We all know that Eiichiro Oda was inspired by many real things for his manga One Piece. Many of his characters make direct references to historical figures! But that’s not all: through this top 10, we are going to explore the places in our world that inspired Oda to create the universe of his work.
Explore the places of One Piece IRL (In Real Life / In real life) ? It’s possible ! After this top 10, all you have to do is build your crew.
10 – Dressrosa
ONE PIECE © 1997 by Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA Inc. ©Canva
To start, dressrosa in One Piece is a very important island: it is the scene of a mythical fight against Doflamingo. Well Eiichiro Oda did not lay this atypical architecture of his brain! In fact, he was inspired by Park Guell, one of the achievements of the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Located in Barcelona, this park is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Dressrosa is actually not that far away!
9 – The Colosseum of One Piece
ONE PIECE © 1997 by Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA Inc.©Canva
Still in the theme, the Colosseum, the scene of many clashes, is inspired by the very famous Colosseum. With a capacity of probably 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for wild animal fights, gladiator fights and public performances of all kinds. In other words, activities that can be found in the Dressrosa Colosseum!
8 – Marie Joy or Mary Geoise
ONE PIECE © 1997 by Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA Inc.©Canva
Marie Joie is where the World Government HQ is located, but it is also the residence of the Celestial Dragons. In addition, the Reverie takes place there every 4 years. It’s obvious, but you had to know: this Holy Land of One Piece is inspired by the Château de Chambord located in the department of Loir-et-Cher, in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. A short visit is therefore widely possible!
7-Water 7
ONE PIECE © 1997 by Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA Inc.©Canva
A city on the water, surrounded by canals on which you travel by boat? Eiichiro Oda was not looked for very far. Indeed, to create Water 7, the Mangaka of One Piece was inspired by the very famous city of Venice in Italy! In short, one more reason to go and have a look.
6 – Rommel’s Kingdom
ONE PIECE © 1997 by Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA Inc.©Canva
First mentioned by Marine Bastille, Rommel’s kingdom was once attacked by a mysterious whirlwind. The latter was caused by Hakuba, Cavendish’s evil double. This Kingdom strangely resembles London, especially with this bell tower similar to the famous London Big Ben. Therefore, be careful not to destroy the English capital in your sleep!
ONE PIECE © 1997 by Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA Inc.
5 – Impel Down
ONE PIECE © 1997 by Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA Inc.©Canva
Impel Down prison in One Piece is inspired by the infamous Alcatraz prison. Being one of the most watched in the world and welcoming the biggest criminals, the Anglin brothers as well as Frank Morris however managed to escape from it in 1962. A parallel rather similar to the story of the escape of Shiki the Lion Golden. This one, you may not want to visit.
4 – The Kingdom of Goa
ONE PIECE © 1997 by Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA Inc.©Canva
Goa is the capital of the Kingdom of Goa located on Drum Island. Thus, to create it, Eiichiro Oda was inspired by Morella, a municipality in Spain in the province of Castellón in the Valencian Community. The resemblance is due in particular to the castle sitting in the heart of the city. We just hope that the inhabitants do not unload their waste on the outskirts of the city like at Gray Terminal!
3 – Syrup Village
ONE PIECE © 1997 by Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA Inc.©Canva
The native village ofUsopp also has its inspiration in the real world! Indeed, the small village of Sirop in One Piece, place of the confrontation against Kuro, is inspired by Cadgwith. This is a fishing village and port in Cornwall, England, UK! Eiichiro Oda was therefore sought even in the smallest towns of Europe to draw inspiration and make One Piece more realistic. We love !
2 – Arlong Park
ONE PIECE © 1997 by Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA Inc.©Canva
In the same way, the place of residence of Arlong, at the very beginning of the adventures of the mugiwaras is inspired by a temple which is called Pura Taman Saraswati, located in Indonesia. The resemblance is striking ! Again, that’s why we love Oda’s work so much.
1 – Bighorn
ONE PIECE © 1997 by Eiichiro Oda/SHUEISHA Inc.©Canva
Bighorn is a small town located on Drum Island. Remember, for example: when Wapol returned to Drum Island, he went through Bighorn, and ate and destroyed several buildings. He was then caught in the avalanche at the city gates. In fact, this village is inspired by Alberobello in Italy! Located in the Puglia region of Italy, the town is known for its trullis, whitewashed stone houses with conical roofs.
In conclusion, these 10 examples are not isolated cases! One Piece is full of cultural references of all kinds. So, ready to discover the world of Oda IRL?