Episode 38: Luffy in Trouble! Mermen VS Luffy Pirates!
Air Date: 2000-08-23
Opening: We Are! (1st Opening)
Ending: Run! Run! Run! (2nd Ending)
Manga Chapters: Chapter 82 (1-18/18), Chapter 83 (1-19/19), Chapter 84 (1-4/19)
Short Summary
Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, and Zoro storm into Arlong Park, and Luffy challenges Arlong. As Chu, Hatchi, and Kurobi prepare to fight, Mohmoo emerges from the sea to attack. Luffy uses a new attack, Gomu Gomu no Pinwheel, to send Mohmoo flying away. Arlong tosses Luffy into the sea with his feet trapped in cement, causing the threat of Luffy drowning. Usopp draws Chu away from Arlong Park as Sanji and Zoro square off against Kurobi and Hatchi.
In-Depth Summary
The episode opens with Nami kneeling on the ground, holding her bloody arm and still crying. At Arlong Park, Arlong answers Luffy's question by stating he is Arlong. Luffy walks up to him, knocking away mermen that stand in his way, and he punches Arlong right in the face, sending Arlong careening into a wall. The mermen lose it and charge at Luffy, but Sanji steps in and with a series of kicks he takes them all down. He tells Luffy not to hog all of the prey. Usopp and Zoro step in as well, ready to fight. Hatchi then points to Roronoa Zoro, saying he how geve him a ride. Kurobi then notes that Usopp is still alive, and thinks his suspicions were true - Nami was a traitor to the Arlong Pirates. The villagers, on the other hand, are wondering why the Straw Hats are fighting for their village, and Johnny and Yosaku reply that it is because Nami was crying.
Arlong, sitting in the rubble, says how he thought Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji were Nami's victims, but they're actually her crew. Hatchi demands why they think Arlong would waste his time on them. There is a great rumbling, and suddenly the great beast Mohmoo emerges from the sea. Mohmoo is crying, with a bump on its head, and Hatchi tells it to help them, but Mohmoo turns to leave. Arlong's words stop the beast, though, and as Mohmoo turns to fight, furious, Luffy firmly plants his feet into the ground. He twists his midsection around and stretches out his arms, grabbing Mohmoo's horns. Everyone gapes at Luffy's stretching ability, and Arlong deduces this came from a Devil Fruit. Luffy, inspired by the pinwheel on Genzo's hat, unwinds himself, swatting down many mermen with Mohmoo, and so uses his new attack, Gomu Gomu no Pinwheel to send Mohmoo flying. Luffy then points at Arlong, declaring that he is the opponent that he wants to fight.
Hatchi, Kurobi, and Chu tell Arlong to stay seated, as if Arlong fights in a rage, Arlong Park will be reduced to dust. Hatchi then spews ink at the Straw Hats, and only Luffy can't get out of the way, covered in ink. Hatchi then carries over a large chunk of the wall, swatting Luffy with it, but it shatters due to Sanji's kick. Sanji says that his captain is dumb, but it is a hundred times better than being with lowlifes like the mermen. Kurobi challenges Sanji's views of Nami, and Sanji declares that he will fry up Kurobi. Meanwhile, Usopp starts pulling on Luffy, trying to tug Luffy's feet out of the ground, but Luffy's legs just stretch. Hatchi wonders what they're doing, but Zoro declares that he will be Hatchi's opponent. Hatchi becomes angry at Zoro, throwing down the chunk of wall at him, and Zoro leaps out of the way, saying he doesn't care what Hatchi's reason for wanting to kill him is.
Usopp says Zoro can have the octopus, but in saying this he lets go of Luffy by accident. Luffy retracts and ends up slamming into Chu, knocking him down. Chu gets up, furious, yelling at Usopp. Usopp starts running, and Chu chases him, but the villagers stand in Chu's way. Usopp then shoots a Flaming Star that strikes Chu and knocks him down. Usopp declares himself as Chu's opponent, and takes off running again as Chu gives chase. Arlong then gets up, laughing about the events being a game. Luffy takes a swing at Arlong, but Arlong easily avoids the punch by moving his head to the side. He grabs Luffy's fist, and with a great heave he rips up the chunk of stone that Luffy's feet are trapped in. He lifts Luffy above his head, and decides that he will throw Luffy into the pool since he is a Devil Fruit user. Luffy uses Gomu Gomu no Pistol on Arlong's face, but Arlong catches Luffy's arm in his teeth and bites down. Luffy bites on Arlong's arm, so Arlong tosses Luffy into the water. Zoro and Sanji are unable to reach him in time as Hatchi and Kurobi stand in the way. The rules of Arlong's game are that if Sanji and Zoro don't defeat their opponents quick enough, Luffy will drown. Zoro and Sanji charge at their respective opponents, and Sanji clashes with Kurobi as Hatchi spews ink at Zoro. All the while, Usopp is fleeing from Chu, yelling how he's going to die as the episode draws to a close.
Mumbo230’s Notes
The match-ups for the battle at Arlong Park are set in this episode. Luffy's danger of drowning not only offers a way to hold Luffy back to save his fight with Arlong for last, but also adds extra motivation to the fights of Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp.
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