The Story
Introduction
The story of One Piece is split into two parts, divided by a period when the Straw Hats are separated from each other for two years after sailing half-way around the Grandline. During this period they decide to train hard to prepare themselves for the hardships they will face on the latter half of the Grandline, which is vastly different than the first half. The story itself can be broken up into individual arcs based on whomever the major villain Luffy and the Straw Hats are facing; these arcs can be further divided into minor arcs.This section breaks the story down first by major story arc (East Blue, Baroque Works, etc), then by the various minor story arcs within them. I've listed which volumes and chapters you'll find these stories in for quick reference as well as very brief overviews of what happens in each story. To read the summaries, just click the title and the content will be revealed. There are spoilers here so please beware.
Part One
Chapter One: East Blue
+ Romance Dawn - Volume 1 (Chapters 1-7)Luffy sets sail from Fuschia Village on his journey to become the Pirate King! On the way, he meets up with a young boy named Coby who is trapped in the pirate Alvida's servitude. Luffy helps Coby escape and they end up on Shells Town, a Marine base run by Captain Morgan. The infamous bounty hunter, Roronoa Zoro, is being held prisoner here and Luffy ends up recruiting him into his crew. They beat Morgan, freeing the base of his tyranny and leave Coby to fulfill his dream of becoming a Marine.
+ Orange Town - Volumes 1-3 (Chapters 8-21)
Luffy and Zoro have no navigational skills but end up in Orange Town, a small village being held under siege by Buggy the Clown and crew. Luffy runs into Nami, a navigator who has stolen Buggy's map to the Grand Line. Luffy's determined to make Nami his navigator and she reluctantly agrees to partner with him. The trio end up meeting the town's mayor and Luffy beats Buggy, liberating the town before setting sail once again.
+ Syrup Village - Volumes 3-5 (Chapters 22-41)
Luffy, Zoro and Nami arrive at Syrup Village with the intent of finding a larger ship to carry them through the Grand Line. They meet Usopp, known in the village for his outrageous lies. Usopp tells them that Kaya is the only one on the island who might be able to provide them with a ship. The group ends up discovering that Kaya's butler, Klahadore, is really Kuro of the Black Cat pirates and has been plotting to assassinate Kaya for her fortune. They manage to stop his plans without the village finding out and Kaya gives Luffy the Going Merry in thanks for saving her life. Usopp joins the crew.
+ Baratie - Volumes 5-8 (Chapters 42-68)
Before sailing to the Grand Line, the crew decide they need a chef who can make sure their nutritional needs are met while they spend long days out at sea. They encounter the floating restaurant, Baratie, where Luffy sees the assistant head-chef, Sanji, give food to a starving pirate that was kicked out of the restaurant. Luffy decides he wants to recruit Sanji for his crew. The starving pirate, Gin, later returns with his captain, Don Krieg. They had been to the Grand Line and barely returned alive. Once Don Krieg is fed, he decides he'll take Baratie for himself and return to the Grand Line; Luffy helps the cooks defend the restaurant and when Don Krieg is defeated, Sanji decides to go with Luffy. While all this is going on, Nami has stolen the Going Merry and all of the Straw Hats' treasure and has sailed towards Arlong Park...
+ Arlong Park - Volumes 8-11 (Chapters 69-95)
We learn that Nami has been a member of the Arlong Pirates the whole time she's been travelling with Luffy and that she's been trying to save up 100 million beri to buy her hometown, Cocoyasi Village, back from Arlong and free her family and friends from his tyranny. Arlong screws her over by tipping off the Marines about her storing her treasure on the island and they sieze it, forcing Nami to start over from scratch. Luffy and the others fight for Nami's freedom and defeat Arlong and his crew, freeing the Conomi Islands, its people and Nami from Arlong's wrath. Nami becomes a true member of the Straw Hats and Luffy gains a 30,000,000 bounty for defeating Arlong.
+ Loguetown - Volumes 11-12 (Chapters 96-100)
The last stop before the Grand Line is Loguetown, famous for being the place where Gol D. Roger was executed. While Luffy is visiting Roger's execution site, Buggy and Alvida return to try to execute him for revenge! Meanwhile, Captain Smoker of the Marines is alerted to the Straw Hats' presence on the island and along with his subordinate and Master Chief Petty Officer, Tashigi. The Straw Hats are only able to escape Smoker and the Marines with the help of a mysterious cloaked man. Once the five are back aboard the Going Merry, they set sail for the Grand Line.
CHAPTER 2: Baroque Works - Volumes 12-24
+ Reverse Mountain - Volumes 12 (Chapters 101-105)The only way to get into the Grand Line is to sail up Reverse Mountain, a dangerous journey that Nami is thankfully able to navigate through. On the other side, the ship is swallowed whole by a whale named Laboon. Inside the whale, they meet a man named Crocus who has taken it upon himself to medically care for Laboon, as the whale keeps hitting its head on the mountain. Crocus tells the Straw Hats that Laboon was left behind by a crew of pirates that came through the Grand Line 50 years prior and is hitting his head to try to break through the mountain to get back to them. Luffy makes a deal with Laboon that he and his crew will sail around the Red Line and meet up with him instead, cheering the whale up. Miss Wednesday and Mr 9, two strangers determined to kill Laboon to feed the people of Whiskey Peak, are defeated by Luffy. They beg Luffy to take them back to Whiskey Peak and Luffy agrees, thus setting their first destination along the Grand Line.
+ Whiskey Peak - Volumes 12-13 (Chapters 106-114)
Upon arriving at Whiskey Peak, Miss Wednesday and Mr 9 depart from the Going Merry. The Straw Hats are treated to a lavish welcoming party by the town and are lured into a false sense of security. When the townsfolk believe the crew is fast asleep, they reveal themselves to be bounty hunters and prepare to capture the Straw Hats and any treasure they have aboard their ship. Zoro is the only one to have faked sleeping and single-handedly defeats all the bounty hunters, revealing that he was approached previously by their organization, Baroque Works. Miss Wednesday is revealed to be Nefertari Vivi, princess of Alabasta, and Nami (also faking being asleep) offers to protect her in exchange for treasure. Vivi agrees and sets sail with the Straw Hats on their way to Alabasta.
+ Little Garden - Volumes 13-15 (Chapters 115-129)
The next island on the way to Alabasta is Little Garden, a prehistoric island filled with dinosaurs. When the Straw Hats land there, they encounter two warring giants from the land of Elbaf. Luffy and Usopp are stirred by the giant's honorbound battle and when Mr 3 and Miss Goldenweek interfere, they feel compelled to get involved. Meanwhile, Sanji finds Mr 3's hideout and intercepts a call from Mr 0, the leader of Baroque Works. He tells him that the Straw Hats and Vivi have been taken care of and there's no longer any need to worry about them. The Straw Hats defeat the Baroque Works agents on Little Garden and redeem the giant's honor before setting sail for the next island.
+ Drum Island - Volumes 15-17 (Chapters 130-154)
While on Little Garden, Nami contracted a fatal disease. Despite the impending attack on her kingdom, Vivi implores the Straw Hats to find a doctor to treat Nami. They land at Drum Island but the only doctor on the entire island is Kureha, an eccentric woman who lives in the abandoned castle on the tallest mountain. As Luffy and Sanji bring Nami up the mountain, the island's previous tyrant king, Wapol, returns to reclaim his throne. Sanji and Luffy are injured in their efforts to protect Nami and are treated by Kureha's and her assistant - a reindeer who has eaten the Hito Hito no Mi named Chopper. Together, Chopper and the Straw Hats manage to defeat Wapol and save the Drum Kingdom. Luffy convinces Chopper to join his crew as the ship's doctor.
+ Alabasta - Volumes 17-24 (Chapters 155-217)
After finally reaching Alabasta, Vivi and the crew confront Crocodile, the leader of Baroque Works, and try to stop the rebel and royal armies from clashing. Vivi wants to prevent any casualties but Luffy knows that's not a realistic goal in war. The group do their part and defeat the remaining officer agents of Baroque Works and Luffy is able to defeat Crocodile. Vivi nearly joins the Straw Hats once Alabasta is saved but decides to remain in her country. Miss All Sunday, aka Nico Robin, asks Luffy to join the Straw Hats as she has nowhere else to go. She claims he's responsible for her after he saved her life when she was ready to die. Luffy tells the crew that Robin isn't a bad person and allows her to join the Straw Hats.
CHAPTER 3: Sky Island - Volumes 24-32
+ Jaya - Volumes 24-25 (Chapters 218-236)As Nami finds the Log Pose needle pointing straight upwards, a 200 year old galleon crashes down from the skies. When the crew investigates, they find a map of an island in the sky called Skypiea and decide to find a nearby island to get more information. They locate the isle of Jaya, a lawless place full of pirates who all laugh when asked about the existence of a sky island. Eventually the Straw Hats find Montblanc Cricket, the descendant of Montblanc Noland, a famous man known for lying about a city of gold. Cricket believes the sky island exists and helps the Straw Hats get there via the knockup stream.
+ Skypiea - Volumes 26-32 (Chapters 237-302)
Skypiea, the sky island, is everything the Straw Hats hoped it would be and more! The people living here all have wings and use shells called dials to enhance their everyday life. It doesn't take long before the Straw Hats discover that not all is well on Skypiea: those that live on sky island live there in fear of "God," a devil fruit user by the name of Enel who has claimed "Vearth" for himself. They also discover that the Vearth is the golden city Noland talked about - part of Jaya was blown up to Skypiea via the knockup stream 400 years ago. The Straw Hats not only have to deal with Enel, but also the Shandians (the original descendants on Jaya) who are fighting to take back Vearth for themselves. Eventually Luffy is able to beat Enel and peace is made between the denizens of the sky and the Shandians.
CHAPTER 4: Water 7 - Volumes 32-46
+ Long Ring Long Land - Volumes 32-34 (Chapters 303-321)After returning from sky island, the Straw Hats find a strange island where everything is.. Long. While they're there, they're challenged by the Foxy Pirates to a Davy Back Fight, a game where pirate crews can pick the flag or crewmates from the losing team if they win!
Water 7 - Volumes 34-39 (Chapters 322-374)
Enies Lobby - Volumes 39-44 (375-430)
Post-Enies Lobby - Volumes 45-46 (Chapters 431-441)
CHAPTER 5: Thriller Bark - Volumes 46-50
+ Thriller Bark - Volumes 46-50 (Chapters 442-489)After drifting into the Florian Triangle, the Straw Hats come across a ghost ship and a walking, talking skeleton named Brook. Luffy immediately wants Brook on his crew but Brook disappears once he realises that the group has bumped into Thriller Bark, a massive ship carrying the shichibukai Moria and his zombie army. Luffy, Zoro and Sanji get their shadows stolen and they must get their shadows back before dawn: if sunlight touches their bodies without their shadows, they'll be burned alive. Brook reappears and gives them vital information on how to defeat the zombies and get their shadows back. Luffy, with the help of some stranded pirates, beats Moria and Brook officially joins the crew.
CHAPTER 6: Summit War - Volumes 50-61
+ Sabaody Archipelago - Volumes 50-53 (Chapters 490-513)The next island on the map is Fishman Island, which means the crew has to sail through the Red Line. This marks the half-way point around the Grand Line! To reach Fishman Island, the Straw Hats need their ship coated by a specialist. They run into Hachi from Arlong's crew, who has turned over a new leaf and offers to take them to a trusted coating specialist: Silvers Raleigh, the first mate to Gol D. Roger! While on the island, Camie is kidnapped to be sold for slavery and when Luffy rescues her, he punches a tenryuubito in the face for having shot Hachi. All hell breaks loose and the Marines are called down onto the archipelago. Shichibukai Kuma shows up and defeats the entire Straw Hat crew by sending each one off to a different, unknown location.
Amazon Lily - Volumes 53-54 (Chapters 514-524)
Impel Down - Volumes 54-56 (Chapters 525-549)
Marineford - Volumes 56-59 (Chapters 550-580)
Post-War - Volumes 59-61 (Chapters 581-597)
Part Two
CHAPTER 1: Fishman Island - Volumes 61-66
Return to Sabaody - Volume 61 (Chapters 589-602)Fishman Island - Volumes 61-66 (Chapters 603-653)
CHAPTER 2: Dressrosa - Volumes 66-80
Punk Hazard - Volumes 66-70 (Chapters 654-699)Dressrosa - Volumes 70-80 (Chapters 700-801)
CHAPTER 3: Yonko - Volumes 80-82+
Zou - Volumes 80-82 (Chapters 802-822)Totland - Volume 82+ (Chapters 823+)