Why Enies Lobby is the best arc in One Piece

Enies Lobby still holds a special place in fans’ hearts among the incredible arcs of One Piece. Filled with intense action and backstories of the arc, it’s easy to figure out why Enies Lobby remains the best One Piece arc to this day.

One Piece has a reputation for keeping fans engaged with the recurring fighting scenes. And what better reason to fight than for the sake of your friends? Time and again, Luffy has put everything on the line to protect his friends from danger.

Whether it is Nami, Chopper, Sanji, or any of the Straw Hat crew members, they all have been saved by Luffy. However, Robin’s rescue mission is by far the most touching of them all. Since she used to work for the former Warlord Crocodile, the Straw Hats had a difficult time trusting her.

Surprisingly, her heartbreaking backstory revealed everything about the mysterious archaeologist. When the Straw Hats learn that Robin let herself get captured for their sake, they don’t waste a second before infiltrating the World Government’s stronghold in Paradise. 

Iconic fights and memorable power-ups

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The members of the CP9 were all skilled in close combat on top of having Zoan-type devil fruits. They were an elite group of assassins who did all the World Government’s dirty work. Naturally, a fight against such a group would not be easy.

Luffy and the crew had their hands full against such opponents, ultimately creating many iconic fights. Luffy also used his Gear 2 for the first time in the Enies Lobby arc of One Piece. Not to forget, Zoro’s Asura, Sanji’s Diable Jambe, and Chopper’s Monster Point were iconic moments in their rights.

Luffy’s fight with Rob Lucci, whereas Zoro’s and Sanji’s with Kaku and Blueno, respectively, are all one of their best fights to this day. Not to mention, Luffy’s and Sanji’s power-ups in the Enies Lobby help them in all their battles in One Piece.

Unveiling the atrocities of the government

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Before the Enies Lobby arc, fans knew that the World Government in One Piece wasn’t as good as it should be. However, no one would have imagined that they would destroy an entire island to maintain their power. 

For whatever reason, the World Government prohibited the research of Void Century and anything related to it. Poneglyphs scattered around the world were the only way to find out anything about the lost history. Also, the ancient written on those Poneglyphs can only be read by the archaeologists of Ohara. 

For the simple crime of trying to find out about the Void Century, they decided to completely obliterate Ohara from the face of the earth. Only Robin was able to survive, thanks to Aokiji’s help, but that was only the beginning of her nightmare.

Rescuing Robin from her past shackles

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The rescue mission in the Enies Lobby wasn’t just to save Robin from the World Government. Instead, it was also about saving herself from the past shackles that still bind her. Even after Robin joined the crew, she maintained a proper distance from everyone and wouldn’t call them by name.

After leaving the island, Robin had to struggle each day to survive. With no one to rely on and a massive bounty of 80 million berries placed on her head at age eight, the world truly became hell for her. Luckily, she found comfort with the Straw Hats, but they also were taken from her when the CP9 threatened them. 

Finally, she surrendered and accepted her execution. It wasn’t until Luffy forced her to accept her wish that she realized that all this while, she only hoped to live, but the world wouldn’t even allow her that. By letting her admit that, Luffy helped Robin break from her shackles, and she was finally saved.

The open war against the World Government

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Luffy wouldn’t hesitate to fight the strongest of opponents for the sake of others. That is true, considering how he even waged war against the World Government. This offence is serious enough to have his entire crew executed. 

Before the Enies Lobby, Luffy had always fought against powerful pirates, Marines, and even a Warlord. This time, he was crazy enough to openly declare war against a global regime which has ruled the world for over 800 years. 

However, for the sake of rescuing Robin, he didn’t hesitate to go against the ruling organization of the world – one that is infamous for its tyranny. He asked Usopp (who was in disguise) to burn the World Government’s flag at the Enies Lobby.

One Piece can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll. In the meantime, check out our other anime coverage below:

Underrated Zoro moments | Muzan Kibutsuji abilities in Demon Slayer | One Piece ending | Kagaya Ubuyashiki abilities in Demon Slayer | Demon Slayer Thunder Breathing 7th form | The real villain in Hell’s Paradise | Naruto’s Best Rinnegan User | One Piece’s Empty Throne | Luffy’s Gear 5 techniques | Naruto’s Infinite Tsukuyomi | One Piece Red Hair Pirates | One Piece Shanks’ twin theory | Bleach vs Naruto | Naruto’s God Tree | One Piece Straw Hats’ Dreams