The title page features the One Piece logo at the top left with a skull wearing a desert headscarf. Next to it is the chapter title, "Flavor of Sand." The page is divided into several panels showing the Straw Hat crew dressed in desert attire. In the top right panel, Luffy wears a headscarf and drinks from a small barrel using a straw. In the middle left panel, Zoro stands with his swords resting over his shoulder, wearing a striped shirt and a headscarf. In the bottom left, Nami winks while holding up a small glass bottle. Next to her, Usopp holds a tool and looks surprised, wearing goggles over his headscarf. To his right, Vivi smiles as she writes in a notebook, with Karoo the duck visible in the background. In the bottom left corner, Sanji is shown in profile, smoking a cigarette while wearing a hooded jacket. In the bottom right corner, Chopper holds a large knife and a piece of food, wearing his signature pink hat.
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This page is a full-color version of the previous title page. The One Piece logo is colored in yellow and orange. Luffy's headscarf is blue, and he wears a red shirt. Zoro's headscarf is yellow, and his striped shirt is black and white. Nami wears a pink top and gold jewelry. Usopp's headscarf is brown, and his goggles have gold rims. Vivi wears a light blue dress. Sanji's hooded jacket is purple. Chopper's hat is pink, and he holds a red and white piece of food.
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In the desert town of Yuba, Nami smiles brightly and says, "Sure thing!" Toto, the old man, smiles warmly with tears in his eyes and says, "Please do come visit once the town is set up! Well, I guess we should say good-bye for now, Vivi." A wide, detailed panel shows the partially buried, ruined buildings of the Yuba oasis under the bright sun, with sand dunes encroaching on the structures. Vivi looks at Toto with a concerned expression and says, "Vivi..." (Wait, the bubble says "Vivi..." pointing to Toto, and Vivi says "Toto..."). Toto hands her a small folded piece of cloth or paper and says, "Please don't worry anymore."
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Vivi smiles brightly, a small bandage visible on her forehead, and declares with determination, "I'll stop the rebels no matter what!" Luffy, wrapped in his desert scarf and sporting a bandage on his cheek, looks on with a serious, focused expression. Toto, with tears streaming down his face, says, "Thank you, Vivi!" Sanji, Chopper, and Zoro stand nearby, listening quietly to the exchange, their faces partially shadowed by their desert gear.
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Inside a room, the crew is settling down to sleep. Usopp stretches his arms wide and yells, "Good work, crew! You must all be exhausted by now so why don't we all get some rest, So we have enough energy for tomorrow!?" Sanji, lying down, retorts, "Some talk comin' from someone who was sleeping until now!" Zoro, sitting up angrily, yells back, "YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT! I PASSED OUT BECAUSE I WAS FREAKIN' EXHAUSTED! YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?" Sanji replies, "SORRY I'M NOT FREAKISHLY STRONG LIKE YOU MONSTERS!" Zoro challenges him, "Oh, so it's a fight you want, is that it...?" Sanji points at Chopper and yells, "AND DON'T JUST INSULT ME FOR PASSING OUT WHEN BLUE-NOSE OVER THERE TAKES THE TOP PRIZE FOR THAT TODAY!" Chopper looks shocked. Nami, holding her head, screams, "I TOLD YOU! I'M NOT GOOD WITH THE HEAT!" Vivi stands near Sanji's bed and says, "Umm, Sanji, this is my bed..." Sanji immediately swoons and says, "Oh, I assumed you might need someone to comfort you while you sleep so I..." Usopp yells, "AND WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING OVER THERE!?" A pillow is thrown at Zoro's face. Zoro yells, "HEY! WHO JUST THREW THAT PILLOW! YOU'VE GOT SOME GUTS!" Nami yells, "SOME PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET A LITTLE SHUT-EYE HERE!" Usopp joins the chaos, yelling, "OH THAT'S IT! YOU'RE ALL OOONNN!" The room devolves into a massive pillow fight and brawl.
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Outside in the dark, Toto is digging in the sand. Luffy's voice calls out, "Yo old man! I still don't see any water! Ugh, my throat's soooo dry. I'm surprised you can manage to survive in a place like this." Toto continues digging and says, "The water will come... The Yuba Oasis is still alive." Toto digs deeper, saying, "Yuba won't be defeated by the likes of sand... I'll dig the oasis back up as many times as it takes... Because this is the land the king himself specially entrusted to me...!" Luffy is also seen digging a hole nearby. Toto says, "Alright! Let's keep digging!" Toto then notices sand flying into his hole and yells, "HEY STOP! You're getting all the sand in my hole!" Luffy pauses and says, "Hmm..." Toto says, "Hm?" Luffy asks, "Are you TRYING to fill up my hole!?" Toto replies, "No, I'm trying to dig."
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Toto yells angrily, "Yes I know that but you're getting sand in my hole!" Luffy retorts, "There's no point in digging if you're also going to fill up the very hole I dug already!" Toto screams, "NO! Oohhh... So your hole is some kinda magic hole, is that what you're saying?" Suddenly, Luffy falls asleep while digging, his head sinking into the sand and creating a swirling funnel. Toto looks on in absolute shock. The scene cuts back to the room where the rest of the crew is now fast asleep, snoring loudly in a pile of blankets. A large bubble reads, "SNOOOOREEE!"
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The scene shifts to a lavishly decorated room with a long dining table and a chandelier. Mr. 2 Bon Clay is spinning rapidly on one foot. Someone yells, "STOOOP, JOOOKING AROUND!" A man with a bald head and stitched face (Mr. 1) asks, "How long is he planning on making us wait!?" A woman with dark curly hair (Miss Doublefinger) says, "The least he could do is give us an octofait in the meanwhile!" Mr. 2 continues spinning and says, "Well, I'm just going to stand here and spin! Spin, spin, spin like a beauuutiful swan!" Mr. 1 says, "Mr. 2, could you please just wait quietly?" An older, stout woman (Miss Merry Christmas) yells, "That's right! All yer' yappin' is makin' my hips ache to hell!" A large, round man (Mr. 4) slowly laughs, "Fo... Fo... Fo... Fo..." A voice says, "That goes for you too, Ms. Merry Christmas."
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Miss All Sunday (Nico Robin) enters the room wearing a cowgirl hat and a fringed coat. She chuckles, "Fufufu... I suppose asking you to all get along is impossible. Then again, There's no need for that either..." Mr. 2 stops spinning and greets her, "Oh heeellooo there, Ms. All Sunday! How ya doin'!?" Miss Merry Christmas yells at him, "Didn't I tell you to pipe down idiot!?" Mr. 1 asks, "Ms. All Sunday...? Where exactly are we," Miss All Sunday stands at the head of the table and says, "Thank you all for taking the long trip out here for this meeting. It's quite a sight seeing you agents all gathered in one place." She continues, "Oh that's right. You don't know because Banchi brought you here using the back door... I'm sure you've all heard of it before though. The city where travellers come to gamble in hopes of getting rich... I welcome you officer agents to Rainbase, the city of dreams..."
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Miss All Sunday continues speaking over a wide exterior shot of a bustling city. "And the building you're in right now, Is sitting right in the middle of the Rainbase oasis." The panel shows a massive pyramid-shaped building with a giant crocodile statue on top. The sign above the entrance reads "CASINO". Miss All Sunday says, "Rain Dinners, The largest casino in Rainbase...! Casino 'Rain Dinners'".
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Inside the meeting room, Miss All Sunday says, "If you have no further questions, then let's get the meeting underway." Mr. 2 says, "Fine by me!" Miss Merry Christmas impatiently yells, "Start the damn meeting already! Start! Begin! Go!" Miss All Sunday adds, "But of course, there's someone I must introduce to you before that... The boss whom you've known nothing about except his codename..." A large figure sits behind a translucent screen at the head of the table. Miss All Sunday says, "Until now, I've been acting on his behalf to keep his identity a secret, But there's no longer a need for that... You understand why, don't you...? The end is near, that's why..." The agents react with shock and confusion as the figure behind the screen begins to stand up. "WHA!?"
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The figure steps out from behind the screen, revealing himself to be Crocodile, smoking a cigar and wearing a large fur coat. He announces, "OPERATION, UTOPIA. That is the name of the final plan, We the Baroque Works shall carry out." The agents are completely stunned. Mr. 1 sweats and exclaims, "CROCODILE!?"
Miss Doublefinger looks surprised and says, "Ah, good... So you're all already familiar with the man himself." Mr. 4 says, "We've got a real big-name here now..." Miss Merry Christmas yells, "Of course we know him! But more importantly, why would one of the Shichibukai be..." Mr. 2 looks shocked and says, "So we were following a pirate's orders all along!?" Mr. 1 glares and asks, "'You're' our boss...?" Crocodile stares them down with a menacing grin and asks, "ANY COMPLAINTS?"
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Miss Doublefinger clarifies, "We're not complaining here. We're just confused why a Shichibukai, A pirate officially sanctioned by the World Government, would go all the way out and form a criminal organization..." Crocodile sits down and says, "What I desire isn't money or land... IT'S MILITARY MIGHT!" Mr. 2 looks confused and repeats, "Military might...?" Crocodile lights his cigar and says, "Allow me to explain from the beginning, My true objective and the full picture behind the final operation of Baroque Works..."
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An exterior shot of the Rain Dinners casino is shown. Mr. 2 says, "There's really something like that here in this country!? And we're gonna be stealing it along with this entire country!? Why, I'm giddy as a little schoolgirl now!" Mr. 1 asks, "So in short, our objective this time is to ensure the successful completion of this plan, correct...?" Crocodile slides envelopes across the table to the agents. "Correct. Everything you've ever done for Baroque Works, Was all to build up for this final operation. Inside the letter in front of you are the final orders I shall leave to you." He declares, "THE TIME TO END THE KINGDOM OF ALABASTA HAS COME..."
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The agents—Mr. 4, Miss Merry Christmas, Mr. 2, Miss Doublefinger, and Mr. 1—each open their envelopes and read the contents. They then hold the letters over the candelabra on the table, burning them to ashes. Miss Doublefinger says, "Once you've carried out those orders, They too, will fall into the hands of Baroque Works!" Crocodile grins evilly and says, "Within a single night, This country shall become our 'Utopia!' And once the rebels and citizens of Alabasta have lost their place to go, This kingdom shall crumble on its own...!"
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Crocodile stands at the head of the table, addressing the agents. "Operation Utopia will be the last and greatest plan carried out by Baroque Works! Failure will not be tolerated. The operation will begin tomorrow morning at 7!" The agents stand and salute or acknowledge the order, saying in unison, "Roger...!" Crocodile smiles menacingly and says, "I PRAY FOR OUR SUCCESS."
Back in Yuba, the sun is up. Toto stands with the Straw Hats, who are packed and ready to leave. Toto says, "Forgive me for the shameful sight yesterday, Vivi..." Vivi replies, "Oh, you don't need to apologize for that. Well... We'll be off then, Toto." Toto says, "Right... Oh Luffy, take this with you." He hands Luffy a small, round canteen. Luffy's eyes bulge out in excitement as he yells, "WATER!? WATER!" Toto explains, "Yes. Shortly after you fell asleep while digging that hole, I finally managed to reach a layer of moist earth... The water I gave you is from distilling a portion of that." Luffy smiles widely and says, "Thanks, mister! I didn't really understand all that stuff you just said but I'll treasure this water!" Toto smiles warmly and says, "It's genuine Yuba water... I'm sorry there isn't anymore to give than that right now..."
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The crew begins walking away across the dunes. Suddenly, Luffy sits down heavily against a dead tree, crossing his arms. Usopp turns back and yells, "LUFFY! What do you think you're doing!?" Vivi looks concerned and asks, "...? Is something wrong, Luffy?" Luffy looks serious and simply says, "Mmn... I quit." The rest of the crew stops and stares at him in shock, exclaiming, "WHAT?"
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This page features a fan art gallery. It includes various drawings submitted by readers, such as Chopper, Nami, Luffy, Dalton, and other characters, along with Japanese text and submission addresses.
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No description for this page.
End of chapter21 pages
Discussion
p8Ms. All Sunday addresses multiple Baroque Works agents at a long table.
p9Rain Dinners casino is located in the center of the Rainbase oasis.
p9The casino has a distinctive pyramid shape with striped exterior.
p10A hidden boss figure sits on a throne in the meeting room.
p10Sudden impact occurs inside the Rainbase meeting room.
p11Crocodile is revealed as the true boss of Baroque Works.
p11Crocodile sits on a throne inside the Rainbase meeting room.
p12Crocodile is revealed as the true boss of Baroque Works agents.
p12Agents react with shock upon learning Crocodile's identity.
p13Crocodile slams hook on table during meeting.
p13Crocodile sits in throne-like chair while addressing agents.
p14A massive crocodile-headed structure appears in the chapter.
p14Crocodile distributes final operation orders via letter.
p15Crocodile outlines plan for Alabasta to collapse internally.
p15Agents receive orders to act after the kingdom falls.
p16Baroque Works agents gather around a round table for a planning meeting.
p16Crocodile leads the meeting at the head of the table.
p16Operation Utopia is declared the final and greatest plan.
p17Toto gives Luffy a small package in Yuba.
p17Villagers discover water after digging in the sand.
p17Vivi apologizes for an earlier incident.
p18Luffy suddenly kicks a withered tree in Yuba.
p18Luffy declares he quits after the action.
p18Vivi and villagers react with shock to Luffy's statement.
What is said, page by page
p0Title page displays chapter title 'Flavor of Sand.' with no spoken dialogue.
p1Title page displays chapter title 'Flavor of Sand.' with no spoken dialogue.
p2Vivi agrees positively to a request with cheerful intent.
p2Igaram invites future visit and begins farewell to Vivi.
p2Igaram calls out to Vivi with emotional tone.
p2Toto reassures Igaram not to worry anymore.
p3Vivi declares determination to stop rebels with confident mood.
p3Hooded woman remains silent with ellipsis.
p3Chopper thanks Vivi with grateful tone.
p3Sanji begins statement while looking aside.
p4Tall man cheerfully suggests the crew rest now to recover energy.
p4Black-haired man angrily defends himself after being insulted for passing out.
p4Woman retorts that the man is picking a fight.
p4Sanji complains someone is in his bed while he slept.
p4Nami tells Sanji he is not good with heat.
p5Old man states the water will return and Yuba Oasis remains alive.
p5Luffy complains about thirst and questions how the old man survives.
p5Old man declares he will keep digging because the king entrusted the land to him.
p5Old man insists Yuba will not be defeated by sand.
p6Luffy suggests the hole might be magic.
p6Old man shouts that there is no point filling the hole being dug.
p6Luffy insists the old man is getting sand in his hole.
p6Loud snoring sound comes from sleeping figure indoors.
p7Mr. 2 declares he will keep spinning like a swan.
p7Agent complains that Mr. 2's talking makes hips ache.
p7Agent asks Mr. 2 to wait quietly.
p7Agent suggests Mr. 2 give an octofait while waiting.
p7Ms. Merry Christmas is told the comment applies to her too.
p8Unseen voice states there is no need for further action with casual tone.
p8Unseen voice laughs and notes that asking agents to get along is impossible.
p8Unseen voice teases Ms. All Sunday with playful greeting.
p8Unseen voice scolds another agent to be quiet.
p8Ms. All Sunday calmly thanks all agents for traveling to the meeting.
p8Bald agent asks where they are located.
p8Ms. All Sunday remarks it is unusual to see all agents gathered together.
p8Ms. All Sunday welcomes agents to Rainbase the city of dreams.
p8Ms. All Sunday notes the building sits in the Rainbase oasis and mentions back door entry.
p9Voice states the building sits in the middle of the Rainbase oasis.
p9Voice declares Rain Dinners is the largest casino in Rainbase.
p10Ms. All Sunday states she must introduce the boss known only by codename.
p10Unseen voice orders the dawn meeting to start immediately.
p10Unseen voice agrees to begin the meeting.
p10Voice suggests starting the meeting if there are no further questions.
p10Ms. All Sunday says there is no longer need to keep the boss identity secret.
p10Voice states the end is near.
p11Crocodile declares the final plan name is UTOPIA.
p11Crocodile states the plan name is OPERATION.
p11Crocodile announces that Baroque Works shall carry out the final plan.
p11Agents shout Crocodile's name in shock and disbelief.
p12Robin questions why a Shichibukai would lead a criminal group, firm and serious tone.
p12Galdino notes arrival of a major figure with excited grin.
p12Robin confirms the group already knows the man, satisfied smile.
p12Bald agent realizes Crocodile is their boss, shocked disbelief.
p12Galdino stammers in fear upon recognition.
p12Crocodile roars about following a pirate's orders, furious outburst.
p12Crocodile demands any complaints in close-up glare, threatening intent.
p13Robin notes a sanctioned pirate forming a criminal group and expresses confusion.
p13Cloaked figure shouts that the goal is military might.
p13Crocodile states he desires neither money nor land.
p13Crocodile offers to explain his true objective and final Baroque Works operation.
p14Crocodile confirms the plan objective with the group.
p14Galdino laughs about stealing something valuable along with the country.
p14Crocodile declares the time to end Alabasta kingdom has come.
p14Crocodile states the letter contains final orders for the agents.
p15Crocodile states the kingdom will crumble on its own.
p15Crocodile explains that rebels and citizens will lose their place.
p15Crocodile declares the country will become their Utopia in one night.
p15Crocodile concludes that Alabasta will fall into Baroque Works hands.
p16Unseen speaker announces operation start time tomorrow at 7 with serious tone.
p16Unseen speaker declares Operation Utopia as Baroque Works' greatest plan and warns against failure.
p16Off-panel voice responds Roger to the announcement.
p16Crocodile states I pray for our success with intense grin and commanding mood.
p17Toto offers package to Luffy with friendly intent.
p17Luffy responds Right to the offer.
p17Vivi apologizes for previous shameful sight.
p17Villager explains reaching moist earth layer after Luffy fell asleep.
p17Villagers shout WATER in excitement.
p17Hooded woman states it is genuine Yuba water with limited supply.
p18Vivi yells at Luffy asking what he is doing.
p18Villagers ask if something is wrong with Luffy.
p18Luffy flatly states I quit with wide-eyed expression.