Grand Times

The Grand Times (グランドタイムズ) is a One Piece recap supplement which is presented in a newspaper format. The fictional publisher of the paper is known as Blueberry Newspaper Company (ブルーベリー新聞社).

The first known installment, labelled as Total No. 1160 Issue, was released in the Weekly Shonen Jump in 2006 during a one-week break between Chapter 435 and Chapter 436. It went over facts already known to the series, acting both as a reminder to long time readers of events that have happened as well as being an introduction to newer readers.

Other installments were later released together outside Shonen Jump, alongside the supplementary One Para. Different from the first one, each one of these were single-paged.

Bounties
As well as featuring the bounty spread released with Chapter 435 it also recapped several known bounties throughout the series. The Times noted that the Straw Hats had done a big crime against the World Government which would not go unnoticed. On top of that, it mentioned their captain now has a bounty that rivals the Seven Warlords of the Sea and how they had come to achieve the bounties thus far.

The change in Luffy's bounty was noted to also effect how people will view him such as the Warlords, Shanks and Whitebeard upon hearing about it. Blackbeard was also mentioned as being a chaotic force, a pirate with an unknown bounty and a strange presence surrounding him.

The Times also recapped how a pirate gets a bounty. When a pirate commits a crime, it is straight away reported by a Marine via Den Den Mushi that a pirate has committed a crime (a note was made that in Luffy's case, the Marine who reported him wasn't much better). Afterwards, an investigation is led on the said island where the crime was committed. All crimes are examined, facts check and the threat level is determined. The one who decides the amount is Major Brannew at Marine Headquarters.

Mentioned bounties
Within the article, it mentioned a few known bounties of certain characters at the time, classifying them according to their values. It however does not mention all the known bounties in the One Piece world.

20,000,000 ("The East Blue limit") 50,000,000 ("World Threat Class") 100,000,000 ("CP9 Assignment Class") 300,000,000 ("Seven Warlords of the Sea Class")
 * Tony Tony Chopper (50)
 * Buggy (15,000,000)
 * Nami (16,000,000)
 * Don Krieg (17,000,000)
 * Arlong (20,000,000)
 * Sogeking (30,000,000)
 * Sarquiss (42,000,000 (sic))
 * Franky (44,000,000)
 * Bellamy (55,000,000)
 * Sanji (77,000,000)
 * Nico Robin (80,000,000)
 * Crocodile (91,000,000 (sic))
 * Roronoa Zoro (120,000,000)
 * Bartholomew Kuma (296,000,000)
 * Monkey D. Luffy (300,000,000)
 * Donquixote Doflamingo (340,000,000)

Pirate Ships
It mentioned that at Water 7 a ship was being built to rival Gol D. Roger's ship the Oro Jackson. Since the Times was written as a bystanders point of view, they neglected to mention Franky and the Galley-La company were building it.

The recap chapter described the Going Merry and its dangerous and harsh life cycle. It mentioned that the Straw Hats were likely to endure even worse. It listed the damages at Reverse Mountain, against Hina and her ships, the Skypiea Arc damage, and the various cannon fire she suffered.

With the combined efforts of both the Galley-La company and the Franky Family, shipbuilding history was changing. For the Straw Hats, it was great that they had both of Tom's former apprentices working together as both were equally skilled and would make sure their ship had both good quality materials and the latest technology. It also mentioned how Tom loved building ships and that both of them had inherited that love.

The writer also "interviewed" Iceburg, asking him what is needed for a pirate ship to be considered "outstanding". Iceburg mentioned that pirate ships originate from normal ships and as such, are not that different, but proceeded to give the writer three conditions: one, "intimidating appearance", such as using stern figureheads to strike fear into the hearts of their foes thus making them easier to deal with, citing Krieg Pirates' ship, still unnamed at the time, as an example; two, "equipments", as most pirate ship battles sooner or later turn into hand-to-hand combat situations, and usually the ship with the most methods of holding back the foe (via gadgets and weaponry) will win the fight, citing Sexy Foxy as an example; and three, "small-scale war capabilities", since pirates also rely on the element of surprise more than anything, after that it is down to the offense and defense of either side as to how events play out in the pursuing fights, citing Maxim and Bliking as examples.

Iceburg then concluded that, no doubt, the strongest ship had to be Oro Jackson, (which was made from Adam Wood) as it was the only ship that ever went around the Grand Line.

D Genealogy
The Times recapped on the seven men featured so far who carry the initial D in their name, calling it the hidden line. It also described that they started off as only ripples in the water which later impacted the world as a giant tsunami. The relationship between the monster rookie (Luffy) and his parent (Dragon) was described as being an odd but noble one.

Garp (wife unknown) was mentioned as the hero who clashed with Gol D. Roger in the past. Luffy fears his grandfather due to the extreme training he put him through as a child, leaving him powerless against his grandfather. Dragon (wife unknown), who leads the revolutionary army, whom Luffy encountered in Loguetown plans to overthrow the World Government.

The writer of the Times was impressed that Luffy brought down one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and avoided the Buster Call at Enies Lobby. Luffy has now become a major pirate and his name is known throughout the world.

Ace (Luffy's brother) is commander of Whitebeard's second division.

The D is also found in other races. Even the Pirate King Gol D. Roger is included in the mystery, as well as Marshall D. Teach and Jaguar D. Saul. The writer goes to mention some similarities between all the "D's", such as doing great deeds (for the good or the bad), and being strong albeit not that smart. Then, he finishes up the section mentioning other characters opinions about the Will of D (with scenes from the manga).

The Three Great Powers
After recapping how the Straw Hats met the anger of the World Government after their actions at Enies Lobby, the writer of the Grand Times listed all the (then known) Marine ranks, as well as citing the ranks of various characters. The writer also explained the process of joining the Marine, using Koby's and Helmeppo's story as an example.

Last but not least, the writer mentioned the biggest (known) names of each one of the Three Great Powers: Sengoku, Aokiji, Monkey D. Garp and Tsuru for the Marines; Crocodile, Bartholomew Kuma, Dracule Mihawk and Donquixote Doflamingo for the Seven Warlords of the Sea; and Edward Newgate and Shanks for the Four Emperors.

Total No. 1187 Issue
The main article of this single-page issue was the fall of Enies Lobby at the hands of the Straw Hat Pirates.

The other sections are typical newspaper content:
 * An advertisement for the Galley-La Company;
 * An advertisement for Ukkari Hot-Spring Island;
 * Weather forecast for Sakura Kingdom, for Arabasta, for Jaya and for Water 7;
 * Fortune Telling.

Total No. 1192 Issue (One Para Vol. 2)
The main article of this single-page issue was the duel between Portgas D. Ace and Marshall D. Teach. Written from a bystander's point of view, the article merely mentions the damages suffered around the island, and asserts that "the truth behind the incident is under investigations", mentioning a duel between pirates as a possibility.

Unsure of the real reason behind the events, the writer mentions that, if it was indeed the result of a clash between pirates, then it might be an omen for something greater that might shake completely the grounds of the Pirate Age. However, one should pay more attention to Nico Robin, a beautiful woman with the Straw Hat Pirates he wishes he could espouse.

The other sections are typical newspaper content:
 * An advertisement for Moda's Milk;
 * An advertisement for San Faldo's carnival, mentioning one can get there via Sea Train from Water 7;
 * Weather forecast for the sea near Sakura Kingdom (unexpected cyclones), for Jaya (Knock Up Stream in a few days) and for Water 7 (the biggest Aqua Laguna ever seen);
 * Dinner Fortune Telling (if there's meat, one should be prepared for new, challenging encounters; if it's a group meal, one should be careful of what they wear, and luck will come);
 * "What day is it today?", a small section mentioning that "today" (day of the newspaper circulation) coincides with Sea Circle Calendar 1122, May 21, when Mont Blanc Noland discovered Jaya, and explaining the event briefly.

Total No. 1192 Issue (One Para Vol. 3)
The main article of this single-page issue was the sighting of a ghost ship at the Florian Triangle, near Fish-Man Island. The newspaper editors tried to get a scoop, but got lost and only a bottle with some photos returned to the company. The photos showed an eerie forest and zombies, and also hinted on the existence of a man possibly known as Doctor Hogback, a woman who looks exactly like a famous actress. The writer also suspects that they might belong to Warlord Gecko Moria's crew, as he was in one of the photos.

The writer shows his worries about his lost teammates, and comments how zombies are too imprevisible even for all the imprevisible happenings around the Grand Line. However, he's more worried whether he's going to wet his bed that night.

The other sections are typical newspaper content:
 * Galley-La Company's search request for Kaku, Rob Lucci (and Hattori) and Kalifa;
 * An advertisement for Baratie, mentioning how Black Leg Sanji came from the restaurant and is thus well-known there;
 * Weather forecast for Loguetown (sunny to cloudy, with occasional strong winds), Mary Geoise (rainy), Pucci (cloudy) and Long Ring Long Land (sunny and approaching it's yearly lowest tide period);
 * Utensils Fortune Telling (careful when handling plates, as breaking them brings bad luck).

Total No. 1196 Issue
The main article of this single-page issue was about "a perilous encounter" of two of the Four Emperors, Whitebeard and Red Hair. The meeting of those two could allegedly bring a enormous change to everyone's lives. Red Hair made his way through the Marines who tried to intercept the meeting, and went directly into Whitebeard's ship himself. According to the Marine Information Division, the two captains were probably disccusing the whereabouts of Blackbeard, who had recently left the Whitebeard Pirates.

The article also briefly mentions that Red Hair used to be part of the King of Pirates' crew.

The article has a brief commentary by "Crew Member R", who is part of the Red Hair Pirates. "R" claims that he went first into the ship to hand a letter to Whitebeard, which the latter promptly tore apart without reading. "R" didn't think he'd have to return to his ship empty-handed, and assures he has no idea what the conversation was about.

Lastly, the writer points that Whitebeard and Red Hair, being part of the Four Emperors, could easily destroy the world's order if they jointly opposed to the World Government. It's not hard for him to believe that, whatever decision was taken on that meeting, it'll certainly shake the Grand Line grounds. However, he's more concerned about how his own beard and hair are both growing and growing, and wonders when he'll be able to visit a barber to take care of that.

The other sections are typical newspaper content:
 * An advertisement for the Tropical Hotel in Jaya, promising a luxurious holiday without pursuers. Everyone is welcome, even pirates, as long as they are able to pay the fees. Reservations can be made by call 5969;
 * An advertisement for the Marines, calling up to anyone that wants to be "the next generation of marines to pursue justice". They are accepting newcomers at any time, and anyone can apply at any headquarter;
 * Fortune telling with animals, stating that an encounter with a rare animal is a sign of an encounter with a new friend. If the animal is "strange", you'll have luck if you try to approach it with strong emotions;
 * An annoucement claiming that the previous section of weather forecast has been cancelled, since the Grand Line's weather is too unpredictable. The section will be replaced by the "Weather Forecast Fortune Telling with 'Johson of the two-prongged geta shoes'";
 * Three urgent notices, calling Admiral Aokiji, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp and Commodore Smoker to report immediately to the Marine Headquarters as soon as they see the notice.

Total No. 1200 Issue
The main article of this single-page issue was about the truth behind Warlord Gecko Moria's appearance, powers and crew. The writer tried to ask Moria about his plans, but Moria refused to answer him.

The article also features Moria's crew hierarchy: below the Warlord, Absalom commands the General and Soldier Zombies; Perona commands the Wild and Surprise Zombies; and Hogback, the genius doctor who created the "marios" (zombies), has his assistant Cindry.

The writer also mentions how Sanji, Roronoa Zoro and Monkey D. Luffy had their shadows inserted on zombies, pointing that with such technique, Moria and his pirates are probably unrivaled by any other crew.

Lastly, the writer points out how mysterious is Moria, his crew, ship and everything else that surrounds him. However, he's more concerned about Nami's and Nico Robin's safety, and wonders if he's infatuated.

The other sections are typical newspaper content:
 * An advertisement for Kyuka Island, offering free Eternal Poses for visitors, who should call 5540 for more information;
 * A consultation corner, with a question from "a warthog in love", asking what to do when the person they're in love with and want to marry keep running from them. The writer praises their strong feelings and suggests that they attack the loved one with all their might, and they'll get what they want;
 * Weather Forecast Fortune Telling with "Johson of the two-prongged geta shoes": Water 7 has high probabilities of sunny to cloudy weather; Loguetown probably will have thunderclouds amidst sunny weather; Arabasta Kingdom will for sure have sunny weather;
 * Personality test with shadows, stating that people with "thin" shadows should try to appeal more to their existences; going out on the sun will make their shadows "thicker" and allow them to be more sure of themselves.

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Grand Times