I've just started watching One Piece. I'm curious as a newbie how people manage to stay committed through such a long series when the early episodes introduce so many characters, islands, world rules, and power concepts like Devil Fruits that I'm trying to understand all at once.
I find myself constantly wondering how much of what I'm seeing will matter in the long run because some things seem extremely important while others feel like random comedic moments, and as a new fan I don't know whether the tone is supposed to be mostly goofy or if it becomes more serious later, especially since many people mention that One Piece has deep emotional storytelling and massive world-building.
So, I'm curious whether it's normal that I'm still trying to figure out the overall atmosphere of the series, how the Straw Hat crew evolves, what Devil Fruits truly represent in terms of world hierarchy, and whether the story's pacing is supposed to feel slow in the beginning, because I want to enjoy it but I also feel unsure whether I should approach it casually or prepare for something more complex as the arcs become larger and more interconnected.