Storyline
Ten years ago, Goa: Luffy and Ace have a training fight in the forest and Luffy tries out his new invention, the gum-gum gun. However, Luffy is not yet in control of his powers and knocks himself out. After a victory for Sabo against Luffy, Ace admonishes Luffy not to rely so much on his devil powers, saying that they are useless anyway. Luffy defends himself, explaining that he just can’t use them the way he’d like to yet. Ten years later, however, Luffy vows to be strong enough to defeat them both. Some time later, the trio has gone to the river to hunt. It isn’t long before a large crocodile is killed and brought to the Dadan family.
A man in a grey coat goes to the city gate to trade some crocodile parts. After the guard confirms that the man is dragging a crocodile on his cart, he lets him pass. The man has arrived at the outskirts of town where there are many trading criminals. The man walks through some alleys until he is surrounded by a group of thieves. The thieves think they have an easy ride until the man throws away his coat and it is revealed to be Sabo, Luffy, and Ace, who were each wearing the other. The boys then beat up the thieves and steal their money and valuables.
City, Middle Class: Again dressed as a single man, the boys walk through the middle class of the city, which in turn circles the upper class, where the nobles and rich live. The boys were able to sell their crocodile for a decent price and now want to go out for a meal. When the three enter a restaurant, the waiter wants to send them back out because they are clearly not middle class. But Sabo pulls out a gold watch with a seal of a noble family from his coat, whereupon the waiter apologizes and gives them a single room, as ordered. After the waiter leaves, Ace has to admit that Sabo would have something rather useful. Sabo is quick to change the subject in this regard, claiming he found it somewhere in town. Some time later, the three of them are dining in a room. Thus, they eat their way through entire mountains of dishes. In the end, however, the cover is blown, whereupon the trio bounces the bill and jumps out the window. The three land safely and run through the streets afterwards. They seem to be quite well known in the city already, as a police officer immediately recognizes them and tries to catch them. A man recognizes Sabo, calls out to him, and wants him to return home. Sabo only looks back once briefly and then runs on with Ace and Luffy.
Coast: Luffy and Ace confront Sabo about how the man knows him. Sabo doesn’t want to talk about it at first, but Luffy and Ace are able to convince him to tell them after all. Sabo explains that he is the son of a nobleman, and of the man from the town earlier. Ace can’t understand why someone born into a noble family would run away from there. Sabo begins his story.
Flashback: His parents talk Sabo into believing that if he one day marries the daughter of an even richer nobleman, she will be happier and thus he will be happier. Because Sabo is still very small, he believes them and tries his best. One day, when his father has just lost a lot of money at work, Sabo comes into his study to show him a picture he has painted. Sabo’s father simply tears up the painting and tells him to study when he has time for such a thing. Another day, the son of a wealthier nobleman wants Sabo to carry him home. Sabo refuses, so the other boy pulls a knife to make Sabo pay for this. A little later, the rich boy cries to his mother, who reproaches Sabo’s mother for how dare her son raise his hand to a nobleman. Sabo tries to defend himself that he was threatened with a knife and that he is not to blame, but his mother simply punches him in the face and apologizes to the others. Sabo can no longer stand this callousness from his parents, who care more about their influence and power than they do about him. Although he has parents, Sabo always feels lonely. When his father forbids him to enter Gray Terminal, saying that it is a completely different world and only useless things live there, Sabo decides to go there. There he asks people to tell him stories about raids, treasure hunts and the sea. The robbers find Sabo a bit strange, but they can’t refuse him.
Present: The nobles ignore the Gray Terminal because there would be nothing there, but according to Sabo, life was much better there. Sabo announces afterwards that he wants to go out to sea with Luffy and Ace one day and be free. He wants to see the whole world and then write a book about it. But they would have to get stronger first until they are finally pirates. Ace thinks that he has his mind set on becoming a pirate anyway and taking his destiny into his own hands. He wants to show the world that he exists, and he wants the world to speak of him as a legendary pirate even after his death. To achieve this goal, he would never run away, no matter who his opponent is. To top it off, Luffy shouts his dream to the world. Sabo then notices something. While all three of them can become pirates, not all of them can become captains, which is probably why they will sail on different ships. Shortly after, Ace pulls out some bowls and a bottle of sake that he stole from Dadan. Ace explains that they may end up on different ships, but if they drink from these bowls, they will become brothers for all eternity. The three then toast their new brotherhood.
| TV Episode Guide | Post-War Arc (Anime) |
