@Dixxy:
I was basically just looking for any legal release that had some kind of subtitle I could understand. I'm almost willing to add Spanish to the list (even though my Spanish is fairly sucktastic right now I could probably figure out the basic gist of what's going on), and if my Italian wasn't piss poor I would try that as well because I've gotten the impression that the Italian version was good, too.
The $45 dollar price tag on the Japanese DVDs scare me.
Well, if you are actually willing to try the Italian ones in Italy we have some OP uncut DVDs. Until now they have released the first five ones (eps 1- 30), audio Japanese and Italian, Italian subs. Area 2.
The video quality could be better but I found the DVDs enough good, though in my opinion they could cost less.
Here's the publisher's link
http://www.shinvision.com/1st/index.cfm
their OP page
http://www.shinvision.com/catalog/vox_serie.cfm?EditionNO=17
Click "Club" for emailing them. I don't know if they export the DVDs abroad, but you can try to ask them.
Ah, pay attention: they also release the cut tv version, only Italian audio, at a lower price. The uncut OP DVDs keep the original title "One Piece" and cost 25 Euros each .