ONE PIECE Season 2 Filming Locations (Where It Was Shot + Why It Looks Different)

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Where ONE PIECE Season 2 Was Filmed (and Why the Grand Line Feels Totally New)

Netflix’s ONE PIECE: Into the Grand Line doesn’t just “look different” from Season 1 — it’s built to. The story leaps from the familiar ports of the East Blue into a stretch of sea where every stop has its own climate, architecture, and tone. That change is baked into the production: new mega-sets, new environments, and a whole lot of movie magic to make Cape Town look like anywhere (and everywhere) in the One Piece world.

This guide breaks down what’s confirmed about Season 2’s filming locations, how the biggest arcs were brought to life, and the real reasons the live-action suddenly feels bigger, wilder, and more “Grand Line.”

Quick facts: when Season 2 was filmed and what arcs it covers

  • Filming location (confirmed): Cape Town, South Africa
  • Production start (announced): July 1, 2024
  • Wrap (announced): February 4, 2025
  • Release date: March 10, 2026
  • Story coverage teased by Eiichiro Oda (high-level): Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Capes), Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, Drum Island

That arc lineup matters because it forces the show to pivot from “pirate ports” into extreme biomes: vertical rapids, prehistoric wilderness, and a full-on winter kingdom. Which brings us to Cape Town.

Cape Town, South Africa: the real-world base for ONE PIECE Season 2

Netflix confirmed Season 2 was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa. The reason Cape Town works so well for ONE PIECE is simple: it’s a production powerhouse with crews, stages, and wildly varied landscapes nearby — coastline, mountains, urban streets, and open terrain that can double for multiple islands with the right set dressing and visual effects.

It also lets the show do something One Piece needs more than almost any series: build huge practical pieces (ships, streets, forts, towers) while still having access to outdoor plates and natural light when it helps the fantasy feel grounded.

A big Cape Town “tell” in Season 2: winter… without winter

Drum Island is a snowy winter kingdom — but Cape Town famously isn’t. So the production had to manufacture the cold: large-scale fake snow, wintry set dressing, and a cooler lighting palette that sells the illusion even when filming in summer.

ONE PIECE Season 2 filming locations, arc by arc (what we know)

Netflix typically doesn’t publish a public “map” of every street or coastline used. But between official announcements, behind-the-scenes footage, and set reveals, we can still outline what’s confirmed and what’s strongly implied by how modern Netflix productions operate.

1) Loguetown: “the town of the beginning and the end” look

Loguetown is the last major stop before the Grand Line — and it needs to feel like a real city with history, crowds, and government presence. That usually means large practical street builds (or heavily dressed real streets) plus VFX extensions to scale it up.

2) Reverse Mountain: a physically brutal set build (not just “CG rapids”)

Reverse Mountain is one of the biggest “how are they going to do that?” moments early in the Grand Line. One of the clearest signs Season 2 is pushing more ambitious practical work: the Going Merry set was built to create the sensation of climbing and descending the mountain’s rivers, with safety constraints still allowing a steep incline for stunt work.

3) Whiskey Peak: “welcoming” on the surface, dangerous underneath

Whiskey Peak’s vibe is deceptively festive. On screen, that usually translates into warm practical lighting, packed background action, and dense set dressing (banners, lanterns, props, food, crowds). It’s the kind of environment that looks best when the camera can move through real space — which is why shows like this rely heavily on built sets even when they later add VFX polish.

4) Little Garden: prehistoric scale (dinosaurs + giants) = a new visual language

Little Garden is where the show’s world design has to level up: wide daylight exteriors, massive creature work, and a “lost world” feeling that is totally unlike Season 1’s coastal towns. Even if much of it is shot on controlled locations and stages, the end result depends on heavier VFX integration than most of Season 1.

5) Drum Island: winter kingdom visuals created in Cape Town

Drum Island’s look is one of the easiest ways to spot why Season 2 feels different: snow, harsh wind, colder daylight, and a haunted castle silhouette on a peak. Production-wise, it’s a classic mix of practical environment work (snow dressing), costume texture, and color grading to sell coldness.

Why ONE PIECE Season 2 looks different from Season 1

The short version: Season 2 is designed to feel like you’ve crossed a border into a more unpredictable world. The long version is a stack of production choices that all point in the same direction.

1) The setting shift forces new palettes, new weather, and new textures

Season 1 lived in a “pirate adventure” zone: ports, taverns, ships, and sunlit coastal towns. Season 2 jumps into extreme biomes: winter mountains (Drum), vertical rapids (Reverse Mountain), and prehistoric wilderness (Little Garden). When the environments change, everything changes: lighting, costume materials, makeup, lens choices, and VFX.

2) Bigger practical builds make the world feel less “TV set”

When a set is physically larger, directors can stage action with deeper blocking, longer camera moves, and more background activity. That “density” is a huge part of why big fantasy worlds feel real. Season 2’s arcs demand exactly that: city streets, mountainous travel, and crowded sequences that need room to breathe.

3) Reverse Mountain’s stunt reality changes the “feel” of the camera

When actors are genuinely fighting gravity (instead of standing on level ground and pretending), their movement, balance, and timing look different. The camera reacts differently too. That’s one of those subtle realism boosts you can’t fake with dialogue.

4) The Grand Line introduces creatures that require more seamless VFX

Giants. Dinosaurs. Whales. And (of course) Chopper. Even when the show uses practical elements, the Grand Line demands more creature work, more compositing, and more VFX-driven shots than Season 1’s mostly human-scale conflict.

5) “Scale it all up” isn’t just marketing — it’s a production mandate

Season 2’s story beats are written to escalate. The show’s design language has to escalate with it: wider shots, bigger silhouettes, more extreme environments, and more spectacle.

What Reddit Thinks About Season 2’s Look (and what fans are watching for)

Reddit discussions around the live-action often focus on one big theme: does it feel lived-in? Fans tend to notice details like signage, weathering, wig upgrades, prop density, and whether a location has the “grime” and history you’d expect in a pirate world — especially once the story leaves the cleaner East Blue ports behind.

Reddit reaction: Season 2 wrap photo and the “Loguetown vibe”

One Piece Season 2 Has Officially Wrapped Filming - First Look at the Straw Hats

What Reddit Theories Say About This: set details and Easter-egg spotting

Straw Hats, our course is set! Season 2 production has officially wrapped...

If you want to “watch like a location scout,” Reddit threads are also great for catching tiny environment clues: repeating background storefronts (stage builds), unusual depth-of-field choices (stage + extensions), and recurring skyline elements.

Related YouTube videos to spot filming details

These two official Netflix videos are useful if you’re trying to identify how much is practical set, how much is location, and where VFX likely steps in.

Official teaser: ONE PIECE Season 2

Sneak peek / behind-the-scenes style preview

FAQ

Where was ONE PIECE Season 2 filmed?

Season 2 was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, with the production using practical sets, controlled builds, and visual effects to create multiple Grand Line islands.

When did Season 2 finish filming?

Netflix announced Season 2 wrapped on February 4, 2025.

Why does the show look different in Season 2?

The story enters the Grand Line, which forces new environments (winter, prehistoric wilderness, vertical rapids), larger builds, and heavier VFX for creatures and scale. It’s a deliberate upgrade to match the arcs.

When does ONE PIECE Season 2 release on Netflix?

Season 2 releases on March 10, 2026.

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