One Piece Theme (4Kids)

The One Piece Rap, officially titled One Piece Theme and sometimes referred to as the Gum-Gum Rap or the Pirate Rap, was the opening theme used in the 4Kids Entertainment dub of One Piece. It was rapped by Shawn Conrad - better known by his stage name "Freshco" - with singing parts by Russell Velàsquez.

Despite releasing an English version of We Are! in early promotional material, 4Kids decided to use this theme in all episodes of their English dub. It was mostly accompanied by visuals from the first and second Japanese openings, mixed in with footage from the anime itself.

Certain lyrics and visuals were revised at the end of the Baratie Arc, and again at the end of the Drum Island Arc, to reference new members of the Straw Hat Pirates. Another, possibly earlier version was used for the video game One Piece: Grand Battle (the 4Kids translation of One Piece: Grand Battle! Rush!) with unrevised visuals but slightly different lyrics.

An abridged instrumental version of the song was also used for the dub's closing credits.

Lyrics
All versions begin with the following narration by Eric Stuart (with Gold Roger voiced by his regular voice actor Frederick B. Owens).

''There once was a man named Gold Roger, who was King of the Pirates. He had fame, power, and wealth beyond your wildest dreams. Before they hung him from the gallows, these were the final words he said:''

"My fortune is yours for the taking, but you'll have to find it first. I left everything I own in One Piece."

Ever since, pirates from all over the world set sail for the Grand Line, searching for One Piece, the treasure that would make their dreams come true!

Original
YO!

Ya-yo, ya-yo!

''Dreamin'! Don't give it up, Luffy!''

''Dreamin'! Don't give it up, Zolo!''

''Dreamin'! Don't give it up, Nami!''

Dreamin'!

Don't give it give it up give it up give it up give it up give it up give it up give it UP!

Here's how the story goes, we find out

'bout a treasure in the Grand Line, there's no doubt

The pirate whose eye is on it, he'll sing

I'll be King of the Pirates, I'm gonna be King!

''Ya-yo, ya-yo, ya-yo... oh-ho...''

His name is Luffy

(That's Monkey D. Luffy!)

Gonna be king of the pirates!

He's made of rubber!

(How did that happen?)

Yo-ho-ho, he took a bite of Gum Gum!

Ya-yo, ya-yo...

His name's Zolo, he's just like a samurai

And a L-A-D-Y Nami's not shy

The pirate crew, comin' through, doin' their thing

With the king of the pirates, he's gonna be king!

Ya-yo, ya-yo, ya-yo, oh-ho...

Set sail for One Piece!

It's the name of the treasure

In the Grand Line!

Ya-yo, ya-yo...

Set sail for One Piece!

First Revision
YO!

Ya-yo, ya-yo!

''Dreamin'! Don't give it up, Luffy!''

''Dreamin'! Don't give it up, Zolo!''

''Dreamin'! Don't give it up, Nami!''

Dreamin'!

Don't give it give it up give it up give it up give it up give it up give it up give it UP!

Here's how the story goes, we find out

'bout a treasure in the Grand Line, there's no doubt

The pirate whose eye is on it, he'll sing

I'll be King of the Pirates, I'm gonna be King!

''Ya-yo, ya-yo, ya-yo... oh-ho...''

His name is Luffy

(That's Monkey D. Luffy!)

Gonna be king of the pirates!

He's made of rubber!

(How did that happen?)

Yo-ho-ho, he took a bite of Gum Gum!

Ya-yo, ya-yo...

His name's Zolo, he's just like a samurai

And a L-A-D-Y Nami's not shy

Usopp's doin' that marksman thing

Sanji's cookin' for the would-be King!

Ya-yo, ya-yo, ya-yo, oh-ho...

Set sail for One Piece!

It's the name of the treasure

In the Grand Line!

Ya-yo, ya-yo...

Set sail for One Piece!

Second Revision
YO!

Ya-yo, ya-yo!

''Dreamin'! Don't give it up, Luffy!''

''Dreamin'! Don't give it up, Zolo!''

''Dreamin'! Don't give it up, Nami!''

Dreamin'!

Don't give it give it up give it up give it up give it up give it up give it up give it UP!

Here's how the story goes, we find out

'bout a treasure in the Grand Line, there's no doubt

The pirate whose eye is on it, he'll sing

I'll be King of the Pirates, I'm gonna be King!

''Ya-yo, ya-yo, ya-yo... oh-ho...''

His name is Luffy

(That's Monkey D. Luffy!)

Gonna be king of the pirates!

He's made of rubber!

(How did that happen?)

Yo-ho-ho, he took a bite of Gum Gum!

Ya-yo, ya-yo...

His name's Zolo, he's just like a samurai

And a L-A-D-Y Nami's not shy

Usopp's doin' that marksman thing

Sanji's cookin', Chopper's doctoring!

Ya-yo, ya-yo, ya-yo, oh-ho...

Set sail for One Piece!

It's the name of the treasure

In the Grand Line!

Ya-yo, ya-yo...

Set sail for One Piece!

Grand Battle Version
YO!

Ya-yo, ya-yo!

''Dreamin'! Don't give it up, Luffy!''

''Dreamin'! Don't give it up, Zolo!''

''Dreamin'! Don't give it up, Nami!''

Dreamin'!

Don't give it give it up give it up give it up give it up give it up give it up give it UP!

Here's how the story goes, we find out

'bout a treasure in the Grand Line, there's no doubt

The pirate whose eye is on it, he'll sing

''I'll be King! I-I'll be Pirate King!''

''Ya-yo, ya-yo, ya-yo... oh-ho...''

His name is Luffy

(That's Monkey D. Luffy!)

Gonna be king of the pirates!

He's made of rubber!

(How did that happen?)

Yo-ho-ho, he took a bite of Gum Gum!

Ya-yo, ya-yo...

His name's Zolo, he's a samurai

And a L-A-D-Y Nami's the sly

The pirate crew, comin' through, doin' their thing

With the King, with the kid gonna be Pirate King!

Ya-yo, ya-yo, ya-yo, oh-ho...

Set sail for One Piece!

It's the name of the treasure

In the Grand Line!

Ya-yo, ya-yo...

Set sail for One Piece!

Reception
The reaction to the One Piece Rap has always been mixed. While it was praised for being an alternative to the Japanese pop introductions used by the original version, it was down-rated due to its lyrics. Reviewing the Viz DVD release for DVD Talk, Todd Douglass cited replacing the Japanese theme with "a crappy rap song" as a negative aspect of the 4Kids dub. A version prior to the release of the 4Kids dub included a line referring to Zoro as "a samurai", but this was changed prior to the dub's premiere. As crew members joined the Straw Hat Pirates over the time, the lyrics were revised to add the new characters, which critics complained of making the song sound awkward and rushed at time. Further criticism was pulled into question over why it was continued to be used over the original Japanese songs or another alternative song.

Trivia

 * Editing inconsistencies can be seen when it shows Mihawk; in the dub, the hilt of his blade was changed to look less cross-like, but in this opening Mihawk's blade is unedited.
 * The original song could be heard on the old 4Kids corporate site at 4KidsEntertainment.com, and was later released by Cherry Lane Records as part of the digital album Music From 4Kids TV on October 18, 2005, sharing a track with fellow 4Kids originals Be A Pirate and You Can't Turn the Tide.

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