Episode 43

"The End of the Fish-Man Empire! Nami is My Friend!" is the 43rd episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
After an arduous battle, Arlong and the fish-men have finally been defeated. Luffy heartily welcomes Nami back as a member of his crew. Meanwhile, Nezumi requests for a bounty placement on Luffy.

Long Summary
Luffy and Arlong continue their battle. Arlong attacks Luffy ferociously with his Kiribachi, forcing Luffy into a room on the top floor of Arlong Park. Arlong confidently believes that he now has Luffy trapped with nowhere to run.

Noticing that the room is unusual, Luffy comments on how it's filled with paper. Arlong tells him that those aren't just any papers - the room was the room where Nami drew her maps. Arlong marvels at Nami's talents and declares that Nami is his friend. Luffy responds indignantly that Nami is their Navigator. The argument continues, as Arlong laments how Luffy is wasting Nami's talent.

Mid-fight, Luffy notices a blood-stained pen. Making the connection that Nami must have been abused while being forced to draw maps for Arlong, he grips the pen tightly. Arlong, oblivious to Luffy's growing anger, insists that Nami will continue to draw maps for his plans of world domination; the fish-men would "use" her better than Luffy ever could. Luffy's fury erupts at Arlong's utilization of the word "use," and, with rage-fueled strength, shatters a tooth on the Kiribachi. Arlong falters.

Outside of Arlong Park, the villagers worry about Luffy, unable to spectate the fight in the map-room. Arlong once more assures Luffy that Nami gets all she wants by being with the fish-men, and will forever remain his tool - or, rather, his "friend". The thoroughly nettled Luffy, upon hearing this, begins an attempt to utterly eradicate the map-room.

Nami, from the foot of the tower, watches as the room is destroyed and its contents emptied out into the wind. She thinks back to the horrible memories she had of that room, where she had been abused, insulted and forced to work for the pirates she hated. Tearing up, she whispers her thanks to Luffy.

A furious Arlong attempts to stop Luffy from annihilating the maps, along with the fish-man's ambitions. They continue their battle, Luffy firmly announcing that he needs to help Nami, by erasing the existence of that room that had caused her so much grief. With a final Gomu Gomu No Ono, Luffy incapacitates Arlong. The impact razes the entirety of Arlong Park to the ground.

The villagers, stunned at the demolition of Arlong Park. wonder who had won the fight. Luffy rises from the wreckage, inquiring at the top of his lungs if Nami was his friend. Choking back tears, Nami answers powerfully: "Yes!". Realization finally dawns on the villagers that the tyrant of Cocoyashi Village had been defeated and Arlong Park had finally fallen. Amidst the emotional jubilation and reunion of the Straw Hats, the corrupt Marine Nezumi arrives. Scorning the Fish-Men for being defeated by "silly pirates", the Marine attempts to claim Arlong's bounty and riches, but is promptly walloped by Luffy, Zoro and Sanji. Nami also joins in and thrashes Nezumi for what he did to Nojiko and the tangerine farm.

Nami demands that Nezumi clean up the Fish-Mens' mess, reconstruct Gosa Village, return her money and distribute Arlong's riches amongst the people. At the mercy of the Straw Hats and angry villagers, Nezumi agrees to everything. After he had retreated to a safe distance, the Marine proclaims that he would make Luffy sorry, promising that Luffy would be "become big" for messing with him. Vastly misunderstanding, Luffy agrees and wonders how Nezumi had known Luffy was going to be the pirate king. Zoro comically tries to correct Luffy, while Usopp wonders anxiously what would happen if they became notorious.

News of Arlong Park's fall spreads quickly, igniting celebration and joy across the island. Genzo muses over the irony in the village's saviors being pirates. Memories of Arlong's reign of tyranny resurface as he remembers Nami's "joining" of the Arlong pirates and the villagers' powerful resolve to fight Arlong together. At the same time, Nako comments that Bellemere's soul can finally ascend to heaven.

Shortly after, Nezumi is seen calling the Marine Headquarters and reporting Luffy and his comrades. Greatly exaggerating their viciousness and warning the Marines to beware, he requests that a high bounty be placed on Luffy's head.

Anime Notes

 * 4Kids combined part of Japanese episode 42 with Japanese episodes 43 and 45 to make 4Kids episode 39.

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Episodi 43 Gyojin Teikoku no Owari! Nami wa Ore no Nakama da!