Episode 2

'''The Great Swordsman Appears! Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro' is the second episode of the One Piece'' anime. It covers Chapter 3 (1-21/21), Chapter 4 (1-19/19) and Chapter 5 (1-8, 16-19/19) of the manga version.

Short Summary
Luffy and Koby find Zoro tied and starving. A little girl trespasses the field to offer him some rice ball when Helmeppo, the son of the Marine’s base Captain Morgan, shows the fear and power that his father’s name give him. Rika tells Luffy that the reason why Zoro is tied is because he stood up for her and her mother and the three would be spared if he could resist a month; promise that Helmeppo had no intent of keeping. Luffy infiltrates the base looking for Zoro’s sword but finds 3 and returns outside in time to save Koby and Zoro from being shoot by Morgan’s men.

Character Appearances
In order of appearance:
 * Luffy
 * Koby
 * Zoro
 * Rika
 * Helmeppo
 * Soro
 * Ririka
 * Nami
 * Captain Morgan
 * Kuina (flashback)
 * Rokkaku
 * 3rd Class Clumsy Man

In-Depth Summary
Luffy and Koby land on the town that has the Marine base where Roronoa Zoro is being held prisoner and they notice that the townspeople are afraid of him and of the Marine in charge, Captain Morgan. They find Zoro tied in an open field beside the base, Zoro see them and orders them to go away.

A little girl climbs over the fence and offers Zoro a pair of rice balls when Helmeppo enters the field and takes a bite of a rice ball. Helmeppo notices that the rice ball is coated with sugar and he throws it to the ground, stomping it. He makes Rica, the girl, cry and proclaims that there is a punishment set by his father for entering the field, ordering a soldier to throw the girl over the wall and Luffy catches her before she hits the ground.

Helmeppo leaves the field and Luffy tries to recruit him to his pirate crew. He refuses but asks Luffy to give him the rice ball and to thank Rica. Later Rica explains that Zoro is being punished for hurting Helmeppo’s pet while it was attacking Rica at her mother’s restaurant. Helmeppo offers him that the girl and her mother would not be executed if Zoro can survive a month tied. However Luffy hears Helmeppo saying that he would execute Zoro which angers him. Luffy hits Helmeppo and he vows to recruit Zoro.

Helmeppo goes to his father crying while Luffy insists once more to Zoro to join. Luffy infiltrates the base looking for Zoro’s sword by Rocketing to the roof, where Captain Morgan’s men are trying to erect a giant statue of him. Luffy grabs the statue and the Marines lose control of it. The statue breaks in two and falls from the tower. Before Morgan can attack Luffy, he grabs Helmeppo and drags him to the base, while Koby enters the field to untie Zoro.

Nami also infiltrates the base, looking for a map of the Grand Line but it was already stolen by Buggy’s pirates. Meanwhile, Luffy finds 3 swords in Helmeppo’s room and take all 3 before seeing that Morgan and his men are aiming to kill both Zoro and Koby. He jumps out of the window in time to stop the bullets, bouncing them back because of his rubber body.

4Kids Version
The 4Kids Version of this episode was dubbed “Roronoa Zolo: Pirate Hunter” and aired on September 25, 2004. It had the Pirate Rap as opening and the Pirate Rap Instrumental version as Ending.