Episode 406

"Special Historical Arc - Boss Luffy Appears Again" is the 406th episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
In an alternate universe set in Edo period Japan, the Mikoshi (portable shrine) race is about to take place, the winner of which receives 1,000,000, and Boss Luffy and his friends recruit Franky to build them a mikoshi. Meanwhile, Thriller LTD enters the race, and begins working to sabotage its competitors, including groups based on the Flying Fish Riders and Rolling Pirates. The crew meets up with Brook, who cannot remember anything other than his own name, and tries to stop Thriller LTD from interfering. They arrive to find their mikoshi destroyed, and Brook remembers that he was once part of Thriller LTD before trying to leave and being thrown in a river by Hogback, Perona and Absalom.

Long Summary
Usopp visits The Pinwheel to tell Onami, Sanji, Luffy and Chopper about the upcoming Mikoshi (portable shrine) race, which takes place every 100 years and has the grand prize of a sacred treasure that will supposedly grant any wish and Beli1,000,000. Usopp also meets Mao, a new employee hired by Onami.

In order to enter as the Pinwheel Eatery team, Luffy, Usopp Onami and Chopper visit Franky, the greatest builder in Grand Jipangu, and are introduced when Franky's clockwork drying mechanism accidentally flings his loincloth into Onami's face. Chopper describes the other participants in the race: The Legendary Flying Fish Riders, Rolling Express, and the Thriller Company. As Chopper says this, the Thriller Company (Hogback, Absalom, Perona, Kumashi and Cindry) arrive to tell them that it is pointless to enter the race. Hogback laughs at the group until being told that the rest of the Thriller Company has already left and he follows after them. Franky announces that he will build them a Mikoshi good enough to beat the Thriller Company.

That night, The Legendary Flying Fish Riders are interrupted while practicing by a group of zombies working for the Thriller Company. Perona appears and uses negative hollows to demotivate the team. In his self-loathing the Fish Riders' leader Duval smashes their Mikoshi. Perona comments that this is "another one down" as Robin watches this happen from a distance.

The next morning Usopp accidentally fishes Brook out of a river while fishing and takes him to The Pinwheel. Brook explains that he can't remember anything other than his name and finds a flute stored inside his skull. Brook spends time with Luffy, Usopp and the other villagers.

The night before the race, the Thriller Company has taken out all the rival teams except the Rolling Express and Pinwheel Eatery teams. Mao visits Franky's workshop while the Thriller company attack the Rolling Express Mikoshi, using Absalom's powers to make themselves invisible. Luffy, Isopp and Brook happen to be nearby and notice what appears to be the Mikoshi floating away and the Rolling Express team following it. Brook helps Luffy attack the zombies helping the Thriller Company but fail to stop the Mikoshi being destroyed. Sanji and Onami arrive and realize that the Franky workshop will be the next target.

They find Mao being attacked by Zombies, which Luffy dispatches with a Gomu-Gumo No Bazooka. At Franky's workshop, they find their Mikoshi destroyed and Franky attacked. Brook then remembers who he is: a former member of the Thriller Company who was attacked by his team and abandoned in the river. Brook tells the other of his past and leaves them.

Anime Notes

 * This is the first episode of a story arc that concludes in the next episode, making these the only two Boss Luffy episodes not to have a stand-alone story.
 * This episode does not have any eyecatchers.
 * An alternate 'To Be Continued' caption in Japanese is used for this episode.
 * This episode contains the final next episode preview to be narrated in-character. From the next episode onward, the preview is given by the narrator and Luffy only announces the episode title.

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Episodi 406