Episode 44

"Setting off with a Smile! Farewell my Hometown, Cocoyashi Village!" is the 44th episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
Arlong's reign of terror is over, and no one has anything on their mind except to party. As the crew celebrates, Nami reflects on her hometown and decides to officially join the Straw Hat Pirates.

Long Summary
The entire island is in celebration over the defeat of Arlong and the Fishman Pirates  While all this is going on, Doctor Nako operates on Zoro, all the while lambasting him and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates for not taking better care of themselves nor having a doctor in their crew. Luffy comes calling, looking for Nami, and Nako says she's probably at Bellemere's grave.

At the grave, Nojiko joins Nami and Genzo. Nami then asks a question. "Would Bellemere mind terribly if I went out to sea as a pirate?" Genzo replies, "Of course she'd protest!", but Nojiko then says it wouldn't matter. Nami wouldn't care what she would've said anyway, as her intention is pretty clear. Genzo concedes and tells Nami to live her life by her choices, just as Bellemere did.

The celebration continues for several days. By this time, Zoro's mobile again and drinking. Luffy goes looking for more food, and Sanji enjoys having a meal he didn't have to cook for once before going looking for ladies. And Usopp leads some cheers and tells some stories. Nojiko talks with Chabo, the boy who lost his father to Arlong. He's somehow gotten over wanting revenge and instead realizes once the celebration ends they'll have to pick up the pieces and get back to living their lives. Meanwhile, Nako's now working on Nami: particuarly her left shoulder. Not only is he treating the self-inflicted knife cuts, but at her request he's also removing the Fishman Pirate tattoo. But the doctor notes there will still be a scar on her shoulder. Nami thinks back to when she first got the tattoo: how she felt so ashamed over it, only to learn later that Nojiko got a tattoo of her own, so they wouldn't be so different. So then Nami gives Nako a slip of paper, saying it has a new tattoo design to put on her shoulder in its place.

Later, Genzo pours out a drink on Bellemere's grave as a libation and tells her spirit that she'd be proud of Nami and Nojiko. He also notes that the the island will soon begin learning how to live free again. Just then, Luffy arrives at the grave site looking for some more food and unaware just where he's ended up. Genzo then addresses him, realizing Nami will leave with him tomorrow, and telling him if he should ever take away Nami's smile, he will personally seek him out and kill him. Luffy assures him that'll never happen. Meanwhile, back at the village, everyone's enthusiasm is finally conquered by exhaustion. For the first time in several days, Cocoyashi Village sleeps: quietly, peacefully.

Back at her house, Nami prepares a huge sack: it's all the money she'd been saving to buy back the village from Arlong. She leaves a note on it. Since she no longer has to buy back the village, she's instead leaving the money to the village. She goes to the picture of Bellemerre, Nojiko, and herself and thinks back. For a while, she imagines Bellemere sitting at the table, smiling at her. So she talks as if she's there, noting that not only is Cocoyashi Village finally free, so is she. She then recalls her dream of mapping the world. With Arlong Park destroyed, all the maps she drew for Arlong went with it, so she's back to square one: the first map of the island she drew so long ago. But she doesn't mind starting over because now all the maps she draws will be hers alone: each one a step towards her dream. But this also means she may not return for some time. At that, Nami tears up. But as she starts to leave, she feels something like a helpful little push on her back. Did Bellemere wordlessly tell her to just go for it? Nami thinks so.

Luffy and the crew stock up the Going Merry. Usopp notes that, despite not being here all that long, it feels like they'd been on the island for much longer. Yosaku and Johnny bid their farewells here, as they need to return to bounty hunting; Zoro wishes them luck. All they're waiting for now is Nami. Some of them wonder if Nami will actually join them, which upsets Sanji since she's one of the main reasons he's sailing with them. The villagers, here to see them off, wonder where she is, too, and Genzo is surprised to learn Nami left all her money behind.

Just then, everyone spots a figure in the distance. It's Nami, dressed athletically in a T-shirt and shorts. She yells for the crew to set sail, so Luffy gives the order. As they raise anchor, Nami breaks into a run. Suddenly, everyone realizes what she's doing; she's trying to avoid a long goodbye by making a mad dash straight for the ship! Despite everyone's attempts to stop her, she dashes past the villagers, Genzo, Nako, and Nojiko, and with one incredible leap, manages to make it onto the departing Merry. Everyone is awestruck. Then Nami lifts her shirt a little. Numerous wallets fall out. One by one, all the villagers realize to their greater shock that Nami had stolen everyone's money while she was running past them! As Nami cheerfully says goodbye, the entire village screams simultaneous farewells and curses at Nami's parting stunt. As Nami and the Straw Hats start heading out, Genzo reminds Luffy of his promise: never take away Nami's smile. Once they're gone, Nojiko is the first to admit Nami pulled a real fast one on the village there. Then Nako reveals Nami's new tattoo to Genzo: a stylized pinwheel, with a tangerine hanging off one arm. Both realize the tattoo represents the closest people Nami ever had to family. Nojiko then notes that Genzo isn't wearing his pinwheel. He replies he doesn't need it anymore, seeing as how he started wearing it in the first place to draw a smile out of the then-infant Nami. So he's left it in a more appropriate place: Bellemere's grave.

Anime Notes

 * Nami officially joins the Straw Hat Pirates
 * This is the last episode of the Arlong Park Arc.

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Episodi 44