When an anime has been running as long as One Piece, there's always a lot to unpack from its story. As great as the One Piece anime is, it doesn't cover all the material that the manga has. Sometimes this changes the story in small ways, and sometimes whole stories have been dropped.
There are also a number of other official publications that aren't featured in the anime at all, that still add elements to One Piece's overall story. The left-out content or extra material has the same tone One Piece has. However, due to their absence in the anime, they might be missed out or completely unrecognized to anime-only fans.
10 The Chopperman Series
Chopperman is the alter ego of Tony Tony Chopper. It's a mini-comic series that features Chopper as a superhero, with the other Straw Hat crew members appearing as villains. Chopperman is one of the few standalone bonus materials that One Piece has and is clearly inspired by the superhero genres. It's humorous, fun, and full of adventure, just like the One Piece anime, but seeing the main crew as villains is far more outlandish and comedic. However, since this side story stands on its own and isn't connected to the anime, it's easy for a lot of fans to miss it.
9 The One Piece Party Spin-Off
One Piece Party is a spin-off manga series that featured in the Saikyo Jump magazine. Most of the story is original, including some new characters, but it also includes characters from the main One Piece series. This means that the storylines are not related to the anime's, but they are still fun to read. One Piece Party is short but funny and simply takes its inspiration from the original series.
It's a short series, but it's full of unique stories that take a different look into One Piece's detailed world and gives fans even more stories surrounding the adventurous pirate crew.
8 Law's Response To Kid And Doflamingo
Censorship is a big thing in the One Piece anime. There are many instances where the animators leave out certain material from the manga to make it more appropriate for younger viewers. A good example of this change happens with Law during the Sabaody Archipelago arc. Eustass Kid notices Law from across the room and in the anime, Law simply turns to smirk at him, whereas in the manga he actually gives Kid the middle finger. This gesture was a great indication of what Law's character was like before the time skip, and while the smirk in the anime is still effective, the middle finger is shocking and direct. Law does the same thing when he faces Doflamingo in Dressrosa. It's worth noting that Sanji replied to Law with the same gesture, but it was also left out of the anime.
7 Food Wars! Shokugeki No Sanji
This spin-off series was created by Food Wars! creators, Yūto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki. The creators made the series in honor of One Piece's milestones, from its 1000th chapter to its 24th anniversary. Although each chapter of Shokugeki no Sanji follows along with One Piece's arcs, they are not canon to the main story. This series focuses more on Sanji and his cooking and takes place between major arcs, such as Loguetown and Alabasta, where the Straw Hats get up to even more crazy antics.
6 Ace's Pirate Journey
In the Wano arc, it was revealed that Ace made it to Wano even before he joined the Whitebeard Pirates. What many anime watchers may not know is that Ace had quite a lot of adventures during his early pirate years, and these novels go into more detail about these journeys. The first of the novels talks about how Ace formed the Spade Pirates as well as how he gained the powers of the Mera Mera No Mi. The second novel goes into more depth about his search for Blackbeard, up until his introduction in Alabasta, where anime watchers see the two meet.
5 Manga Cover Stories
Cover stories can be found on the cover pages of some manga chapters. There are too many to list but each focuses on what happens to side characters or antagonists after they met the Straw Hats. Some cover stories also include essential moments that have impacted the main storyline in some way. These short stories serve as a great way to add more details to minor characters, and while some have been adapted into the anime, most of them have not and could surprise anime fans.
4 Franky And Señor Pink's Promised Drink
During the Dressrosa arc, Franky and Señor Pink form a genuine friendship. After their fight, Franky promises Señor Pink that one day they will meet up for a drink and Señor Pink will tell the tale of a woman named Russian. She was Señor Pink's wife and was injured badly in an accident after the death of their son.
In the anime, this is where the conversation ends, and it's never mentioned again. However, in the manga, the cover for chapter 1021 features the two having drinks at a bar, whilst in tears as Señor Pink recalls his story. Another thing to add is that the name of their drink is a Gimlet, which was the name of Señor Pink's son.
3 The Truth Behind Zeff's Missing Leg
When Zeff is introduced in the anime, he tells the story behind his missing leg. In the anime version, he loses his leg after getting it trapped while saving Sanji, forcing him to cut it off. In the manga, however, the tale behind his missing leg is quite different. During Sanji's backstory, he and Zeff were left stranded on an Island. Zeff gave Sanji the last of their food while Sanji went to the other side of the Island to look out for any passing ships. Days passed, and when Sanji returned he noticed Zeff's missing leg. The anime decided to skirt past the fact that Zeff had eaten his own leg. This was the only reason he was able to survive.
2 Whitebeard's Actual Injuries At Marineford
Marineford featured some of the most memorable and heartbreaking moments in One Piece. From the deaths of Ace and Whitebeard to Luffy awakening his Conqueror's Haki, the Marineford arc did not miss the mark. Many characters were left severely injured but so badly as the version of Whitebeard who appears in the manga.
In the anime, Whitebeard is hit multiple times by Blackbeard and his crew, including some blows to the chest from Akainu, who also burns off half of his mustache. In the manga, however, rather than part of his mustache, Akainu actually melts off the left side of Whitebeard's face.
1 The Manga's Pacing Is Very Different
The One Piece anime is known for is its slow pacing. During particularly tense moments, the series spends a lot of time on cuts to the character's reactions, which can drain the tension out of the scene. This annoys many anime watchers and is sometimes the reason that people can't fully get into One Piece. In contrast, however, the manga panels are always full of detailed scenes and moments, which adds to its intensity and makes for a pleasant read. For the most part, the anime does a good job at replicating detailed and intense moments, but it's always the pacing that lets its fans down.