Episode 55: The Holy Beast! Apis' Secret and the Legendary Island
Air Date: 2001-01-24
Opening: Believe (2nd Opening)
Ending: Run! Run! Run! (2nd Ending)
Manga Chapters: n/a
Short Summary
The Straw Hats, with their new companion Apis, reach Warship Island, her home. They meet her grandfather, Bokuden, and hear about the legend of Lost Island. Apis sneaks away, and Luffy and Nami find her in a cave with a large Sennenryuu named Ryuuji. Apis explains to them why the Marines were after her and the significance of the dragon.
In-Depth Summary
The episode opens with Nami explaining to the others what a Calm Belt is. She explains that it is one of the two oceans that border the Grand Line, and that there is no wind there. It is also dangerous because it is the breeding grounds for Sea Kings, the especially large ones. It just so happens that their ship shakes in the water as a massive black and white Sea King emerges from the water, with the Going Merry on top of its head. As the Straw Hats cling on for dear life, a giant yellow frog leaps toward the ship, and Apis falls toward it. Luffy stretches out his arm to grab her and lift her into the air as the frog crashes into the water again. Apis asks Luffy if he swallowed a Devil's Fruit, which Luffy replies yes to. Apis then has Luffy lower her into the nostril of the giant Sea King, and she yanks out a nose hair as Luffy retracts his arm. The Sea King has a massive sneeze, sending the Going Merry flying through the air with the Straw Hats still aboard it. As the ship lands in the water, Luffy declarees that their next destination is Warship Island.
The Going Merry sails on, and so heads through a large patch of fog before finally reaching Warship Island. When the residents of the island see a pirate ship approaching, many of them either hide in their houses or stand at the harbor with weapons. As the pirate ship lands, they are surprised to see Apis with the Straw Hats, and she explains how the Straw Hats saved her, calling them good pirates. The villagers are reluctant, but Apis' grandfather, Bokuden, is glad to see her again and invites the Straw Hats to eat at his house. While they are talking, a Marine with a telescope spots the pirates landing at Warship Island. Inside, Erik stands before Admiral Nelson, and Nelson, while chomping down on meat, tells Erik to recapture Apis at all costs. Erik is at Nelson's complete service.
In Bokuden's house, Bokuden tells the Straw Hats about the Lost Legend of Warship Island. He explains that the people of the island are the descendants of the Lost Island, which sank thousands of years ago. He explains that the Millennium Dragons also lived on Lost Island, their bones were believed to be an elixir to grant eternal youth. Sanji then asks how the Marines fit into this. Bokuden replies by going on a long speech about the kings of the Lost Island, starting with the very first one. His explanation goes on into the evening, and so the Straw Hats are bored out of their minds. Luffy steps away, sleepwalking, and as he does, he approaches the room that Apis is in. Apis, desperate for Luffy not to see what he is doing, grabs a pan to walk him over the head, but Luffy already collapses on the floor, asleep. As Bokuden has reaches explaining the 1111st generation of kings, Nami sneaks away to see what's taking Luffy so long.
Nami comes into the room and sees Luffy asleep on the floor and the butaman intended for them gone, so she gets mad at Luffy for eating it. Luffy claims it wasn't him, and sees a trail on the floor. Nami and Luffy follow the trail outside, and they come to a dead end. However, in the rocky wall there is a small hole. They continue on and cross a ravine as Luffy uses Gomu Gomu no Suspension Bridge. They reach a cave, and inside is Apis with a large Sennenryuu (a Millennium Dragon). It is called Ryuuji, and Apis feeds it butaman. Luffy kneels down to the dragon, and Ryuuji says to Apis that it is okay Luffy is friends with her, as he is a good person. Nami realizes that Apis must have eaten a Devil's Fruit to understand Ryuuji, and Apis explains that she ate the Hiso Hiso Fruit. A flashback shows her in a flower field, and she hears the voice of Ryuuji and follows it to find the Sennenryuu in a cave. Apis explains that the Marines were after the secret of the Ryuukotsu, so they captured her to learn everything they knew. She didn't want to put the villagers in danger so she didn't tell them about it. The Marines knew she had seen a Sennenryuu because she wore a claw pendant around her neck. Later, as dawn breaks, several Marine ships appear on the horizon with Erik at the bow, claiming he will capture Apis this time as the episode ends.
Mumbo230’s Notes
The series' first anime-only Devil's Fruit (not counting the Goei Goei Fruit from the first movie), the Hiso Hiso Fruit, is introduced in this episode.
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