Architecture in One Piece: The Architecture of Paradise (Part 1)

The world of One Piece is an architectural gem hence a lot of the place resembles a real-world city and depicts its architecture. The East Blue was a starting point to unravel the architectural adaptation of Eiichiro Oda in One Piece. The Paradise in One Piece lies in the first half of the Grand Line. It stretches out from Twin Cape to Mary Geoise. It is between East and South Blue.

For those that are not familiar with One Piece, the Grand Line is an ocean current located in the equator. It separates the four Blues together with the Red Line (A stretch of mountain circling the world perpendicular to the Grand Line.). I will not go into details, but the Grand Line is a pirate graveyard due to unpredictable sea conditions and difficulty to sail. The places in Paradise (the first half of Grand Line) resembles an actual popular destination.

By thew way One Piece is an adventure on how Monkey D. Luffy and his Nakama find the elusive One Piece treasure. Eiichiro Oda wrote and drawn One Piece, and it publishes weekly at Shounen Jump since 1997. Oda masterfully created a storyline that talks relate real-world issues such as injustice and racism. He used legend and myths to draw inspiration for his characters.

Twin Cape, Red Line (Reverse Mountain)

The Straw Hat Pirates started their Grand Line adventure by sailing in the harsh current in Reverse Mountain. It is where they find a giant whale, Laboon and Crocus. It is the fastest route to the Grand Line; hence they can't go south due to the Calm Belt. The Calm Belt is a place with no winds and infested with Sea Kings. It is where The Straw Hats discover that the One Piece is on Laugh Tale. They knew how to sail through the Grand Line using the Log Pose.

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Twin Cape, Red Line, One Piece, Chapter 105

The Straw Hats dock on the island of Twin Cape at the bottom of the Reverse Mountain. It lies precisely between the Red Line. It has a pair of lighthouses which is at the exit of the Reverse Mountain. The Northern lighthouse is under the care of Crocus (doctor of the former Pirate King). In Twin Cape, the straw hats meet Laboon. Laboon is a whale who is waiting for his crew that left 50 years ago. The Strawhats agrees to meet one of Laboon's crewmates, who will join them to fulfill his promise.


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Thacher Island, US

What interesting in the Twin Cape is it resembles Thacher Island, US. The Thacher Island has a twin lighthouse and in perilous waters with a lot of shipwrecks. It has a rich history of naval confrontation in the past. The history of the Thacher Islands mirrors that of the Twin Cape in One Piece. Pirates sail through the harsh current in Reverse Mountain and often lead to the capsizing of its ships.

Whisky Peak, Grand Line

The Whisky Peak is a town on Cactus Island. When they reached Whisky Peak, they are welcome like celebrities, but it is good to be true. Later, the island's residents show their true colors. The buildings in Whiskey Peak have a native Indian vibe to them.


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Cabin on Cactus Island, One Piece, Chapter 107

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Native Indian houses with Totem Poles

The Strawhats had a drinking contest and passed out except for Zoro. The bounty hunters tricked them into drinking a lot of alcohol to pass out. When they passed out, the bounty hunters are ready to claim for their heads. Zoro defeated hundred of bounty hunters. He found out they work for the Baroque Works. The Baroque Works is a secret organization under the tutelage of Crocodile, a warlord of the sea.

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One Piece, Chapter 107

The place where the straw hats passed out resembles Taos Pueblo in New Mexico. The Taos Pueblo don't have doors and windows in its early days, and the only access is from the top of the building. The Native Americans made it entirely of adobe, which is a combination of mixed straw and water. It is either poured into forms or make into bricks. They built the roofs with wood poles, which are place side by side and covered with a pile of dirt.


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Taos Pueblos, New Mexico

Taos Pueblos has a lot of history, and often natives dweller keeps their culture and tradition intact in secrecy within the pueblo walls. The pueblos have doors and windows over time, but natives won't still accept modern utilities like electricity. Oda shows us again his creative genius. He somehow foreshadows the secretive heritage of Tao Pueblos into the theme of the Whisky Peak arc.


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Whisky Peak, One Piece, Chapter 110

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Tao, New Mexico

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A Church in Whisky Peak, One Piece, Chapter 110


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San Francisco de Asis Mission Church, Tao, New Mexico

In Whiskey Peak, we can see the San Francisco de Asis Mission Church. The San Francisco de Asis Mission Church is an architectural and historic gem in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. It is the center of the native Indian agricultural community in Mexico. What peculiar is the Whisky Peak in One Piece is on the Cactus Island. If you relate to it, Mexico is known for its cactuses. I can say Oda may design Whisky Peak as New Mexico.


Note

One Piece is a Japanese manga about the adventure of Monkey D. Luffy and his Nakama as they search for the elusive One Piece treasure. Eiichiro Oda wrote and drawn One Piece, and it publishes weekly at Shounen Jump since 1997. The manga is at Chapter 1007, which is to be release within the week. The anime will release the Episode 966 within the week. You can also check out my latest post about the architecture in East Blue.

Architecture in One Piece : Inspiration of architectures in the East Blue

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The Arlong Park resembles the iconic Hindu temple in Lake Bratan, which is Pura Ulun Danu Beratan. There are four sacred buildings in the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, which the people devoted to the Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The temple existed around 500 BC as to archeological artifacts as told in the chronicles of Mengwi.

References

  1. History of Thacher Island Twin Lights, Rockport, Massachusetts
  2. The Taos Pueblo – 1,000 Years of History
  3. One Piece: Story Arcs


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