One Piece Map Explained

Last updated on October 11th, 2023 at 05:11 pm

One of the many reasons One Piece is so beloved is its brilliant worldbuilding. The world of One Piece is vast and ever expanding. There are countless locations with unique geography, culture and importance.

From an island of giants to an island in the sky, there are every sort of amazing place in the series. But many people may find this fantastic world a little confusing, so we will be discussing the One Piece map in this article.

In this post, we’ll be talking about the basic map of One Piece to give our readers an idea about where certain locations are, and how the Straw Hat Pirates proceed in their journey. The complete geographical map of One Piece is vast, with countless islands in the grand blueness of the seas. And a discussion about them will be very exciting, if a little time-consuming.

But before we take that endeavor, we must understand the base of all this, and the primary map of One Piece. Here, we’ll also discuss the legendary last island of the Grand Line: Laugh Tale where the One Piece is and our heroes are heading towards. So, without further ado, let’s begin our discussion on the One Piece map.

Table of Contents

The unique part of the One Piece map is that the majority of it is based on the seas. There is only one mainland in this world, and the rest of the lands are the islands spread sparsely throughout the seas. The reason the geography of One Piece is such is because our heroes are pirates, and thus their journey must be through the waters.

Luffy and his crew have been to numerous islands, having grand adventures everywhere they go.

In the world of One Piece, there is a continuous stretch of land that spreads vertically from north to south. This stretch of land is called the Red Line, and it’s the only mainland in the whole world. Cutting the Red Line perpendicularly by spreading from west to east is a stretch of oceanic route known as the Grand Line.

The intersection of the Red Line and the Grand Line divides the waterbody into four separate seas, known as East Blue, West Blue, North Blue and South Blue.

Every sea is divided from each other by either the Red Line or the Grand Line. However, despite appearing connected by their close proximity, every sea is actually disconnected to the Grand Line.

There are two stretches of the sea that run parallelly to the Grand Line on both sides. These two stretches of water, known as the Calm Belts, don’t have the strong wind needed to sail, making the ships which have stumbled there stuck in that region.

Not only do the Calm Belts not have any strong wind, but these are also filled with huge Sea Kings who destroy any ship stuck there. Under one of the Calm Belts is the strongest prison of the World Government, the underwater prison Impel Down.

Now if we study the visual map of One Piece, we’d notice that the Grand Line is disconnected in the middle because of the Red Line.

The part of the Grand Line that stretches from the Reverse Mountain in the east to the Red Line is known as Paradise whereas the other part is called the New World. Paradise and New World are connected to each other by the Fishman Island that lies deep within the sea, just under the Red Line.

Now that we’ve a clear idea about the One Piece map, we’ll dive deep into each part respectively, starting with the Red Line:

Red Line

The Red Line is the huge continental stretch that runs from north to south, wraps around the world, and divides into two halves. It is the only mainland in the whole world of One Piece, and contains some of the most important locations. The name of this land comes from the red stones and soil it is made of.

Despite being the biggest land in the world, the inhabitants of the Red Line are sparse. But it contains the most revered place in the world of One Piece, where the gods are said to live. This is why the Red Line is also called the Land of Gods.

Some of the important locations on the Red Line are:

Marygeoise: This is where the Celestial Dragons live, and the Pangea Castle and the Empty Throne is at.
Reverse Mountain: The mountain situated at the location where the Red Line and the Grand Line intersect. The current that runs through the mountain is in the opposite direction, meaning it runs from down to up. This is one of the only ways to get into the Grand Line.
Red Port: It is the only legal way to cross the Red Line.
Fishman Island: This underwater island is deep within the sea, located under the Red Line. Fishman Island is where the fish-men and the mermaids live. It is the only way to get to the New World from Paradise. Currently, it is under the protection of Luffy.

I. East Blue

As the Red Line and the Grand Line intersects, it creates four different oceans. One of them is East Blue which lies in the north-eastern part of the world, separated from North Blue and South Blue by the Red Line and the Grand Line respectively.

East Blue is entirely made of water, with many islands of different sizes spread throughout. This is also where the story of One Piece starts, and the Romance Dawn Saga is situated at. Some of the Straw Hats, including Luffy, Zoro, Nami and Usopp are from the East Blue.

Some of the important locations of East Blue are:

Foosha Village: Situated in the Goa Kingdom of Dawn Island, and the home of Luffy.
Shells Town: This is where Luffy and Koby finds Zoro, falls under Yotsuba Island Region.
Shimotsuki Village: The home of Zoro where some members of the Shimotsuki family settled after leaving Wano and rescuing some villagers from bandits.
Orange Town: Situated in the Organ Islands archipelago where the Straw Hats fight Buggy Pirates for the first time.
Syrup Village: A village is Gecko Islands and the home of Usopp.
Baratie: A popular restaurant ship where Sanji grew up in and used to work.
Cocoyasi Village: Located in the Conomi Islands archipelago, this is the home of Nami where the Arlong Pirates set their base at.
Loguetown: A famous trade town near the Grand Line, known for being the place where Gol D. Roger was born and executed at.

II. West Blue

Like East Blue, West Blue is also a big sea created by the intersection of the Red Line and the Grand Line. The West Blue is at the south-western part of the world, and is located between the North Blue and the South Blue, separated from them by the Grand Line and the Red Line respectively.

The Straw Hat Pirates never venture into the West Blue in their journey, but it is the home of Robin and Brook. Some very important figures in the story also hail from West Blue, like one of the Yonko: Shanks, the former Shichibukai: Gecko Moria, one of the Supernovas and Big Mom’s son-in-law: Capone Bege, and a Revolutionary Army member: Morley.

Some of the important locations in West Blue are:

Ohara: This was an island of scholars and archaeologists, and the home of Robin. The entire island was destroyed by the World Government with the Buster Call as the scholars of Ohara were the only people who could read Poneglyphs, and get to the truth of the Void Century, leaving Robin as the sole survivor.
Thriller Bark: This used to be an island in West Blue, but Moria transformed the whole island into a ship, and sailed towards the Grand Line where the Straw Hats stumble upon it. Currently the ship is in the New World.

III. North Blue

Another sea of the One Piece world is the North Blue, falling between the East Blue and the West Blue, and disconnected from them by the Red Line and the Grand Line respectively. Since the Straw Hats start in the East Blue before sailing into the Grand Line, the other three seas, including the North Blue, aren’t explored to the same extent.

However, North Blue is the real home of Sanji as well as Trafalgar Law, and has some key figures of the story originating from there. Some of these characters who come from the North Blue are the Vinsmoke family, Marine Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, Admiral Kizaru, members of the Worst Generation: X Drake and Basil Hawkins, and the popular explorer Mont Blanc Noland.

Some of the important locations in North Blue are:

Germa Kingdom: The Germa Kingdom is an ancient empire of great heritage, known for spreading throughout the entire North Blue and their superior technology. Currently, the kingdom is in the shape of a maritime island capable of sailing through the seas, and ruled by the Vinsmoke family. This is also the real home of Sanji.

Flevance: It was the home of Law before being destroyed by the neighboring countries in fear of the Amber Lead Syndrome epidemic.

IV. South Blue

The last of the four seas of One Piece is the South Blue. It is located between the East Blue and the West Blue, and is detached from them by the Grand Line and the Red Line respectively. This sea is known for being the home of many strange and exotic fauna, including gigantic birds, fish, worms and sharks.

A lot of important figures in One Piece originate from the South Blue. Portgas D. Rogue gave birth to Ace in the Baterilla island of South Blue. Some others who come from the South Blue are: former Marine Fleet Admiral Sengoku, former Admiral Kuzan, Bartholomew Kuma and his daughter Jewelry Bonney, Eustass Kid and Killer, and Jaguar D. Saul who saved the life of Robin.

Some of the important locations in South Blue are:

Torino Kingdom: Chopper is sent to this island by Kuma, where he trains for two years before joining his crew.
Baterilla: The birthplace of Ace.

Grand Line: Paradise

Aside from the Romance Dawn Saga, the story before the timeskip is based on the Grand Line. It is a stretch of sea that encircles the world horizontally, and intersects the Red Line in the middle. The part of the Grand Line on the east side of the Red Line is called Paradise, and this is where every pirate crew starts their journey into the Grand Line.

Everything about this sea route is different from the other seas, from the weather to the way compasses work. It is a dangerous place and very difficult to survive. The currents are erratic and unpredictable, and the weather varies in different islands in extremes. Even entering the Grand Line is a pretty tough task, and only possible through the Reverse Mountains.

Some of the important locations of the Grand Line are:

Whisky Peak: Whisky Peak is a city of bounty hunters located in the Cactus Island. The Straw Hat Pirates start their journey on the Grand Line through this city.
Little Garden: It is an island that has maintained a prehistoric flora and fauna because of the weather. The only human inhabitants on this island are the two giants, Dorry and Brogy.
Drum Island: This island has wintry weather, and is also known as the Winter Island. It is the home of Chopper and where he meets the Straw Hats.
Alabasta: Known as the Desert Island, Alabasta is the home of Vivi. The Straw Hats accompany her to this island to stop the civil war and defeat Crocodile.
Jaya: This island has pleasant spring weather, and is the place the Straw Hats visit before they journey to Skypiea.
Skypiea: An island in the White Sea which is located directly above Paradise in the sky.
Long Ring Long Land: The inhabitants of this island are huge in length, a certain part of their bodies elongated much longer than ordinary.
Water 7: The beautiful Water 7 is known for its entirely water-dependent transport system and its brilliant shipwrights. The Straw Hats meet Franky at this island.
Enies Lobby: Enies Lobby is a stronghold of the World Government, and one of the three major judicial facilities of them. There is a gate in Enies Lobby that connects to both Impel Down and Marineford.
Sabaody Archipelago: The final island of Paradise is Sabaody Archipelago. The Straw Hats meet Rayleigh there, and are also separated from each other by Kuma.

Grand Line: New World

One Piece Map Explained — One Piece Map | Credit: Crunchyroll Extras (@Youtube)

The New World is the second part of the Grand Line that encircles the west side of the world. It is located between the North Blue and the West Blue. This part is more dangerous than Paradise because very few crews survive getting into this part without being destroyed by an enemy crew.

It is also where the big figures of piracy i.e., the four Yonko rule. Every Yonko has their own territories in the New World. However, no one has been able to completely explore the New World in 800 years, with the exception of Roger and his crew. The New World is where the fabled Laugh Tale is rumored to be.

Some of the important locations in the New World are:

Punk Hazard: This is an island where Akainu and Aokiji fight for the position of Fleet Admiral. Their intense battle changes the weather of the island forever, with one side frozen and snowing and the other filled with lava. It is also where Caesar Clown has his science lab.
Dressrosa: A beautiful island where humans and toys cohabit. It is under the control of the Shichibukai, Doflamingo.
Tontatta Kingdom: This is an underground kingdom located under the Green Bit Island north of Dressrosa. The inhabitants of this kingdom are tiny dwarves.
Zou: Zou is the kingdom of Minks, located on the back of the ancient elephant Zunesha.
Totto Land: It is the entire territory of the Yonko, Big Mom and her crew of her numerous children. There are a lot of islands within Totto Land, the most prominent being the Whole Cake Island where Big Mom herself resides.
Hachinosu: It is an island of criminals and anti-socials, and the island Blackbeard and his crew are currently occupying. Blackbeard wants to make it his official territory outside the jurisdiction of the World Government.
Wano: Wano is an island in the New World that has been secluded from the world for hundreds of years. This is currently the territory of the Yonko, Kaido, who betrayed and killed the rightful ruler, Kozuki Oden.
Egghead Island: This island holds the entire laboratory of the genius scientist, Dr. Vegapunk and his Satellites. It is a futuristic island full of new and brilliant technologies.
Elbaf: This is the legendary island of giants.
New Marineford: The current Marine Headquarters, led by Fleet Admiral Sakazuki.

Laugh Tale

The last island in the Grand Line is Laugh Tale. The only known people who went to this mysterious island were the Roger Pirates. After them, nobody found this island. On his execution platform, Roger announced to the world that this is where his treasure, the One Piece, is.

Though Laugh Tale is located in the New World, the actual location of this island is a complete mystery. The location of this island can only be found by the four Road Poneglyphs. Each Road Poneglyph reveals a location, and the point where the routes of the four locations intersect is where Laugh Tale is at.

There is something on the island that caused Roger and his crew to burst into laughter, leading to its name. The contents of this island are entirely unknown, and this is the final location for the Straw Hats and other pirates.

Conclusion

That was the One Piece map explained briefly. The world of One Piece is so grand and elaborate that it’d take ages to cover them all. But these are locations that we need to know to have a basic idea about the world where our favorite pirates dwell in.

If you’re a fan of One Piece, keep reading Otakus’ Notes because we’ve got a lot for you. Stay tuned, until next time.

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Anamika Das

Anamika loves words and stories and putting them to pages. She also loves anime, manga, books, movies and everything fantasy. She has been a fan of anime since childhood and her admiration for it only grew with years. Her passion for writing is even more elevated by writing about the things she loves.