Chopper's Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals

Chopper's Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals (珍獣島のチョッパー王国) is a theatrical feature, originally released on March 2, 2002. As suggested by the title, it focuses heavily on Tony Tony Chopper, though with a status quo wholly separate from the canon. In both its theatrical and home releases, it is bundled with the otherwise-unrelated short Dream Soccer King.

Like most of Toei's early movies, Chopper's Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals was never dubbed into English. Its only 'official' English-language release remains a 2014 Manga Entertainment box-set compiling the first three movies with optional subtitles.

Synopsis
Tales of a glorious treasure lead the Straw Hat Pirates to Crown Island, a lush wilderness filled with animals that can think like men. By a stroke of fate, Tony Tony Chopper is separated from his crewmates, and inadvertently fulfills a prophecy heralding the island's lord and protector, the King of Beasts.

Now revered by the island's inhabitants - particularly a pirate-hating boy named Mobambi - Chopper finds himself torn between his new "kingdom" and his place with the Straw Hats. In time, however, all of them are swept up in the machinations of Count Battler, a greedy invader hunting for the treasure through the bloodiest means imaginable.

Extended Summary
Following a lead on an old treasure map, the Straw Hat Pirates set sail for the little-known Crown Island, all eagerly anticipating a new adventure - except Chopper, who worries over every possible danger. As the others teasingly question his resolve as a pirate, the Going Merry suddenly begins shaking. Rushing above-deck, the Straw Hats find the sea erupting with dozens of massive geysers, one of which directly strikes the Merry and launches it high into the air.

In midair, Nami sights land, and identifies it as Crown Island - so named for the crown-like ring of steam its surrounding geysers produce. Seconds later, the Merry starts falling, knocking all the Straw Hats off-balance. To his crewmates' horror, Chopper is flung off the deck entirely; though he tries to grab onto the crow's nest, he only succeeds in tearing off the Straw Hats' flag before vanishing into the island's forests.

The Merry proceeds to crash-land on the island's far shore, leaving the remaining Straw Hats dazed but otherwise unharmed. As they collect themselves, several bizarre-looking animals approach, including a Bald Parrot. To the Straw Hats' surprise, the parrot speaks with human faculty, introducing himself as an elder among the island's intelligent animals.

For many years, these extraordinary creatures have maintained their own society, with the mighty, golden-horned Kirin-Lion as king - until he passed of old age. Now, much of the populace has gathered in a ceremonial circle, patiently awaiting their next king in line with an ancient prophecy:

When the island bears a crown, the Heavens shall bestow upon us a new King of Beasts.

Still lingering in the Kirin-Lion's burial cave, however, is the island's only human inhabitant, a small boy named Mobambi. In time, he is coaxed out of mourning by his closest friend Karasuke, a human-sized crow (and the only other animal on the island capable of human speech). Together, they join the ceremony - whereupon Chopper tumbles from a nearby cliff, landing in the exact center of the circle. His scream of pain mistaken for a cry of "king" (王), Chopper is promptly crowned the King of Beasts.

Heaped under royal regalia (with the torn flag serving as a cape), Chopper tries to protest, but falters when faced with Mobambi's overjoyed praise - and pleas to help the island's injured. Soon, news of the new king races across the island, setting off a huge celebration that draws in the other Straw Hats. Though confused (and unaware of Chopper's involvement), the Straw Hats allow themselves to be swept along, Usopp even improvising crude animal costumes to help them "blend in" with their hosts.

The reverie, however, is quickly shattered by a herd of "Horn-Eaters" - heavily-armored beasts whose brutal stampedes have already killed most of the island's elders. As everyone flees, the Straw Hats realize the Horn-Eaters are being drawn to the fake horns on Luffy's costume. Panicked, Luffy snaps them off, but throws them (much to his crewmates' exasperation) straight ahead, leading the Horn-Eaters to trample him anyways.

Meanwhile, Chopper tends to the island's injured with Mobambi, but still insists on returning to the Straw Hats. On learning the Straw Hats are pirates, Mobambi furiously begs Chopper to stay with "his people" as king; as a stunned Chopper listens, Mobambi recounts how his father, a naturalist, had been killed by a pirate years ago. Mobambi himself, forced to watch, had survived just long enough to run aground on Crown Island, where - with only the wreck and a locket photograph to remember his father by - he was adopted and raised by the Kirin-Lion.

Elsewhere on the island, the other Straw Hats stumble across a cliff-side camp where the Horn-Eaters have been trapping and trampling scores of horned animals. The leader of this camp proudly introduces himself as Count Battler, and boasts of how he has been mass-harvesting all the horns he can find with his equally ruthless (and pompous) aides President Heaby and General Hotdog - for one of those horns is the fabled treasure of Crown Island, said to contain a power that can shake worlds.

Suddenly realizing his ego has betrayed too much, Battler deploys the special violin with which he controls the Horn-Eaters. Unexpectedly, the violin's hypnotic song also seizes Luffy's mind; before the Horn-Eaters can attack, Luffy falls under a blind rage, hurling himself and his crewmates over the cliff and toward a crocodile-filled river. Once out of the song's range, however, Luffy regains his faculties and handily breaks their fall with his rubber body.

Recovering on a drifting log, the Straw Hats find dozens of dehorned animals sprawled along the riverbanks - the remains of Battler's harvest. As they discuss Chopper's wellbeing, they see the Bald Parrot flying overhead, and quickly accost him for leads. Though staggered, the parrot agrees to take them to the King of Beasts, unaware they are being trailed by Battler and his aides.

A garbled version of these events soon reaches Mobambi and his friends, who call on Chopper to fend off the approaching "invaders" - much to Chopper's dismay. At Mobambi's pleading, Chopper steels himself and tries to stand his ground, but nevertheless loses his nerve at the last second. An instant later, however, he is relieved to find the "invaders" are none other than his crewmates.

The Straw Hats are surprised to find out that Chopper is the Animal King. Chopper tells the animals that the Straw Hats are safe, and so he leads the Straw Hats over to a great feast so they can eat together. Mobambi demands what's so great about the Straw Hats, and when the animals hear that they are pirates and when Luffy asked for meat, the animals flee in terror thinking Luffy is going to eat them. Nami asks Karasuke about the treasure of Crown Island, but Usopp says that they should just grab Chopper and leave.

At that moment, there is a large blast, and so the Straw Hats and the strange animals run to see what it is. They see Battler and his henchmen down below, Battler holding up a logbook that he found. He reads the book and finds out that the power resides within the horns of the Animal King. Battler spots the Straw Hats and the strange animals up above, and he demands where the Animal King is. He starts playing his violin, and so the Horn Eaters start charging. Chopper cannot take it, and he leaps down, landing in front of Battler, declaring himself as the Animal King. Battler stops playing the violin, but Hotdog refuses to believe that Chopper is the king. Chopper tells Battler to call off the Horn Eaters, but Battler replies that he only will if Chopper defeats them. Meanwhile, Sanji, Luffy, and Zoro are stuck behind, as Luffy is wedged in the doorway, very fat from eating too much. Zoro and Sanji struggle to push him through but are unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, Usopp takes out his Usopp Boomerang and hurls it at Battler, but Battler leans back to avoid it. Chopper then charges at the Horn Eaters, then turns to run, leading them away from the strange animals at the cliff above. He runs off into the woods, the Horn Eaters giving chase. Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy arrive, and Zoro and Sanji run off to go help Chopper. Luffy says that Mobambi should go help too, but Mobambi says that he is not strong enough, remembering that he was helpless when his father was killed by pirates. Usopp declares that it does not matter if one is strong or not. Luffy, Usopp, and Nami then run off to go after Chopper.

Chopper shifts between his three Points to flee from the Horn Eaters, but sees that they are quickly catching up, with Battler, Hotdog, and Heaby on their backs. Mobambi turns to the strange animals and suggests that if they all fought, they might be able to help out Chopper. The green bird says that they will pick a new Animal King amongst themselves instead. Luffy, Nami, and Usopp continue their pursuit of Chopper, running across fragile stone columns which collapse under their feet. Chopper comes to a dead end and thinks about Hiriluk, then turns and finds Battler, Hotdog, and Heaby right behind him.

Hotdog punches Chopper, sending him flying. Heaby then swings his chain sword at Chopper, but Chopper narrowly avoids each swing. The platform Heaby is attacking Chopper is then smashed loose by Sanji, as Sanji stands before Heaby, declaring himself as the Prince. Zoro also arrives, picking up Chopper, but when Hotdog attacks Chopper is sent flying again. Zoro stands up to Hotdog and tells Chopper to run for it, but as Chopper starts to run, Battler lands on him and grabs his horns. Luffy bursts onto the scene, sending Battler flying with a Gomu Gomu no Rocket. Usopp and Nami arrive as well.

Battler begins to play his violin, hypnotizing Luffy, but Nami and Usopp yell in his ears to snap him out of it. The Horn Eaters are still hypnotized, though, and they charge at Nami, Usopp, and Luffy, sending Luffy flying. Meanwhile, Mobambi sits in the cave of the Kirin Lion, and just as he reaches for the horns of the former Animal King, Karasuke runs in to stop him. Mobambi says that if he does not do what he was going to do, Chopper will be killed, but Karasuke protests that Mobambi will be exiled from the island. The green bird stands outside the cave, saying that they must entrust the new Animal King. Mobambi protests that they are just leaving Chopper to die, but the green bird says that the power belongs to the Animal King and not to humans. At that moment, Sanji and Heaby square off in a cave, Sanji avoiding each swing and stab that Heaby takes. Sanji aims a kick at Heaby, but Heaby fades away and reappears behind Sanji, slashing him repeatedly.

Also at that time, Hotdog manages to bind up Zoro in his spiked ball and chain weapon, delivering several kicks and punches to Zoro. Usopp and Chopper continue to run from the Horn Eaters, and Nami calls to them from ahead. Usopp sees that Chopper is becoming tired, so he kicks Chopper to safety, then takes out his Usopp Boomerang, holding it like horns in front of his head, and uses it to taunt the Horn Eaters. He runs and then casts the boomerang away, making the Horn Eaters chase after it. Nami tells Usopp to fire some gunpowder at the pile of boulders on top of the nearby cliff, so Usopp does so and the Horn Eaters are contained, surrounded by boulders on all sides.

Meanwhile, Luffy looks for Chopper, wondering where he went. He sees Mobambi. While this is going on, Battler locates Chopper again, and he chases Chopper down. As he knocks Chopper down, he is about to end it when Mobambi arrives, holding up the golden horn of the Kirin Lion. Mobambi runs, luring Battler away. Mobambi leaps across a chasm with a lava pit at the bottom, him and Battler plummeting into it. Karasuke dives down and catches Mobambi, flying upward, but Battler fires his chain weapon and wraps it around Karasuke's leg. Karasuke cannot support the weight, and all three of them fall toward the lava below.

Luffy arrives and stretches his arms down the chasm, grabbing onto Karasuke and lifting both of him and Mobambi out of the chasm. The horns Mobambi was carrying, however, flew off his back in the process of everything, and Karasuke notices they are gone. As it turns out, Battler devours all of the horns, and he turns into a giant golden beast with fiery horns on his head.

At that moment, Sanji falls in front of Heaby, cut up badly by Heaby's sword. Sanji says that as long as there is someone to protect, he will risk his life in battle, and he spits his cigarette in Heaby's face, then delivers a series of harsh kicks to Heaby. Heaby collapses to the ground, shocked that Sanji could still fight after being attacked so much, and then lies still, defeated. Sanji then states that compared to "his", Heaby's sword is a "piece of shit". Also going on is Zoro's battle with Hotdog, and Hotdog delivers a hard spinning kick to Zoro to finish him off, causing Zoro, still bound, to fall into the water.

However, Hotdog looks behind himself and sees Zoro standing behind him, and Zoro sheds his chains, since Hotdog's kick broke them. Zoro draws his swords and swaps a few blows with Hotdog, but then falls to his knee, exhausted. He tears off his shirt and so Hotdog leaps at Zoro, but Zoro knocks him back. Hotdog gets back up to deliver another attack, but Zoro uses Tatsumaki, slashing up Hotdog and defeating him at last. As Zoro sheaths his swords, he says that he knows someone with much more powerful kicks than Hotdog, but that someone is a "pain in the ass".

As Battler rises up as a great beast, Luffy leaps with a Gomu Gomu no Pistol, but is struck down. Battler leaps through the air and plows down toward him, and Luffy is sent flying back. Battler proceeds to take several vicious swings at Luffy, Luffy barely able to keep up. Battler successfully gores Luffy with his horns, then flicks his head back and sends Luffy flying, who barely manages to cling onto the edge of the cliff. Battler demands why Luffy continues to fight, and Luffy replies that it is for Chopper. Luffy's handhold crumbles, and he plummets down to the chasm below, causing Battler to laugh.

Chopper takes a piece of paper out of his hat, looking at a picture of Hiriluk's pirate flag. Chopper stands up to Battler, telling Battler that he will not forgive him, but Battler laughs it off. Chopper shifts to Heavy Point, then eats a Rumble Ball and begins battle with Battler. As Battler takes several hard swings at Chopper, Chopper shifts into Jumping Point and avoids them all. When he is struck, Chopper shifts to Guard Point, not taking a scratch. He then switches to Arm Point and uses Kokutei Roseo, striking Battler between the eyes. Battler is unaffected and slams Chopper to the ground, who returns to Brain Point.

Suddenly, Mobambi jumps into action and starts hitting Battler, but Battler tosses him away. Chopper is struck down as well, and Mobambi runs to Chopper, trying to help him up. Battler then proceeds to say that he knew Mobambi's father, being an old colleague of his. He says that Mobambi's father made an unwise decision and kept the secret of the treasure from him, so Battler killed Mobambi's father. Mobambi recognizes Battler's weapon from the day that he saw his father killed, and realizes that it was indeed Battler who killed his father. Mobambi calls Battler a pirate, but Battler replies that he would never accept being called a pirate. Mobambi then declares that he will protect Chopper, and he leaps at Battler, clinging onto his arm. Battler crunches Mobambi in his hand, making Mobambi cry out.

Suddenly, there is a great rumbling, and the strange animals from all over the island come charging toward the site of the battle. Battler strikes the ground with his horns, cracking it up so the animals cannot reach him. However, standing among them is Luffy, very furious, and he delivers a hard strike to Battler's face. Luffy then uses Gomu Gomu no Gatling Gun to strike Battler repeatedly in the chest, but Battler declares that it is no use. Luffy grabs Battler by the horns, lifting the great beast above his head, and smashes the horns in his hands. Battler quickly starts becoming a human again, and Luffy uses Gomu Gomu no Bazooka, sending Battler flying off into the distance, defeated at last.

With this, everyone cheers, and Mobambi thanks Luffy, as now he has become a little stronger, but says that he will probably have to leave the island for taking the Kirin Lion's horns. Mobambi apologizes to the animals for what he did, but they place the Animal King crown upon his head, declaring him as a hero. Mobambi asks Chopper to stay with them on the island, but Chopper replies that he is a pirate. Suddenly, there are more underwater eruptions, and a great bell begins to ring as the wind blows. The smoke around the island suddenly takes the shape of a golden crown, and the animals are shocked to see that the heavens have acknowledged Mobambi as the new Animal King. Chopper says that he and Mobambi can still be friends despite going different ways, and so they both begin to cry, as it is time for them to say goodbye.

Later, the Going Merry is shown with lots of food on board, and the Straw Hat Pirates talk about the great party they had after the defeat of Battler. As they head toward the new island, Usopp jokes to Chopper about the kind of monsters they may encounter, and so Luffy declares that they will move full speed ahead as the movie ends.

Release and Reception
Chopper's Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals was released as a double feature with Digimon Tamers: Runaway Locomon at Toei's 2002 Spring Anime Fair. Though it did not perform as well as its predecessor, it nevertheless contributed to a ¥2 billion gross.

Eiichiro Oda attended a preview screening of the film, and praised it in the March 11, 2002 issue of Weekly Shonen Jump.

Promotional materials for the film included several exclusive cards for the Carddass collectible card game, as well as a novelization and a soundtrack CD.

Continuity Notes

 * While One Piece films as a whole are generally not considered canon, Chopper's Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals is the first to openly contradict canon elements:
 * Despite the focus on Chopper, neither Nefertari Vivi nor Nico Robin - whose times with the Straw Hat Pirates almost completely overlap with his - appear. The only canon period of non-overlap was the conclusion of the Alabasta Arc, where Robin hid in the Going Merry's cabin and let the Straw Hats sail an unspecified distance before revealing herself; however, this period was implied to be very short, and the Straw Hats occupy the cabin at least once during the film.
 * Indeed, the Alabasta Arc goes completely unreferenced aside from Sanji's "Mr. Prince" sunglasses (which are ultimately broken and discarded); Nami even wields her old wooden staff instead of the Clima-Tact.
 * In addition, Luffy at one point bounces off the surface of a river by inflating his body, a technique with little (if any) basis given the canon weaknesses of Devil Fruit users.

Trivia

 * Pandaman makes two brief appearances:
 * Once during the stampede after Trumpet Pig appears
 * Again while striking a pose in the background after Usopp wonders why his crewmates are not taking to his (poorly) self-made animal camouflage costumes.
 * This movie contains a rare instance of mixed pairing in the battles. Traditionally, Zoro fights the swordsman, while Sanji battles the martial artist. In this movie, it is switched—Sanji battles the swordsman, while Zoro duels the martial artist. Interestingly enough, though they would never say it to one another, each one compliments the other's strength after their respective fights.
 * Apart from Chopper, all of the Straw Hats' outfits in this film are drawn from earlier sources - Luffy's, Zoro's, and Usopp's from Color Walk 1's cover; Nami's from Chapter 111's color spread; and Sanji's from a 1999 Shonen Jump cover (later reused for Volume 11).
 * The final scene also depicts Nami and Sanji in their respective Color Walk 1 outfits.
 * This is the first film to feature an original song for the end credits, rather than reusing songs from the TV anime.
 * The end credits are also the first to exclude teasers for upcoming storylines, instead playing a set of vignettes based on the Straw Hats' childhoods.
 * In the ending, there is a clear shot of Chopper as an ordinary reindeer calf after being cast out of his herd before he met Hiriluk. He was not shown with a clear appearance when shown as a calf in the manga and anime, and when Eiichiro Oda drew Chopper as a child, he seemed to draw him more cartoonishly than how Chopper is seen in the movie's ending.
 * Many scenes shown in the trailer for this movie were not used in the final version, either cut or re-animated entirely (such as Battler's transformation into a beast).

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