15 most beautiful settings in One Piece, listed

The journey in pursuit of the legendary One Piece treasure took Monkey D. Luffy and his comrades to countless different locations, which only amount to a small percentage of the places featured in the fictional world of One Piece. The inimitable imagination of Eiichiro Oda has crafted several breathtaking settings, shaping up an entangled, fascinating pirate-themed verse.

With his outstanding art, Oda has been taking fans on an unforgettable visual journey for nearly three decades. From natural landscapes to man-made structures, the One Piece world is filled with incredible settings that the author loves to glorify with magnificent double-page illustrations.

Steeped in history and mystery as well as presenting its unique traits, each location in the One Piece world is a work of art in its own right. To create some of them, Oda even drew direct inspiration from certain real-life cities and historical sites. Follow this thread to find out some of the most memorable locations featured in the One Piece manga.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1136.

The 15 best landscapes that Eiichiro Oda created for One Piece as of chapter 1136

15) The Red Line

The Red Line in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

A massive continent made up of an indestructible, reddish mineral, the Red Line surrounds the One Piece world like a giant ring. This landmass separates the four seas, thus dividing the globe and preventing ships from crossing unless they go through Mary Geoise or Reverse Mountain. In the depths of the sea below the Red Line, lies Fish-Man Island.

The “Holy Land” of Mary Geoise is the capital city of the World Government. It is the venue of the Pangaea Castle, a gigantic structure where the Five Elders and Imu-sama reside. The Straw Hats have never been in Mary Geoise, but once visited Reverse Mountain, a special place where the four seas flow up the Red Line and then descend it to flow down into the Grand Line’s Paradise.

There, they befriended Crocus and Laboon, who now patiently await them to complete their journey across the world and return to Reverse Mountain’s Twin Cape. Imposing and majestic, the Red Line is also stated to be the former homeland of the Lunarians, a race of god-like individuals who were wiped out in the past under mysterious circumstances.

14) Drum Castle

Drum Castle in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

In the Drum Island Arc, the Straw Hat Pirates visit a winter island in search of a doctor to treat Nami before befriending Tony Tony Chopper and helping him liberate the land from the vicious Wapol. Located at the top of Drum Island’s largest mountain, the Drum Castle is a massive edifice that Kureha turned into her workplace.

The castle’s front door is always open to accommodate the local snowbirds, making the interior of the building to be extremely cold. This is the place where Monkey D. Luffy first met Chopper, who worked as Kureha’s assistant and disciple before eventually joining the Straw Hats.

At the very top of the Drum Castle, there’s Dr Hiriluk’s Jolly Roger, a flag consisting of a skull and crossbones surrounded by sakura petals on a black background. When Wapol tried to shoot down this flag, Luffy protected it with his own body in one of One Piece’s most iconic sequences.

13) Egghead

Egghead in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Dr Vegapunk, the greatest scientist that the One Piece world has ever known, created his laboratory on a New World island called Egghead. A scientific genius who was said to be 500 years ahead of his time, Vegapunk turned Egghead into a space-age wonderland filled with high-tech structures and devices.

Egghead’s most notable feature is a huge, cracked open egg-shaped structure that houses the Labophase, i.e., the various buildings forming Vegapunk’s laboratory. Below it is the Fabiriophase, a futuristic city populated by the workers and researchers who dwell on the island.

Egghead was a winter island, but Vegapunk used his technology to turn it into a tropical rainforest. The Straw Hats arrived on Egghead shortly after leaving Wano but soon became involved in the World Government’s attempt to assassinate Vegapunk. This event turned the island into a chaotic battlefield and even led to the arrival of the Five Elders, who only brought more destruction.

12) The Western Village

The Western Village in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

The main plot of One Piece is finally focusing on Elbaph, much to the delight of fans, who had wanted to see the Giant Race’s homeland since its first mention during the Little Garden Arc. Elbaph is distinguished by an evident Viking theme, as seen in the Western Village, the home of several Giants such as Dorry, Brogy, Oimo, Kashii, Hajrudin, and more.

Many years ago, Charlotte Linlin, in the grip of a food hunger, went on a rampage in the Western Village. After the destruction brought by Linlin, the village was rebuilt, which now allows the Straw Hats to admire its simple and yet marvelous appearance.

11) Zou

Zou in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Zou has been the home of the Minks, a race of humanoids with furry mammalian traits, for around 1000 years. The country is located on the back of Zunisha, a giant elephant that roams the New World endlessly. Zunisha’s rough and rippled skin forms Zou’s ground, which hosts various forests as well as entrance gates and a city.

The perfect harmony between the verdant flora, Zunisha, and the Minks left the Straw Hats boggled, but Zou is also a major historical place, hiding a Road Poneglyph. That said, the island also suffered death and devastation when Jack raided it on behalf of the Beasts Pirates.

10) Marineford

Marineford in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

The Navy’s decision to execute Portgas D. Ace led the Whitebeard Pirates and their allies to attack Marineford, the Navy’s Headquarters, in a desperate attempt to free Ace. As such, Marineford became the battlefield for a titanic clash of forces involving several all-powerful individuals as well as thousands of Navy officers and New World pirates.

Most notably, the conflict resulted in the deaths of Ace and Whitebeard, but many others perished in the fierce battle, which also caused the devastation of a large part of Marineford, including the Navy palace that towered on the entire island. The struggle also involved the bay – which had been equipped with high walls of thick steel.

After the so-called “Paramount War”, the Marine Headquarters was moved to the G-1 Base in the New World, with Marineford becoming the new G-1 Base. Granted, this didn’t change Marineford’s nature as a crescent moon-shaped island situated near Mary Geoise, reachable only by going through the Gates of Justice.

9) Impel Down

Impel Down in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Luffy is the only Straw Hat to ever visit Impel Down, as he tried to infiltrate the prison to rescue his sworn brother. Due to the presence of Chief Warden Magellan, Luffy was unable to save Ace before the Marines took him to Marineford. However, the arrival of Marshall D. Teach and the unexpected betrayal of Impel Down’s Head Jailer Shiryu led to a mass escape from the prison.

Before this unprecedented breakout, Impel Down had a reputation as a maximum-security, almost inescapable prison due to the formidable combination of Magellan and Shiryu. The World Government used Impel Down to jail the most dangerous outlaws, exploiting the peculiar structure of the prison to isolate them from the world.

Impel Down is, in fact, a tower-like building located in the middle of the Calm Belt’s waters. It mostly extends underwater, with its foundation touching the very bottom of the sea. In the prison, a lower level corresponds to a higher and worse punishment for the inmates, vaguely resembling the representation of Hell in Dante Alighieri’s Divina Commedia.

In light of the recent revelations about the man-made flood that caused the rising waters to submerge part of the One Piece world, it’s possible that Impel Down was built on a normal mainland before the great flood led to its current appearance.

8) Sabaody Archipelago

Sabaody in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

The Sabaody Archipelago Arc introduced Luffy and Zoro’s newfound fame as members of the Eleven Supernovas of the Worst Generations, as well as the overwhelming power of Admiral Borsalino “Kizaru” and “Dark King” Silvers Rayleigh, the former right-hand man of the Pirate King.

It also revealed the vile nature of the Celestial Dragons and saw the Straw Hat Pirates being forced to split themselves. All of these major events took place in the ethereal setting of Sabaody, a mangrove forest that grows out from the sea to form an island that serves as the final stage of the Grand Line’s Paradise.

The “archipelago” features lush vegetation and a colorful amusement park, all surrounded by the large bubbles created by the Yarukiman Mangrove trees. With its unique position and environment, Sabaody is a recurring stop for both Celestial Dragons – who participate in the local slave trade – and all travelers seeking to enter the New World.

7) Whole Cake Island

Whole Cake Island in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Luffy, Nami, Chopper, and Brook, assisted by Pedro, Pekoms, and Carrot, went to Whole Cake Island to rescue Sanji from the clutches of Big Mom. This island is the main setting of the homonymous arc, as well as one of the territories that make up Totto Land, Big Mom’s domain.

Whole Cake Island’s environment seems to be straight out of a storybook. But just like Big Mom’s twisted personality, this place is deceptively dangerous. Behind its fairy-like appearance, characterized by pink clouds, edible cotton candy snow, rivers of fruit juice, and cake-shaped buildings made of candy, biscuits, and other edible substances, there are dangerous traps such as the “Seducing Woods”.

6) Elbaph

Elbaph in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Elbaph has a reputation for being the mightiest country in the One Piece world due to the formidable strength and whopping size of its inhabitants, the Giants. It’s an intimidating place, whose imposing largeness fully conveys the feeling of strength and dominance permeating the island.

The entire island is dwarfed by Treasure Tree Adam, a colossal tree that grows in its center and reaches into the clouds. It divides Elbaph into three distinct regions, while also affecting the climate of the island. In fact, the lower region, called the “Underworld," can rarely benefit from sunlight as the tree blocks it.

The Underworld consists of snowy mountains and forests surrounding the base of Treasure Tree Adam. In the middle region, the sheer size of the tree’s branches allows the Giants to build houses and even castles. This area is called “Sun World” as it’s constantly bathed in sunlight.

The upper part is known as “Heaven World” and it’s located on the treetops. The Straw Hats have yet to explore Elbaph in its entirety, but their adventure in the Giants’ homeland promises to be an exciting one, given the environment’s sweeping beauty as well as the intriguing lore that seems to lie behind the history of the island.

5) Wano's Flower Capital

Wano in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Wano was long oppressed by the tyrannical rule of the Beasts Pirates, before Kaido and his subordinates were finally defeated by a massive alliance that liberated the island. Thanks to the efforts of the Straw Hat Pirates and their allies, Wano is once again a free land, ruled by Momonosuke, the son of the late Kozuki Oden.

The island of Wano is divided into six regions, i.e., Kuri, Kibi, Ringo, Udon, Hakumai, and the Flower Capital, the very center of the country. Unlike the rest of Wano, which was reduced to a highly polluted wasteland by the creation of weapon factories, the Flower Capital remained prosperous even after the beginning of Kaido’s tyranny.

Surrounded by lush vegetation, the Flower Capital is built according to the Edo period architecture. The sakura trees with their petals dancing in the breeze frame a stunning scenery, embellished by the unique traditional Japanese style of the buildings.

That said, many of Wano’s mysteries await to be discovered. Centuries ago, Wano was located at sea level, but the changes that occurred during the Void Century led to the current bowl-shaped structure. The island was known as the “Country of Gold”, with only “Sword God” Ryuma being able to repel the many who attacked it in an attempt to seize its treasures.

4) Fish-Man Island's Ryugu Palace

Ryugu Palace in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

In their first adventure after the two-year timeskip, the Straw Hat Pirates descended into the depths of the sea to explore Fish-Man Island, where they ended up thwarting the vicious plan hatched by Hody Jones.

The home of aquatic humanoids such as Fish-Men and Merfolks, Fish-Man Island is located 10,000 meters below sea level, right under the Red Line. The submarine island is illuminated by Sunlight Tree Eve and encased in a giant double-layered bubble that allows human visitors to breathe.

This underwater adventure allowed Luffy and the others to witness several memorable landscapes, but nothing was as breathtaking as the sight of Ryugu Palace. This building serves as the royal palace for the Ryugu Kingdom, the World Government-affiliated country that administers Fish-Man Island and its surroundings.

The sheer magnificence of Ryugu Palace is astounding, with its structures designed like shells and built on colorful coral reefs. It's undoubtedly one of the best examples of Eiichiro Oda's creative genius for One Piece.

3) Skypiea

Skypiea in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Among the most uncommon locations that the Straw Hats ever visited, Skypiea has a special place. Skypiea is a surreal island that floats in the sky above Jaya, dwelling on a gigantic mass of special clouds. To access it, one has to ride the Knock Up Stream before letting the enormous “Speedy Shrimp” take their ship to the clouds of Angel Island and the “White-White Sea”.

A Milky Road made of clouds leads from Angel Island to the Upper Yard, a landmass formerly belonging to Jaya. The Upper Yard was blasted up into the sky by the Knock-Up Stream 400 years ago, and it’s considered to be Skypiea’s Holy Land. It features the Giant Jack, a giant beanstalk that towers up in the center of Skypiea.

The Straw Hat Pirates were lured to Skypiea by the tales regarding a lost city of gold being in the sky, and their thirst for adventure was quenched by a thrilling journey among the clouds. Epicness, comedy, and lore, the Skypiea Arc had it all, and the setting was even better.

2) Water Seven

Water Seven in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

The One Piece version of the city of Venezia, Water Seven stands out as a picturesque setting with canals instead of streets and boats or seahorse-like creatures – the Bulls – as a means of transportation. Water Seven has been gradually sinking, which forced its inhabitants to build new houses on top of the older ones.

Due to the continuous rise of the sea level, the current houses are built on top of those that were built just a few decades before. Similarly, in Venezia, the first floors of many old buildings are now underwater.

The similarities between Water Seven and Venezia continue as the citizens of Water Seven use boats resembling Venezia’s gondolas and wear masks very similar to those employed in the traditional “Carnevale di Venezia”. Water Seven even has a special high tide phenomenon, the Aqua Laguna, which may be based on Venezia’s “Acqua Alta”.

Unfortunately for them, the Straw Hat Pirates didn’t have much time to appreciate Water Seven’s quaint appearance. They arrived in the city to repair the Going Merry and recruit a shipwright, but the situation became increasingly complex when Nico Robin appeared to abandon the crew, leading to a fierce showdown between the Straw Hats and the World Government’s CP9.

1) The Golden City of Shandora

Shandora then and now as seen in the One Piece manga (Image via Shueisha)

Most people believe that Skypiea is just a myth, especially with regard to the supposed sky island containing Shandora, a lost city of gold. That said, the tales of Mont Blanc Noland weren’t lies, as both Skypiea and Shandora were really in the sky above Jaya.

Shandora is steemed in history, as during the Void Century it became the battlefield for the confrontation between the Shandians and unknown invaders. Once located in Jaya, Shandora was blasted up to Skypiea’s Upper Yard by the Knock Up Stream. Shandora now looks like a ruined city, but it was known as “The City of Gold”.

Its architecture is reminiscent of the Pre-Columbian cultures in Central America, such as Incas, Aztecs, and Mayans. Even the original residents of Shandora resemble the Native Americans, much like Shandora’s myth recalls the real-life famous myth of El Dorado.

Recently, Enel took most of Shandora’s gold to build the Ark Maxim. However, the place’s most treasured artifact, the Shandorian Golden Bell, remained untouched until Luffy smashed Enel on it at the end of their final battle.