One Piece Film: Z

One Piece Film: Z features the Straw Hat Pirates confronting Z — a former Marine Admiral known as the Black Arm, now leading a rogue army of former marines called the Neo Marines. Armed with the three Dyna Stones capable of destroying the New World, Z intends to wipe out all pirates and the very era of piracy itself. The film had involvement from series creator Eiichiro Oda in the character designs and is considered one of the strongest One Piece theatrical releases, with higher production values than most TV arcs and a villain whose philosophy creates more moral complexity than typical One Piece antagonists.

Z is presented as an optional but highly recommended part of the One Piece experience. While entirely non-canon — it has no impact on the manga storyline — the film delivers a genuinely satisfying Straw Hat adventure with strong action sequences and an emotionally resonant conclusion. Z himself is a tragic figure whose extreme worldview is understandable even if his methods are horrifying, and his final confrontation with Luffy is one of the more memorable movie climaxes in the franchise. The film is set during the New World portion of the story, so having watched through at least the end of the Fishman Island arc (around Episode 574) provides the necessary character context.