One Piece in the Philippines

It’s no secret that the Philippines is home to some of the most dedicated One Piece fans on the planet. The series has garnered a massive following and has become a cultural phenomenon within the Pinoy culture. But today, we will explore the influence Filipinos have had on the world of One Piece and a particular incident, that will shock the world.

Gray Terminal / Smokey Mountain

After years of speculation and God(a)-like foreshadowing, it was revealed in the Dressrosa arc that Sabo was not only alive but also the No. 2 of the revolutionary army; only outranked by the Supreme Commander Monkey D. Dragon himself.

Fans easily recognize Dawn Island as the home island of several prominent characters throughout the series. Located in the East Blue, the supposedly weakest of all seas, the island comprises various locations, but today we’ll be looking at a specific site with a chilling history.

Gray Terminal stands out as the former residence of Sabo and other individuals who scavenged amidst the debris in search of valuable items and hidden treasures. But what inspired it was far more grim.

A famous Slum in Manila and the second most populated city in the Philippines. For about 50 years Smokey Mountain accumulated over 2 million metric tons of waste. It became a place where trash always burns and smoke constantly rises.

Life After Smokey Mountain

Even though a restoration project was announced in 1993, and Smokey Mountain was officially shut down in 1995, the site was turned into public housing for the impoverished people living in the slums surrounding the landfill.

Smokey Mountain today isn’t half as bad as it used to be. They’ve come quite a long way since then with improved living conditions, infrastructure, and opportunities for the residents who once grappled with the challenges of the landfill.

Smokey Mountain, 2011

Captain Barbell

Captain Barbell is a Filipino superhero who first appeared in Pinoy Komiks #1 on May 23, 1963. Even though there are multiple live-action variants of Captain Barbell, today we’ll focus on the 1986 live-action rendition of this Pinoy Protector.

This story follows Teng Teng, (played by Herbert Bautista), an orphan who works by collecting scrap metal from the streets.

One day, as a reward for his good deeds, he is given the magic barbell (dumbbell) which when lifted empowers him to be Captain Barbell, who fights evil forces in the land.

After Teng Teng’s love interest Rosemarie (played by Lea Salonga) becomes infatuated with his crime-fighting alter-ego, he starts growing to resent Captain Barbell but ends up learning a valuable lesson: the power to change lies within.

Now I know what everyone’s thinking, Teng Teng bears a striking resemblance to a particular flexible seafarer.

Even though Oda confirmed that Luffy would indeed be Brazilian if he were in our world, he was about 12 years old when this Pinoy classic came out. It makes you wonder where he could’ve gotten the idea for Luffy’s design.

Some fans say it’s because 70% of One Piece is animated in the Philippines.