I really don't know, Blackbeard would be fun.
Here's an outline of my idea of a first movie.
The beginning of the film would have a voice over by Luffy's actor. Something along the lines of;
"Long ago there was a pirate who was greater than any other pirate, he was the Pirate King! He had everything in the world, Fame, Wealth, and Power! Once he was captured, he was executed. With his final breathes he told us about the ultimate treasure… The One Piece. The One Piece is now the ultimate goal of any pirate, and started a new era, the Pirate Era!
Now-a-days I have a crew of 2. My first mate is Roronoa Zoro, he carries three swords at all times. He used to be a pirate hunter before joining me. And my navigator is an ex theif, Nami."
After that I would start the movie off with a bar scene. Mostly just Zoro and Luffy enjoying drinks, and Nami talking to the owner. The scene will have have our heroes kicked out of the bar due to them causing a bar fight. Most likely Luffy stealing food.
Outside we have them walking in the harbor. Luffy ask if she found out anything about the One Piece. Nami stats that it was all mostly the same old rumors about the Legend, but the most interesting thing is that a man name Buggy has acured the map that leads to One Piece.
Our heroes head to the island that Buggy has made base. Once the ship is in site, some of Buggy's crew notice it, and a siloutte of Buggy orders them to blow up the unknown ship.
They are fished out by the Mayor of the town from Buggy's arc. Which this is the first hint of Luffy's powers; He mentions that he can't swim, and Mayor scolds him for being stupid and being in a ship without knowing how to swim. Now he tells them about how Buggy has taken over and destory his town all for a sake of a base of operations.
The plan is for Luffy, Mayor and Zoro to pick a fight with the crew, as Nami sneaks in to obtain the map.
Once Luffy sees the dangers they're about to face he knocks the Mayor out. Zoro is caught offgaurd by Cabaji and is injuried, but still avenges himself. Luffy defeats Richie and Mohji. Revealing his Rubber powers.
Buggy comese out to the light to find out what the comotion outside. While the underlings tell him that the kid has eaten the fabled demonic fruits known as Devil
Fruits. Buggy laughs and tells him that he also has acured a power.While battling, Luffy takes a random sword from the ground which he uses to block Buggy's blades. Luffy acidentals cuts Buggy in half. Which reveals that Buggy has the abilty to disamble his body.
The battle ends with Luffy/Nami using the Buggy Balls against Buggy, finishing him off. Ships with the words "Marines" on the flags are sighted and Luffy and crew fleas in Buggy's ship, making it their own.
The marines look over the site. They find a defeated Buggy and the Mayor. The captain of the ships is a man who smokes two cigars. He ask the mayor what had happen. He tells him that a boy in a straw hat named Luffy must've defeated Buggy. Captain Smoker thinks outloud, if a this random boy could defeat Buggy's Priate Gang with only three memebers... "Then this Straw Hat Luffy must be a threat to the world!"
The film ends with our heroes discussing the map, and that they have to go to a place called the Grand Line! Luffy declares that their next stop!
The only thing I wouldn't like about this set up is that Luffy's aspirations seem kind of random without Shanks in there, but I guess that could be explained throughout the movie or a later movie. Making him want One Piece just for the heck of it makes him seem so ordinary (when we see other pirates throughout the movie, that is).
Thanks for liking my idea. The problem I see is that the whole story mustn't appear too rushed. Also, you can't introduce strange things like devil fruits and afro men in crates to the average audience like you can introduce it to a "manga fan". If the movie would fast-forward Buggy, Kuro and Krieg, that would bring us very fast very close to the Grand Line, but that wouldn't do the characters justice. Just the story about Krieg: Luffy's drudgery in the Baratié, the fight with Mihawk, Sanji's flashback, THE SHOWDOWN WITH KRIEG (!!!), a clifferhanger at the end, with Nami and the Merry Go disappeared - that would be stuff for an entertaining two-hour movie.
Man, I completely forgot about the fight with Mihawk and Zoro for some reason. That would through in another 15 minutes if they did it like it was supposed to be done, with all the dramatic speeches and stuff.
My raw idea of the series would look like this:
- Luffy recruits Zoro and Nami and fights Alvida, Morgan and Buggy.
- The movie would start with Gaimon (the character doesn't develope the story at all, but I like him too much to skip him) and continue with Usopp, Kaya and Kuro. Especially the flashback and the dialogue between Kaya and Kuro should take it's time, we could get the whole audience crying!
- As I wrote above, the Baratié, Mihawk, Sanji and Krieg deliver an interesting plot for a great stand-alone movie.
- After the last movie finished with a cliffhanger, this movie will focus totally on Arlong. After the heart-breaking flashback with Bellemere we would get an astonishing gang warfare between Strawhats and Arlong Pirates, the last minutes of the movie would play in Loguetown and end just like volume 11.
- At this point, it's going to be really complicated, as the scenarios change very fast and very often. My first idea would be: La Boum, Whiskey Peak and Little Garden. Many foreshadowing to the Baroque Works and lots of character building for the great Sir Crocodile.
- Just as the Baratié, Drumm delivers enough stuff for a single movie: An unprecedented scenario (winter island), a thrilling plot (Nami terminally ill), an entertaining, loveable new character (Chopper) and a flashback with great characters (Doc Hiluluk!!! Is he called that in English?). The cliffhanger, of course, would be the end of volume 17. The great introduction of Crocodile would be at the beginning of the next movie.
- Completely Alabasta. Probably the least problem for a movie plot. Thrilling construction and the best climax ever, with a fight for everyone.
- Jaya and Skypiea. Although many see Skypiea as some sort of insignificant story, it's a great scenario and Enel is a perfect antagonist. We even had a major twist at the end of the movie, when Robin discovers the inscription of Gold Roger and new, interesting future villains like Blackbeard, DoFlamingo and Kuma which would lead to interesting discussions among non-fan viewers.
- This one should be controversial. I see the Davy Back Fight, Water Seven, Rocket Man and Enies Lobby all in one big movie. The story somehow always reminded me of Return of the Jedi: A little action in the beginning (Davy Back Fight = Jabba's palace) that is not really relevant for the story and just goes for 15 or 20 minutes, although Aokiji opens up the way for the main plot. Water Seven and Enies Lobby would be really packed, but I think the story only works in a single movie as a concluding story - the new scenario is introduced, the new villains reveal themselves, and after a stunning plot with many twists and shocking moments, they are defeated.
So far. At this point, we would have nine movies, hence two more than the Harry Potter movie series where the directors somehow took their time - nearly ten years for six movies. Sure, nice average, but it could be done faster. Like the last two Lord of the Rings movies or Pirates of the Carribean, which were filmed parallel. In the case of the One Piece movies, that would be a loooot of work for the actors - but screw them.
Wow, that's a lot of movies. I guess if there's an audience for them it could work. Although in all honesty, I think they would probably skip Skypiea as it literally plays no part in the main story so far. I mean, all the islands are kind of stand alone, but usually we are at least introduced to a new soon to become crewmember or something, but all Skypiea did was mess up the Going Merry for Water 7's story arc of needing a Carpenter.