If you ask why One Piece works , especially after more than twenty-five years, the answer isn’t pirates, adventures, or endless arcs. One Piece works because it tells a very Japanese story about freedom in a society built on rules . This is not a tale about conquering power.It ’s a story about refusing it . One Piece Why One Piece Works at Its Core: Freedom Over Obedience At the heart of One Piece is a simple but radical idea: Freedom is not something granted by institution