Netflix's One Piece: Episode 1 Introduces A Crucial Easter Egg You Likely Missed

Rather than adapt the storyline of author Eiichiro Oda's original manga exactly, Netflix's "One Piece" reshapes certain aspects to better fit its seasonal, live-action TV format. That said, the show still incorporates plenty of Easter eggs specifically for fans already familiar with the property, including the subtle introduction of a song that plays an important part in "One Piece" canon hundreds of chapters after the material Season 1 is adapting.

About 10 minutes in, Episode 1 flashes back to young Luffy (Colton Osorio)'s past, introducing viewers to his childhood idolization of powerful pirate Red-Haired Shanks (Peter Gadiot). This sequence then culminates with Luffy cutting his own face with a knife in an attempt to prove his worthiness to his mentor. The episode picks back up this flashback about nine minutes later, by which point Shanks is now stitching Luffy's wound at the bar local to his hometown.

In the background of this scene is an instrumental version of a song existing "One Piece" fans will recognize as either "Binks' Brew" or "Binks' Sake" depending on its English translator. While the song eventually becomes important to the series' plot, within the "One Piece" universe it's likewise a classic composition known to most seafarers, so its inclusion in Episode 1 is plenty logical.

The most important plot development during the Thriller Bark Arc in "One Piece" is the introduction of skeleton musician Brook, who ends up joining Luffy's crew. When Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates first happen upon Brook, he's adrift on what appears to be a ghost ship singing "Binks' Brew" to himself.

Later, Brook's backstory reveals just why this song is so important to him. In short, his former pirate crew — more than 50 years in the past, which he survived after eating a Devil Fruit that granted him the power to live through death as a skeleton — once sailed alongside a whale named Laboon. As it turns out, Laboon loved hearing Brook's crew perform "Binks' Brew" until they had to leave him behind when they decided to enter the Grand Line. At that time, Brook's Crew promised they would reunite with Laboon, but they ultimately failed to survive the Grand line and were never able to fulfil their promise. During their final moments, they recorded a joyous rendition of "Binks' Brew" that Brook vowed to bring back to Laboon one day.

Now, if Netflix's "One Piece" reaches this storyline, viewers will be able to point all the way back to Episode 1 as the first appearance of "Binks' Brew." For the time being, the song remains an Easter egg for fans familiar with its importance to the Straw Hat Pirates.