Even in Season 2 of the Netflix series One Piece, there are several Easter eggs and characters that appear too early. This is all possible because the author Eiichiro Oda gives his blessing.
Attention: There are slight spoilers regarding a character who is relevant in the anime and manga long after the events of the series.
Which characters are meant? Already in the first episode of One Piece, there are 2 characters that actually appear over 10 years later in the manga or anime. We have already reported on Sabo. He appears in the very first episode on Netflix, although he is only later seen in a flashback and in a Coliseum battle in the original source material.
Also, Bartolomeo, with whom Luffy talks for so long, actually appears for the first time in this Coliseum. He is the biggest fan of the Straw Hat Pirates and has decorated his room with posters of the members. Accordingly, he behaves when he meets the Straw Hats, as they are his biggest idols.
In several interviews, both the production team and the actress Emily Rudd, who plays Nami in the series, reveal why the characters actually appear so early.
Easter Eggs need official OK
Why do they appear so early? The story writer of One Piece reveals in an interview on YouTube that Bartolomeo appears so early only so that Luffy has a conversation partner. Logue Town from Episode 1 should be a bustling place, but the Straw Hats would still feel strange here due to lack of connections.
To alleviate this feeling, the producers included Bartolomeo earlier than in the manga and anime. He already shows himself in the anime as a big fan of Luffy and follows him everywhere. He even puts his arm around his shoulder, which will probably be a big fan moment for him.
Emily Rudd also reported about Sabo’s appearance, saying she couldn’t believe it and supposedly screamed when she saw the script for Episode 1. But there is a good reason for this, as she reveals in the video on YouTube:
I was screaming because I couldn’t believe we were allowed to do that. Obviously, Mr. Oda said it was okay and permitted. For everything that is not officially from the original arc, we must ask him for permission. All the little Easter eggs and characters you see long in advance require his okay.
The two characters are also officially present in the manga in Logue Town, but are introduced much later and were only added to the crowd in flashbacks. Thus, they may not officially be seen directly in the manga at this point, but with the context in mind, Oda probably gave his okay.
The author of One Piece already knows when the Netflix series is supposed to end. He has a specific arc in mind that he envisions for a perfect ending. What the perfect scenes for the conclusion could be, you can read here: The creator of One Piece knows exactly when the series should end on Netflix – what would be the perfect arc?
