One Piece is known for its ability to make its characters a memorable debut, particularly the Straw Hat Pirates. However, Sanji didn’t enjoy such treatment.
One Piece follows a group of pirates called the Straw Hat Pirates. Each member has an ambitious dream that is mocked by the people, while Luffy, their captain, is trying to become the Pirate King. The crew is gradually but surely realizing this scenario. However, it’s not always been this way. when they first set sail and fought, they were unable to even beat Logia Devil Fruit users without coming up with a loophole. But, Straw Hats were amazing at the time. Most of them are presented in a unique way through One Piece— except for Sanji.
The adventures of the Straw Hats began with just Luffy who left his hometown without any boat. Luffy was able to make it to each island almost completely by luck. His first friend, however, did not join the Straw Hat Pirates. Instead, Luffy determined to become a Marine. But thanks to Koby’s help, Luffy got to meet Zoro. Nami was soon a part of their crew, which was followed by Usopp and Sanji. They set their eyes on Grand Line, where further members were recruited.
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The East Blue Saga Members Were Pretty Badass
One Piece started with a flashback that showed Luffy’s humble beginnings. Back then, he was a noseless brat who begged Shanks and his crew members to take him sailing. However, despite his youth, Luffy already had lots of courage. He attempted to cut his eye to prove his bravery, but also faced a group of mountain bandits after the criminals badmouthed his pirate friends. Shanks helped him out, but Luffy was still able to come back to himself following the turn century. He started sailing alone, but he also offered Shanks an enormous dose of his pistol punch.
Amazing introductions are also given to the three Straw Hats. Zoro was the first to be seen in the custody of the Marine base. Koby introduced him as a notorious character and this was confirmed in the future. Zoro was unable to eat for several days, but he still helped Luffy in destroying the Marine base once the base was liberated. While Nami isn’t necessarily the strongest out of the bunch but her debut was thrilling. She robbed the evil Buggy the Clown and even was able to help Luffy to defeat the murderous pirate. The highlight, however, was when she tried to stop a gun’s fuse with her bare hands and helped save the life of the main character.
The other weak part of the Straw Hats — Usopp — also had an impressive entrance into One Piece. He chose to confront Kuro as well as his Black Cat Pirates despite his lack of courage. Luffy beat Kuro but Usopp gave the final blow to Jango.
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Sanji Has a Sob Story, Much like the Other Straw Hats
It’s not uncommon to find One Piece characters have tragic stories behind them. Sanji isn’t an exception. Like the other Straw Hats, his sad story was made public the moment Sanji was first introduced. Sanji was cooking from the time he was a child, but his life took a 90-degree turn after Red Leg Zeff’s pirate team showed up in their restaurant. The attack occurred on a stormy night; sadly, the storm itself took the lives of everyone except Sanji and Zeff. They were deported for the next few months.
Although they may have survived extreme circumstances, they were in danger. They had a limited supply of food which meant that they were divided. The truth finally came out that Zeff had supplied all the food for the young Sanji and the other was forced to consume and sever his leg to satisfy his hunger. When Sanji learned of this, he said he would aid Zeff to realize his dream of opening a restaurant at the seas.
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The Baratie Battles mostly left Sanji as the Background
Apart from his flashback, Sanji, however, Sanji mostly fades into the background during his initial period. His supposed arc, the “Baratie” arc was mainly focused on the conflict between the Krieg Pirates and the titular restaurant. It was reasonable to assume Sanji was at the forefront of fighting for his beloved workplace but it wasn’t the case. transpired. The first to grab the spotlight was Zoro and in a fateful sequence of events, Dracule Mihawk chased the Krieg Pirates from the Grand Line to the East Blue. Zoro was aware that the Warlord was the strongest Swordsman and was able to challenge Mihawk to a duel. The Straw Hat was a big loser but he did earn the Warlord’s respect.
Don Krieg and his band of scallywags took over as the antagonists of the arc after Mihawk quit the restaurant. Don Krieg ignored Gin’s pleas and Sanji’s compassion and decided to gain the reigns of Baratie and turn it into his main vessel. However, the person who takes on and defeats Don Krieg isn’t Sanji but Luffy. Although it may seem like a missed opportunity to showcase the cook’s fighting ability it’s not surprising. Luffy is the one who beats the bosses when he recruits his team members. However, unlike the other Straw Hats, Sanji didn’t get a chance to show off the kicks he admires so much.
Sanji was pitted against Pearl who was proud of his stifling defense, but the contest could hardly be called fighting. It’s more like a one-sided beatdown, and Sanji was the one who suffered. Nothing is surprising about the power-ups or twists or power-ups as Sanji received Pearl’s attacks. The only thing that was missing is Gin, the villain’s crewmate who beat Sanji. If Sanji was not considered one of the Straw Hats’ most powerful members and had a similar performance, it would have been acceptable. Nami and Usopp, the crew’s weakest members, had superior combat skills than their counterparts. Although the “Baratie arc” was Sanji’s first appearance in One Piece he was overshadowed predominantly by Zoro or Luffy.