One Piece, Vol. 33

The Straw Hat Pirates' adventures in Skypiea are over, and they've returned to the blue sea filthy rich. Landing on Long Ring Long Island, the crew befriend the eccentric Tonjit and his horse Sherry. However, it's not before long that Sherry is shot, the Merry Go is taken captive, and Luffy is challenged by the Foxy Pirates to a Davy Back Fight. The wager? The losing team must forfeit their crew mates or worse, their pirate flag and pride. Though this mini-arc starts at the tail end of One Piece, Vol. 32 and concludes in the early chapters of One Piece, Vol. 34, it's still rare to see a story play out so quickly this late in the One Piece saga. As you'd expect this is a fun and fast-paced read, and while the stakes are real (the potential loss of a crew member), this is definitely a more light-hearted romp compared to Alabasta, Skypiea, and especially the Water 7 arc to come. Foxy and his pirate crew are another memorable bunch of rogues with some pretty dirty tricks up their sleeve. We get to see Sanji and Zoro work together to save the day, and of course there's Luffy's mano a mano duel while sporting an outrageous afro. Another worthy installment in the long-running series, and one that'll bring out the Soul Brother within you.