Thousand Sunny

The Thousand Sunny is the second ship of the Straw Hat Pirates, built after the Going Merry was destroyed. She is a brig sloop type ship designed and built by Franky with help from Yokozuna, Iceburg, and the remaining Galley-La foremen. Built from Adam Wood, it is a magnificent ship at least double the size of the Going Merry. Its features include practically all of the various requests the Straw Hats had before arriving in Water 7.

Ship Design and Appearance
The Thousand Sunny is a brig sloop, a type of ship that relies on the skills of its navigator. The ship has a lawn on her deck, complete with a swing and a slide, as well as an observation tower for a crow's nest. The huge masts give the ship extreme maneuverability. Like the Going Merry, the figurehead is an animal's head, specifically a lion with a stylized mane. Due to the mane's ambiguity, the lion was mistaken for both a sunflower and a sun during the ship's construction, much to Franky's frustration. The ship holds sixteen cannons: seven traditional cannons on each side of the ship and two specialized air cannons— the Gaon Cannon in the figurehead and the Coup de Burst cannon astern.

In Volume 46 of the manga, a complete set of blueprints of the Thousand Sunny was given in the same fashion as the Going Merry's.

There was also a special, advertising the 11th movie, in which the Sunny was introduced by the Straw Hats.

Figurehead, Helm, and Anchors


The figurehead of the Thousand Sunny is a large lion face with two crossbones behind it in the manner of a Jolly Roger. The mouth of the figurehead can open in order to reveal the Gaon Cannon for frontal attacks, and the lion's mane can rotate like a propeller to move the ship backwards if needed.

The Thousand Sunny's helm is located at the front of the ship. Unlike the conventional steering wheels found on traditional sailing ships, the position of the Sunny's steering wheel resembles those found on modern ships. The controls for the Soldier Dock System are located on the steering wheel itself. A knob allows one to choose which compartments to position at the opening on the side of the ship, and a lever situated next to the wheel can then used to open the compartments. A bench is conveniently located near the steering wheel. The Sunny also has a built-in Log Pose, located on a metal pillar of medium height which stands directly behind the ship's helm.

The anchors of the Thousand Sunny are positioned at each side of the front of the ship and resemble large lion paws, each with three toes. The ropes used to raise and lower them are stored inside the metal ring positioned behind the figurehead.

After the timeskip, Franky installed searchlights in the eyes of the lion figurehead.

Recently, the figurehead has shown some anthropomorphic expressions, much like the Going Merry's did. The lion made a dizzy face in the manga when the Straw Hats got caught in a White Strom and, in the anime, a panicked face when they were surrounded by Sea Kings during their descent to Fishman Island.

Men's and Women's Quarters
The men's quarters is located on the first floor of the fore of the ship, while the women's quarters is located above them on the second floor.

The men's quarters can be entered from either door on the first floor. In the middle of the room is a horigotatsu type kotatsu, a traditional Japanese fireplace setting, complete with a sunken table and low sofas. Suspended from the ceiling like wooden hammocks are three double-decker bunks, which the men sleep in. Behind these bunks, at the back of the room, are six lockers where the men can store their clothes. Posted on the wall of the room is a collection of the men's wanted posters; however, because of his ongoing problem with getting photographed properly, Sanji's poster is not included. A hatch in the men's quarters leads down into a storage room below deck.

The women's quarters can be entered through the door on the second floor. Unlike the men's quarters, which looks more typical for a ship, the women's quarters resembles more a bedroom one would see on land. It contains two beds, a bookshelf, a four-door closet, a vanity with a mirror, and some comfy sofas, among other things. A treasure chest belonging to Nami can be found behind the beds. Since the timeskip, the two beds have been replaced by a single king sized bed.

At the entrance to each room is a washroom. The room by the men's quarters' entrance is a typical household washroom setup. It contains a regular sink and some toothbrushes. The only other unique feature in this room is a bell to wake everyone up in case of emergencies or other important situations. The washroom by the women's quarters entrance is somewhat more elaborate. It contains a closet where wine and a tea set can be stored. While cold, fresh water for both washrooms is provided by internal pumps and filters, hot water for the tea set must be retrieved from the kitchen. There is also a door to the right in each bedroom which leads to a narrow space containing a cannon.

In front of these rooms, on the lawned deck, is a hatch leading to the room where the Soldier Dock System is stored. Toilets are located outside, under the stairwells that circle the foremast.

Kitchen, Dining Room, and Sick Bay
The kitchen, dining room and sick bay are located on the second floor near the stern of the ship.

The combined kitchen and dining room of the ship resembles a restaurant, with the two areas separated by a bar. The kitchen has a professional setup and cooking equipment, including a giant oven that can bake anything and a giant fridge with a lock, something Sanji has requested many times in order to stop people (mainly Luffy) from stealing food. The fridge lock is secured by a four digit code, "7326", which is known only to Sanji, Nami, and Robin. The code is a combination of their names. 7 and 3 can be pronounced as "na" and "mi" respectively in Japanese and thus refer to Nami. Likewise, 2 and 6 can be pronounced as "ni" and "ro" respectively and thus refer to the two first syllables of Nico Robin's full name. 3 and 2 can also be pronounced as "san" and "ji" and thus refer to Sanji. A pantry used to store dry goods can be accessed by a door adjacent to the fridge and by a door outside; to discourage Luffy from raiding the supplies here, only raw, unprocessed groceries are kept inside. Next to the kitchen is the main mast of the ship; built within it is a dumbwaiter that can be used to deliver food to the aquarium bar below. The area also contains a ladder that leads to a hatch giving access to the observation deck above. A Den Den Mushi can also be found near the couch in the dining room.

Unlike the Going Merry, the Thousand Sunny has a sick bay. It can be accessed from both the dining room and the outside of the ship. The room contains various medical supplies and furniture, including a desk, a bed, and Chopper's favorite swivel chair. It is generally used to treat any wounds the Straw Hats might receive. When not in use, it can serve as a passageway to the back of the ship. During the room's first appearance, without any patients to cure, Chopper was seen relaxing in the sick bay. As the ship's doctor, Chopper considers the sick bay his own personal room. He also keeps his signature from Sogeking hanging up on the wall, even though it was just Usopp wearing a disguise, choosing to keep it anyway as a memento from his adventures and a gift from his friend - or because he never actually found out Usopp was indeed Sogeking.

Aquarium Bar


This room provides great place for storing live fish (to eat later) and has glass walls that allow the aquarium to be viewed from the adjacent lounge. The aquarium surrounds the whole room and functions as a ceiling for a passageway behind it. To take a fish out of the aquarium for food, one must net the fish from the hatch on the second floor deck. If that does not work, they'll just have to dive in and grab it themselves.

In the middle of the room is the main mast of the ship, which contains a small cupboard for storing alcohol and a dumbwaiter connecting to the kitchen above. Due to the room's atmosphere, Franky says it's a good place to eat dinner. When the aquarium was first shown in use, Luffy and Usopp foolishly put a shark in, and it unfortunately devoured all the other fish in the tank.

The energy room of the Thousand Sunny can be entered through a ladder at the back of this room.

Library, Workrooms, Bath, Crow's Nest, and Survey Room


The large hut-like structure at the stern of the ship contains the bath and library. At each side of this building is a large lamp. The library, comprising the lower level of the structure, is a large circular room with numerous bookshelves and windows and a bench encircling the whole room. Everyone but Luffy has books stored here. In the middle of the room is Nami's mapping desk, which contains the Ship's Log, among other things. Toward the port side is a ladder leading up to the bath. The library, according to Nami, is "the brain of the Sunny."

Above the library, located in the attic-like section of the building, is the bath. From the ladder in the library, one enters a front washroom with an accessible toilet before passing through a door into the actual bath. It contains a much larger bathtub than there was on the Merry. In Nami's words, taking a bath there while the ship gently rocks has the feel of a high-end spa.



On top of the foremast is the crow's nest. It is a dome-shaped hut with several windows on its perimeter. It can be entered by climbing up the ropes surrounding the mast and then climbing a ladder up through a hole in the nest's metal floor. It contains some advanced telescopic equipment and a microphone. The microphone is connected to a loud speaker located below the crow's nest to the rear, enabling anyone inside to quickly relay news to the crew below. The crow's nest can also function as a gym, containing exercising equipment such as dumbbells and giving ample room so that even someone of Zoro's level can train effectively. Like the library, the crow's nest also features a bench around the edge.

On top of the kitchen and dining hall of the Thousand Sunny is the observation deck. It can be accessed by going through a hatch from the kitchen below, and it gives access to the library. Much like the top deck of the Going Merry, it contains Nami's mikan trees and Robin's flower garden. It also has the chimney for the kitchen below, the branch office of Usopp's Factory, and, since the time skip, Usopp's Pop Green garden.

Below the deck, and to the aft of the Soldier Dock System, are the two rooms devoted to research and development: Usopp's Main Factory and Franky's Weapon Development Room. Both are complete with drawing boards and tools for the creation of blueprints and contraptions for the Straw Hats' use in the near future. Both can be accessed by climbing down the stairs leading from the Energy Room.

Features
The Thousand Sunny has many features that the crew has long coveted, along with some nice additions Franky added himself, most of which are, naturally, powered by Cola, usually from the ship's Energy Room. These additions include the Soldier Dock System and other unique internal contraptions.

Soldier Dock System
The Soldier Dock System (ソルジャードックシステム) is a special system built within the ship and represented externally by two giant numbered plates, one on either side of the ship. It is a turntable comprised of six compartments that each contains a special device or vehicle for the Straw Hats' use. It is named Soldier Dock System because the vehicles stored within are, as Franky calls them, the soldiers of the Thousand Sunny.


 * Channel Zero: two compartments containing paddle wheels that change the ship into Paddle-Wheel Sunny. It is powered by cola. The wheels can rotate in reverse and function independently of one another. With these wheels, the Thousand Sunny's heading can be changed easily. This was first seen being used in the manga when Franky used it in order to pass a raging storm. In the anime, it was first seen being used to escape from the illusion of a Marine fleet. After the timeskip, the paddle wheels were removed to make room for Channels Five and Six. In their place, a powerful new engine was added and can be deployed under the ship, although this was only seen in the anime.
 * Channel One: contains Shiro Mokuba I.
 * Channel Two: contains Mini Merry II.
 * Channel Three: contains Shark Submerge III.
 * Channel Four: contains Kurosai FR-U IV, previously home to an inflatable pool.
 * Channel Five: contains Brachio Tank V.
 * Channel Six: contains the inflatable pool previously held in Channel Four.

Coup de Burst
The Coup de Burst (風来バースト (クー・ド・バースト)) is a maneuver that was first seen being used to escape Vice Admiral Garp's attack. Basically, the Sunny uses three barrels of Cola to fire a giant cannon downward and rocket the ship into the air for 1km, thus making a great escape. Franky calls it an "Amazing Emergency Acceleration Device." The maneuver mimics the Going Merry's escape from Enies Lobby as well as the various other situations in which the Merry soared across through the sky. Thanks to the use of Adam Wood in her construction, the Sunny can withstand the force of this maneuver without incurring damage.

In the Fishman Island Arc, it is shown that the Coup de Burst's power can be confined to smaller blasts in the case of an emergency or when air/cola is limited. Whether this feature was present before the timeskip is unknown.

Chicken Voyage
Chicken Voyage (チキン・ボヤージ) is a maneuver the Sunny can perform in order to quickly escape attacks. By activating a contraption found at the helm, the Thousand Sunny can spin the mane of her figurehead like a propeller to push the entire ship backwards. This was first seen being used to escape an attack by the Flying Fish Riders.

Gaon Cannon
The Gaon Cannon (ガオン砲) is a powerful cannon hidden within the lion's mouth in the prow of the ship; the cannon itself fires a blast of air that resembles an energy beam (just like the non-canonical Goe Goe no Mi). The cannon is controlled from a room within the prow itself. It was first used by Usopp to take out most of the Flying Fish Riders in one shot, obliterating nearly half of Duval's base as a bonus. The one drawback of the Gaon Cannon is that it uses up five barrels of cola in all: three to fire the cannon itself and two to fire the Coup de Burst cannon in the rear to keep the ship from rocketing backward (unless this is what the crew intends to happen, such as the need to escape from immediate danger in front of them, then only three barrels are used up). This means that the cannon can only be used sparingly.

Coating After the timeskip, the Thousand Sunny was successfully coated. The coating was accidentally removed when the crew arrived at Fishman Island. It was coated again before the Straw Hat pirates challenged the New Fishman Pirates.

Balloon Attachment
During the battle of Gyoncorde Plaza, Fishman Island, a large balloon was seen tied to the main mast of the ship, and later to the bow and stern, floating just above the crow's nest. It seems to allow for flight (whether or not a Coup de Burst is necessary is unknown). It is a coating bubble with ropes attached to a small retention skirt, essentially turning the Sunny into a dirigible.

Usopp Garden
After the timeskip, Usopp set up his Usopp Garden (ウソップガーデン) at the back of the ship so that he could grow and cultivate his supply of Pop Greens.

Post-Enies Lobby Arc
The Thousand Sunny was first conceived by Franky when he was young. Inspired by his mentor Tom's creation, the Oro Jackson, Franky dreamed of making a ship that would sail around the world. This dream, however, was shattered when Tom was taken away, as Franky blamed himself for Tom's arrest and vowed to never build another ship ever again.



After the assault on Enies Lobby, Franky's dream was revitalized and he decided to build the Straw Hats a new ship to replace the one that was lost, since he felt he owed them for the things that had happened. With the Adam Wood he had bought with the money his gang stole from the Straw Hats and some aid from Yokozuna, Iceburg, Paulie, Peeply Lulu, and Tilestone, Franky worked hard to build the new ship. After several days and nights of labor on Scrap Island, Iceburg revealed the new ship to the Straw Hats.

The Thousand Sunny first set sail after Franky joined the crew and they learned of Vice Admiral Garp's imminent pursuit. As the ship was setting sail, Garp's ship appeared nearby. Garp, feeling somewhat guilty for going back on his word after saying he wouldn't arrest the Straw Hats on Water 7, decided to attack the Thousand Sunny all by himself. Throwing cannonballs like baseballs one after another, Garp laid an onslaught on the ship.

After Usopp rejoined the crew, they decided to name the new ship before actually starting their journey and ultimately settled on the name suggested by Iceburg. As Franky made preparations to escape from the pursuing Marines, Garp, angered by Luffy's comments towards him, decided to attack the Thousand Sunny with a gigantic iron ball larger than the ship. Just when Garp's iron ball was about to make impact, Franky activated the ship's special technique, "Coup de Burst", and blasted the ship out of harm's way.

With the Marines far behind and her crew celebrating on board, the Thousand Sunny ventured forth on her voyage.

Thriller Bark Arc
After sailing across the ocean for some time, the Thousand Sunny and her crew came across a barrel that sent out a flare when opened. Shortly thereafter, the Thousand Sunny was suddenly surrounded by a raging storm. Franky debuted the ship's paddle wheels, allowing the ship to pass through the storm and into the Florian Triangle.

The ship next crossed paths with a walking skeleton's ghost ship. The skeleton, Brook, initially accepted Luffy's offer to join to crew and came down to dine with everyone. As he told his story and explained why he could not truly join them, a ghost entered the dining room through a wall. It was discovered that the ship was targeted by Thriller Bark and trapped within its walls.



After Brook left the ship to deal with his business on the island and some preparations were made by the crew, the Mini Merry II made its debut and was deployed from the Thousand Sunny's "Channel 2" compartment. After some time, just as the Straw Hats on the ship were starting to wonder what exactly happened to the Mini Merry and the crew members on board it, an invisible opponent sneaked on board the ship and started antagonizing them, leaving them baffled. After some time, the Thousand Sunny drifted closer to the island and got stuck in a giant spider web along with the Mini Merry II and Brook's ship.

Amidst the events that occurred on the island, a group of zombies headed by Perona boarded the Sunny and raided the ship in search of valuables. During the raid, the zombies left the unconscious, shadowless, and heavily decorated bodies of Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji in the dining hall. The zombies carried away most of the ship's rations, leaving behind only a huge mess, the three Straw Hats, and some preserved food. After some events in the island, the rest of the crew, except for Nami, boarded the ship once more and discovered the uncanny scene. After waking up their shadowless comrades and discussing their current situation, the Straw Hats departed from the Sunny again in order to take back what Gekko Moriah, the Shichibukai who ruled Thriller Bark, and his cohorts had stolen.

After several events on the island, Perona and several zombie soldiers and wild zombies returned to the ship. Having lost her battle with Usopp and observed the escalating Oars situation, Perona was in a panic. He decided to use the Sunny as her means of escape and ordered some zombies to stock the ship with food and treasures from the storage. The zombies stocked the ship with so much food that there was not any more space in Sanji's giant refrigerator. As the zombies prepared the ship for Perona's getaway, the Shichibukai Kuma appeared aboard the ship and asked for Moriah.

As a small scuffle broke out between Kuma and the zombies, Nami arrived back at the Thousand Sunny and noticed Perona and her zombies stocking up the ship. Before the two women could confront each other directly, Kuma came down from the Thousand Sunny and interrupted them. After a brief chat, Kuma sent Perona on vacation using his Devil Fruit powers. The zombies were intimidated and promptly left the ship. Nami survived a conversation with Kuma, went into the Thousand Sunny for a change of clothes, and then headed back to Thriller Bark to help the rest of the crew. With that, the Thousand Sunny was left completely full of food and treasure.



After the Straw Hats defeated Moriah, survived Kuma's vicious attacks, and slept for a whole day, they decided to reap the benefits that Perona and her zombies left behind on the Thousand Sunny. With the large load of treasure onboard, they decided to claim it as their own and use it for their fund. As for the food also onboard, they decided to use it in a party with the Thriller Bark Victim's Association to celebrate finally defeating Moriah. After two days of partying, during which the Straw Hats finally got their long awaited musician, the Thousand Sunny was prepared for the continuation of her voyage. With some farewells from the crew to the Thriller Bark Victim's Association, the Thousand Sunny set course for her original destination, Fishman Island: the underwater paradise of fishmen and merfolk.

Sabaody Archipelago Arc
As the Thousand Sunny continued on her journey to Fishman Island, the ship and her crew encountered many more of the mysterious and spectacular sights of the Grand Line. Among them were: a rainstorm that poured down with candy instead of normal rain, a giant sea tanuki, a circular rainbow, and some serpent currents. Eventually, the Thousand Sunny reached the area where her next destination was supposed to be, the second intersection between the Red Line and the Grand Line.

Unable to continue forward with the Red Line in her way, and with the Log Pose pointing directly below the ship, the Straw Hats decided to deploy Shark Submerge III to investigate the depths below. Due to the extreme pressure of the depths below, they were unable to investigate more than five thousand meters below the ship. However, their search brought up an enormous sea king that threatened to destroy both the Thousand Sunny and its crew. When the creature was defeated, it spat out two things that landed abruptly on the Sunny's deck. These were Keimi, a mermaid, and Pappug, a talking starfish.

With these new passengers onboard, the crew of the Sunny was promised a reward of great tasting takoyaki. However, before they could be given this treat, they learned that a friend of Keimi and Pappug had just been captured by the Macro Pirates and the Flying Fish Riders. Figuring that these two might know the way to Fishman Island, Nami asked they would show the pirates the way to the underwater paradise if the Straw Hats rescued their friend. The two agreed to reward the Straw Hats as such, along with the promise of takoyaki. With this, the Thousand Sunny was steered toward the Flying Fish Riders' base with help from a school of fish summoned by Keimi. Just as the ship was nearing the base, the school of fish leading the Straw Hats suddenly absconded, having felt the presence of the Flying Fish Riders. Sure enough, the riders soon ambushed the ship and started attacking from atop their giant flying fish. Though a battle between the Straw Hats and the riders ensued, the riders abruptly retreated as quickly as they had arrived.

After sailing awhile after the Flying Fish Rider's last attack, the Thousand Sunny soon reached their base. Though seemingly empty upon arrival except for Hatchan, a previous enemy and the captured friend of the Straw Hats' new traveling companions, the crew guessed the riders were planning an ambush. Their guess was soon verified and a battle between the Straw Hats and the Flying Fish Riders within the base. As the majority of the Straw Hats battled aboard the Thousand Sunny, several things happened. Amongst these in particular was the revelation that the Flying Fish Riders' boss, Duval, had the same face as Sanji's wanted poster and whose grudge against Sanji was the reason why he and his men were attacking the Straw Hats so vigorously. As the battle against Duval and his men continued, the Flying Fish Riders decided to sink the Thousand Sunny by dropping a large anchor on the ship. However through Franky and Usopp's efforts, the ship escaped the attack and instead blew up the Flying Fish Rider's base with an attack of its own from the Gaon Cannon. the Straw Hats eventually defeated the Flying Fish Riders with Sanji rearranging Duval's face with a barrage of kicks. With the matter settled, the Thousand Sunny was steered towards the Sabaody Archipelago where the solution to getting to Fishman Island could be found.

After a little reward from Hatchan and some thanks from Duval for a new face, the crew of the Thousand Sunny were told that the only way to get to Fishman Island was to coat the ship with resin from the Yarukiman Mangrove of the Sabaody Archipelago. Learning about this, the Straw Hats steered the ship to the mangrove and disembarked in order to find a coating mechanic friend of Hatchan's, Silvers Rayleigh, to coat the ship. However, through a series of unexpected events, the crew of the Thousand Sunny ended up causing a large ruckus. Fortunately in the midst of the mess they caused, the crew found the mechanic.

Having gotten the aid of Rayleigh, the ship was ready to be coated. However due to the mess that the crew caused, the mangrove was no longer safe. Considering the number of Marine troops and a Marine Admiral that were sent to the mangrove to clean up the mess, the crew decided to temporarily leave the Thousand Sunny in Rayleigh's hands. Knowing that staying on the ship at this time would bring only trouble while the mechanic modified her, the crew thought it best to wait it out in the mangrove as the mechanic did his job. Giving the crew his Vivre Card since he'd be taking the Thousand Sunny somewhere else, Rayleigh promised to return the ship after three days of work.

In the midst of the modifications of the ship, the coating mechanic left the ship in the care of the Rosy Life Riders in Grove 41 to save the Straw Hats from Kizaru. Despite Rayleigh's involvement, the Straw Hats were blasted off by Kuma to different locations. With her crew gone, the Thousand Sunny was left in the care of Rayleigh and the Rosy Life Riders until the Straw Hats could return.

After the Battle of Marineford, due to Luffy being revealed as Revolutionary Dragon's son, the Thousand Sunny came under attack by various people such as the Coffee Monkeys. Fortunately however, Duval and his men fended them off as best they can. Kuma arrives to the Sabaody with one mission: protecting the Thousand Sunny. After Duval and Hatchan were seriously injured during a battle with the Marines, Kuma took over as the protector.

Return to Sabaody Arc


Two years later, Franky returned to the ship and Bartholomew Kuma, having fulfilled his mission of defending the vessel, left the archipelago. With the planned Straw Hat reunion at Sabaody coming up, Rayleigh coated the ship. Slowly but surely, the crew of the Thousand Sunny came back to Sabaody. Upon returning to the ship, Franky modified her with what he acquired from Vegapunk's lab. The ship also had a buoyancy sack placed underneath it, so he would not sink once coated. A bubble, caused by Franky redirecting the air in the bag formed around the ship's deck, allowing the Straw Hats to breathe while the ship is submerged. The ship went under the water and the crew head for Fishman Island.

Fishman Island Arc
As the ship was traveling underwater, he came under attack by the Caribou Pirates. Caribou quickly jumps onto the ship. Before the other Caribou Pirates can follow, their seacow, Mohmoo, fled in terror after seeing Nami, Sanji, and Luffy, leaving Caribou on the Thousand Sunny. After the Straw Hats tied Caribou up and travel to the Underwater Waterfall, the Thousand Sunny ran into the kraken. The ship went down the waterfall after the Monster Trio defeated the kraken and got separated. After reaching 7000 meters below sea level, the ship was in the Underworld of the Sea. Sunny went through the dark region of the underwater world until he came across the deep-sea volcanic region. There, the Sunny ran into a giant angler fish, an umibozu, the Flying Dutchman, and Vander Decken IX. Before the umibozu knocked down the Sunny, the newly-tamed kraken knocked out the giant. When the undersea volcano started to erupt, the Kraken (now named Surume) carried the ship away from the eruption and jumped into a trench. After reaching 10,000 meters below sea level, the ship finally arrived at Fishman Island. The Straw Hats encountered Hammond, a member of the New Fishman Pirates and a gang of sea monsters. Hammond gave the crew two options: join the New Fishman Pirates or have their ship sunk. Luffy rejected Hammond and the fishman prepared to attack. Franky activated Coup de Burst and the Sunny flew through the bubble surrounding Fishman Island. Immediately afterwards, the ship lost the coating and the crew was separated while the ship fell into a current which swept her out to the Sea Forest where he remained while being recoated by Tom's younger brother, Den.

As the king's execution drew near, the Straw Hats make their move. Thousand Sunny flew into Gyoncorde Plaza and Franky shot the Gaon Cannon at the New Fishman Pirates. The ship landed in the plaza, and the Straw Hats and Jinbe stand in front of her, ready for battle. Usopp, Chopper, Nami, and Pappug get into Dock Soldier Four as Franky prepared to reveal one the Sunny's newest weapons.

After defeating the New Fishman Pirates, and Luffy's recovery, the Straw Hat pirates "escaped" from the plaza on the Sunny, using the floating bubble apparatus, before they are recognized as heroes, with Shirahoshi and Megalo following them. They are quickly found and the entire crew, with their ship goes to Ryugu Palace for a banquet. After the feast, the Straw Hats depart from Fishman Island, but not before Shirahoshi nearly upset the boat in an attempt to stop them. After making a promise to stop being a crybaby (in exchange of visiting the surface world under their protection and guidance) by the next time they meet, the Mermaid Princess lets go of the Thousand Sunny, which subsequently sailed out of the island's bubble.

To help the ship float to the surface, Franky released some Kuuigosu wood blocks to ascend. As they go higher Luffy, Zoro and Usopp go "fishing," catching 3 large deep-sea fish, which started to sink the ship with their weight. However the fish were pulled into a powerful underwater whirlpool, dragging the Thousand Sunny with it. Thankfully, before ending up too far off course, they bumped into an Island Whale. Brook began playing some music at the sight of a large pod. The whales, appreciating the music, gave the ship a lift towards the surface, breaking into the New World.

Punk Hazard Arc
After viewing their surroundings, and seeing a sea of fire, they tried to bring their catch in, to find it already burnt up. Seeing that some other fish which have floated to the surface have been burnt to the bones, the crew worried that the Sunny may end up the same way, but Franky stated otherwise. After receiving an S.O.S. message from a nearby island with no reaction from the Log Pose, the crew headed towards it. Luffy, Zoro, Usopp and Robin boarded the Mini-Merry II and approached the island, getting over the wall of flames, thanks to Nami's new techniques. The ship then anchored south-west of the island, waiting for the return of their comrades. However, the ship was boarded by four mysterious intruders, and a sleeping gas was released, neutralizing the remaining members of the crew, who (with the exception of Brook) were subsequently kidnapped.

The ship was taken to the frozen side of the island, where the rest of the crew (minus Brook) were taken into a facility. After the sleeping gas dissipated, Brook defeated the intruders who were guarding the ship and called Luffy's group informing him of the situation.

After leaving Punk Hazard, Franky explained he drove the Sunny through the waterways next to the research facility and into the sea to pick up the Mini-Merry II, which was left behind on the burning side on the island.

Dressrosa Arc


The crew, accompanied by Kin'emon, Momonosuke, and Trafalgar Law, as well as their hostage Caesar Clown, eventually reached Dressrosa. They split into three teams, with Brook, Nami, Chopper and Momonosuke tasked with guarding the ship. While everything seemed to go well, they heard noise and voices coming from the men's room.

The voice belonged to Jora, a member of the Donquixote Pirates, who was tasked with sabotaging the groups effort, as well as capturing Momonosuke. Using her Devil Fruit power, he turned the men's room into abstract art, and promptly did the same to Nami, Chopper, Brook and Momonosuke. They escaped the ship, trying to lure Jora away from her, but it did not work, as Jora transformed the Thousand Sunny into art anyway, rendering her unable to sail. However, the Straw Hats manages to defeat Jora's subordinates, as well as destroy her submarine, which forces the battle to move back on to the Sunny.

The ship as well as its crew were finally returned to normal, when Brook tricked Jora into thinking that he was on her side before defeating the "artist". As the ship approached to Green Bit in order to retrieve their crew and ally, they were greeted by the terrifying sight of Doflamingo flying towards them. However, before either side could do anything, Sanji intercepted the Shichibukai. Unfortunately, the chef was easily outmatched, but just as Sanji was about to get killed, Law managed to save him, depositing both him and Caesar on the Thousand Sunny. After retrieving his own heart from the ship, Law advised the crew to leave for Zou. Though the crew refused at first, after witnessing the power of Admiral Issho, which almost destroyed the Sunny, they departed. Advising the crew to escape to a place with no clouds, as Doflamingo cannot pursue them otherwise, the ex-Shichibukai left the ship, taking Jora as a hostage, before the Thousand Sunny blasted away with a Coup de Burst.

The group on the Thousand Sunny later engaged in a conference call with Luffy's and Franky's group. As everyone is brought up to speed about the events in Dressrosa, it is decided that the Straw Hats will launch a full scale attack to topple the Donquixote Family. Just as Sanji decided that the crew should head back to support the others (much to the dismay of the others aboard the Sunny), tragedy strikes at Luffy's end with Doflamingo and Issho defeating Law. A massive pirate ship belonging to Big Mom appeared in front of the Sunny, intent on capturing Caesar, who, as it turns out, had swindled research funds from the Yonko. Nami explained to Luffy that, in order to not make sure that Law did not sacrifice his life in vain, they needed to defend both Caesar and Momonosuke as well as destroy the SMILE factory. For that to happen, the Thousand Sunny has to reach Zou with both of them. As Luffy gave his consent, Sanji requested permission to fire back at the Big Mom Pirates, which gets their captain's approval.

Heart of Gold
As the crew is fishing, they spot an "unconscious" girl riding a lizard which is running on the surface of the water. After bringing her aboard, she reveals her name is Myskina Olga, and after learning that she knows where the legendary island of Alchemi is, where the mystical treasure Pure Gold lies, the crew immediately gets ready for an adventure. However, they are soon fall under attack by the Treasure Pirates, who also wish to use Olga to find Pure Gold. After a brief struggle, Olga accidentally drops her ring, which contained a small piece of Pure Gold, which in turn summoned the giant football fish Bonbori. As the sea monster starts swallowing the ships, Franky prepares the Thousand Sunny for the Coup de Burst in order to escape it. However, after learning that the Alchemi, and the large piece of Pure Gold, both lies within the giant fish, they make an about face and sail back into its mouth. However, the treasure pirates followed them and they attempted to used their ship to ram the Thousand Sunny into Bonbori's giant uvula. They managed to avoid it, thanks to Luffy, however his attempt also made him fall into the water. Olga then jumped off ship with Elizabeth in order to save him. At some point, Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Robin and Brook also got separated from the ship, allowing Mad Treasure to capture them.

The Thousand Sunny itself bypassed Bonbori's first stomach, and kept sailing to the second stomach, where the remaining crew pulled it onto a landmass in order for Franky to reinforce the ships hull, which was being corroded by the sea monster's digestive acid, with some scrap metal that was lying around. Luffy then goes on ahead on Chavez with Zoro, Sanji and Myskina Acier (who had been stranded on the island in Bonbori's first stomach for the past 200 years until Luffy came along), leaving Franky to finish the job himself. He then sails the Sunny to Bonbori's stomach, where the island of Alchemi lies, to pick up the rest of the crew. However, during Luffy's final battle with Mad Treasure, they ended up giving Bonbori a massive stomachache, forcing the giant football fish to regurgitate. The Thousand Sunny carrying all the Straw Hats, plus Olga, Elizabeth used the flow caused by Bonbori's dry heaves to accelerate to its mouth, then used Coup de Burst to fly out of its mouth just at the moment of its regurgitation. The crew later made port at an island, where they presumably removed the metal reinforcements, and dropped of the Water Lizards, as well as the two Myskina's. As they sail off, Nami reveals that she stole an invitation to Gran Tesoro from Mad Treasure whilst she was captive, and after hearing about the entertainment provided, Luffy quickly makes his decision and orders the Thousand Sunny to sail there.

Zou Arc
The crew managed to barely escape the Big Mom Pirates without the Thousand Sunny gaining any visible damage. The Sunny was then docked at Zou as the crew set out to find their new allies.

After Doflamingo's defeat, Luffy and his group arrived at Zou and came across the Thousand Sunny. When Kin'emon and Kanjuro were separated from the group during the climb to Zou, they rested at the ship until the next day.

Totto Land Arc
After the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance split into four groups, the Sanji retrieval team used this ship to travel to Whole Cake Island.

After entering Totto Land, the Thousand Sunny first docked at Cacao Island. The Sanji retrieval team then followed a route that Pudding showed them until they reached Whole Cake Island. The Thousand Sunny was then docked at the southwestern coast of Whole Cake Island.

Naming Issue
The name Thousand Sunny is a name suggested by Iceburg that describes a ship as bright as the sun that will cheerfully sail through a thousand seas. However, before the ship was properly named as such, a couple of other names were suggested by the crew (most by Luffy, and most involving the word "lion"). These names include the following:


 * Bear!! Polar Bear!! Lion (クマ!!白クマ!!ライオン号): Luffy's first suggestion for the ship's name. Luffy suggested Black Bear Polar Bear Lion Tiger in the FUNimation dub.
 * Tiger!! Wolf!! Lion (トラ!!狼!!ライオン号): Luffy's second suggestion for the ship's name. Luffy suggested Super Wolf Gorilla Bear in the FUNimation dub.
 * Squid!! Octopus!! Chimpanzee (イカ!!タコ!!チンパンジー): Luffy's third suggestion for the ship's name.
 * Dumpling, Gorilla, Lion (ダンゴ・ゴリラ・ライオン号): Luffy's fourth suggestion for the ship's name. Luffy suggested Dandelion Lion Dandy Unbearable Bear in the FUNimation dub.
 * Boss Lionel (ライオネル親方): Zoro's suggestion for the ship's name. Zoro suggested Big Boss Lionel in the FUNimation dub.
 * Little Darkness (暗黒丸): Robin's suggestion for the ship's name. Robin suggested Creature of Darkness in the FUNimation dub.
 * Monsieur Sunflower (ムッシュひまわり): Sanji's own suggestion for the ship's name.
 * New Battle Franky, Lion Gang Champion (ニューバトルフランキー「ライオンギャングチャンピオン号」): A name which Franky intended to call the ship.

This naming issue had also affected fans and readers alike before the ship was actually named. Many assumed that the ship's name was "King of Beasts" due to Iceburg's comment that the Pirate King should ride a ship with the theme of the king of all beasts, a lion.

In Chapters 489 and 495, as well as in Strong World, Brook called the Sunny "Lion-Chan", much to Franky's chagrin.

Thousand Sunny Beach House
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of One Piece, a special beach house was created in Kamakura. The beach house in question was made to resemble the Thousand Sunny. The beach house contains various One Piece related attractions and serves as a museum.

Merchandise
Thousand Sunny figurines are presented in several merchandise series, including One Piece Wobbling Pirate Ship Collection and One Piece Super Ship Collection.

Trivia

 * During the Thousand Sunny's voyage to Fishman Island after being detoured in Thriller Bark, he encountered several more phenomena of the Grand Line, many based on Japanese puns and mythology:
 * When the ship went through the rainstorm that poured down candy instead of rain, the pun used was "ame". Depending on how it's written, the Japanese word "ame" can mean either 'rain' (雨) or 'candy' (飴). Thus there is a pun when the Straw Hats stated candy was falling instead of rain in Japanese. They are basically saying that a certain thing is falling down instead of another thing that sounds alike in English (though emphasis is put on different vowels, "A" for 'rain' and "E" for 'candy').
 * The name of the giant Sea King that they encountered is also a pun. "Umidanuki" (海狸) means "beaver" in Japanese; however, the Seaking they encountered was a more literal representation of its name.
 * The circular rainbow and the serpent currents comes from ancient Japanese mythology and folklore. In ancient times, the Japanese often associated rainbows as bad omens signifying the coming of serpents. The scene where the Straw Hats see a circular rainbow just before suddenly encountering the serpent currents is based on this myth.
 * The Thousand Sunny was shown doing a face-fault similar to the face-fault that the Going Merry did when the crew entered a dangerous situation.
 * The Thousand Sunny's lion figurehead being mistaken for a sunflower is part of a running gag involving sunflowers and lions. The gag first appeared with Nami's dress when he was young. The dress originally had a sunflower design but Bell-mère stitched on some eyes and a mouth in order to make it a lion. This gag is also featured in the cover art of a chapter with Zoro trying to capture a lion who is hiding behind him among a bunch of sunflowers.
 * The Thousand Sunny's first appearance in intro songs is in Jungle P, and it has appeared in every one since.
 * A few of the intro songs show the Sunny using Coup de Burst; however, Hands Up! shows it incorrectly doing so while the sails are still down.

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