of the incident and pledged to help Zeff to open a seaside restaurant.
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The Background of the Battles for Baratie Most Sanji
Other than his flashback, however, Sanji generally fades into the background during his debut period. His supposed arc — the “Baratie” storyline mostly focused on the restaurant’s fight with the Krieg Pirates. While it was anticipated to be the case that Sanji would defend his place of work, however, that was not the case. The first person to take the spotlight was Zoro who, In a pivotal sequence of events, Dracule Mihawk chased the Krieg Pirates from the Grand Line to the East Blue. Zoro who was aware that the Warlord was regarded as the most powerful swordsman in the world challenged Mihawk to an epic duel. While the Straw Hat suffered a few losses but he gained the respect of the Warlord.
After Mihawk quit the restaurant, Don Krieg and his band of scallywags appeared as the villains of the arc. Don Krieg ignored Gin’s pleas as well as Sanji’s help and decided to take the control of Baratie and make it his main ship. But the one who fights and defeats Don Krieg isn’t Sanji but Luffy. While it seems like an opportunity missed to show off the skills of the cook, it isn’t unsurprising. Luffy has always been the one to defeat the final bosses as he recruits his crew mates. However, unlike other Straw Hats, Sanji did not get the chance to showcase the kicks that he admires so much.
Sanji was fighting Pearl, who took pride in his incomprehensible defense, but it wasn’t an actual fight. It’s more like a one-sided beatdown with Sanji being the one to suffer. There are no surprise twists or power-ups, as Sanji was simply a victim of Pearl’s attack, and it was ultimately the villain’s own crewmate, Gin, who defeated him. If Sanji was not considered to be one of Straw Hat’s most powerful members the performance would have been acceptable. Even Nami and Usopp, the team’s most likely weakest members showed better fighting skills. While the “Baratie arc” was Sanji’s first appearance in One Piece but he was overshadowed mostly by Zoro or Luffy.