One Piece Season 2 Title Cards Hint at Early Introduction of Rumbar Pirates

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Be warned, this article contains spoilers for the Reverse Mountain and Thriller Bark arcs of One Piece. Netflix recently revealed the titles for season 2 of One Piece, and among the previews of characters like Chopper, Laboon, and Roger, one detail really stood out. One of the title cards includes a skull designed as the flag of the Rumbar Pirates, with a violin cleverly taking the place of the ‘I’ in the One Piece logo.

That group you see is Brook’s old crew, from long before he became the skeletal musician who later joins the Straw Hat Pirates. Brook has one of the most heartbreaking stories in One Piece, and the hints about his past actually appear much earlier than you might expect.

The opening credits of the Netflix One Piece series suggest the show will introduce the Rumbar Pirates – and Brook, one of their members – much earlier than the anime or manga did. This is a change from the original story, but it seems to align with a specific flashback that’s already been established.

One Piece Season 2‘s Title Cards Reveal The Rumbar Pirates

Netflix

The Rumbar Pirates appear for a short time in both the One Piece manga and anime during the Reverse Mountain Arc. This arc marks the Straw Hats’ first entry into the Grand Line after leaving the East Blue, and it will be a key part of One Piece season 2.

Once Luffy and his crew escape from a whale’s belly, they encounter Crocus, a lighthouse keeper. He shares the story of Laboon, a massive island whale who has patiently waited for years for his friends to come back.

The story reveals that Crocus and his pirate crew, the Rumbar Pirates, met a young whale named Laboon and promised to return after sailing around the entire Grand Line. Sadly, they broke that promise and never came back. This is a particularly moving part of the story, as Laboon remains hopeful and refuses to leave, convinced the Rumbar Pirates will keep their word and eventually return.

The story moves forward quickly, and the Rumbar Pirates aren’t seen again for a long time – not until the bizarre Thriller Bark arc, which appears hundreds of chapters later. During that arc, we learn that Brook and his crew were poisoned by their enemies. They had always planned to return to Laboon, but Brook is forced to watch as each member of his crew dies, until finally, it’s his turn.

There’s still a lot of story to tell before we really get to know the Rumbar Pirates, but Netflix seems to be giving them a significant role in the live-action series. The fact that they have their own title card suggests they’ll appear throughout season 2, rather than just being briefly explained in a single scene.

The strongest storylines in One Piece are built on carefully planted details that pay off later, and the live-action series seems committed to doing the same. A good example is how quickly the show introduced Garp as Luffy’s grandfather – much earlier than the animated series did. This sets up a connection that will become important much later in the story, well before the Marineford arc becomes central to the plot.

Introducing the Rumbar Pirates now makes sense for the same reason. If the show continues until Brook joins the crew, we won’t need flashbacks to explain his past – viewers will already know it as part of the story.

One Piece Season 2 May Reveal Brook’s Origins Before We Meet Him

Image: Netflix

Most fans expect season 2 to cover the story of the Rumbar Pirates and their time with Laboon, as told in the manga. However, Netflix hasn’t been completely faithful to the source material so far. The live-action One Piece series has already made significant changes, suggesting the show might expand on the Rumbar Pirates’ story beyond what’s shown in the Reverse Mountain arc.

We caught brief, heartbreaking views of their voyage into the Florian Triangle, witnessing the crew’s final, tragic moments as poisoned weapons claimed their lives while they played a final song for Laboon. We even saw Brook, violin in hand, recording “Binks’ Sake” on a Tone Dial before he died, fully aware that they wouldn’t be able to keep their promise to Laboon.

One Piece excels at creating heartbreaking backstories, and it’s a strength rarely matched by other shows. If Netflix plans to feature the Rumbar Pirates in the upcoming season, they’ll likely explore the full emotional weight of their story, rather than just briefly mentioning it.

We can be sure of one thing: the live-action series will show Brook before he became a skeleton. The show is starting his story long before Luffy encounters him as a talking skeleton in the Florian Triangle.

When Will Brook Join The Straw Hat Pirates In Netflix’s One Piece?

Brook becomes an official member of the Straw Hat Pirates near the end of the Thriller Bark story arc – specifically, around episode 381 of the anime and chapter 489 of the manga. The Netflix live-action series is still quite a bit earlier in the story than that.

The second season will cover the beginning of the Grand Line, including the Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island storylines. Production on season 3 is already underway, and it will feature the Alabasta Arc, a particularly long and popular story arc in One Piece. Beyond Alabasta, the series plans to adapt the Jaya, Skypiea, Water 7, and Enies Lobby arcs before moving on to Thriller Bark.

Based on how Netflix is releasing episodes, it will likely be four or five seasons before we’re properly introduced to Brook as a skeletal musician—if the show lasts that long. Live-action anime adaptations don’t usually run for many seasons, and One Piece is a particularly lengthy story with no definite conclusion currently planned.

It all makes so much sense now why they’re introducing the Rumbar Pirates! Look, even though One Piece is doing great on Netflix, you never know how long any show will last. But Netflix is smart to lay the groundwork for Brook’s backstory while they can. If the series doesn’t make it to the Thriller Bark arc, at least we’ll have gotten to see the Rumbar Pirates recognized. But if it does get that far? Wow, the emotional impact will be incredible, knowing what led Brook to where he is now.

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2025-11-29 23:39