Disclaimer: If you only watch the One Piece anime, this post contains heavy spoilers to come in Dressrosa.

In 2014, there was no shortage of heartrending flashbacks in One Piece. The tragic histories Kyros, Trafalgar Law, and Corazon all came to light. There were also numerous fist pumping triumphs such as Sabo’s reclamation of the Flame-Flame Fruit, the awakening of Usopp’s observation haki, and the Chambres Red Hawk tandem attack that finally landed a blow to the despicable gut of Don Quixote Doflamingo.

However, the focus of this ranking is the laughs. For me, Eiichiro Oda’s ability to counterbalance those moments of grief and exhilaration with comedy is what separates One Piece from the rest of the pack. With this in mind, I have chosen instead to elaborate on my appreciation for Oda’s running gags in 2014.

Without further adieu, these are my top five running gags of 2014. The only requirement for eligibility for this list was that the joke must have made an appearance at least twice over the course of 2014. I have gone through the trouble of including each occurrence of the gag so that you may easily revisit each one.

Gags that missed the cut: Bartolomeo gushing over Strawhats, the best moments of which occurred in 2013. Kanjuro’s sketchy sketches, but not enough of them occurred to make the list. Finally, the Hardboiled Boys which was funny to a point, until it crossed the line.

5. The Three Cosplaying Stooges

Appearances: Chapters 732 (2013) and 734-736

The earliest joke on this list is the handiwork of Foxfire Kin’emon. He silenced any naysayers of his “magic” with these riotous disguises made for Luffy, Zoro, and himself. Although this joke debuted in late 2013, it gained momentum in 2014, culminating in a certain koi fish’s siege of the palace entrance. Viola’s frustration with the pirates is made all the more enjoyable by the dumb looks frozen on each of the costumes. I must concur with Kin’efrog when he said these disguises were in fact “the bees knees.” This is the reason why I hope Kin’emon continues hitching rides with the Strawhats.

4. The Soprano Singer

Appearances: Chapters 747-749 and 770

The surprise factor played heavily into this joke’s debut. Who would have expected Doflamingo’s most feared officer, the silent but deadly Stone Accumulation Man Pica, to have such a squeaky voice? Despite the surprise, I found this joke to have great staying power, and it was taken to another level recently by the ridiculousness of Pica’s maniacal chuckle. This wasn’t the easiest joke to pull off either. Oda did an excellent job of selling the absurdity of his falsetto voice in a medium sans audio through the uncontainable fits of laughter that overwhelmed the other characters. As the hilarity of Pica’s voice hinges solely on other character’s reactions to it, I have only included references to chapters in which Pica’s voice is the butt of a joke, and not every time that Pica has spoken.

3. Tatababasco Face

Appearances: Chapters 742 and 758

Prior to this momentous victory, as only Usopp could have planned, fans of One Piece were up in arms over the cowardice that had seized Usoland. The fans on a certain podcast were frustrated that Usopp’s character development had been seemingly cast aside. As it turns out, Usopp did man up and square off with executive officer Trebol, only to be manhandled off-screen by the Stick-Stick Fruit user. Showing no mercy, Sugar then proceeded to poison Usopp with the grape composed of Tatababasco, only for karma rear its gruesome looking face. The shock of seeing Usopp in agony managed to knock Sugar unconscious.

I mention the build-up to this joke in particular because of the tension that had collectively amassed among the fan base. This joke will be especially memorable for changing the entire course of the Dressrosa arc, and helping relieve the collective nerves of concerned One Piece fans. It even received its own spinoff joke in the form of an epithet, “God Usopp.”

Surprising as this ghastly face was the first time it appeared, I was floored when it recurred in chapter 758. This scene had it all: a heightened anxiety over Sugar’s revival, the shock of Usopp’s haki reveal, a tense play-by-play narration by Viola, and then, THAT FACE! Made possible by Kanjuro’s “magic”, Usopp completed the unthinkable and immortalized that ungodly face forever.

2. Trafalgar Law Regrets Everything

Appearances: Chapters 746-754 and 757

My runner-up for the top gag of 2014 goes to the unenviable ordeal undergone by the perpetual sourpuss, Trafalgar Law. His mobility and powers were neutered by sea prism stone handcuffs so he could only wait for freedom. If that wasn’t bad enough, Law found himself the unfortunate carry on bag for Luffy during his mad dash across Dressrosa. Law’s face in each panel is priceless, beginning with the gag’s debut in chapter 746.

The shenanigans that ensue are hilarious. Law said that he will kill Luffy if the cuffs are removed. Luffy said that he can’t undo the cuffs if he keeps wriggling like that. Luffy tells Cavendish to back off of Law because he’s Luffy’s subordinate now, and Law can only fume without threat of retaliation. Law freaks out about a way to acquire the keys to his cuffs, and Luffy shrugs him off until, as fate would have it, the keys are miraculously delivered to them. See, nothing to get worked up about, Traffy!

Unlike Pica’s gag, this joke is funny whether another character acknowledges Law’s predicament or not. In fact, it gets funnier the more his plight goes unnoticed. Every chapter turned into a Where’s Waldo game of trying to spot Law. The humor that this joke brought to an overly serious character that sometimes felt one dimension, pushed it toward the top of my list.

1. Much Ado About Falling

Appearances: Chapters 761 and 763-765

The build-up to the debut of this joke was similar to Usopp’s, in that Oda had the fan base on their heels, and consequently, in the palm of his hands and ready to eat up this gag. To say that Corazon’s reveal was highly anticipated would be an understatement. I remember having that Christmas morning feeling every week for about two months. Every week might finally be flashback time. When September 22 finally introduced Corazon to the world, his arrival literally fell flat.

The initial impression was that Corazon was a kick-ass no-nonsense kind of pirate while wearing Joker-esque face makeup, a smoking habit, and a pension for beating up kids. Most Oda Box scenes will feature the character making a grand entrance, or try to portray him or her in some otherwise stoic pose. Not for Don Quixote Family Heart Officer Corazon, who was depicted casually lighting his cigarette, and himself, on fire.

In the chapter 763 montage that was supposed to give us insight into Law’s introduction to piracy and the camaraderie of the Don Quixote family, Corazon stole the show for me with his inability to remain upright. Flashback panels carry a greater sense of importance in that we view them with the prior knowledge that they make up a finite story, featuring characters that are often never heard from again. Yet here was Corazon, spewing piping hot tea like a porpoise’s blowhole. How could one not be endeared by this goofball’s antics?

Given that it is Corazon’s clumsiness which ended up being his undoing, we will not be seeing more of this hilarious gag. The finality of his story, therefore, brought greater emotion to the panels, especially the laughs. This, and my overall appreciation for Don Quixote Rosinante, made this joke a favorite indulgence of mine in 2014.

Did I omit your favorite running gag from this year? Tell me why your favorite deserved to make this list in the comments or on Twitter @renfield89.

Piece out!