Wish you were out on the East Blue singing sea shanties with the Straw Hats? Well, we have the next best thing. The music from ONE PIECE is here to whisk you away to Monkey D. Luffy’s (Iñaki Godoy) magical world of dreams, adventures, and treasure.
Composers Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli crafted the score for all eight episodes of the live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s bestselling manga series of all time. Before the series premiere on Aug. 31, they released two singles, “Wealth Fame Power” and “My Sails Are Set,” from the soundtrack to tide fans over.
One Piece score composers Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli.
“We were thrilled to unveil ‘Wealth Fame Power’ prior to the series’ debut,” the composers tell Tudum. “It’s the perfect introduction to the show’s main theme, and the response from fans has been mind-blowing!”
Since Luffy dreams of finding Gold Roger’s treasure and becoming King of the Pirates just like him, Belousova and Ostinelli melded the characters’ musical themes together to create “Wealth Fame Power.” “There’s many shared similarities between Gold Roger and Luffy; their personalities and character traits absolutely match up, so we decided to link their music themes,” they say. “Luffy’s theme is the main theme of our show. Gold Roger’s theme is Luffy’s theme reversed. ‘Wealth Fame Power’ opens with Roger’s theme. It’s a dark, mighty anthem featuring the iconic ‘musical Jolly Roger’ — hurdy-gurdy. As soon as the swords are drawn and the crowd rushes out in search of the One Piece [after Roger challenges them to find his hidden One Piece treasure in the premiere], we reverse Roger’s theme and introduce Luffy’s theme. Roger’s theme is all about the descending motion since this is the end of the journey for Roger. Luffy’s theme is all about the ascending motion, since it’s the beginning of his exciting adventure toward becoming the King of the Pirates.”
ONE PIECE, after all, tells the story of the unflappable Luffy on his way to the Grand Line to find the One Piece, as he forms a ragtag crew who look to him as their “guiding light,” series co-creator Steven Maeda said during production in the summer of 2022. These pirates include swordsman Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), thief Nami (Emily Rudd), marksman Usopp (Jacob Romero), and chef Sanji (Taz Skylar).
Ostinelli and Belousova.
Belousova and Ostinelli also released Nami’s theme song called “My Sails Are Set” early, which they composed in partnership with musical artist AURORA. AURORA had a quick window in her packed touring schedule, and they were lucky enough to catch her in Norway for two days. “We were looking for an exceptional artist with a global presence to embody Nami’s rebellious spirit, portray her as an incredibly badass member of the Straw Hats crew, a sharp thief and navigator, but at the same time fragile. As soon as we met AURORA, we immediately knew she was the one,” the composers tell Tudum.
The song is introduced at the very beginning of the season and then develops throughout. This gives the audience an opportunity to really dive into the theme and explore its various shapes and forms before the song climaxes into its most powerful and lyrical rendition. “AURORA is brilliant, incredibly musical — she was so passionate about capturing the various facets of Nami’s personality through her performance,” say Belousova and Ostinelli. “Her passion resonates throughout the song. And when the song explodes in the last chorus with her powerful vocal chanting, this magical moment always takes your breath away!”
Learn more about how composers Belousova and Ostinelli created the musical world of ONE PIECE in our interview with them below:
Where did you start with your approach to the score?
Funnily enough, this all started with a video. As soon as we learnt about the project, we really wanted to be involved. We decided to get creative and shot a video outlining the entire concept behind the ONE PIECE live action music universe.
The ONE PIECE live action soundtrack is incredibly diverse, spanning a wide array of styles and genres from songs to virtuosic flamenco guitar, hip-hop to big band jazz funk fusion, folk to circus, rap to big epic swashbuckling orchestra. The Straw Hats’ diverse backgrounds, their unique personalities, fighting styles, and skill sets, made musical and stylistic diversity the main priority for us when approaching music world-building for ONE PIECE. We gave each character their own theme, style of music, and prominent instrumentation.
Did showrunners Matt Owens and Steve Maeda give any specific instructions for the tone they wanted the music to set?
Matt and Steve were particularly keen on crafting an organic sound for our Straw Hats. Luffy’s signature instruments are hurdy-gurdy (because what kind of pirate show is without one!), fiddle, and banjo. Zoro’s three-sword fighting style is portrayed with bansuri, frame drum, and duduk for his Wado Ichimonji sword. Nami’s theme is performed by a flute. For Usopp, we’re starting with a ukulele, reflecting his ongoing quest for self-confidence, and eventually will expand to a 12-string guitar as his inner confidence grows. Sanji’s theme is performed by a big band jazz funk fusion ensemble, capturing his distinctive sleek flair.
What about the villains and the Marines?
Each villain and island has its unique sound, too. Buggy’s theme oozes a circus vibe, encapsulating the perfect blend of a powerful villain and unhinged clown. Mihawk’s ultimate technique, precision, and mastery are exquisitely conveyed by guitar virtuoso Marcin with his fiery flamenco guitar performance.
Matt and Steve wanted to steer clear of electronic instruments, reserving them exclusively for the technologically advanced Marines. Overall, the Marines took on a military sound with their signature snares and trumpets. There’s both power and order to that sound. Each significant Marine character has an additional musical layer to it. Garp’s theme is amplified with electric guitars. Koby’s theme starts out very small and expands as he advances through the Marine ranks. Helmeppo has a percussive, humorous theme. Alvida is portrayed with is a harpsichord —her theme is adventurous and driving. And finally, Arlong’s theme is beat-driven, befitting our most formidable villain.
Can you tell us a little about working with the artists and soloists on this soundtrack?
We brought in several global artists and soloists to perform on the soundtrack and infuse it with a unique multicultural identity. AURORA, a Norwegian art pop sensation and the artist behind Oscar nominated song “Into the Unknown” from Frozen II, lent her enchanting vocals to the show’s lead single, “My Sails Are Set,” a track we wrote and produced. “My Sails Are Set” is Nami’s theme, representing the emotional arc of the season. Marcin, a Polish guitar wunderkind, portrays Mihawk. Just as Mihawk is the “world’s greatest swordsman,” Marcin is a unique artist with his innovative percussive fingerstyle. As Mihawk’s small blade is mightier than Zoro’s three swords, so is Marcin’s fiery flamenco guitar. Mihawk’s ultimate technique, precision, execution, passion, energy, and class are perfectly embodied within Marcin’s masterful guitar performance.
To infuse the soundtrack with a dose of edgy, fast-paced rapping, we turned to Flawless Real Talk, a brilliant hip hop artist from Rhode Island of Puerto Rican descent. WondaGurl, a Canadian beatmaker, helped craft an additional dimension to the show’s grooves. We also embarked on a global musical journey by recording soloists from all over the world to achieve a truly universal sound for the ONE PIECE soundtrack.
Were you inspired by the music from the anime version?
Ensuring that ONE PIECE live action possessed its distinct and unique identity was of paramount importance, not only to us but also to the showrunners Matt and Steve, Netflix, Tomorrow Studios, and, of course, Eiichiro Oda himself. However, we couldn’t ignore that fact that there are certain songs from the original anime series that have become iconic over the years within the global ONE PIECE fan community. Being huge fans of the anime ourselves, we were excited to bring in subtle musical nods to the beloved anime score by transforming those themes to become part of the live action music universe. Fans can look forward to reimagined versions of beloved classics like “We Are!” and “Bink’s Brew,” and those who will pay very close attention might find subtle nods to “Overtaken” woven into several scenes.
In the last episode, is that an orchestral cover of “We Are!” we hear playing? Why did you want to pay homage to this song the fandom loves?
We knew we had to figure out a way to re-imagine “We Are!” for the live action adaptation. However, we had to find a way to seamlessly integrate it into the live action universe. In fact, its placement within the season has its own significance. It first appears at the end of Episode 4 when Luffy and the Straw Hats crew embark on their first voyage aboard the Going Merry, setting sail towards new adventures. “We Are” is interwoven with our character themes as we pan across each Straw Hat. In Episode 8, “We Are” returns, this time back-to-back with our main theme as both a celebration of the grand adventure ahead and a forewarning of the treacherous journey that awaits.
What emotions do you want viewers to feel when they hear the theme song at the top of every episode?
Excitement for an incredible adventure ahead! Our theme song for ONE PIECE evolves slightly with each episode. Episode 1 delivers the straightforward version with Luffy’s theme in its full glory. In Episode 2, we slightly modified the theme to include Buggy’s signature chop-chop riff. Fun fact: We recorded the words “chop-chop” for Buggy’s theme. If you listen closely, you can hear the choir reciting “chop-chop-chop-chop-chop-chop-chop-chop-chop.” Episode 3 adds a touch of Usopp’s bluesy ukulele to the theme. Episode 4 offers a more dramatic version. In Episode 5, we bring in Baratie’s big band jazz elements. In Episode 6, we offer the audience another dramatic variation. Episode 7 includes Nami’s flute since the episode is heavily focused on her character. Lastly, Episode 8 offers the most dramatic rendition of the theme song.
You can listen to the full soundtrack on Spotify and Apple Music, and check out the track listing below:
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Wealth Fame Power”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, AURORA “My Sails Are Set”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Marcin “Wanted Dead Or Alive”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Marcin “Zoro vs Mihawk”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Let’s Disappear”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Bang!”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Lindsay Deutsch, Kyle Tuttle “Windmill Village”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Captain Alvida”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Kyle Tuttle “Good Marines Bad Marines”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Lindsay Deutsch, Isa Najem, Burak Besir “One Piece Tango”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Chop Chop Cannon”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Isa Najem, Johann Frank “The World’s Greatest Swordsman or Woman”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Burak Besir, Alexander Dion “Wado Ichimonji”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “The Grand Line”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Kyle Tuttle, Burak Besir “Gotta Feed The Brain”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Johann Frank “A Giant Goldfish Monster”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Lindsay Deutsch “I Owe You My Life”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Tiziano Bianchi “Captain Of The Dreaded Cook Pirates”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Dracule Mihawk”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Alexander Dion “Wounds On The Back Are A Swordsman’s Greatest Shame”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “I Ain’t Surrendering”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Lord Of The Coast”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Be Good Luffy”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Nami”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Every Idiot Dreams of Finding The One Piece”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “The Imposter, The Pirate Hunter And The Thief”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Gum Gum Whip”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Smells Like Butter, Soy Sauce And Meat
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Marines Make The World A Better Place”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Alexander Dion “May I Present Ms Kaya”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “VIP Entrance Reserved For Special Guests”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Alexander Dion, Burak Besir, Johann Frank “Kaya & Usopp”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “The Real Adventures of Captain Usopp”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “The Stretchy Kind of Monster”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Don’t Ever Threaten My Friends”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “A Hundred Million Berry”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Luffy Help Me”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Gum Gum Gatling”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Isa Najem, Lindsay Deutsch “Training Montage”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Roronoa Zoro”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Ready To Take Your Beating”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Johann Frank “Technically I’m Not A Salesman”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “The Pirates Are Coming”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Buggy The Clown”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Boogie I’m Warning You”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “You’ve Got The Same Dream As Me”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Marine With A Bad Haircut vs Tough Guy Three Swords”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Why Do They Call Him Axe Anyway”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “A Massive Piece of Goldfish Poop”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Midnight”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Gum Gum Bell”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “The Pirates Are Here”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “For Honor, For Justice, For The Marines”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Not Sailors, We Are Pirates”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Johann Frank “You Want To Steal A Ship”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “The Going Merry”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Alexander Dion, Isa Najem “You All Must Stay For Dinner”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “I, Roronoa Zoro, Challenge You To A Duel”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Not Everyone Gets To Follow Their Dreams”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “This Is Our Fight”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Belle Mere”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Who’s Hungry”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Then Let The Fighting Begin”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Gum Gum Battle Axe”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Tiziano Bianchi “More Rare Than Medium”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “The Kid Reminds Me of Gol D Roger”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Captain Nezumi”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Kuro & The Black Cat Pirates”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “My Name Is Cabaji”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Tiziano Bianchi “That Would Be A Waste Of Really Good Liquor”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Vice Admiral Garp”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Gum Gum Rocket”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Welcome to Arlong Park”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “You Better Not Mess With The Straw Hats”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “I Have My Friends”
Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli “Goodbye”
ONE PIECE is streaming now.
ONE PIECE is a live action pirate adventure created in partnership with Shueisha and produced by Tomorrow Studios and Netflix. Matt Owens and Steven Maeda are writers, executive producers, and showrunners. Eiichiro Oda, Marty Adelstein, and Becky Clements also executive produce.
