Very few series have managed to run successfully for decades without feeling unnecessarily drawn out, and One Piece is a part of that minority. One Piece anime started airing in 1999 and since then it has released over 900 episodes.
The anime is nearing its thousandth episode and there's no doubt that it will end with over a thousand episodes. The series has a variety of different arcs including filler arcs. Each arc offers a unique story, but some of them are better than others.
Updated December 3, 2021, by Suzail Ahmad: One Piece is drawing closer to the finale of the Wano Country arc, which means there is going to be another arc that the viewers can enjoy. One Piece is a very long anime and with a lot of arcs for viewers to watch. Despite its length, it is one of the few anime series that has a small number of filler arcs. The quality of One Piece keeps on increasing with every arc, and it is fair plausible to assume that the next arc is going to be even better than the Wano Country arc. To refresh on what's happened so far, this list has been updated to include even more of the show's best arcs.
14 Canon: Alabasta
This was the arc in which the Straw Hats faced their first stern test, as they went up against the Baroque Works, which was led by Crocodile. The arc focuses on Crocodile's plans to take over the country and gain knowledge about one of the ancient weapons.
Alabasta's significance to OnePiece cannot be taken lightly, as there is a lot of information regarding the poneglyphs and the ancient weapons. The arc also features Crocodile as the main villain, which makes it even more amazing.
13 Filler: Warship Island
This is the very first filler arc in OnePiece. It takes place immediately after Luffy receives his first bounty of 30,000,000 beris.
The arc focuses on a girl named Apis, who is rescued by the Straw Hat Pirates. As they adventure together, the Straw Hat crew learns more about the girl, who has a devil fruit ability that allows her to talk to animals.
12 Canon: Skypiea
Many OnePiece fans consider Skypiea to be the best OnePiece arc in the series so far. The arc is fascinating and holds a lot of importance in the story. Every aspect, from Noland and Calgara's friendship to Roger's arrival on the island, is just incredible.
The arc has many great moments, which include Luffy ringing the golden bell, Sanji's arrival on Enel's ship, and more. The main antagonist of the arc is Enel, who possesses a ridiculously powerful devil fruit. The fight between Luffy and Enel is very memorable.
11 Filler: Post-Alabasta
The arc consists of a total of five episodes. Each of these episodes focuses on the goals of the Straw Hat Pirates, developing each of their characters.
The first episode focuses on the history of Chopper and how he managed to create the rumble ball. For the second episode, Nami takes the center stage with cartography skills as she prepares to transfer some of the older maps. The third and fourth episodes follow Sanji and Usopp respectively. The fifth episode focuses on Zoro and why he decided to be a bounty hunter.
10 Canon: Sabaody Archipelago
Sabaody Archipelago is the first arc in the Summit War Saga. The arc follows the Straw Hats as they arrive on Sabaody and prepare to enter the New World. This arc holds a lot of significance in One Piece. This was the first arc where the rest of the Supernovas were revealed.
The arc also featured Admiral Kizaru, and Silvers Rayleigh, one of the last surviving members of the Roger Pirates. To top it all off, Luffy punched a Celestial Dragon, which remains one of the best moments in the series.
9 Filler: Marine Rookie Arc
The Marine Rookie Arc arc takes place after the Straw Hat Pirates left Zou to look for Sanji. Luffy exhausted all the food supplies, which left the crew starving. However, Nami rescued the day, as she told the crew that there was an island nearby where they could look for supplies. This was the second time that the Straw Hats have entered a Marine base.
The arc offered a closer look into the lives of the Marines. It is packed with action and it also has a quality storyline to go along with it. The arc went down quite well with the viewers and it racked a lot of good ratings on IMDb.
8 Canon: Whole Cake Island
Whole Cake Island is one of the best arcs in the entire series. In this arc, the Straw Hats went to Big Mom's territory to bring back Sanji, who had left the crew in order to ensure the survival of the Straw Hats and Zeff.
The arc showed how deeply the Straw Hats care about each other. Luffy and Sanji's interaction in particular was very emotional, as the former claimed that he could not become the Pirate King without his cook. The arc also saw Luffy fight two of the strongest fighters in the Big Mom Pirates including Charlotte Katakuri.
7 Filler: Ocean's Dream
Ocean's Dream is a filler arc that derives its story from a video game of the same name. It features a unique story. After hearing a mystical sound, some of the Straw Hats end up losing their memories, which results in total chaos.
Most of the crew members forgot how they met Luffy and joined his crew. Ocean's Dream offers a unique outlook of the crew and it makes for an interesting watch.
6 Canon: Marineford
Arguably the best arc of the series so far, Marineford focuses on the Paramount War. It saw the entire Navy go up against the Whitebeard Pirates. The Whitebeard Pirates were there to stop Portgas D. Ace's execution. This arc boasts some of the best episodes in One Piece.
Marineford's climax is marked by the deaths of Portgas D. Ace and Whitebeard. Ace's death had a drastic impact on the viewers. He gave up his life to protect his little brother. Moments before his death, Whitebeard confirmed the existence of One Piece.
5 Filler: Z's Ambition
Z's Ambition is the first filler arc that takes place after the time-skip. The arc leads up to One Piece: Z. It sees the Straw Hats come in contact with the Marines and the Neo-Marines.
Towards the end of the arc, Z proclaims that the end of the New World is near and that he will wipe out every pirate in the world. The arc sets the stage for one of the best One Piece movies.
4 Canon: Wano
Currently, the One Piece anime is airing the Wano arc. The arc picks up after the events of Whole Cake Island where Luffy and co. successfully managed to bring back Sanji. Like the Whole Cake Island arc, Wano features a Yonko as its main antagonist. The Straw Hats finally reunite after leaving Zou in two separate groups.
This arc is packed with action as there are a lot of big names gathered at the same place. The bounties of the Yonko were also revealed in this arc. The arc is still not finished and by the end, it could easily supplant Marineford.
3 Filler: Little East Blue
The arc is four episodes long and it lays the groundwork for One Piece: Strong World. The arc starts with a flashback from 20 years ago when Shiki escaped from Impel Down. Shiki's escape from Impel Down became the stuff of legends as he became the first pirate to escape from the most fortified World Government facility.
The arc has an interesting story and sees the Straw Hat prepare for an epic showdown with the Golden Lion Pirates.
2 Canon: Enies Lobby
Enies Lobby has a lot of iconic moments. The Straw Hats tried to save Robin from the clutches of the CP-9. The stakes were very high and it was one of the very first times that a Straw Hat left the crew. Luffy and co. arrived at the Enies Lobby with only one thing in mind: save Robin at all costs.
Luffy ordered Sogeking to shoot down the flag of the World Government, and with this, the crew gained a lot of notoriety. This arc also marked the last voyage of the Going Merry.
1 Filler: G-8
After the Straw Hats escape from Skypiea, the Going Merry falls inside a Marine base. The crew dispersed in order to save themselves from being captured by the Marines.
The arc is heralded by many as the best filler arc in the series. It shows the impact of the Straw Hats on the lives of the Marines. As the story progresses the Straw Hats' influence causes the Marines to have a change of heart.