WORST IN THE EAST

On the deck of the Going Merry, Nami is negotiating with a News Coo, a seagull that delivers newspapers. She holds up a coin and complains, "DON'T YOU THINK IT'S GETTING A BIT TOO EXPENSIVE? ANOTHER PRICE-INCREASE?" In the background, Usopp is busy mixing something in a bowl and tells her, "WHAT'RE YOU GETTING SO RILED UP ABOUT? IT'S JUST A NEWSPAPER." Nami glares at the bird and threatens, "RAISE THE PRICE AGAIN AND I WON'T BE BUYING YOUR PAPERS ANYMORE." The bird drops the newspaper into her hands and takes the coin with a "CLINK" and a "CAWW...". Usopp continues his work, warning, "OK, OK. I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF DEVELOPING MY SECRET TABASCO STAR SO KEEP AWAY! AN ENEMY WHO GETS THIS IN THEIR EYE," while Nami walks past and scolds him, "DON'T BE STUPID. FROM NOW ON, I'M GOING TO BE SAVING UP MONEY FOR NO ONE BUT ME ALONE. THERE'S NO WAY I'M GOING TO BE A PENNILESS PIRATE!" Usopp asks, "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DONE WITH SAVING UP MONEY?" Nami, holding the newspaper, replies matter-of-factly, "DAILY EXPENSES ALL ADD UP, DON'T YOU KNOW!?" as the News Coo flies away.

Luffy sits on the deck, reaching out towards Nami's tangerine trees. "OH COME ON! CAN'T I JUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE?" he asks. Nami refuses, "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" and Usopp, still working on his Tabasco Star, warns that anyone hit in the eye by it "WILL BE RENDERED COMPLETELY HELPL..." Suddenly, Sanji delivers a fierce kick to Luffy's face, sending him crashing backward with a loud splash and a scream of "GYAAAAAA!". Sanji yells, "AGHH! KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF!" Sanji then stands guard in front of the trees, declaring, "THESE ARE NAMI'S BELOVED ORANGE TREES! I WON'T ALLOW ANYONE TO LAY EVEN A SINGLE FINGER ON THEM!" Nami smiles sweetly and says, "THANKS A LOT, SANJI! <3", causing Sanji to swoon and reply, "NAMI! REST ASSURED, MY DEFENSE POWERED BY LOVE IS INFALLIBLE! <3". Luffy, sitting on the deck with a bruised cheek, smiles and concedes, "OH WELL. I'M IN A GOOD MOOD SO I'LL DROP IT THEN." Meanwhile, Nami reads the newspaper, noting, "ANOTHER COUP D'ETAT IN VILLA...? THE WORLD'S IN SUCH TURMOIL." Sanji brings a tray of drinks, announcing, "WE'RE FINALLY ON OUR WAY TO GRAND LINE!" In the background, Luffy suddenly screams "GYAAAAA!" as he looks at a piece of paper that fell from the newspaper. Sanji looks over and mutters, "WHAT A TOOL...".

Luffy holds up the piece of paper that fell from the newspaper, saying, "IT'S A FLYER." Nami, relaxing in a lounge chair with the paper, says, "HM?" Sanji, smoking a cigarette, says, "OH?" Zoro is shown sleeping soundly with a "ZZZZ". Suddenly, Luffy's eyes bulge out in shock as he yells, "AH!". Usopp also looks completely shocked, screaming, "AGHH...". Nami looks surprised, uttering, "AH...". A wide shot shows the Going Merry sailing peacefully on the ocean, while a massive, jagged speech bubble erupts from the ship, screaming "AHHHHHHHHHH!". A narration box in the corner reads: "THE SHIP NOW HEADS OUT FOR GRAND LINE."

The scene shifts to Marine Headquarters. A large, traditional Japanese-style building is shown with a sign above the entrance that reads "Marines" (海軍). Inside, a massive meeting room is filled with high-ranking Marine officers seated at long tables that stretch far into the back. A voice addresses the assembly: "SO IN SHORT, OUR BRANCH FORCES, ARE UNABLE TO DEAL WITH THIS PARTICULAR PIRATE CREW...?" Another voice simply answers, "YES."

Three wanted posters are displayed on the wall. The first is for Arlong: "THE FISHMAN PIRATE'S ARLONG THE SAW, 20 MILLION BELI!". The second is for Don Krieg: "PIRATE FLEET ADMIRAL DON KRIEG, 17 MILLION BELI.". The third is for Buggy: "BUGGY THE CLOWN, 15 MILLION BELI.". Marine Headquarters Commander Brannew, a man with dark curly hair and sunglasses, addresses the room. "HERE IN EAST BLUE, WHERE THE AVERAGE BOUNTY IS 3 MILLION, THESE 3 PIRATE CREWS HAVE MANAGED TO LABEL THEMSELVES AS THE TOP-DOGS, EACH LED BY CAPTAINS WITH BOUNTIES OF OVER 10 MILLION. YET EVEN THEY HAVE ALL BEEN CRUSHED." Brannew then slams a new wanted poster onto the table with a loud thud. It is a poster of Luffy, smiling broadly, with a bounty of 30,000,000 Beli. Brannew continues, "AND SO, THOUGH IT WOULD SEEM THAT AN INITIAL BOUNTY OF 30 MILLION MIGHT SEEM A TAD EXCESSIVE, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IT IS AN APPROPRIATE PRICE TO ISSUE. LIKE WEEDS, EVIL MUST BE UPROOTED WHEN THEY ARE MERELY BUDS!"

A massive Marine officer, Vice Admiral John Giant, shouts orders to the gathered forces. "THOSE WHO WISH TO FLEE, I ORDER YOU TO DO SO THIS INSTANT! FOR WE ARE THE SOLE FORTRESS OF PEACE IN THIS AGE OF PIRATES, EVEN THE SLIGHTEST COWARDICE IS UNFORGIVABLE!" Three other Marine officers listen intently. John Giant continues his speech, "IT IS NO CRIME FOR THE MASSES TO BE WEAK, FOR THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DEPEND ON THE JUSTICE THAT WE SHOULDER!" A wide shot reveals an enormous army of Marines standing in strict formation. John Giant's voice booms over them: "AS LONG AS THERE IS HEINOUS EVIL PROWLING THE SEAS, IT IS OUR DUTY AS MARINES TO GO OUT AND EXTERMINATE IT!"

A powerful double-page spread (presented here as a single image) shows the backs of three high-ranking Marine officers standing before the massive Marine Headquarters building. They wear large white coats with the kanji for "Justice" (正義) written on the back. They raise their arms and shout in unison, "ALL UNDER THE NAME OF 'ABSOLUTE JUSTICE!'" The massive crowd of Marines below them responds with a roaring, "YES, SIR!" Large sound effects emphasize the booming voices and the flapping of their coats in the wind.

Back on the Going Merry, Luffy is holding his new wanted poster and laughing uproariously. "NAHAHAHAHA! LOOKS LIKE WE'RE WANTED MEN NOW! IT SAYS 30 MILLION BELI!" Usopp points excitedly at the poster, noticing the back of his own head in the background of Luffy's photo. "LOOK! MY PICTURE'S HERE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE! I MIGHT BE FAMOUS!" Zoro dismisses him, "AS IF. THAT'S JUST THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD." Sanji chimes in, "DON'T BE JEALOUS NOW! ONCE WE BECOME MORE INFAMOUS, WE MIGHT ALL GET ONE!" Nami, however, is furious and scolds Luffy. "ONCE AGAIN, YOU SPLENDIDLY FAIL TO UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF YOUR SITUATION... DON'T YOU REALIZE THIS MEANS YOUR LIFE IS AT RISK!? WITH THAT BOUNTY, I'M SURE THE MARINE HQ AS WELL AS OTHER STRONG BOUNTY HUNTERS WILL COME AFTER YOU..." Luffy just continues to laugh, completely unbothered. Nami sighs, holding her head in exasperation. "...WITH THIS, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO JUST LOITER AROUND IN EAST BLUE ANY LONGER." Luffy points forward enthusiastically, "ALRIGHT, MEN! LET'S HEAD STRAIGHT FOR GRAND LINE!" Usopp and Sanji cheer, "AYE, AYE!" Zoro looks ahead and notes, "HEY, I SEE AN ISLAND UP AHEAD."

Nami looks towards the island Zoro spotted. "YOU DO...?" she asks. She then explains, "THAT ISLAND, IS PROOF THAT WE'RE CLOSE TO THE GRAND LINE!" A view of the island shows a large town built upon it. Nami continues, "ON THAT ISLAND, THERE'S A FAMOUS TOWN CALLED 'LOGUETOWN.' IT'S ALSO KNOWN AS THE TOWN OF THE BEGINNING AND THE END." The Going Merry sails closer to the island. Nami adds, "IT'S THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE PIRATE KING ROGER.....AS WELL AS HIS EXECUTION SPOT." Luffy looks excited at the news. "SO THAT'S THE TOWN THAT THE PIRATE KING DIED AT..." Nami smiles and asks, "SHALL WE GO?"

The crew arrives in Loguetown. A large panel shows the bustling, crowded streets of the city, with a grand archway that reads "Loguetown" and a sign saying "LOGUETOWN (TOWN OF THE BEGINNING AND THE END)". Luffy stretches his arms up in excitement, shouting, "WHOA! WHAT A BIG TOWN!" Sanji looks around, remarking, "SO THE PIRATE AGE ALL BEGAN FROM HERE, EH?" Luffy immediately declares, "OK, THEN! I'M GONNA GO SEE THE EXECUTION STAND!" and runs off into the crowd. Sanji decides his plan: "SEEMS LIKE I CAN GET SOME GOOD INGREDIENTS AND FOOD HERE. As well as fine women <3". Usopp says, "I'M GOING TO GO LOOK FOR SOME EQUIPMENT TO BUY." Zoro mentions, "I DO HAVE SOMETHING I WANT TO BUY TOO BUT..." Nami smiles slyly at Zoro and offers, "I'LL HAPPILY LEND YOU SOME MONEY. AT 300% INTEREST, THAT IS."

Zoro is walking alone down a street in Loguetown. Behind him, he overhears two rough-looking men talking to someone. "SEEMS LIKE THAT MONSTER AIN'T WITH YOU TODAY!" one says. The other adds, "IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU THAT OUR BOSS IS IN PRISON!" Zoro stops and looks back with a "!" of surprise. The two thugs, armed with swords, are confronting a young woman with short dark hair and glasses. One of the thugs threatens her, "IF YOU STILL HAVEN'T LEARNED YOUR LESSON," but the woman calmly draws her sword and replies, "I SHALL GLADLY BE YOUR OPPONENT." The two men laugh mockingly. "DID I JUST HEAR THAT CORRECTLY!? A LITTLE MISS LIKE YOU IS GOING TO BE OUR OPPONENT!?" "WELL, WHY NOT!"

The two thugs charge at the woman, raising their swords to strike. "WHEN YOU DIE, TELL THAT MONSTER FRIEND OF YOURS, THAT OUR DREAM OF GOING TO GRAND LINE WAS BROKEN ALL BECAUSE OF HIM!" they yell. Zoro watches the confrontation unfold, uttering a quiet "HM?". As the thugs swing their weapons down, the woman moves with incredible speed. In a blur of motion, she draws her sword and strikes both men simultaneously with a powerful slash, leaving a trail of impact lines.

The two thugs collapse to the ground, defeated, crying out "OWW!". The woman smoothly sheathes her sword with a "click". However, she immediately drops to her hands and knees, patting the ground blindly. "AH, AH, AH..." she mutters, having lost her glasses during the attack. The surrounding crowd watches in awe and amusement. "W...WHAT...?" "AHAHAHAHA!" "AIN'T YOU A STRONG ONE, MISSY!" they comment. Zoro walks over, picks up her glasses, and holds them out to her. "LOOKING FOR THESE? HEY," he says. She looks up, squinting, and says "AH." She puts her glasses back on, her face flushing with embarrassment. "S... SORRY FOR TROUBLING YOU. TH... THANK YOU VERY MUCH," she stammers. Zoro looks at her, slightly taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor.

The scene shifts to a tropical island. A narration box reads: "ON A CERTAIN ISLAND". A pirate screams "AGHHH!" as Dracule Mihawk (Hawkeyes) walks through their camp. Another pirate yells, "HAWKEYES! JUST WHAT'VE YOU COME HERE FOR!?" Mihawk, carrying his massive black sword on his back, walks calmly forward. "NO NEED TO GET ANTSY, I'VE NO BUSINESS WITH THE REST OF YOU. WHERE'RE YOUR OFFICERS?" he asks. Mihawk adds, "TO BE HANGING AROUND ON AN ISLAND SUCH AS THIS... YOUR CAPTAIN IS QUITE THE EASYGOING MAN..." A pirate runs away in a panic, shouting, "CAPT-AAAA-IIINNN!"

Mihawk approaches a shaded area where Shanks is sitting with his crew. Shanks, holding a drink, looks up and says, "HMM? AH, HAWKEYES. QUITE A RARE GUEST I'VE GOT TODAY." Shanks' expression turns serious as he asks, "I'M NOT IN SUCH A GOOD MOOD RIGHT NOW BUT... HAVE YOU COME FOR A FIGHT?" Mihawk replies, "HMPH... AS IF I'D WANT TO SETTLE THINGS WITH A MAN WITH ONLY ONE ARM." Mihawk holds up Luffy's new wanted poster and continues, "I CAME ACROSS SOME INTERESTING PIRATES, AND I WAS REMINDED OF THAT STORY YOU TOLD ME LONG AGO. THAT STORY ABOUT AN INTERESTING LITTLE KID IN A CERTAIN VILLAGE..." Shanks looks completely shocked, his eyes widening as he exclaims, "WHA!? YOU MEAN...!"

A large close-up shows Shanks smiling broadly, a look of pure joy on his face. "SO YOU'VE COME OUT AT LAST, LUFFY," he says. A caption identifies him: "CAPTAIN OF THE RED-HAIRED PIRATES RED-HAIR SHANKS". Shanks immediately turns to his crew, holding up a large mug of alcohol. "HEY, EVERYONE! LET'S DRINK! IT'S TIME FOR A PARTY!" he shouts. He then grabs Mihawk by the shoulder, insisting, "HAWKEYES! YOU SIT DOWN AND HAVE A DRINK TOO!" Mihawk looks exasperated and protests, "DRINK? BUT WEREN'T YOU GRUMBLING OVER YOUR HANGOVER JUST NOW!?" Shanks just laughs heartily, "YOU DUMBASS! HOW COULD A MAN NOT DRINK ON A DAY AS JOYOUS AS THIS!?"

The scene shifts to Fusha Village. A sign reads "FUSHA VILLAGE (LUFFY'S HOMETOWN)". The villagers are gathered around, excitedly looking at a newspaper. "LOOK. LUFFY'S BECOME A WANTED MAN," one says. "NOT BAD!" says another. "MAYBE OUR VILLAGE WILL BECOME KNOWN FOR BEING THE HOME OF A FAMOUS PIRATE!" "THAT'D BE GREAT!" Mayor Woop Slap angrily interrupts them, "STOP CELEBRATING, YOU FOOLS! JUST WHAT'S THERE TO BE HAPPY ABOUT HAVING A CRIMINAL COME FROM OUR VILLAGE!?" The villagers groan, "AHH, CHIEF!" Makino, holding a tray of drinks, smiles and says, "HAHA, BUT LOOK, CHIEF. LOOK HOW HAPPY LUFFY SEEMS." Woop Slap retorts, "A PIRATE IS A PIRATE!" Makino gently replies, "IT IS HIS DREAM, AFTERALL. ARE YOU WORRIED...?" Woop Slap takes a drink from his glass, looking serious and contemplative. "IS IT HIS DREAM... OR HIS FATE...?" he wonders aloud.

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