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Why Whole Cake Island is the most underrated arc in the series

Highlights

The Whole Cake Island arc enriches One Piece with intricate character and political developments, setting up future alliances and conflicts.
Sanji's past and inner conflict provide rich character growth, reflecting the strong bonds within the Straw Hat crew.
The arc introduces powerful themes of loyalty, ambition, and family dynamics, while also showcasing Oda's creative world-building.

Eiichiro Oda One piece has been going on for over two decades and the series has seen many captivating arcs. Among the Straw Hats' many adventures is their adventure into Emperor Big Mom's territory. The Whole Cake Island arc is One piece the most complex and emotionally charged storyline involving one of the Straw Hat crew members, Vinsmoke Sanji.

The arc delves into the complex family structures of the Charlottes and Vinsmokes families and unravels Sanji's dark past in the series. Whole Cake Island enriches the One Piece narrative in unparalleled ways. Despite its critical contributions to character and plot development, it remains an underrated gem in the tapestry of One piece.

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A catalyst for meaningful character development

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One of the strengths of the Whole Cake Island arc lies in its contribution to the development of some of the series' characters. The arc's most significant contribution is its detailed exploration of Sanji's past. The Whole Cake Island arc reveals his connection to the Vinsmoke family, a lineage of genetically engineered super soldiers. This revelation adds a new dimension to Sanji's character, explaining his passion for cooking and chivalrous nature. In this sense, the arc mirrors the Arlong Park arc, when Nami pushes the crew to save their lives.

Additionally, Sanji's internal conflict, caught between his loyalty to his friends and the obligations imposed by his family, provides rich character development. His decision to defy his family and reaffirm his place in the Straw Hat crew solidifies his bond with and belief in Luffy and the others. This development is crucial not only to Sanji's character arc, but also to reinforcing the theme of the strong bond between the Straw Hats. The introduction of the Vinsmoke Family adds another layer to the series' intricate web of characters and alliances. As rulers of Germa 66, the Vinsmokes bring advanced technology and military prowess to the mix. Their involvement in the arc highlights the larger political landscape of One piece world, where technology, lineage and power play critical roles.

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Furthermore, Luffy's journey on Whole Cake Island is marked by his determination and growth in leadership. The events of Sabaody Island, when Kuma sent the Straw Hats to different islands, marked a significant turning point in Luffy's journey. He vowed to never back down from a fight and to always stand by his crewmates. Luffy didn't care that Whole Cake was an emperor's territory; he only wanted to save his cook from Big Mom's clutches. This arc tests Luffy's limits, both physically and mentally, and highlights the lengths he will go to save his friends, even if it means starving to death. Furthermore, the intense fight between Luffy and Katakuri challenges him in unprecedented ways, pushing Luffy to develop his Observation Haki to new levels.

Prepared for future arcs and plot development

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The tumultuous events that permeated the Whole Cake arc altered the landscape and created future alliances and rivalries. Despite Bege's initial antagonism, the temporary alliance between the Straw Hat Pirates and Bege's crew demonstrated the need for strategic partnerships and the unpredictability of the series' characters. Whole Cake Island introduces the idea that even pirates have political leanings. Big Mom strategically plans to marry her daughter, Pudding, to the Vinsmokes in order to claim their super soldiers and become an even more formidable force at sea. Furthermore, Big Mom aspires to create a powerful crew with her children. By marrying people of different races, her children inherit these diverse traits and abilities. This desire for a strong and diverse crew was the main reason for Big Mom's numerous marriages—39 daughters and 46 sons. In this way, the politics of some of the ways in which the Yonko acquire more territories is portrayed, providing a deeper understanding of the power structures within the world of One Piece.

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Additionally, the discovery of Big Mom's Poneglyphs on the Island gave the Straw Hat Pirates a major breakthrough in their quest to acquire the One Piece treasure. The Whole Cake Island arc sets up several plot threads, particularly the Wano arc. The alliances formed, enemies made, and power structures disrupted all feed into the larger narrative, leading to the eventual conflict in Wano. Jinbe's reason for not joining the Straw Hats on Fishman Island is revealed, as is his ultimate decision to join the crew. The introduction of Pudding as a member of the Three-Eyed Tribe who can read the Poneglyph when her third eye awakens also added mystery to the tribes' identities. Pudding's potential ability to read the Poneglyph led to her eventual kidnapping by the Blackbeard Pirates. The events of the Whole Cake Island arc and how Luffy created chaos on the Island would have portrayed the notion that Yonko Big Mom is not that strong. In that sense, this is one of the reasons why the Yonkou traveled to Wano to meet up with an old friend, Kaido, and team up to find the One Piece treasure.

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Additionally, the arc delves into themes of family, loyalty, and ambition. The contrasting structures of the Straw Hats and Big Mom's crew portray a different view of being a family. Big Mom's insatiable hunger and tyrannical rule highlight the dangers of unbridled ambition and power, a recurring theme in One piece. In addition to these great elements that made the Whole Cake Island arc so underrated, there are also a few other reasons why the series' captivating storytelling cannot be overshadowed:

The extent of the Yonkos' influence establishes the stakes for other pirate crews who wish to challenge a Yonkos.
The Island's Innovative Setting: Oda's creativity shines through in the character designs, the setting, and the surreal elements of the Island.
The arc's portrayal of the powerful emotional moment between Luffy and Sanji
Integration of Humor and Darkness: The arc effectively provides humor and comic relief while also delving into serious and dark themes.