Hello fellow pirates! It is time to set sail with LEGO The Going Merry Pirate Ship from the long-running Japanese anime and manga series One Piece.

I rewatched the Netflix series and some of the anime while building this LEGO set, and I’ve got to say it faithfully recreates the ship Going Merry from the One Piece universe. The sheep-figurehead, the distinctive sails with the Straw Hat logo (I LOVE ALL THE SAILS), the deck layout and everything hits the mark for me being a fan of the anime and live-action TV show. For toy photography purposes this set is great with all the details, accessories, compact/sturdy ship, and minifigures. Let’s dive in!

The One Piece LEGO Minifigures

Zoro and Sanji are exclusive minifigures in this set. You also get Monkey D. Luffy with his hat on (whereas in other sets his hat is on his back) and this set also features Nami and Usopp.

This set comes with Monkey D. Luffy – the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates:

Roronoa Zoro – the swordsman of the crew:

Nami – their navigator

Usopp – the sniper/marks-man for the crew:

Sanji – the cook:

The Going Merry Pirate Ship

I do want to capture photos of the Going Merry on water at some point, but not quite yet because I really like the set and the kids are just waiting to play with it. With that being said, I improvised and used a trusty blue tarp to create an ocean for the LEGO pirate ship to sail upon. I’ve seen some folks say this ship is not as robust as other LEGO pirate ships, but I think the 1,376 piece set is great. I do have to say I am a fan of more compact and simpler sets (EX: I personally prefer Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing Fighter #75301 VS X-Wing Starfighter #75355). The hull doesn’t rely heavily on large specialised shells, which is pretty cool along with the matte finish on the sails.

I ended up getting very dirty and wet for these outdoor photos. I laid on the ground, so I could create a bit of bokeh with the tarp in the foreground. I also put some rocks under the tarp to create some waves. Capturing the photo above with a 100mm macro made the ship feel a bit bigger in the frame due to the lens-compression effect of the longer lens. The other two full ship photos at the top and bottom of the page I captured with a 50mm macro. I really like the styles of both and I am finally starting to use both of the macro lens on a more regular basis. You can learn more about lens compression effects HERE.

The Interior of the Ship

The interior accessories include a kitchen, workshop, tangerine trees for Nami and treasure chests galore.

The inner workings of this pirate ship are fairly tiny and didn’t offer much for a lot of photos. From a LEGO fan perspective I like the tighter quarters of the ship and really want to find somewhere for this to be permanently displayed in my house, which says quite a bit since BD-1 and a portion of the Nightmare before Christmas and X-wing have permanent placements on shelves.

Overall, I really enjoyed building this set and capturing photos of it. I will be capturing photos of this ship for years to come and am really excited LEGO made these One Piece sets.

LEGO also sent me the The One Piece Buggy the Clown’s Circus Tent set and I am excited to capture some photos of that one soon and will make sure to come back and link it up here.

About One Piece

One Piece is a long-running Japanese anime and manga series created by Eiichiro Oda that follows Monkey D. Luffy, a spirited young pirate whose dream is to find the legendary treasure known as the “One Piece” and become the Pirate King. Along his journey, Luffy gathers a diverse crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, each with unique personalities, dreams, and abilities, as they explore fantastical islands, fight powerful enemies, and uncover deep mysteries about the world.

People love One Piece for its rich storytelling, emotional depth, and world-building. It blends humor, adventure, and heartfelt moments, exploring themes like friendship, freedom, and never giving up on your dreams. Fans also praise its complex characters, creative world design, and the way its long-term storylines pay off in meaningful, emotional ways.

Camera Gear Used For These Photos

Nikon Z 6 II

Nikon D850

50mm Macro

100mm Macro

Lume Cube lights

Off camera Nikon flash