Episode 981

"A New Member! Knight of the Sea Jinbe!" is the 981st episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
Jinbe starts his duties as the Straw Hats' helmsman. The allies discuss the plans for the raid while the Straw Hats raid a fortress.

Long Summary
The Straw Hats are happy to welcome Jinbe into their crew. Jinbe parted ways with the Sun Pirates after they helped the Straw Hats escape Totto Land. He remembers when he first met Luffy at Impel Down, as well as when he saved Luffy from Akainu during the Summit War. After the war, Jinbe was the one who helped him restore his will again after he lost his brother. He reunited with Luffy on Fish-Man Island, where he gave him a life-saving blood transfusion. He decided to leave the Big Mom Pirates so he could serve Luffy. In present day, he takes the helm and begins steering.

The allied fleet starts to near Onigashima. Shishillian leads the Minks and Hyogoro leads the samurai. The allies gather in a circle on Law's submarine and Kin'emon discusses the plan. Onigashima is an island surrounded on all sides by mountains except for a single passage at the front, which is guarded at a torii gate. The castle, shaped like a skull, has a back entrance that could be entered, being less heavily-guarded than the front entrance. The allies would enter the front gate, use the mountain paths to reach the back entrance, and crash Kaidou's banquet to assassinate him.

Law proposes a better plan. Luffy and Kid would burst through the front gate as decoys. A second decoy would be sent around the mountain paths to the back entrance. The other allies would sneak in by water with Law's submarine, then be teleported into the island with Law's ability. Kin'emon and Denjiro would each lead a decoy group going around the castle.

The Straw Hats stop by an enemy fortress just in front of Onigashima where the its torii gate is located. The Thousand Sunny attaches its anchor to the gate before the Straw Hats set foot onto the island. All of them, except for Nami, Usopp and Chopper, decimate the enemy troops.

Anime Notes

 * The anime adds the following:
 * A recap of some of Jinbe's past moments are shown.
 * The Straw Hats noticing, approaching, and arriving at the port at the front of Onigashima.
 * The following are extended:
 * The Straw Hats' fight against the Beasts Pirates enemies at the port of Onigashima.