Episode 873

"Pulling Back from the Brink - The Formidable Reinforcements Germa!" is the 873rd episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
The Vinsmoke Family gets to work fighting against Oven's army on Cacao Island and seeing Sanji and Luffy off, and Brûlée reveals to her crewmates that Luffy defeated Katakuri. Despite the army's relentless effort to avenge Katakuri, Sanji and Luffy ultimately make it off the island and fly toward the waiting Sunny.

Long Summary
With Ichiji, Niji, Yonji, and Reiju between them and their targets Sanji and Luffy, the Big Mom Pirates open fire on the Vinsmoke siblings. However, the bullets harmlessly bounce off of them, and Ichiji tells Sanji to take Luffy off the island, with the Vinsmokes claiming the Big Mom Pirates as their prey. Oven wonders how they are here, having heard that they were defeated by Nusstorte's army. The Vinsmokes reveal that they defeated the army and tossed them all into the water, stunning Oven's army as well as Mont-d'Or and Niwatori, who are overhearing the exchange through Den Den Mushi. The latter two start panicking, wondering who had called them to falsely proclaim their victory over Germa and unsuccessfully trying to contact Nusstorte's army.

Spurred on by his siblings, Sanji breaks off toward the coast with Luffy, and uses Sky Walk to take to the air. Some of the Charlotte Decuplets fire torpedoes at them, but Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji combine their strength to destroy the projectiles. The Tartes surrounding Cacao Island find themselves under attack by Judge and the Germa Kingdom fleet, and the pirates on Smoothie's ship wonder if they should go help them. However, Smoothie sticks to pursuing the Thousand Sunny, and her crew is joined by Daifuku. On the Sunny, Nami wonders if Germa are their allies or enemies, and the crew is contacted by Sanji. Being unable to get closer to Cacao Island, the crew is tasked by Sanji with staying around the harbor until he can get to them.

Oven's army chases after Sanji and Luffy, and Brûlée is intent that they succeed, revealing to everyone in tears that Luffy had beaten the once undefeated Katakuri. This revelation leaves everyone in the army completely aghast, and this shock eventually turns to anger as the Big Mom Pirates seek to avenge their crewmate and brother. Sanji works to avoid their relentless attacks, but is shot in the arm, and an enraged Oven charges ahead and attacks Sanji and Luffy with a flaming naginata. However, Ichiji then comes in and hits Oven and several other Big Mom Pirates with explosive blasts, and he tells Sanji to keep going. Remembering how his brothers attacked him for being weak, Sanji keeps going as Oven's crewmates check on him. Sanji takes to the air again and is confronted by Yuen, but before Yuen can attack with his staff again, Yonji comes in and destroys it before grabbing Yuen and extending his arm to swing the pirate through several buildings, defeating him. One member of the army then shoots a missile at Sanji and Luffy, but Niji comes in and speeds them away, striking down several Big Mom Pirates with his electricity-imbued sword in the process.

After making it out of the town, Niji throws Sanji and Luffy toward the ocean, sending them flying away at a high speed. As Sanji and Luffy fly over the blockade fleet, Brownie tells his men to shoot at them, but they are promptly attacked by Reiju, who uses her poison abilities to take them down and shield Sanji and Luffy from their attacks. She then joins them in midair, and tells Sanji to hold on tight to Luffy, remembering how she freed him from the Germa Kingdom and told him to find people who would appreciate him and his kindness. Sanji and Luffy make it out to sea as the Vinsmokes continue fighting the Big Mom Pirates, and the Sunny crew gets excited as the two of them come into view.

Anime Notes

 * The anime adds the following:
 * As Sanji and Luffy are getting away right after the arrival of Sanji's siblings, the male decuplets target the two Straw Hats with bazookas. Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji then use Black Bug to intercept the bazooka fire.
 * Judge ordering his soldiers to attack the Big Mom Pirates' ships. In the manga, he did not appear until he defended the Thousand Sunny from Smoothie.
 * As Nami questions about Germa's presence, Brook wonders if Reiju came to show her panties.
 * Reiju speaking to Sanji one last time.
 * A scene of Ichiji clashing fists with Oven.
 * Sanji and Niji's last conversation is extended in the anime.
 * In the manga, Reiju only helped Sanji by using Pink Hornet on some of the Big Mom Pirates. In the anime, she also saves him from bazooka fire.