Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Gretchen Fullido

ABS-CBN News

TOKYO — The Straw Hat Pirates are setting sail once again, and according to the cast of Netflix’s hit live-action series One Piece, the journey ahead is bigger, more dangerous, and more epic than ever.Season 2 of One Piece, which dropped on March 10 and is now streaming on Netflix, takes Monkey D. Luffy and his crew deeper into the legendary Grand Line, a mysterious and unpredictable stretch of sea where powerful enemies, strange islands, and new allies await.During the show’s global press tour in Tokyo, the cast spoke about the physical training, preparation, and personal experiences that helped them bring the beloved manga characters to life once again.For the actors portraying the Straw Hat crew, Season 2 demanded even greater physical preparation as the action sequences and stunts ramp up.Lead star Iñaki Godoy, who plays the optimistic pirate captain Monkey D. Luffy, joked about his so-called “extreme” fitness routine. “I’m glad you asked about my workout,” Godoy said with a laugh.“Let me tell you about my physique routine. I do at least 10 push-ups, five sit-ups, and free squats on Mondays and Fridays. And then I eat fruits and vegetables on the weekends.”But the actor added that there is one special day where he pushes himself even harder.“On the last day of every month, I really challenge myself,” he said jokingly. “I do 11 push-ups instead of 10.”Despite the humor, Godoy emphasized that playing Luffy goes beyond physical transformation. For him, the most important part of the role is embodying the character’s optimism and spirit. “I hope people think of Luffy as a friend,” he said. “For anyone who needs encouragement or someone who reminds them to follow their heart and chase their dreams, I hope Luffy can be that person for them.”For Jacob Romero Gibson, who portrays the Straw Hat crew’s sniper and storyteller Usopp, the character represents something deeply relatable. “Usopp is someone who wants to be brave, but he also experiences fear,” Gibson said. “And I think that’s an important message for people watching the show, especially kids. It’s okay to be afraid.”He added that courage does not mean the absence of fear. “Once you acknowledge that fear, that’s when you have the opportunity to move toward bravery,” he said. “Usopp is someone who is constantly trying to become more than what he thinks he is, and that journey resonates with so many people.”Perhaps the most intense preparation came from Taz Skylar, who portrays the Straw Hat crew’s charismatic chef and martial artist Sanji.Skylar revealed that he spent eight months traveling across different countries while preparing for the role. “The training from Season 1 kind of embedded itself into my personality,” he said. “Sanji is a chef and a fighter, so wherever I go, I naturally look for martial arts training and cooking experiences.”But his preparation did not stop there. Skylar also spent ten days deep in the jungle with local tribesmen, learning survival skills firsthand. “I went hunting with tribesmen for a few days, finding animals in the wild, dealing with the elements, bringing the animals back, preparing them, and cooking them with no ingredients,” he said.For Skylar, the experience helped him connect more deeply with the environments seen in the series. “It made the jungle feel less like a movie set and more like something I understood,” he explained. “That whole experience was really special.”Skylar’s dedication did not go unnoticed by his co-stars. Emily Rudd, who plays navigator Nami, praised his intense preparation during the interview. “You’ve put in such an insane amount of work,” Rudd told him. “You’ve completely surpassed me. I mean, Mackenyu is not going to like this, but honestly you’re giving him a run for his money.” She added with a laugh. “You’re absolutely incredible in everything you do.”Skylar, meanwhile, teased that fans should watch out for Nami’s action scenes this season. “I’m actually particularly excited for Emily’s fights this season,” he said. “She has some really cool sequences where she gets to show how powerful Nami can be. She’s a beautiful badass.”For Mackenyu, who portrays the legendary swordsman Roronoa Zoro, the global popularity of the series has been one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. “The best part of being Zoro is traveling to different countries and having people call me Zoro,” he said. “That’s pretty cool. I feel very honored.”Mackenyu said that while training and preparation are important, the ultimate goal is satisfying fans. “It’s not important how much work I put in,” he said. “What matters is how I present it. As long as the fans enjoy what we’ve done and feel satisfied, that makes me happy.”He also teased the arrival of one of the franchise’s most beloved characters. “This season we have a new crewmate, Chopper,” Mackenyu said. “He’s the cutest little thing ever.”The live-action adaptation is based on the global best-selling manga created by Eiichiro Oda, which has been running for more than two decades and has sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide.For the cast, staying faithful to Oda’s vision while adapting the story for live action is a careful balance. “I love going through the manga and looking at weird Luffy drawings that catch my eye,” Godoy said. “Then I try to bring those moments into live action somehow.”At the same time, he acknowledged that adaptation requires creativity. “We always want to honor the source material because that is why people love it,” he said. “But we are also doing an adaptation, so we have to trust ourselves to make the right changes when the time is right.”Jacob Romero Gibson shared his immense respect towards Oda, “When we were auditioning, we didn&#x27;t know it was for One Piece. And I think something that&#x27;s special about our adaptation is that we are so close with Oda. He is supervising so much. So being able to trust his vision that he saw these characters in us even before we knew what it was for. That&#x27;s all powerful.With the Straw Hat Pirates now sailing into the unpredictable waters of the Grand Line, the adventure for Luffy and his crew is only getting started.Season 2 of One Piece dropped on March 10 and is now streaming on Netflix.

The Straw Hat Pirates are setting sail once again, and according to the cast of Netflix’s hit live-action series One Piece, the journey ahead is bigger, more dangerous, and more epic than ever.

The Straw Hat Pirates are setting sail once again, and according to the cast of Netflix’s hit live-action series One Piece, the journey ahead is bigger, more dangerous, and more epic than ever.

‘One Piece’ stars reveal intense training, global journeys, bigger adventures in Season 2

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‘One Piece’ stars reveal intense training, global journeys, bigger adventures in Season 2

Gretchen Fullido,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 13, 2026 02:00 AM PHT

Read More:

Netflix

One Piece

Season 2

Iñaki Godoy

Mackenyu

Taz Skylar

Emily Rudd

Joshua Romero Gibson

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