One Piece: 15 Islands Inspired By Real Places

Summary One Piece locations draw inspiration from real-world places like Alcatraz, Florence, and Thailand.

Artist Eiichiro Oda uses reality to inform the world of his creation, making places like Flevance relatable.

By basing locations on real places, readers already have an idea of what to expect, adding depth to the adventure.

Part of One Piece's appeal is the many locations Luffy and the Straw Hat pirates visit, so it's no wonder that many of those locations are based on real-world places fans of the series can actually visit. More so than most other big Shonen series, One Piece is a globe-spanning adventure. More so than just pit stops, these locations are fun and provide opportunities to explore Luffy and his crew in further depth.

Life any good artist, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda pulls from reality to inform the world of his creation. While some places in the series are entirely made up and don't have too much of a real-world basis, most pull from some sort of real-world place or culture. Doing this makes it so that readers already have a tangible idea of what to expect from every place visited just by knowing its real-world analog.

15 Impel Down - Alcatraz, USA

The underwater prison of Impel Down in One Piece certainly has many inspirations, with its many levels drawing comparisons to the circles of Hell in Dante's Inferno. That said, Impel Down may also have a real-life inspiration in the form of Alcatraz, an island a few miles off the shore of San Francisco that houses one of the most well-known prisons in pop culture and history.

The maximum security prison of Alcatraz is believed to be impenetrable much like Impel Down in One Piece and, though it may not be underwater, Alcatraz is also surrounded by the sea on all sides. Much like Impel Down has contained One Piece's biggest criminals, like Emporio Ivankov, Sir Crocodile, and Arlong, Alcatraz is similarly known for housing some of the most infamous criminals in history like Al Capone.

14 Flevance - Casale Monferrato, Italy

Flevance, Trafalgar Law's hometown, is a country in the North Blue in One Piece. Known as the White City, the country and its people were all but eradicated by the amber lead disease that nearly claimed Law's life as well. This disease spread when Flevance began mining and producing the rare ore called amber lead, which turned out to be highly toxic when exposed to bare skin and continued to shorten the lifespan of Flevance's citizens with every passing generation.

The country of Flevance draws many parallels to the real-life town of Casale Monferrrato in Italy, which was the site of a cement factory well throughout the 1900s and similarly suffered from the spread of diseases caused by asbestos involved in the production process. Flevance also bears few architectural similarities to Casale Monferrrato, further strengthening the connection between the two places.

13 Drum Island - Drumheller, Canada

A distinctive feature of Tony Tony Chopper's hometown, Drum Island, is its peculiar, elongated mountains called Drum Rockies. Since the revelation of Luffy's awakened powers, these drum-shaped mountains have been the center of many theories reviving around Nika, the most popular being that the last known user of the devil fruit may have created these mountains.

That said, Drum Island's mountains may simply be inspired by the hoodoos found in Drumheller, Canada. Not only does the town's name bear a striking resemblance to Drum Island, but the hoodoos found here, which are a popular attraction, also look very similar to the Drum Rockies. While the hoodoos are formed by soil erosion in real life, One Piece likely has a wackier explanation for the existence of the Drum Rockies that may be revealed in the future.

12 Loguetown - Florence, Italy

Loguetown is Gol D. Roger's hometown and also the infamous site of his execution in One Piece. Despite its unassuming appearance, Loguetown bears many similarities to the city of Florence, particularly through its architecture. Florence's two most prominent landmarks, namely the dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral and the Palazzo Vecchio bell tower, appear in the bacfkground throughout the arc.

The buildings and the streets also bear a close resemblance to those of Florence, with a couple of Italian store signs making a cameo as Zoro walks through the city. Most interestingly, the open square at which Roger was executed in Loguetown also appears to be modeled after the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, where Girolamo Savonarola was famously executed in 1498.

11 Tequila Wolf - Kanchanburi, Thailand

Tequila Wolf is a bridge being built in the East Blue in One Piece where Robin spent much of the time-skip before meeting the Revolutionary Army. The bridge has supposedly been under construction for 700 years, with the unclear objective of connecting various islands. The labor for this Herculean task was mainly provided by slaves, criminals, and prisoners of countries who refused to comply with the World Government until the Revolutionaries freed all the slaves including Robin.

Tequila Wolf is likely inspired by the Burma Railway constructed during World War II between Thailand and modern-day Myanmar. Also known as the Death Railway, the bridge was built by prisoners of war and Southeast Asian civilians who were forced into labor. Many of these laborers died while building the bridge, much like the laborers working on Tequila Wolf in One Piece who worked on its construction till their death century after century.

10 Rommel Kingdom - London, England

Rommel Kingdom was introduced in a few panels within chapter 734 of One Piece and scenes of episode 666 of the anime. It was the setting for a tale about an unknown assailant responsible for cutting down people throughout the city, who would be revealed as a man named Hakuba. But despite its brief appearance, it is very clear to see that it was inspired by London, especially with the iconic clock tower Big Ben. And with London's very own Jack the Ripper murders in the 19th century, it looks like this historical event was also a narrative inspiration as well.

9 Zou Island - Elephant Rock, Iceland

Perhaps one of the most visually unique islands in the series to date, Zou Island sits atop the back of a large elephant named Zunesha who travels across the sea on their incredibly long legs. Protecting the inhabitants from those trying to attack it, it shares a unique relationship with the civilization that lives on it. While the idea of elephants carrying worlds on their back isn't a new concept in literature, it is very much inspired by Iceland's Elephant Rock. Sharing the same color scheme of green and grey as well as the cave-like eyes, it's easy to see how it fits into the sea-fairing adventures of Luffy and his crew.

8 Gray Terminal Of Dawn Island - Smokey Mountain, Philipines

Dawn Island is recognizable to fans as this is the home island to some of the best main characters across One Piece. While the island is made up of different locales, Gray Terminal was the home of Sabo and other citizens who look for trinkets and treasures beneath the rubble of trash. Perhaps one of the most controversial sources, Smokey Mountain is the slums of Manila in the Philipines. The mountain of garbage and unwanted goods is also covered in smoke due to the burning of wood.

7 Dressrosa - Park Guell, Spain

Dressrosa was a pinnacle island as it saw the Straw Hat Pirates go up against its tyrannical and sinister leader: Donquixote Doflamingo. With its colorful, checkered buildings and its citizens being made up of people and sentient toys, it was shocking to discover just how much of a threatening place it was under the ruthless ruler. Its real-world counterpart is Park Güell in Barcelona, Spain. The park features lush gardens, mosaic designs, and architecture designed by Antoni Gaudi, one of the architects behind Modernism. This blend created one of the most visually striking places across Spain and made a great island to see Luffy and Doflamingo eventually duke it out in one of One Piece's most action-packed episodes.

6 Mary Geoise - Chateu De Chambord, France

This fictional capital is located on the Grand Line and is where the World Government comes together to discuss the actions of the many pirates of the seas and their attempts to stop them for good. Despite its gorgeous marble and clean aesthetic, it is home to some of the most corrupted characters and was also the former home of Doflamingo himself. The inspiration for this particular building comes from the Chateau de Chambord, one of the most famous and visited manor houses in all of France. The UNESCO World Heritage Site features architecture from the French Renassaince and was owned by several French Kings.

5 Amazon Lily - Hanging Temple, China

After being knocked across the horizon by Kuma's mighty blow, Luffy crash-landed on an island only inhabited by women. Furthermore, these women turn out to be some of the most dangerous warriors in One Piece and without his crew, Luffy initially had a tough time on his hands. But at least he gets to spend some time running around a beautiful setting. The temple and architecture built into the walls of the steep cliffs of Amazon Lily are based on temples situated in the Shanxi Province in China. It was originally built in the 6th century and home to those studying a number of traditional Chinese philosophies.

4 Alabasta Kingdom - Egypt

During Luffy's early adventures, he arrived at the Alabasta Kingdom, one of the biggest early arcs of One Piece. Eventually in this arc, he would gain a new crew member in Nico Robin as well as reunite with his brother Ace. But it would also see them eventually clashing against one of the biggest antagonists in the series yet in the form of Crocodile, a crime boss with the ability to control and manipulate sand. Despite the many cities and towns that make up this fictional kingdom, they are all inspired by the many landmarks that make up Egypt. From its iconic ancient pyramids to the banks of the Nile, these locations and Crocodile's criminal empire helped to make some of the best episodes of One Piece's first 130.

3 Water 7 - Venice, Italy

The city of Water 7 is known for its canals that the citizens must use to get around. It is also known for its shipbuilders and it was a key location for the Straw Hats to get their ship, Going Merry, repaired and fully operational again. From the canals to the style of the boats for transportation, it's no surprise that Venice is an inspirational source for this key location. Built on a series of islands, it is one of the most beloved and visited Italian cities and has been celebrated as a source of inspiration for many television shows and movies.

2 Punk Hazard - Iceland

The island of Punk Hazard was engulfed in fire and ice after a clash between Kuzan and Sakazuki. With their elemental powers battling it out, they left a crater ocean in the center that kept both sides from melting the other. Iceland has made another appearance on this list, but the geography of the country itself was the inspiration. With the country being home to some volcanic activity and some parts of it covered in snow, it's not uncommon to see fire and ice at once, creating a visually devastating and peculiar One Piece island that was the star of one of the weirdest story arcs across One Piece.

1 Wano Kuni - Ninja Kingdom, Japan

The Japanese-inspired island of Wano Kuni was the home of the Beast Pirates, ruled under by one of the strongest and towering villains to date: Kaido. Before his takeover, Wano was a beautiful country filled with lavish locations. Perhaps one of the more unusual inspirations, one of its influences could very well be a theme park called the Ninja Kingdom in Japan. With a replicated and full-sized build of the Azuchi Castle and the entire place set in the Edo Period of Japan, it does seem to be one of the inspirations behind Wano. Furthermore, as it is recreationally set in the era of Japanese warriors and ninjas, it wouldn't be a surprise if this led to Kaiduo's duel against a band of samurai and stylized fighters too.

Though One Piece doesn't take place in the real-world, many of its locations have their roots in real places all across the globe. The sheer diversity of locations is a testament to Oda's skills as an artist as all of these different islands or geographical points are visually distinct while still looking like they belong in the same world. One Piece's locations based on real-world places are all part of what makes the series so great and iconic.