One Piece is celebrated for its captivating story arcs, which are often regarded as some of the best in the shonen genre. However, among both devoted and casual fans, one arc consistently receives more criticism than others: Long Ring Long Land. Positioned after the thrilling Skypiea arc in the manga and the well-received G8 filler arc in the anime, this story lacks the excitement and danger typical of the series. Instead, the Straw Hats find themselves in a series of competitions against Captain Foxy and his aptly named Foxy Pirates, risking either the loss of a crew member or their Jolly Roger.
Fans generally dislike this arc due to its focus on relatively simple competitions, which they feel drag on far too long. The anime adaptation exacerbated these issues by extending the original three games to six, further delaying the action. Additionally, certain actions by Luffy in the anime, particularly during the Davy Back Fight, undermine the arc’s original intent, causing frustration among viewers.
The term “filler” is often contentious among anime fans, referring to content created by studios to pad for time and prevent the anime from catching up with the manga. One Piece frequently suffers from this problem, often introducing entire arcs that do not appear in the manga. Long Ring Long Land became a hybrid of the original storyline and completely new content, deviating significantly from the manga.
In the manga, the arc features only three rounds of the Davy Back Fight. However, the anime adds three more rounds, and introduces a perplexing decision by Luffy. After Chopper is taken by the Foxy Pirates in the first round, Luffy chooses to rescue a horse that Foxy had captured instead of his reindeer crewmate. This decision contradicts Luffy’s established dedication to his crew, which is a central theme of the arc in the manga. In the manga, Luffy does not hesitate to bring Chopper back, with the horse not even being a factor. While saving the horse is not out of character for Luffy, prioritizing it over Chopper makes him appear indifferent to his crew’s well-being, a portrayal that fans found troubling.
The anime’s filler content significantly damaged Long Ring Long Land’s reputation. What was intended as a lighthearted interlude between the epic Skypiea arc and the intense Water 7 arc became an out-of-character, overly prolonged ordeal. This drastic reshuffling contributed to the arc’s poor reception.
Interestingly, Chapter #1115 of One Piece sees the return of Foxy as he listens to Vegapunk’s worldwide broadcast, suggesting that the Davy Back Fight enthusiast may have another appearance more faithful to the manga. Additionally, the upcoming remake of the series, simply titled The One Piece, promises to faithfully adapt Long Ring Long Land, potentially rehabilitating its status and allowing fans to appreciate the arc’s intended significance.