The latest One Piece DVD collection has me practically dancin' on the ceiling like Lionel Richie, because the Alabasta arc finally comes to a close. For the record I really enjoyed Alabasta, but I also dug it when I read the manga and again when I watched the film, The Desert Princess and the Pirates: Adventures in Alabasta. It says a lot about the series when the third time isn't grueling, but I'd be lying if I claimed it didn't take a slight toll on my psyche once or twice.
That's of no concern when it comes to this volume, because like the last it's chock full of action, as every possible point of conflict comes to a blood-boiling head. I think Luffy says it best when it comes time to lay the smackdown on the vile fiend Crocodile: "I ate lots of meat so I got tons of blood." That may go against everything I've ever learned about the human body, but I'll accept it as a cartoon explanation for why every character in the show can lose gallons of blood and live to fight again.
One of the key battles here pits Zoro against Mr. One, a member of Baroque Works with the power to turn any part of his body into a blade, thanks once again to the nefarious workings of a Devil Fruit. This is the classic example of an episode geared entirely toward one character's development, going beyond victory in this fight alone and taking Zoro one step closer to achieving his ultimate goal. This episode also contains the only really noteworthy bonus material in the form of another voice actor commentary track. It's not exactly full of staggering insight or anything, but it's interesting enough to be worth a listen. It also marks one of the few times I've ever had the dub track on; sorry, but Colleen Clinkenbeard's Luffy drives me batty.
Wrapping up this volume gives us an opportunity to look back at the Alabasta arc as a whole. It's a fantastic portrait of the grand stories Eichiro Oda tells within what's already a sprawling narrative. Covering the ground of a whopping 38 episodes, from their arrival on the desert island to the conclusion at the end of this collection, this is the type of warring country yarn that could easily be the meat of any other series. It may be a drop in the bucket of One Piece's 400+ 
episode ongoing run, but key character introductions and developments make it a crucial piece of the puzzle.
So what's next for our bold travelers? Onward to filler, of course! I'm actually really looking forward to that, as the filler in One Piece is some high quality stuff, and I already know what to expect from the upcoming Skypeia arc thanks to the manga. Speaking of which, I take back any former complaints I had about Viz being too slow with releases, since 2010 pushed One Piece into an absolute flurry with which I'm still struggling to match pace. Oh well, gives us all something to read while we await the next of FUNimation's DVD sets. It only gets better from here on out.
Studio/Company: FUNimation
Available: Now
Rating: TV14
© 1999 Toei Animation Co., Ltd., Japan.