Fun-A-Day 2023

Catching up on all our builds!

Boin Island
Fat Usopp

This year, my sons and I committed to creating a Lego One Piece build every day for the month of October.

Chew Chases Usopp
Arlong Park

This was our most collaborative year participating in Delaware Fun-A-Day.

My eldest son (Westen, 14) and I don’t know much about my younger son’s (Isaac, 12) favorite manga. Isaac was our guide in choosing subjects, finding referencing pictures, and providing narrative context. It was encouraging to see him take on the role of project manager while also putting together a couple of our most impressive Lego scultpures.

His first build was The Red Force, captained by Shanks, mentor of the main protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy.

The Red Force

Westen’s specialty is minifigures and scenes. One Piece has many wild ships and islands, but the characters bring the world to life.

Vinsmoke Judge Battles Sanji
Crocodile
Luffy Battles Kaido
Monkey D. Luffy
Drum Castle
Shanks
Charlotte Katakuri
Pandaman
The Execution of Gol D. Roger
Red Leg Zeff
Pearl, Don Krieg, and Gin

I thought a “raft” would be a simple build, but Blackbeard’s Raft grew into one the month’s largest.

Blackbeard’s Raft

Capone Bege captains Nostra Castello, an amphibious castle.

Capone Bege and Capone Pez
Nostra Castello
Roronoa Zoro
Zoro Clashes with Dracule Mihawk
Aokiji Battles Akainu

The Big Top was a fun challenge from the color scheme to the main tent and clownish insignia.

Westen completed the build with an almost-to-scale Captain Buggy.

Buggy
The Big Top

Westen’s imagination shined on his dynamic depiction of a One Piece game feature.

Brooke’s Soul Guitar Attack

Isaac’s re-creation of Torino Kingdom is one of my favorites. His waterfall effect is exceptional.

Torino Kingdom
The Hitsugibune
White Beard
Blackbeard vs. Ace
Roronoa Zoro

The following builds were from my own imagination. When I was stuck on a One Piece build, I would clear my head with another nautical build.

The orange hydrofoil came out of a challenge to use Lego separators and a single color. I had to bend the rule for a couple bushings.

These two grumpuses are not going to be happy at the Delaware Fun-A-Day Opening!

The Canary Camel was also born out of a challenge to only use the classic Lego yellow.

I made this island oasis when I was intimidated by the more complicated One Piece designs.