Netflix hit the ball miles out of the park when it sailed One Piece as one of its most successful and ambitious live-action adaptations ever. The Eiichiro Oda-helmed masterpiece ushered as much with its storyline as it did with its stellar star cast. As talks of a season two came soon after the first one ended, it turns out that the showrunners have a bit more planned for their sea-faring journey ahead.

One Piece blew Netflix heavyweights such as Stranger Things and Wednesday out of the water when it debuted with a whopping 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Needless to say, the results were indelibly tied to Oda and showrunner Matt Owens. When the latter unraveled his plans to develop spin-offs, fans were both excited and apprehensive.

When the original manga creator recently announced a season two run, Owens explained his intention to try luck with stories “we have yet to fully dive into.” Furthermore, he added, “I’d love to do a young Mihawk series.” Standing in between Zoro and his quest to be the world’s best swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, played by Steven Ward, indeed does have a character depth and history to center a spin-off around.

In the manga and anime, Mihawk played an antagonistic role in the Marineford Arc but was overall neutral. However, a few fans are of the opinion that focusing on spin-offs and side plots may pose a risk to the original story. Regardless, it was not an official announcement, but rather a mere expression of interest on Owen’s part. 

As of now, the Straw Hat Pirates may be the only ones sailing. However, fans did not deny their excitement for a spin-off either.

Is this the time for a One Piece spin-off? Fans weigh in

Riding on immense success, it may seem counter-intuitive for Netflix to not work on expanding the Straw Hats Pirates’ world. However, fans expressed their opinion that opening up too many sub-plots may dilute the efforts of the original story. The most glaring testament to this is Netflix’s own The Witcher, whose many open-ended plots gave way to a thrashing final rating.

Some fans chimed in their support, but only if Eiichiro Oda was involved.

Meanwhile, many were onboarded with the idea in a heartbeat.

The most probable way for Netflix is to continue with Oda and his vision with the main One Piece story. As of now, the entire creative force should go straight into season two of the beloved hit. As for spin-offs, it may follow an approach similar to Stranger Things. Furthermore, it is equally important for the show to focus on itself as it may probably continue on for a whopping twelve seasons.

What are your thoughts on Matt Owens going ahead with a One Piece spinoff? Let us know in the comments below.