That's a big mountain.
The map is clear.
The Reverse Mountain waterway is our best option to enter the Grand Line.
Then let's do it.
I don't know about navigation,
but I do know a ship can't travel up a mountain.
Nami knows how it works. That's good enough for me.
Well, I have a theory on how it works.
The currents of the four seas should drive us up.
However, the waters here are colder,
so the currents at the mountain's edge travel down to the sea floor.
Meaning if we don't hit it just right,
we could crash and be dragged to the bottom of the ocean.
Wha…
It's very technical.
Get it right or die.
Okay, not that technical.
Look, the Red Line circles the world.
We can't go around it. We have to go through it.
If our navigator says this is how we get to the Grand Line,
then this is how we get to the Grand Line.
That's a lot of shipwrecks.
See? Not everyone ends up on the bottom of the ocean.
Just keep us steady, Usopp.
Go easy on the whipstaff.
Usopp, hard to port!
Okay, that wasn't so
bad.
Everyone, hang on!
Whoa!
Yeah!
Nami! The Merry's fighting me!
Whoa!
Usopp, we're gonna hit those rocks! Go port!
I can't! The current's too strong!
Aah! Oh!
Stay with it!
Keep fighting the current!
Come on, Merry, work with me.
Don't push it too hard, or it's gonna…
- No! - Break.
How do we steer now?
Brace for impact!
Aah!
We're saved!
We're not out of this yet!
Set the mizzen. I'm going forward.
I got you!
- Whoo! - We're reaching the peak!
Woo-hoo!
Yeah! This! This is a ride!
Prepare to sheet in.
Hard to starboard!
Yeah! Come on!
Come on, Merry!
Sheet in!
We did it!
It's the Grand Line!
Now all we have to do is go down.
Full speed ahead.
Aah!
Whoa!
Whoo!
Whoo! Whoo!
Whoo!
What's that?
Whatever it is, we're gonna hit it!
Hey, whale!
Get out of the way!
- Luffy, no! - Luffy!
Five more minutes, Dadan.
Hey, you!
Whoa.
Stop that!
Give me back my crew!
Okay, you want it the tough way?
Be my guest, fish!
You jerk!
Stop being a coward and come closer!
Come on!
If I…
If I could swim, you'd be in so much trouble right now.
You're gonna need something a lot bigger than your fists.
Who are you?
Just an old man
doing his job.
All right, you overgrown guppy.
Oh.
Whoa.
Um… hey, my friends are still in there.
We have to get them out of there now!
Your friends are dead.
I need to get my friends out of that whale.
I'm not leaving until I get some answers. Who are you?
What's the deal with the whale? How do I get them out?
You want some answers? Here we go.
Name's Crocus. Occupation? Lighthouse keeper.
71 years old.
Gemini. Type AB blood.
That deluded whale is trying to break through the Red Line, which is impossible.
As for your crew,
it's useless.
I already told you.
Your crew is dead.
You don't know my crew.
Your map say anything about a giant whale?
- Obviously not. - Do we think Luffy's okay?
Of course.
It's Luffy. He's… durable.
- We need to find a way out of here. - Why don't you let me come up with a plan?
I didn't know the whale was gonna be there, okay?
At least I didn't break the whipstaff with my giant muscles.
Not a compliment.
Not not a compliment.
Okay. Usopp, you know how to fix the Merry, right?
Of course. But the tiller's useless without a new rowle, so…
- You think you can find one out there? - Out there?
On those perilous wrecks?
Perilous and most likely haunted.
Sounds like it's a two-man job.
While they're gone, I will work out a plan to get us out of here.
I'll handle it.
A sword isn't gonna get us out of a whale.
We'll see about that.
Did you call ahead and prep the Billower Bike?
Yes, Captain.
Um, but the Grand Line's out of our jurisdiction,
so we'll need to make a formal petition for reassignment to our superiors…
Here's my petition. I don't care. Why don't you tell him that?
Why don't you tell me yourself, Captain?
Vice Admiral Garp. Uh, welcome to Loguetown.
What's a bigwig like you doing round these parts?
Celebrate the anniversary?
Headed back to Marineford Headquarters, but thought I'd, um…
I thought I'd stop by and check up on things.
I have a matter to discuss with you.
Plus, it'll give my new protégés a chance to expand their horizons.
It's about time we got off that boat.
- Helmeppo, quiet. - What?
You've literally passed out or thrown up more than I have during training.
And we deserve some shore leave.
Are you feeding strays now?
Trainee pools must not be what they were.
You weren't exactly a model recruit when you started.
I think they'd surprise you.
Walk around town, lads. You might learn something.
I'm gonna have a word with the esteemed captain here.
Sir… might we learn more by shadowing you in your meeting?
In private.
If you don't want to explore, you can return to the ship.
I hear Bogard has creative ideas for new ways to do push-ups.
Tashigi will show them around.
Perfect.
Lead the way, Captain.
This way, sir.
Hi.
Flower guy, I need your help!
Grandpa, open up!
I need to save my friends from this whale!
I know you can open the door!
Flower Pops, I need your help!
Open the door!
Open up!
Peace at last.
Have you any idea how hard it is to get a door repairman out here?
My friends and I made a promise to journey across the Grand Line
and achieve our dreams.
I'm not setting sail without them.
Doesn't matter what I have to do to get them out of that whale,
because nothing…
nothing gets in the way of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew!
You're not going to give up, are you?
Nope.
There's only one way to approach Laboon safely
and see if your friends are alive in there.
- Laboon? - Mmm.
- You named the whale? - No! He came with it.
Ah.
Thanks for the help.
You remind me of someone.
He couldn't shut up either.
How many of those do you get through in a week?
Depends on the week.
And what a week it's been.
A rare dark mark on the sterling record of Captain Smoker.
So serious.
You remind me of myself when I was your age.
I didn't become a Marine just to add notches to my belt.
Still…
…hurts to watch one sail away.
You would know.
I have intel that the Straw Hats are heading to find the One Piece
to answer Gold Roger's call.
They're not the first.
Won't be the last.
I'm going after him.
Because he escaped you?
Because he's trying to finish what Gold Roger started.
Are you comparing Luffy to Roger?
You weren't there.
You didn't see how he smiled in the face of death.
Just like Gold Roger did.
I need to stop him
by any means necessary.
I understand you want to protect your grandson.
You understand nothing.
I've given up trying to protect Luffy.
Pirates can't navigate through the Calm Belt the way Marine vessels can.
Their only option to enter the Grand Line is through Reverse Mountain.
Chances are they won't survive the voyage.
Why waste your time?
Wasting my time would be sitting on my ass doing nothing.
Respectfully.
Your request, if you can call it that,
is denied.
- Sir… - Your skill set's needed elsewhere.
The Straw Hats are a speck of dust in the gears of the Grand Line.
The Marines are concerned
with real threats to our delicate political ecosystem.
The Kingdom of Alabasta is on the verge of civil war,
and their princess is still missing,
possibly abducted.
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Army gains supporters every day
in its quest to overturn the World Government.
And their leader…
Was in Loguetown.
Dragon.
He aided the Straw Hats in their escape.
Did he now?
If you want to do your duty,
I'll show you what a real threat looks like.
Oh.
Ugh.
That's not water.
Stomach acid.
Strong enough to slowly erode these ships.
Probably does an even quicker job on flesh.
I wonder how long before the Merry starts to erode.
Let's not find out.
Do you know ghosts that haunt shipwrecks are the most vengeful?
Yeah, right.
Where'd you hear that? Was it in a book?
Who wrote the book? Was it well researched?
What is a rowle, by the way?
It's where the whipstaff connects to the tiller.
No tiller, no rudder, no way to steer.
Well, you can never be prepared for the unknown, buddy.
You seem pretty unbothered by that.
See, in a kitchen, you never know what's gonna come at you.
But… just keep your head down,
trust your own hands on the tools,
trust that your crew will have your back…
and then you'll feel like you can handle anything.
That's actually… kind of inspiring.
With trust like that, you'll never be afraid.
Startled.
Not afraid.
Not judging.
Ugh, he's not even been dead long. He's still fresh.
He's on top of the rowle. You gotta move him so I can get to it.
No. Why don't you move him, and I'll get the rowle?
You don't even know what the rowle is.
It's the round piece.
Underneath the dead guy's arm.
Yeah, see, I think I already did my part by giving you that pep talk, you know,
so I'll just be over here.
I can do this.
- Yeah, you can. - I can fix the ship.
You got it.
I can fix the ship.
I can do it. I can do it.
You got it.
Gah.
Oh.
It's intact.
Not a corpse.
Just a weird guy.
I can handle a weird guy. You get the rowle.
Nice ship you came in on.
We'll be taking it.
You're pretty fast for a dead man.
You're pretty skilled for a man who only uses his legs.
It's a style choice.
Judging by your outfit, you're unfamiliar with the concept.
Gah!
Sanji!
Watch your step!
He said "we're" taking your ship.
So someone else is out there.
Something wrong with your compass?
- No. - Good.
We need to be able to sail out as soon as I get this whale to open its mouth.
What is that?
Besides a waste of our rope.
You said I couldn't get us out of here with a sword, so…
I made a big sword.
What?
When the rudder is fixed, I'll use this
to poke that big punching bag looking thing on the roof of his mouth.
The uvula?
So it's a girl whale.
Whatever.
Then, we will be puked to freedom.
Then the dumbest plan ever concocted was spoken aloud.
Well, it's the only plan we've got right now, so…
Do you know where my compass went?
Zoro, a little help here!
Ha!
Sorry, but I need your ship.
Let her go.
Did I miss something?
Hmm. Yeah.
Hmm. A bit more.
How long is this gonna take?
I told you.
We have to wait until Laboon resurfaces.
When that happens,
I need to get another sedative ready.
We won't go anywhere near that whale until we have got him to calm down.
- How often do you medicate him? - These days?
Up to 20 a day.
Stop him ramming his head into the Red Line.
Why does he hit his head like that? Why do you take care of him?
Is he your pet?
Absolutely not.
I'm not an animal person.
Not really a people person either.
All I ever wanted was to be left alone.
That's why I moved to a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere.
Then why keep doing it?
Because…
I made a promise too.
Gather up all of the crew It's time to ship out Binks' brew!
The sea wind blows, to where who knows The waves will be our guide
All across the ocean's tide Rays of sunshine far and wide
Birds, they sing of cheerful things In circles passing by
Yo, ho! Yo, ho, ho, ho!
Yo, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!
Well done for crossing Reverse Mountain.
Welcome to the pirates' graveyard.
Apologies for docking while we repair our ship.
I'm known in the West Blue as Calico Yorki,
Captain of the Rumbar Pirates.
You're welcome to stay while you repair your ship.
But don't cause me any trouble.
Laboon?
- Hey, Laboon! - There he is!
I didn't know you had a whale with you.
He'll scare away the fish.
Well, perhaps we can make a deal.
You share your dock with us,
and we'll share our music and our food with you.
I hate your music, and I have more than enough food.
Then perhaps
some of our booze? Hmm?
Ah.
How did you end up with a whale on your crew anyway?
He started following us back in the West Blue.
Poor thing must have strayed from his pod. He was all alone in the open ocean.
The crew started to get attached.
Especially when they realized how much little Laboon loves music.
Gather up all of the crew It's time to ship out Binks' brew!
Sing a song and play along
For all the oceans wide
After all is said and done
You'll end up a skeleton
So spread your tale From dawn till dusk
Upon these foamy seas!
I was surprised he survived the journey over Reverse Mountain.
Yeah. Yeah, he's a tough little thing.
Not tough enough for the Grand Line, I'll wager.
Beasts waiting in the depths to make an appetizer of him
the moment you raise anchor.
If Laboon finds himself in danger,
every man on my ship would sacrifice himself for him.
Imagine making it to the Grand Line
and losing it all for a whale.
Taking on a vulnerable creature like that,
letting him loose in such dangerous waters.
Glad it's not on my conscience.
We cannot repay your kindness to us, and to Laboon.
I wouldn't have agreed to this if I hadn't been six drinks deep.
You're a good man, Crocus.
I know you'll keep your word.
Aye.
We'll sail around the world on the Grand Line
and return right back here from the other side of this mountain.
I promise we'll be back after our adventures.
And we'll have so many more when we reunite.
Gather up all of the crew
It's time to ship out Binks' brew!
Sea wind blows to where, who knows?
The waves will be our guide
All across the ocean's tide
I know the song they sang to Laboon.
- "Binks' Brew." - Mmm.
Someone used to sing it to me.
Someone who left a long time ago.
Laboon's crew left, but they never returned.
I've even set out myself to search for them.
I found a reliable source who'd seen their ship fleeing the Grand Line.
He thinks they're sailing around behind that wall,
and if he hits it hard enough,
he can break through to them.
The Red Line is impenetrable.
He'll keep bashing at it until he dies.
I tried my best to get him to stop when I told him what I'd learned.
Laboon, you needed to know the truth.
They're not coming back.
They've left, Laboon.
You need to give up before you kill yourself.
Stop it!
But it was no use.
Now I do all I can to keep Laboon from hurting himself.
But as soon as the sedative wears off, he's back at it.
He'll never accept that his crew's not coming back.
You're a good guy.
Taking care of your friends.
I'm no good at taking care of anyone.
I'm just what he's stuck with.
Calico Yorki was right to trust you.
It doesn't matter.
Laboon has been injected so many times, the sedative is losing its effectiveness.
And when it stops working altogeth…
Hey. Hey. Hey.
There's got to be another way to help him out.
To get him to accept his crew is gone.
You wouldn't accept it.
How's it looking?
Whipstaff's back in working order.
As soon as I untangle this knot, she'll be seaworthy.
Well, be careful.
You don't have to worry about me.
Whoa! Oh! Oh!
I'm good. I'm good.
All right, you two.
Give us answers or I start cutting things off.
Why are you here?
There are many reasons a person ends up inside a whale.
Why are you here?
Why did you want to take our ship?
One can't just walk out of a whale.
You should untie us now
or forfeit your lives.
You think we're afraid of two unarmed people
dressed like they do bad community theater, yeah?
We are much, much more than you could ever imagine.
"We"?
Ridiculous costumes.
Unfounded overconfidence.
I've faced their kind before.
Some guy who called himself… Mr. 7.
Hey! Easy, mosshead.
I guess that makes you
Mr. 9?
So our reputation precedes us.
Who are they?
They are Baroque Works.
For a long time, the Marines have been on their trail,
hunting down any trace of this… mysterious menace.
An organization with tendrils extending from the Grand Line to every other sea.
At first, they were
merely a rumor.
A dark whisper. But now they're growing bold.
Shells Town is only the latest Marine outpost they've decimated.
What is their objective?
Unknown.
We've never managed to capture one of their operatives.
Well, not alive anyway.
They use code names
to keep their identities a mystery.
The true identity of their leader, Mr. 0,
is unknown.
Even in the highest rankings of the organization itself.
I told you to wait with the other kids, Petty Officer.
Stop saluting and get out.
Yes, sir.
I will allow you to transfer to the Grand Line.
- I wasn't asking permission… - But your mission is this.
Capture a Baroque Works agent alive.
Gather intelligence from them before any other island ends up like this.
- Why me? - You're focused.
Ruthless.
And you'll do whatever it takes.
That jitte you carry,
the tip of it is made of seastone, isn't it?
Yes, sir.
That,
and your other powers,
should give you an enviable advantage.
That's why I need you on this.
But try to keep in mind,
there's a bigger picture here.
They're an organization of assassins.
They sent their Mr. 7 to try to recruit me a while back.
Assuming you said no?
I was a bit more cutting than that.
I cut him in half.
Yeah. No, we got it.
Well, look, they don't seem too dangerous.
I mean, you killed 7.
9 basically took himself out of our fight by dropping down a hole, so…
I've been in this whale for days. I'm not at full strength.
Tell them, Miss Wednesday.
Numbers and days for code names.
Clever.
I say we deal with them the old-fashioned way.
Throw them overboard.
I don't think our captain would want us killing.
Our captain isn't here right now, is he?
Oh.
Let me guess.
You're the navigator that got all your friends stuck in this.
And you're the thief that stole my compass. Where is it?
Went for a swim.
I needed that.
Doesn't seem like it was doing you much good.
You don't need it in the Grand Line anyway.
Magnetic fields are completely different here.
Only works with a Log Pose.
You… you do have a Log Pose?
Uh, yeah, of course we do.
What's a Log Pose?
Of all the whales in all the world,
this crack team had to wander into mine.
We're never getting out of here.
At least we kept our ship intact. You two clearly didn't.
A crew is only as good as its navigator.
You're all as good as dead.
Do you have any idea where you are?
Grab onto something fast.
Usopp!
Oh, oh, oh. Oh! Oh.
Usopp! Usopp!
Just stay calm.
I will not! Aah!
Damn, he woke up early.
Come on.
- What's happening to my crew in there? - Nothing good.
Usopp!
Hurry up, Pops.
It's not working.
Damn. I should have upped the dosage.
I need to get closer.
That's crazy.
You'll die.
I don't care.
We need something for him to grab onto!
Here.
What the hell is that?
No!
Aah!
Wow, can't believe that didn't work.
Hey, whale!
Don't you dare hurt my friends!
You don't get to eat my crew!
Oh dear.
Don't let me go!
Pull me up!
Zoro, hold on.
It's slippery!
Sanji, don't let me go!
Aah!
Got you.
Pull on three.
One, two, three!
Yo, ho, ho, ho! Yo, ho, ho, ho!
Gather up all of the crew It's time to ship out Binks' brew!
Wave goodbye, but don't you cry Our memories remain
Our days are but a passing dream Everlasting though they seem
Beneath the moon we'll meet again The wind's our lullaby
We gather up all of the crew It's time to ship out Binks' brew!
Wave goodbye, but don't you cry Our memories remain
Our days are but a passing dream Everlasting though they seem
Beneath the moon we'll meet again The wind's our lullaby!
People leave, Laboon.
But sometimes,
you end up somewhere you never thought you would.
And you meet people who stay.
I need my friends, Laboon.
Please,
let them go.
Zoro,
set the main!
Let's turn this ship around.
Well, I'll be damned.
Guys!
Luffy!
Whoo!
Told you, Pops!
Must you always show me up in everything? Huh?
Caught spying?
How'd you know?
Eavesdropped from behind a few doors in my day.
He's basically an expert in espionage.
Do you want a turn?
Swords are more my weapon of choice.
Relatable.
I love swords. That's why I…
Never mind.
Captain Smoker's warned me against talking about my dreams too much.
And talking in general.
That's why you wanted to become a Marine?
To train in swords?
Not just train.
You know, swords sing to me.
They always have.
I found out that there's this collection of masterwork blades.
Each one has their own name.
Most are in the hands of pirates and bounty hunters now.
But if I could, I would hunt down every one of those swords
and take them away from the bad men that don't deserve them.
I'm assuming Captain Smoker isn't the most
supportive of that mission?
I don't make the orders.
I became a Marine because I had a dream too.
Getting justice for anyone that's ever been stepped on.
'Cause I know what that's like.
Garp teaches us that following orders doesn't make you a good Marine.
It's following your code.
Your own brand of justice.
Sounds like the Vice Admiral's a great teacher.
Physical abuse aside.
Only you can define the path for yourself.
I fixed the door.
You know, if you ever get sick of living in a lighthouse,
there's a lot of room inside Laboon.
Thanks, buddy.
You could build a whole house in there. Live pretty comfortably.
How cool would that be?
To live inside a whale?
If things ever truly go to shit, I'll keep it in mind.
What do we do with our friends tied up on board?
I'd prefer if you didn't leave two assassins on my little oasis.
And the lady did help save Usopp.
She did?
- I still don't trust them. - Nor should you.
Mmm.
Yeah, we'll, um, take them to the next island with us
and figure out what to do with them there.
If we can get to the next island.
Look, I have to be honest.
I don't think I really anticipated just how different things were gonna be here.
I don't have the right skills. I don't have the right tools.
I…
I don't even know what a Log Pose is.
How am I supposed to navigate you when I don't even know where I'm going?
I'm so out of my element.
Out of our element is when this crew does its best work.
A Log Pose is pretty simple.
It measures the magnetic field between islands.
After reaching an island and spending some time there,
the Log Pose resets,
locks onto a new island.
Okay, that sounds easy.
Here on Twin Capes,
it locks onto an island from one of seven possible magnetic fields,
so even two ships that leave the same place
might not follow the same course.
That sounds less easy.
I've got an old one lying about somewhere. I'd be happy to show you how it works.
And give it to you for your journey.
Really?
My adventuring days are over.
Long gone. And…
I think you're the right person to have it.
Some of the best navigators in the world
couldn't get as far as you've come already.
Couldn't have done it without my crew.
- Hey, Flower Pops. - Hmm?
You got some paint?
Done!
All right, listen up, Laboon.
That Jolly Roger right there,
it's a symbol of your friendship with the Straw Hats.
So don't you ever hit your head against that wall again, huh?
I mean it.
Or you'll make it disappear.
I get why you're waiting for your friends.
It's because you believe in them.
Well, you're one of us now, Laboon.
We'll come back to you.
That's a promise.
Tashigi.
Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi.
I'm heading to the Grand Line.
I need you to stay here and keep watch over Loguetown.
Await further instruction.
Is that understood?
No.
Excuse me?
I'm going with you.
I have a Gold Roger of my own to hunt down,
and I'm going to capture him with my own hands.
And anyone else unworthy of a sword in their possession.
What the hell are you talking about?
At some point, I have to stop following orders and follow my own code.
That day is today.
Surely that's something you understand.
Tashigi, you saw the footage back there.
You know what Baroque Works is capable of.
You really want to get mixed up in that for a sword?
For many swords.
And yes.
Well,
your funeral.
Let's go.
And don't do a little dance.
Are you ready to chart your very first island in the Grand Line?
Twin Capes! You'll have to help me with the layout of Crocus's lighthouse.
Bringing some food back to my friends on the brig.
Nobody goes hungry on this ship.
Very thoughtful.
What are the chances that the people on the next island are as friendly as Crocus?
And as free with the booze?
No way to know what's coming next.
But that's part of the fun, I guess.
So, what do you think, Roger?
Perhaps he's the one we've been waiting for.
The one who will make it to Laugh Tale
and find the One Piece.
Luffy?
Next island is straight ahead.