Recently, videos surfaced showing Iñaki Godoy, the actor playing Luffy in the live-action One Piece adaptation, riding a camel through desert terrain. This footage promptly stirred up enthusiasm within the One Piece fandom, as many speculated Godoy was on location filming the “Alabasta” storyline for the show’s upcoming second season.
In the original manga and anime, Luffy befriends and rides a camel named Eyelashes as he travels through the desert country of Alabasta. So seeing Godoy on a camel convinced fans he must be portraying that iconic scene.
However, the truth is more mundane —Godoy was simply attending the Middle East Film & Comic Con convention in Abu Dhabi along with his co-star Taz Skylar. The videos and excited fan reactions can be viewed online.
So while this desert camel footage briefly got fans’ hopes up that live-action filming for the Alabasta arc was underway, it turns out Godoy was just making a convention appearance.
This will likely come as a disappointment to many eagerly awaiting the next season of the One Piece adaptation.
One Piece Cast Ventures into Conventions Amid Season 2 Anticipation
In addition to crossing paths with Oscar Isaac of Moon Knight fame, Godoy and Skylar rubbed shoulders with some giants of the anime world at the Middle East Film & Comic Con.
This included Captain Tsubasa creator Tōichi Takahashi and prolific voice actor Shō Hayami, known for roles like Bleach’s Sōsuke Aizen.
So while the One Piece stars didn’t actually film any scenes there, they kept good company. Their convention appearance also comes amid a flurry of fan events attended by various cast members lately.
Zoro actor Mackenyu joined forces with Kazuki Yao, Franky’s anime voice, at Kuwait Comic Con. Meanwhile, Usopp, Buggy, and Helmeppo’s live-action counterparts met fans at MegaCon Orlando.
Comments from Taz Skylar indicate One Piece filming will resume shortly for the hotly anticipated season 2. And Emily Rudd, who brings Nami to life, further fueled excitement by expressing her eagerness to film scenes opposite Vivi.
So although Godoy riding a camel was a false alarm for Alabasta’s production, fans do have legitimate reasons to watch for season 2 updates in the coming months.
How Fans Have Reacted To Iñaki Godoy’s Photos
The sight of Iñaki Godoy with a desert camel sparked an explosion of excitement and speculation among One Piece fans hungry for live-action Alabasta content.
Many jumped to the conclusion that Godoy must already be filming the Alabasta storyline for Season 2. One fan enthusiastically exclaimed, “We’re going to Alabasta!” Others expressed surprise at the prospect of reaching the iconic Alabasta arc so soon, with one commenter noting “I assumed we wouldn’t get there till Season 3.”
Some fans worried that earlier arcs like Whiskey Peak and Little Garden might get cut or truncated to rush Luffy to Alabasta more quickly.
But another fan pointed out that just seeing Godoy on a camel suggests the show won’t skip straight there, declaring “Before seeing this, I thought S2 would end right before Alabasta. This makes me happy.”
Finally, one very confident fan boldly stated “Oh yeah, we’re definitely getting Alabasta next season.” So while Godoy’s camel ride didn’t actually confirm Alabasta filming, fans clearly have that desert kingdom on the brain and hopes are now high for seeing it in Season 2.
More About One Piece
One Piece chronicles the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a young man who gains extraordinary rubber abilities after inadvertently eating a Devil Fruit.
Inspired by legendary pirate Gol D. Roger, Luffy sets sail to find Roger’s treasure, the “One Piece,” and claim the title of King of the Pirates.
He slowly gathers loyal friends and crewmates to join his quest, starting with Roronoa Zoro, a badass swordsman intent on becoming the world’s greatest; Nami, a savvy navigator fixated on money; Usopp, a quirky marksman and self-proclaimed liar; and Sanji, a flashy chef with a weakness for women. They claim the ship Going Merry and later upgrade to the Thousand Sunny as they take on menacing pirates and the ruthless forces of the World Government.
Luffy’s crew expands across their travels to eventually include Tony Tony Chopper, a doctor with human intelligence despite his small reindeer form; Nico Robin, an archaeologist with a dark past; Franky, a cyborg and master shipwright; Brook, a polite undead musician; and Jimbei, a noble fish-man once affiliated with the government.
This eclectic “Straw Hat” crew bonds through exotic adventures, intriguing friends and foes, and emotional turmoil.
Though vastly different, their shared dedication to Luffy and dreams of adventure, glory, knowledge, and belonging ultimately keep them united despite the escalating dangers ahead.