One Piece fans overlook series' biggest flaw only for one of its best arcs

Fake deaths have always been a hit or miss for One Piece, based on the fandom's likeness for a character. Nonetheless, these are mostly considered one of the series' biggest flaws because they remove any emotional attachment to a character. However, the fake death of a lot of characters took place in the past and, surprisingly, the fans never criticized it.

During the Enies Lobby arc, the Straw Hat Pirates rushed to escape the island when the Buster Call was declared. However, the giants, alongside some members of the Galley-La and Franky Family, were caught in one of the canons from the Marine's ships.

However, in the next episode, all of them were declared safe. While this fake death might be the biggest one in the series, it is overlooked because of the importance of Enies Lobby arc and how it introduced a lot of elements that were crucial for the future plotline.

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article solely belong to the author.

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One Piece: How Eneis Lobby's fake death wasn't impactful on the fans

The Enies Lobby group getting hit by the Buster Call (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece's Enies Lobby Arc marked the first defeat of Rob Lucci at the hands of Monkey D Luffy. However, after the fight, Luffy was rendered motionless. Unfortunately, everyone had to move fast because Spandam ordered a Buster Call on Enies Lobby and the disaster was fast approaching.

Eventually, as the Straw Hat Pirates were thinking of ways to escape, some ships of the Buster Call arrived and started shooting their canons. Unfortunately, the people standing in the canon's aim were Oimo, Kashi, Yokozuna, and some members of the Galley-La and Franky Family. These characters were engulfed in flames and presumed dead.

On the other hand, with the help of a broken Going Merry, Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates managed to escape Enies Lobby. However, the Buster Call ships diverted their aim towards the Going Merry. In this moment of distress, everyone heard the voice of someone, which confirmed that everyone who was caught in the canon shot was safe.

The Enies Lobby group saved by Paulie's ropes (Image via Toei Animation)

When the canon was shot at the group, Oimo, and Kashi absorbed the impact. Afterward, as everyone was about to fall into the water, Paulie extended his rope and helped everyone hang onto dear life. The group then mounted the Sea Train and escaped Enies Lobby with the Straw Hat Pirates.

Even though this group fakes their death, these are not met with the same kind of hate other characters get. For instance, one of the most criticized fake deaths was that of Pell, one of the head guards of the Arabasta Kingdom. To save his kingdom, Pell took the bomb that was about to destroy everything and soared through the sky.

Although his sacrifice saved the Arabasta Kingdom, he was still alive and returned to the kingdom afterward. However, the fake death of the Enies Lobby group is hardly remembered by the fans. So, what could be the reason for this? The reason behind it could be due to the arc's importance in the series.

The Enies Lobby group lives (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece's Enies Lobby Arc was when Luffy declared war against the World Government to save Nico Robin. This saga also debuted Luffy's first power-up, the Gear Two. Combined with some other factors, the fake deaths of the Enies Lobby arc were hardly noticeable and were overlooked by the fans. Additionally, the reason behind this involves the attachment of a character to the fandom.

Pell was a fan-favorite character, given how chivalrous and loyal he was to his kingdom. However, the Franky family was a bunch of bandits from Water 7. The Galley-La and the Giants were likable, but not as likable as most side characters.

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Final thoughts

The death of the Enies Lobby group might have left a sour taste for the One Piece fans. So, their survival could be considered a 'plus point' for the series. On the other hand, fake deaths have never been popular among the fans, solely due to how they take away a series' 'emotional' element way.

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