From minifigure-scale glory to desk-friendly micros—tips, parts advice, and the best LEGO One Piece Going Merry MOCs

Sails billowing, lamb-headed figurehead smiling into the wind—Going Merry is where the Straw Hats’ legend begins. For LEGO fans, it’s also one of the most satisfying One Piece subjects to build: a compact pirate ship with recognizable curves, tan-and-white timbering, cute sheep bow, and enough details (cannons, trees, cabins, and rigging) to keep the build interesting without ballooning the part count. Whether you’re chasing a display-ready minifigure-scale model, a swooshable mid-size ship, or a tidy microscale companion for your desk, there’s a Going Merry approach that fits your collection.

If you own the LEGO One Piece The Going Merry Pirate Ship set (often phrased online as “LEGO One Piece the Going Merry Pirate Ship set” or “LEGO One Piece Going Merry Pirate Ship”), you already have an excellent parts foundation and a color palette to match fan models. You can mod the official set toward screen accuracy—tightening hull curves, swapping sail materials, or adding interior hints—or use it as a donor for larger fan instructions. Some fan MOCs even note their scale against the official set, or reference it as a base for modifications. One example is a microscale Going Merry that lists itself as a modification of set 75639-1 – The Going Merry Pirate Ship, which is handy context if you’re choosing what to build next. 

Below you’ll find practical MOC tips and build ideas for a Going Merry display—plus a curated list of One Piece models (including Going Merry in several scales and related characters/ships). 

Tips for building a Going Merry MOC

• Pick a scale first. Minifigure-scale ships demand structure inside the hull (Technic spine, bracket lattices). Micros keep parts low and are perfect for desk displays and budget builds. 

• Hull shaping = SNOT + wedge plates. Stack curved slopes for the bow, then plate-layer the waterline with brackets to lock angles.

• The figurehead sells it. The sheep head reads best with a 2x2 round base, curved slopes/tiles for cheeks, and a simple horn treatment—don’t over-detail; silhouette first.

• Mast & rigging stability. Pin a Technic axle through the mast into a braced keel. Tie lines to clips/bars and triangulate so sails don’t twist.

• Sails: Paper, cloth, or brick-built. Paper gives anime-style curves; cloth feels premium; brick-built is sturdy and easy to photograph.

• Deck texture: Mix plank tones (tan, dark tan, nougat). Use jumpers to stagger the tile seams like real planks.

• Cabin hints vs. full interior. For mid/large builds, suggest an interior behind openable panels; for micro, hint at windows and doors with printed tiles. 

• Cost control: Swap rare colors for similar hues on hidden layers and simplify round windows or curved railings if prices spike. 

• Display base: Low-profile water (1–2 plates thick) using trans-blue tiles with white cheese slopes for foam looks great and transports easily.

• Stickers/prints: Keep emblems (Jolly Roger, ship name) on removable tiles so you can update or re-use parts later.

Ideas to expand your Going Merry display

• Scene dioramas: Syrup Village dock, Reverse Mountain fog, or Skypiea “Flying Mode” with cloud plinths and wings—perfect for action poses. 

• Crew vignettes: Mini stands for Luffy, Nami, Zoro, and friends around the ship—map table, tangerine trees, cannon station. 

• Pair with other ships: Display Going Merry next to the Thousand Sunny for a “before/after” evolution of the crew. 

• Devil Fruit pedestals: Feature iconic Fruits (like the Mera Mera no Mi) as small companion builds beside the ship’s stand. 

• Character statues/BrickHeadz: Add Whitebeard, Blackbeard, or Straw Hat accessories as scale contrast and storytelling beats. 

• Photo mode: A neutral gradient or “ocean” backdrop + side lighting makes sails and curves pop for socials and store pages.

Models & Instructions Gallery

Model: Going Merry – Minifigure Scale

Designer: 13cool2. 
Get the instructions: Model: Going Merry – Minifigure Scale — Designer: 13cool2 

Model: One Piece: Going Merry Microscale

Designer: Brickitecture_Bricks. 
Get the instructions: Model: One Piece: Going Merry Microscale — Designer: Brickitecture_Bricks

Model: Going Merry – With Flying Mode

Designer: NasqBrick. 
Get the instructions: Model: Going Merry – With Flying Mode — Designer: NasqBrick 

Model: Thousand Sunny – One Piece

Designer: NasqBrick. 
Get the instructions: Model: Thousand Sunny – One Piece — Designer: NasqBrick 

Model: Blackbeard – One Piece

Designer: lavishlump. 
Get the instructions: Model: Blackbeard – One Piece — Designer: lavishlump 

Model: Whitebeard – One Piece

Designer: lavishlump. 
Get the instructions: Model: Whitebeard – One Piece — Designer: lavishlump 

Model: NAMI – Navigator – One Piece – Action Figure

Designer: ALLEGORY. 
Get the instructions: Model: NAMI – Navigator – One Piece – Action Figure — Designer: ALLEGORY

Model: Mera Mera no Mi – One Piece

Designer: emBRICKao. 
Get the instructions: Model: Mera Mera no Mi – One Piece — Designer: emBRICKao 

Model: Monkey D. Luffy Strawhat – One Piece

Designer: Built by JB. 
Get the instructions: Model: Monkey D. Luffy Strawhat – One Piece — Designer: Built by JB 

Model: Whitebeard (BrickHeadz)

Designer: mandroid99. 
Get the instructions: Model: Whitebeard (BrickHeadz) — Designer: mandroid99