Finally getting around to reading this while I’m stuck sick in bed with a fever and strep throat ( )

Wasn't a fan of this in the end. I think I'm just too old for it.

But as I mentioned in another review, some floodgates are just opening for me regarding Japanese books, so I'm glad that I was able to read this. Even a year ago I had a bit of trouble penetrating the dialectal stuff from the "gruffer" characters. ( )

It was stupid, but I like stupid.

Key takeaways:
- You can find friends wherever, and they'll always be your friend no matter how little time you shared.
- Dream big! And do everything you can for your dreams, no matter who stops you!
- Rank's not important and abuse of power is BS. ( )

This is the beginning of one of my favorite adventures. From here to the end of Ennies Lobby (so far in the future) it's a story of friends-turned-family, battle adrenaline, outdoor exploration, a dazzle of helping the less fortunate, the supposed bad guys--pirates--are often the good guys and the supposed good guys--the marines--are often the bad guys, and accomplishing great goals as a team. Oda made this story unique by tossing in elements that are ordinary in real life but random in fiction simply because we assume a grossly oversimplified telling. This makes One Piece long, but in so many ways paced to feel more real. Characters have plenty of time to show the reader who they are under different circumstances and interact frequently like a real life band of friends and family. Plots are thick and character relations run deep. The villains tend to have exaggerated traits perhaps for humorous effect, but the true humor lies with thorough development of the main characters and Luffy, who tosses our and his crew's expectations off the ship every time. ( )

The beginning of one of the most epic manga stories. ( )