Episode 523

"The Shocking Truth - The Man Who Protected the Sunny" is the 523rd episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
Caribou is seen punishing the fake strawhats for making him join them instead of the Strawhats. Rayleigh is seen retracing the first time he met Gol D. Roger. Meanwhile Franky reaveals to the rest of the crew that Kuma had been protecting Thousand Sunny for the past two years. The episode ends with the attack of the Caribou pirates on Thousand Sunny.

Long Summary
The episode opens when the Caribou Pirates find the fake Straw Hats. Caribou attacks Drip (fake Sanji) and fake Sogeking subsequently tries to save him, but to no avail as Caribou has Logia-type Devil Fruit powers. Coribou, Caribou's brother, is digging graves with the rest of the Caribou Pirates. In another scene, Rayleigh remembers when he first met Gol D. Roger, a thought which causes him to shed tears; saying that the Straw Hat indeed looks even better on Luffy. Meanwhile, Sentomaru is seen reporting through a Den Den Mushi.He is seen saying that some of the Fake Strawhats and the Caribou pirates managed to get away because Rayleigh was blocking their way.He adds that two pacifistas were severely damaged by the real strawhats mentioning that one of the pacifistas fought against the strawhats two years ago.He is seen saying that the power of the pacifista did not change so he assumes that the Straw hats are back stronger than two years before. Next, the Straw Hat Pirates are seen sailing under the sea, where Franky tells them that upon his arrival he saw Bartholomew Kuma protecting the Thousand Sunny. He explains the reason why Hatchan was not there when they departed from the Sabaody to guide them to Fishman Island them saying that he was wounded while fighting against the marines so as to protect Thousand Sunny and that the Shichibukai had been protecting the ship for the past two years.

Meanwhile the Caribou Pirates' plan to kill the real Straw Hat Pirates is revealed as they are traveling through the water as well. Usopp spots their ship just as the Caribou Pirates' attack on the Thousand Sunny is launched.

Anime Notes

 * In the manga Rayleigh didn't hold a hipflask while meeting Roger during his flashback.