One Piece Film: Z

One Piece Film: Z is the 12th One Piece movie, released on December 15, 2012. The movie was directed by Tatsuya Nagamine and was overseen by Eiichiro Oda, the same as Movie 10. Yasutaka Nakata wrote and performed the theme song.

Synopsis
Said to be comparable to the Ancient Weapons, the Marines' trump card the "Dyna Stone" has suddenly been stolen and the terrifyingly powerful man responsible, former Marine Admiral "Z", stands in the path of the Straw Hat Pirates.

The Marine HQ finally moves forward to deal with the conspiracy that threatens to shake the very pillars of the New World. Elsewhere, Kuzan pursues the Straw Hat Pirates. Finally, Luffy and his crew move to take a stand against Z and his incredible power.

Plot
The movie opens on Firs Island, where the Neo Marines are fighting the Marines. They manage to invade the local Marine base, and steal the Dyna Stones located there. However, they are interrupted by admiral Kizaru. Z stays behind to fight him, while his two commanding officers, Ain and Binz, gather the lower Neo Marine troops to their ship. Z and Kizaru fight evenly, but when the latter proves too fast for the former Admiral to keep up, he breaks open the container that holds one of the Dyna Stones, causing a huge explosion which completely destroys the island, and leaves a neverending eruption of lava in its place. Kizaru manages to come out unscathed and comments on his loss, but Z is sent flying far away.

Somewhere else, the Straw Hat Pirates are having a cherry blossom party. They see Z floating in the sea, reel him in and heal his wounds. Z is at first grateful, but changes his mind when he learns that Luffy is a pirate, and attacks him, Zoro and Sanji. Outside the ship, the rest of the crew fights Ain and Binz, who had found their leader's location thanks to a Vivre Card. The Straw Hats are easily defeated: Binz subdues Franky, Usopp and Brook by creating vines, Ain uses her power to rejuvenate Nami, Chopper, Robin and Brook, and Z makes quick work of the Monster Trio. He grabs Luffy by the waist and asks him what his name is. When the young pirate answers that his name is "Monkey D. Luffy", Z realizes that he is the grandson of Monkey D. Garp. He then declares that the Straw Hats are going to perish, and orders his ship to bombard the Thousand Sunny. However, Luffy and Robin free Franky from Binz's vines in time, and the Straw Hats escape with a Coup de Burst, much to the Neo Marines' surprise.

At the Marine Headquarters in the New World, the Marines are having a meeting regarding Z, his plans and his whereabouts. Garp, Coby and Helmeppo, who aren't attending the meeting, are near the remains of the still erupting Firs Island, where Garp tells the younger Marines some information about the former Admiral.

Meanwhile, the Straw Hats are recovering on a nearby island, where an old man who has also encountered Z tells them that he crushes the dreams of all the pirates he meets. Undettered, the Straw Hats (Save for Franky, who stays behind to guard and repair the Thousand Sunny) decide to go after Z anyway, to get Ain to return Nami, Chopper, Robin and Brook to their normal ages. They take the Sea Train to Secon Island, where the Neo Marines are located, and separate into two groups: Nami, Chopper, Robin and Usopp disguise themselves to get information about Z from a group of Marines, while the Monster Trio and Brook decide to visit the island's hot springs.

There, Luffy's group meets former Admiral Kuzan, much to their shock. After Kuzan reassured them that he's not there to kill them, they have a discussion regarding Z, as well as Kuzan's duel with Sakazuki, and the wounds Kuzan recieved as a result. Meanwhile, Nami uses the fact that she was turned into a child to her advantage, to trick some Marine soldiers into giving her info about Z. However, the group's cover is blown before she can learn any more, and they escape. Outside, Kuzan reveals to Luffy's group that Z was once a Marine Admiral named Zephyr, who was famous for his mastery of Armament Haki. However, one fateful day, his family was killed by a pirate, who later became a Shichibukai. Disgusted by this, Z left the Marines and formed the Neo Marines. Having said that, he leaves. Nami's group catches up with Luffy's, with the Marines still pursuing them. Luffy knocks most of them out with a burst of Haoshoku Haki, and forces the captain to tell them where Z is. The captain reluctantly answers that he is near the island's volcano, and that a Marine squad has already been dispatched to deal with him. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Usopp decide to go after him, while the rest of the crew waits for them at the Sea Train station.

Z easily defeats the squad single-handedly, and the Dyna Stones he planted near the volcano explode, releasing a large eruption of magma. He then gives his men a speech about the Grande Imbuto, a mass of subterranean magma large enough to flood the entire Grand Line, wiping out all pirates there as well as the One Piece, but he is interrupted by Luffy's group. Z orders Ain and Binz to fight Zoro and Sanji, while he himself takes on Luffy. The young pirate puts up a good fight, but Z switches things in his favor with a Kairoseki bullet. He then shoots an explosive bullet at Luffy at point blank range, and steals his straw hat before leaving. Ain and Binz also interrupt their respective fights to evacuate the island. Zoro, Sanji and Usopp return near the volcano, where they find Luffy seriously wounded. They take him and start running to the Sea Train station to escape the island before it explodes. Kuzan saves them from the eruption in the nick of time, and they all manage to board the Sea Train as it evacuates the island.

Back to the unnamed island, Kuzan appears before the crew again, and tells them that Z's plan is to destroy the three Endpoints with the Dyna Stones to release the Grande Imbuto, killing all pirates and destroying the One Piece. Now that two of the Endpoints have been destroyed, Z is about to go to the last one, Piriodo, and unless the Straw Hats stop him, the Pirate Era will end. Kuzan then gives the crew an Eternal Pose leading to Piriodo, then leaves. Determined to get his straw hat back and return his comrades to normal, Luffy decides to go there and settle things once and for all.

Kuzan reaches Piriodo before the Straw Hats do, and encounters Z there. They have a talk, and Kuzan prepares to fight Z, but changes his mind, not wanting to kill his former mentor. The Straw Hats reach the island shortly after, and fight the Neo Marines. While most of the crew fights the lower Neo Marines and Shiro Kuma troops, Luffy, Zoro and Sanji go after the top members. Sanji takes on and beats Binz, and Zoro finds and defeats Ain, returning Nami, Chopper, Robin and Brook to their normal ages. Elsewhere, Luffy and Z have a grueling battle, which Kuzan overlooks. Both fighters' blows are fierce, but Luffy comes out victorious. Defeated, Z asks Luffy to finish him, but Luffy refuses, saying that he already got what he came for, and is satisfied. Kizaru, however, shows up with many Marine soldiers, and prepares to attack. Z, having come to respect Luffy after their fight, decides to sacrifice himself to allow the Straw Hats, Neo Marines and Kuzan to escape. Ain tries to convince her leader otherwise and runs after him, but Kuzan creates a large ice wall to stop her from going any further, while also freezing the Dyna Stones Z planted around the area, preventing them from exploding. The Straw Hats escape the island, and have a last, solemn look at it. Z perishes during the fight, and Ain, Binz and Kuzan set a grave for him with the remains of his Battle Smasher. Ain and Binz are devastated, but Kuzan tries to console them by reminding them of how great a man Z was.

Wardrobe
The red themed character designs:

The Armani outfits used in the movie:

Trivia

 * Due to its nature similar to One Piece Film: Strong World, this film was often subject of canonicity discussion. However, Eiichiro Oda himself and, later, the Chapter 700 confirmed it to not be canon.
 * Oda himself said it to be not canonical, to not create problems to the fans who follow only the manga.
 * The new Marine Headquarters in the film is different from the one in the manga.
 * Brannew is shown to be a Commodore after the timeskip, while in the film he is shown without the High Rank officer coat.
 * The early scans about the Film set it just after the Fishman Island Saga, and the Z's Ambition Arc set it just before the Punk Hazard Arc, while in the manga this is not possible.
 * The film premieres the post time-skip appearances of the following characters:
 * Former Fleet Admiral and new General Inspector Sengoku
 * Fleet Admiral Sakazuki (face not shown)
 * Admiral Borsalino
 * Former Admiral Kuzan
 * Former Vice Admiral and new Instructor Monkey D. Garp
 * Vice Admiral Tsuru
 * Vice Admiral Doberman
 * Vice Admiral Strawberry
 * Vice Admiral Comil
 * Vice Admiral Dalmatian
 * Vice Admiral Stainless
 * Vice Admiral Jonathan (non-canon character)
 * Commodore Kibin (non-canon character)
 * Former Master Chief Petty Officer and new Captain Coby
 * Captain Hina
 * Captain T-Bone
 * Former Chief Petty Officer and new Lieutenant Commander Helmeppo
 * The film premiers the new Marine Headquarters (formerly known as G-1) after the timeskip.
 * This is the second movie referred to as a "film", the first being One Piece Film: Strong World. Both movies are directly overseen by the creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda.
 * This is the second movie featuring an ex-Marine turned pirate as the main antagonist, the first being Gasparde in the fourth movie, Dead End Adventure.
 * Two of this movie's theme songs will be sung by Canadian singer Avril Lavigne.
 * Creator Eiichiro Oda selected outfits designed by the fashion label Armani for part of the film.
 * In anticipation of the film, the following anime adaption/original anime video related to it has been released:
 * Anime filler Z's Ambition Arc.
 * Special Episode of Luffy.
 * Smart phone special episode Glorious Island.
 * Those who attended the theatrical releases of the film received Volume 1000, similiar to how Strong World attendees received Volume 0.
 * The film's credits feature the animation and color-scheme of some characters who were depicted as children in the SBS Question corner. (e.g. The Shichibukai)

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