Did You Notice This Key Easter Egg in Netflix's One Piece Episode 1?
The show sets up a sequel in the first episode.
After much anticipation, Netflix finally released its live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's iconic manga. Fans relished every moment, calling One Piece one of the best shows the streaming platform has ever rolled out. Many admired creators Steven Maeda and Matt Owens for crafting the original story with their unique vision rather than blindly following the source material.
Furthermore, the entire first season was peppered with intriguing easter eggs and references that resonated deeply with those familiar with the original anime or manga. That showed that Netflix's writers truly cherished Oda's narrative.
A Major Easter Egg
Yet, even the most avid One Piece fans might have overlooked a major easter egg in the first episode: the flashback scene where pirate Red-Haired Shanks stitches up young Luffy's wound in a local tavern.
While many might have been trying to identify posters adorning the tavern walls, discerning fans would have recognised that the real easter egg was concealed in the audio rather than the visuals.
Indeed, the background music playing in this scene holds significant importance within the One Piece lore. Named Bink's Brew, the track becomes central to one of the manga's standout storylines - the Thriller Bark Arc.
The Iconic Song
Although this narrative emerges much later in the manga's grand scheme, fans alerted to this easter egg are looking forward to its live-action adaptation on Netflix. The storyline centres around Brook, a skeletal musician who joins Luffy's crew after being discovered adrift at sea, singing Bink's Brew to himself.
As it turned out, Brook and his crew struck up a friendship with the whale Laboon, who really liked hearing Brook sing this song, so after all his crew died, Brook was left alone to sing this song in hopes of meeting Laboon again.
This story is hilarious and heartbreaking, and people are hoping that this easter egg suggests it will feature in the live-action adaptation much sooner than expected.