Episode 780

"A Hungry Front - Luffy and the Marine Rookies!" is the 780th episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
On the way to Whole Cake Island, the Sanji Retrieval Team becomes famished after running out of food. They come across Fron Island, where they stop to look for food, but they quickly find it is home to a Marine base.

On the Marine base, a hotshot Marine Captain named Grount arrives for his new assignment, quickly exasperating his comrades and his commander, Vice Admiral Prodi. Grount then runs into Bonham and Zappa, who used to serve with him under Admiral Aokiji. Luffy, Nami, Chopper, and Carrot don Marine outfits and sneak into the cafeteria to eat. However, they are quickly recognized after an altercation, and Grount excitedly prepares to fight Luffy.

Long Summary
After Luffy wasted all their food supplies, the Sanji Retrieval Team is quickly left starving, with Luffy famished to the point of even trying to eat Chopper. Pedro then sees an island from afar, and Nami realizes that it must be the island she spotted on the map in Zou. The team prepares to look for food there, but Pekoms reveals that the island, Fron Island, is home to a Marine base that keeps an eye on Big Mom and is full of hotshots. The team heads for the island's shore in the Shark Submerge III, with Pedro and Pekoms staying behind to guard the Thousand Sunny. On Fron Island, Vice Admiral Prodi and his men watch as a Marine ship carrying reserve forces draws closer to the island. However, an explosion suddenly hits the ship as the soldiers on it target one of their own. The target, Grount, has started attacking everyone, overpowering them with his speed and strength. To finish the rest of his comrades off, Grount activates the metallic attachment on his arm, which causes steam to exude from it and allows him to knock everyone out with extreme speed and power. Grount then jumps close to Prodi and tells him to send back the defeated forces due to them being too weak, which angers Prodi.

Meanwhile, Brook frightens a group of Marines into unconsciousness with his detached soul, and Luffy, Nami, Chopper, and Carrot put on the Marines' uniforms, though Luffy is hesitant. Brook then heads back to the Submerge, and Nami and Chopper look around the island, seeing the Marine ship that just arrived and also finding the building where the Marines store their food. In the Marine base, Prodi angrily contacts Garp, blaming him for sending Grount to the base, but Garp revealed that Grount requested it himself. After the call ends, Koby wonders to Garp why Grount requested to be stationed in such a remote area. Prodi then berates Grount for his reckless actions, asking the 17-year-old Captain why he asked to be transferred, and Grount stated his intention to take down Big Mom. Prodi is dismissive of Grount's high goals, calling him naive and noting that he served under Aokiji, belittling the former Admiral for deserting the Marines. Grount gets angry at Prodi for mocking Aokiji, having to be held back by Prodi's attendants. Prodi then tells his attendants to let Grount rest a while before he puts him on duty.

Outside, the Sanji Retrieval Team prepares to sneak into the Marines' food storage, but Luffy and Carrot end up going on ahead to the main base, where they come to the cafeteria. Grount then comes to the cafeteria as well, with his actions on the ship causing him to be ostracized by his comrades. Grount's attitude gets both sides riled up for a fight, but Bonham then steps in. Initially seeming like he would attack Grount, Bonam instead hugged his comrade, having previously served under Aokiji with him. He then pointed Grount to their other old comrade Zappa, who is hunched back and crying into his food due to having been rejected by every girl on the island. As this happens, Luffy and Carrot get excited when they see the food being served to them. Meanwhile, some other Marines find the Marines that the Sanji Retrieval Team knocked out and stripped, and report the scene immediately. Prodi receives the report and immediately tells his men to find the attackers' invasion route, activating every Video Den Den Mushi on the island before racing to the monitor room.

In the cafeteria, Grount eats his spicy curry. Nami and Chopper then enter, and are appalled to see Luffy and Carrot out in the open. The kitchen lady then notices the two of them and states they do not look familiar, which scares Nami and Chopper, but she mistakes them for new Marines and happily gives them food. Carrot then sees the two of them and calls out their names loudly, shocking Nami. Zappa hears Nami's name and quickly recognizes her in bewilderment. He then approaches her lovestruck, saying he knows who she is and holding up her bounty poster. Zappa proposes to Nami and tries to kiss her, but ends up kissing the kitchen lady's spoon as Nami runs away into the hall. Chopper goes with Nami as she recovers from the shock of Zappa's advances, and as Zappa starts crying again, Luffy grabs an entire bowl of curry, causing the Marines to shout in bewilderment. In the monitor room, Prodi notices the altercation and quickly recognizes Luffy. He then activates an alarm across the island, telling his forces that Luffy and his crew are here and ordering them to be captured. Meanwhile, Nami and Chopper run out of the Marine base, intent on getting supplies from the food storage room before they leave. Brook hears the alarm and is himself confronted by several Marines. Inside the cafeteria, the Marines confront Luffy and Carrot as Grount excitedly prepares to take Luffy down himself.

Anime Notes

 * The Sanji Retrieval Team goes to an island that Nami saw on a sea chart back in Episode 775.
 * Marine Captain Grount is stationed on Fron Island under Vice Admiral Prodi.
 * Grount seeks to take down Big Mom.
 * Grount and his comrades Bonam and Zappa used to serve under Aokiji.
 * Luffy, Nami, Carrot, Chopper, and Brook infiltrate the Marine base stationed on the island while Pedro and Pekoms watch over the Thousand Sunny.
 * Garp and Koby make their first post-timeskip appearance in the anime series. Prodi is close to Garp.
 * The Marines discover the Straw Hat Crew and Grount prepares to fight Luffy.
 * This is the first episode of the Marine Rookie Arc.