Where was One Piece Live Action filmed? Discover the filming locations, from Cape Town ship sets to tropical islands, used to build Luffy’s pirate world.
Ever watched One Piece (2023 TV series) and wondered how Netflix brought Eiichiro Oda’s wild pirate world to life?
The One Piece live-action series took one of the most beloved anime and manga franchises in history and turned it into a real-world adventure packed with ships, seaside towns, and tropical islands.
The cast includes Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Taz Skylar, and Jacob Romero Gibson, bringing iconic characters from the One Piece manga and anime into the real world.
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🏴☠️ Where Was One Piece Live Action Filmed?
The filming locations span multiple countries, including massive studio sets, real coastlines, tropical jungles, and volcanic islands to recreate the many arcs of the East Blue saga.
Here are the major One Piece filming locations that turned anime fantasy into live-action pirate chaos.
⚓ Cape Town, South Africa – Ships, Towns & Pirate Chaos
So, where was One Piece live-action filmed? The answer starts in Cape Town, South Africa, where Netflix basically built its own pirate world.
At Cape Town Film Studios, the production created full-scale ships, entire seaside towns, and even the giant fish-shaped Baratie restaurant. The studio also contains massive water tanks and ship rigs, allowing ocean scenes to be filmed safely without actual storms ruining production.
This is where many of the most iconic moments of the One Piece (2023 TV series) were filmed – including Zoro’s introduction, Luffy recruiting his crew, and the legendary Mihawk duel. If the East Blue saga felt surprisingly real on screen, it’s because a huge part of it was actually built here.
Cape Town remained the main production hub for the series, with filming for Season 2 also taking place here before its release in March 2026.
⛵ Sets built in Cape Town Film Studios:
- Going Merry Ship: The Straw Hat crew’s iconic ship was built full scale. Many scenes of Luffy, Zoro, and Nami bonding were filmed on the deck.
- Baratie Floating Restaurant: A giant fish-headed restaurant ship built on a water tank. Here we see Sanji, the Mihawk vs Zoro duel, and Don Krieg’s attack.
- Windmill Village: Luffy’s childhood home, where Shanks inspires his pirate dream.
- Shells Town Marine Base: The town where Zoro is tied to a post.
- Arlong Park Interiors: The fortress, throne room, and map room where Nami works for Arlong.
- Alvida’s Ship – Miss Love Duck: Used for the opening pirate battle and Alvida’s introduction.
🏰 Filming locations in the Cape Town area:
- Dolphin Pool, Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town: Used for the Marine scene in Episode 2, “Good Whale Hunting.”
- St. George’s Cathedral, Cape Town: Used as the interior of the palace in Drum Kingdom.
- Paarl Rock, Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve, Western Cape: Filming location for the prehistoric island Little Garden in Episode 4.
- Bridge near Berg River Dam, Franschhoek, Western Cape: Featured as the bridge on the Isle of Renaisse in Episode 6, “Nami Dearest.”
Fun fact: Multiple versions of the Going Merry were built – including stunt versions and partial models – which fans have spotted on satellite images.
🌋 Canary Islands, Spain – Dramatic Pirate Islands
Where was the One Piece live-action series shot when the characters travel between islands? The answer involves locations like the Canary Islands combined with digital effects.
The production used them mostly for wide exterior shots and environmental plates that were later enhanced with CGI. This hybrid filming style allowed the show to replicate the crazy island diversity seen in the One Piece manga.
While Cape Town built the pirate world, the Canary Islands in Spain helped create the show’s epic island landscapes. These islands are famous for volcanic cliffs, black sand beaches, and rugged coastlines – perfect for the wild geography of the One Piece anime.
🏝 Scenes tied to the Canary Islands
- Island approach shots: When ships sail toward new lands during the early One Piece arcs.
- Rocky coastal cliffs: Used as backgrounds for fictional pirate islands.
- Wide ocean landscapes: Combined with CGI to create the massive Grand Line world.
- Island establishing shots: The kind of scenery that makes the world feel huge.
🌴 Xcaret Park, Mexico – Tropical Jungle Adventures
If the Canary Islands provided volcanic drama, Xcaret Park in Quintana Roo, Mexico, delivered lush tropical beauty. This location helped recreate the warm Caribbean-style islands seen throughout the series.
The park includes jungle rivers, caves, mangroves, and tropical beaches, which makes it feel like stepping directly into a One Piece anime island arc. They also show how the production mixed real locations with CGI to build the fantasy world.
🌿 Scenes filmed at Xcaret
- Jungle exploration scenes: Used for tropical island environments.
- Caribbean coastlines: Perfect pirate scenery for travel sequences.
- Island landscapes: Used as environmental backgrounds for the crew’s journey.
- Ocean travel visuals: Used when ships move between story arcs.
🏖 Quintana Roo, Mexico – Extra Island Landscapes
Beyond Xcaret, other parts of Quintana Roo were used for environmental filming. This region of Mexico offers beautiful Caribbean scenery, making it ideal for pirate stories.
These locations helped expand the world visually without building every island as a set.
🏝 What was filmed in Quintana Roo
- Beach landscapes: Used as backgrounds for fictional islands.
- Mangrove forests: Helped create wild pirate environments.
- Ocean horizons: Used for travel shots between One Piece arcs.
🏛️ Italy – Architecture That Inspired One Piece
The One Piece live-action production designers also drew inspiration from several real places around the world when designing the coastal towns, harbors, and government buildings seen in the series.
- Sorrento, Italy (Loguetown Harbor): Its cliffside coastal architecture, historic hotels like the Imperial Hotel Tramontano, and villas overlooking the Bay of Naples.
- Positano, Italy (Shells Town): Its charming Mediterranean seaside aesthetic inspired the Marine-controlled Shells Town.
- Florence, Italy (World Government Architecture): The World Government’s grand buildings drew inspiration from Renaissance domes like the Duomo, Gothic elements from Santa Croce, and ornate stone structures to convey power and history.
These real-world inspirations helped shape the visual style of the One Piece live action, blending Mediterranean coastal towns, Renaissance architecture, and pirate-era harbor cities to create the unique world fans see on screen.
📜 One Piece Lore – The Straw Hat Adventure
The One Piece story follows Monkey D. Luffy, a cheerful pirate who gains rubber powers after eating a mysterious Devil Fruit. Inspired by his childhood hero Red-Haired Shanks, Luffy sets sail to become King of the Pirates by finding the legendary treasure left behind by Gol D. Roger.
That treasure is known as the One Piece, and fans of the series love repeating the famous line:
“The One Piece is real!”
To reach it, Luffy forms the Straw Hat Pirates, a crew of unlikely heroes:
- Roronoa Zoro – a powerful three-sword fighter aiming to become the world’s greatest swordsman.
- Nami – a brilliant navigator and skilled thief.
- Sanji – a chivalrous chef with deadly martial-arts kicks.
- Usopp – a sharpshooter and storyteller.
Together they sail from island to island, battling rival pirates, dangerous villains, and powerful Marines. After the events of the East Blue saga, the story expands as the Straw Hats approach the Grand Line.
Season 2 adapts major arcs including Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island, while introducing fan-favorite characters like Tony Tony Chopper, Nico Robin, Smoker, and Portgas D. Ace.
As the crew’s journey grows bigger, so does the mystery surrounding the legendary treasure they’re chasing – the One Piece.
📺 Where to Watch One Piece
Ready to sail with the Straw Hats? Here are the main places to watch.
- Netflix: Home of the One Piece live-action Netflix series.
- Amazon: One Piece anime and One Piece book series.
- Crunchyroll: Best platform for the One Piece anime.
- Hulu: Offers many seasons of the anime series.
Whether you’re chasing the next island adventure, bingeing Season 2 of One Piece live action, or just enjoying the chaotic energy of Luffy and his crew, the filming locations prove one thing:
Netflix didn’t just adapt the anime. They built a pirate world for real. 🏴☠️
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. All referenced titles, names, and related intellectual property are the property of their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended.
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