TIN-PLATE WAPOL

Snow falls heavily over the ocean as the Going Merry sails through the wintery waters. The wind howls around them. Usopp asks Zoro, "THE HECK ARE YOU ASKING, ZORO?" Zoro, looking out at the sea with a serious expression, replies, "CAN A PERSON STAND ON TOP OF AN OCEAN?" Usopp looks through his binoculars to see what Zoro is talking about and is stunned by what he sees. Sweating, he lowers the binoculars and asks, "THEN... HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT?" Luffy and Usopp both stare ahead with confused, blank expressions, uttering "WHAT?" and "HUH?" as they try to process the impossible sight before them.

Standing perfectly still on the surface of the freezing ocean is a strange man. He wears a thick winter coat with a dark vest, a bow slung over his shoulder, and a quiver of arrows. His face is highly unusual, featuring a distinct checkered pattern on the right side and a solid color on the left. Snow falls around him as he stands casually on the water, small splashes rippling at his feet with a "SPLASH" sound effect. Back on the Going Merry, Luffy and Usopp vigorously rub their eyes with a "rub rub" sound effect, completely in disbelief. Large exclamation and question marks appear between them as they wonder if they are hallucinating the man standing on the sea.

The Going Merry sails closer to the man standing on the water, the snow continuing to fall heavily around them. The man remains motionless as the ship approaches. A series of vertical panels shows the faces of the man, Usopp, Luffy, and Zoro, all staring in silence at the bizarre situation. Suddenly, the man speaks up in a casual tone, "QUITE COLD TODAY, ISN'T IT?" Luffy and Usopp jolt in surprise, completely caught off guard by the mundane greeting from a man standing on the ocean surface.

Usopp, sweating nervously and still trying to process the situation, replies to the man, "Y-YEAH, FOR REAL. IT'S FREEZING TODAY..." Luffy agrees, adding, "...YEAH IT IS PRETTY COLD TODAY." The man simply responds, "IS THAT SO?" Suddenly, exclamation marks appear over the heads of the man, Usopp, Luffy, and Zoro as they all sense something amiss beneath them. The Going Merry is shown continuing to sail through the snowy sea, but a low rumbling sound begins to emanate from the water.

From beneath the ocean's surface, a massive, dome-like structure begins to emerge right under the Going Merry. Inside the structure, a gruff voice commands, "INCREASING BUOYANCY!" and "RAISE THE SHIP!" The enormous vessel breaches the surface with a tremendous splash, lifting the Going Merry high into the air on its curved, metallic back. The sudden upheaval sends the Merry tilting violently, and Luffy screams "AHHHHHHH!" as he loses his balance and the ship is hoisted out of the water.

The Going Merry shakes violently as it is lifted out of the water. Luffy tumbles across the deck, yelling, "AGHH! WHAT'S THAT!? A WATERMELON!?" Inside the ship's cabin, Sanji struggles to stay upright while Vivi tends to a bedridden, sweating Nami. Sanji yells out to the crew on deck, "WHAT'S ALL THIS SHAKING!? HEY, HANG TIGHT TO THE HELM UP THERE! IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO NAMI, I'LL HAVE YOUR HEADS FOR IT!" Outside, Zoro grabs onto the railing to steady himself, looking down at the massive structure beneath them. "IS THIS THING... A SHIP...!?!" he wonders, as the Merry continues to tilt precariously.

The massive submarine fully surfaces, revealing itself to be a colossal, round pirate ship with large paddle wheels on its sides and a crown-shaped structure on top. The Going Merry is perched precariously on its massive deck, looking tiny in comparison. A booming voice laughs, "MAHA HAHAH AHA! SURPRISED!? HAS MY SUBMERSIBLE AMBUSH-SHIP 'TIN CAN KING' LEFT YOU SPEECHLESS!?" A large pirate flag unfurls in the foreground, displaying a skull wearing a crown and crossbones, signaling the arrival of a dangerous enemy.

Zoro looks annoyed, muttering, "WHY NOW OF ALL TIMES..." Luffy, clinging to the ship, exclaims, "A PIRATE SHIP!?" Usopp panics, yelling, "OH CRAP!" Inside the cabin, Sanji heads for the door, telling Vivi, "VIVI, I'LL LEAVE HER WITH YOU FOR NOW!" He bursts out onto the deck, demanding, "WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE!?" Luffy plainly states, "WE WERE AMBUSHED." Sanji calmly lights a cigarette with a "STRIKE!" and asks, "...WELL? WHAT'S GOING ON...?"

Sanji looks down at the deck of the massive enemy ship, where a large crew of armed pirates is gathered, aiming their rifles up at the Going Merry. He takes a drag from his cigarette and says, "YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I FIGURED... FROM THE LOOKS OF IT... WE'RE IN A REAL HURRY, YOU KNOW." Meanwhile, a large mouth is shown taking a massive bite out of the Going Merry's wooden railing with a loud "CRUNCH". A voice from the enemy crew observes, "HMM... THAT MAKES 4 PEOPLE IN TOTAL... THERE CAN'T BE ONLY 4 PEOPLE ON THIS SHIP..."

The captain of the enemy ship is revealed: a large, imposing man wearing a thick fur coat that resembles a hippo, and a metal jaw. He casually chews on the wooden railing he just bit off the Going Merry, the sound of "CRUNCH CRUNCH" filling the air. He swallows and says, "WELL, WHATEVER... LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING..." A caption introduces him as the "TIN CAN KING PIRATES CAPTAIN 'TIN-PLATE WAPOL'".

Wapol casually tosses a whole knife into his mouth and eats it, producing loud crunching sounds. Usopp screams in horror, "IT HURTS JUST LOOKING AT IT!" Zoro sweats nervously, and Luffy yells, "THE HELL!? HE ATE THROUGH THAT KNIFE WHOLE!" Wapol asks them, "DO YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE AN ETERNAL POSE OR EVEN A LOG POSE ON YOU? WE WISH TO HEAD FOR DRUM KINGDOM." Sanji replies, "NO... AND WE'VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THAT PLACE BEFORE... IF YOU'RE DONE ASKING, HURRY UP AND GO AWAY." Wapol smirks and says, "OH THERE'S NO NEED TO RUSH THROUGH LIFE LIKE THAT... WELL, IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, THEN I MIGHT AS WELL TAKE ALL YOUR TREASURES AND YOUR SHIP INSTEAD." Luffy reacts with a shocked "WHAT!?"

Wapol continues, "BUT HOLD ON... I'M FEELING A BIT PECKISH..." He opens his massive, metal-plated mouth incredibly wide and lunges at the side of the Going Merry. With a loud "CRACK!", he takes a huge bite out of the ship's hull. Sanji is stunned, exclaiming "WHA!?" Usopp screams in panic, "WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THIS DUDE!?" Wapol happily chews on the large chunk of wood he just tore from the ship, making loud "CHEW" and "MUNCH!" sounds.

Luffy furiously grabs Wapol by his metal jaw and pulls him back, yelling, "DON'T EAT OUR SHIP!" Wapol, still chewing, mumbles, "OHH! YOU EVEN HAVE AN ANCHOR ROPE FOR ME!" Wapol's crew immediately raises their rifles, aiming at Luffy. A man with a large afro, Kuromarimo, yells, "DON'T YOU DARE MOVE! HIS HIGHNESS IS IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS MEAL!" Luffy snaps back, "SHADDUP!" The crew shouts, "HE'S RESISTING! SHOOT!"

Usopp waves his hands frantically, trying to de-escalate the situation, "W-WAIT! I'M SURE WE CAN TALK THIS OUT!" Sanji, however, grins and cracks his knuckles, saying, "SHOULD'VE DONE THIS FROM THE BEGINNING. SO CAN I BEAT THEIR ASSES NOW?" Zoro draws his sword with a confident smile. Down on the enemy ship, Kuromarimo scoffs, "FOOLS RUSHING TO THEIR DEATHS..." Chess, the man with the checkered face, adds, "HA. STARTING THE BATTLE THEMSELVES...?"

Inside the cabin, Vivi hears the commotion and gasps, "GUNSHOTS!?" Karoo quacks in alarm. Vivi tells the duck, "CARUE! KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON NAMI! I'LL BE BACK RIGHT AWAY!" Outside, the battle has begun. Sanji delivers a powerful kick to a pirate's face, shouting "RECEPTION!" Zoro swiftly slashes through another pirate, remarking, "YOU OUGHTA LEARN SOME MANNERS... HMPH, ALL TALK AND NOTHING TO SHOW FOR..." A panicked pirate yells out, "SIR, THESE PIRATES ARE..."

Wapol ignores the fighting and continues to eat the Going Merry, remarking, "THIS SHIP AIN'T BAD..." Luffy charges at him, yelling, "AHHHH! STILL TRYING TO EAT OUR SHIP!?" Wapol's men laugh at Luffy's attempt, "HAHAHA! THAT IDIOT THINKS HE CAN FIGHT HIS MAJESTY! HE'LL BE EATEN ALIVE BY THE POWER OF THE 'BAKU BAKU FRUIT.'" Luffy shouts, "HEY YOU!" Wapol turns around, "HM?" and opens his massive mouth wide, catching Luffy mid-air. Luffy is swallowed whole, leaving only his legs sticking out.

Vivi bursts out of the cabin, asking, "SHE'S... WHAT'S GOING ON!?" She finds Zoro standing casually among a pile of defeated pirates, his sword resting on his shoulder. Zoro greets her, "OH HEY, VIVI. HOW'S NAMI DOING?" He then notices something strange, "HM? WHAT'S THIS LONG THING HANGING OUT?" It's Luffy's arm, stretched incredibly long and hanging out of Wapol's mouth. Wapol is struggling to chew on Luffy, muttering, "HMM... A TOUGH ONE TO CHEW THROUGH, AREN'T YOU..." Luffy's stretched arm begins to retract rapidly as he yells, "WHY YOU..." Vivi watches in shock.

Luffy's arm snaps back with immense force, and he delivers a powerful punch right into Wapol's face, sending the large captain flying backward off the ship. Luffy bursts free, yelling, "GET OFF OF MY SHIP!" Wapol's crew watches in horror as their captain is launched into the air, crying out, "YOUR MAJESTY...!?" Vivi stares at Luffy in awe, thinking, "THAT MAN IS...!"

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