One Piece Film: Z

One Piece Film: Z is the 12th One Piece film, released on December 15, 2012. The film was scripted by Osamu Suzuki, directed by Tatsuya Nagamine and executive produced by Eiichiro Oda. Yasutaka Nakata wrote and performed the theme song.

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

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

Wrath of the Neo Marines


The story begins with Z singing a requiem, as he prepares for battle. His fleet of Neo Marines push past the defenses of Marine ships and invades Firs Island. He, along with his subordinates Ain and Binz, easily make their way past the Marines stationed there.

Eventually Z and his solders break into the Marine base, and acquire the Dyna Stones. As his men begin loading the weapons aboard their ships, Admiral Kizaru appears and begins a deadly onslaught, destroying their ships and blowing away the Neo Marine soldiers. Z rushes to their aid and clashes with Kizaru.



As the two fight, Ain and Binz evacuate the Neo Marines onto the surviving ships. Kizaru asks how long it has been since the two last met, wondering what brings him to the island. Z warns that he relies too much on his Pika Pika no Mi abilities. Kizaru responds he is still stubborn as a rock, addressing him as Master Zephyr. Z responds that he abandoned that name. The two clash fiercely.



Kizaru tries to inquire why Zephyr wants the Dyna Stones. However, Z responds by using one of the stones to attack the admiral, firing it directly into Kizaru's face. The blast engulfs the entire island, destroying everything. Kizaru survives the explosion however thanks to his powers but Z is seemingly lost in the blast. The Neo Marines are safe from the blast and the Marines, but Ain is concerned for Z.

At the same time, Aokiji passes by the area and notices the destruction of the island.

Z and the Straw Hat Pirates


Meanwhile not too far from the location, the Straw Hats are having a "Cherry Blossom" party on the Sunny. Luffy, Zoro, Chopper, Franky, and Brook are goofing around. Usopp sprays his Pop Greens with pesticide (the smell of which interrupts the party for a bit). Robin watches and enjoys their antics while Nami is trying to read but cannot due to the ruckus from the others. Sanji naturally is serving and fawning over her.

Volcanic ash suddenly begins to rain from the sky much to their confusion. Nami studies her Log Pose and finds the needle spinning where the volcano had erupted from. She realizes that the needle must be spinning around because the volcano must have destroyed the island and the needle no longer has a magnetic field to lock on. Franky says it is impossible, but she points out that they are in the New World, anything is possible. Usopp whispers to her that they have to hide this from Luffy and choose a safer route. Despite it, Luffy notices the spinning needle, deciding to head in that direction. Usopp whines, but Nami tells him to trust in her navigational skills. He warns her that the paths they choose could cost them their lives, but she tells him the matter is out of their hands now.

As Usopp continues to whine, Luffy spots the battered body of Z clinging to life on a piece of driftwood out at sea, and attempts to rescue him. When he grabs ahold of his mechanical arm, he becomes weak and Sanji and Usopp having to help pull Z aboard. Chopper examines Z, but finds that he should be fine. Nami shows signs of suspicion, worrying that they picked up someone problematic. Robin notices his arm is built out of Seastone, the reason why Luffy became weak when he touched him. Sanji reminds them all that Seastone is used against Devil Fruit users with him and Zoro debating whether to throw him overboard. Chopper defends him, with Luffy ordering him to save his life and that he would deal with him if he was an enemy.



Z awakens later in Chopper's infirmary, with Zoro and Sanji standing guard outside. He thanks Chopper for his care, calling him a great medic and meets Luffy who remained in the room during Z's treatment. Z immediately tags him as the ship's captain. Luffy asks him what he plans to do next, as Z tells him he is carrying a Vivre Card and his comrades should find him soon. Luffy begins asking questions about Z, his arm, and what he is doing. Things seem to go fine at first. At least until Luffy reveals he is a pirate.

Z instantly attacks and throws Luffy through the wall. He asks Luffy why he is a pirate to which Luffy proudly responds he will be the Pirate King. This comment infuriates Z, as he madly swings his Battle Smasher around. Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji all begin fighting him with Z able to hold them all off with relative ease. Ain and Binz then arrive with a fleet of ships and board the Sunny, announcing they will be confiscating it. Franky attacks, with Binz summoning vines that are able to subdue him. Robin tries attacking, but he proves too quick for her to grab him with her arms.



Usopp, Chopper and Brook rush to help, but Binz ensnares them all in vines as well. Nami briefly battles Ain, but she uses her Devil Fruit ability and shrinks Nami down to a small child. Chopper breaks out of the vines and charges her, but Ain evades him and uses her ability on him as well. She goes on to use her power on the subdued Brook. Robin tries to grab her before she can continue, and demands to know what she did to Nami and Chopper. However, Ain takes advantage of Robin's powers, and touches her duplicated arms to de-age her to the appearance of a young teen.

Ain explains she has the ability to revert things with a touch by 12 years. She tells Robin she would only need to touch her two more times and she would disappear.

Z overpowers the Monster Trio and throws them out into the deck of the ship. He grabs Luffy with his Battle Smasher, sapping away his powers and chastises Luffy's dream, telling him he will never be Pirate King with his strength. Curiosity piqued, he asks Luffy his name. When he tells him, Z connects him as Garp's grandson before throwing him onto the deck with the other Straw Hats.



He announces to the Straw Hats he will destroy all pirates and orders the Neo Marines to attack the Sunny, bombarding her with cannons. While Luffy wishes to continues his battle with Z, the pleas of his crewmates force him to retreat. He frees Franky from his bonds who quickly heads for the steering and he uses a Coup de Burst to escape much to the surprise of the Neo Marines.

Meanwhile at the Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki calls a summit meeting of his high ranking officers to discuss the recent events. Akainu states the Dyna Stones were a trump card against the New World.

He tells the Marines Z's plan is to use the Dyna Stones to destroy the End Points, which will destroy the entire ocean surrounding the New World. Kizaru chimes in that Z must have died from getting caught in the explosion at Firs Island. Tsuru disagrees, knowing that as a former Admiral he would have survived. Akainu laments the treachery of their former teacher, but resolves that he must be stopped along with the Neo Marines.



Garp, Koby and Helmeppo, who are not attending the meeting, are near the remains of the still erupting Firs Island. Koby questions if the rumor of the End Points being destroyed was true or not. Garp tells Koby that if it was merely a lie they would not be taking such extreme measures. He tells the two that Z plans to destroy all the pirates in the New World with the End Points, but not only will it kill all pirates on the seas but everyone else living there too. One of the Marines asks Garp who exactly this Z person is. Garp briefly explains that Z was once a Marine who fought alongside him and the others during their youth. He worries that his anger and hatred will destroy the world.

Adventures on Secon Island


Meanwhile, the Straw Hats are recovering on a nearby island, where Franky goes to work on fixing the Sunny. He tells Luffy to go after Z while he repairs the damage done. Chopper regrets saving Z's life, but Sanji tells him a pirate should live without regrets of what he believes in and the crew do not blame him for what happened. The crew then discuss their next course of action with finding Z and restoring those who were de-aged being their top priority. Nami proposes gathering intel on their enemy as the first place to start.

Mobston, an old man approaches them and asks if they had a run in with Z. He tells them many pirate ships that have come to the island have been attacked by him and as such, lose their will to continue and gave up piracy. He is pleasantly surprised that Luffy still wishes to fight after losing so badly to him and offers up his finest equipment to use in their quest. Nami tells the crew to not arouse suspicion, they need a new change of clothes first. They are told their best place to start is to take the Sea Train to neighboring island, Secon Island.



As they head to their next destination, they divide their into groups and split up. Luffy, Brook, Sanji, and Zoro all relax in a local hot spring to rest, recover, and prepare for the upcoming fight. While Luffy wants to go find Z, Sanji tells him to keep a low profile since the island is crawling with Marine soldiers.

Elsewhere, Nami and Robin have gotten work at a bar. Robin woos the crowd with her good looks and dancing, as Nami works as a server. Usopp is disguised as Robin's manager, and Chopper works outside as a shoe shiner.

Somewhere else on the island, Z and his crew finish planting the Dyna Stones over the active volcano. Z promises when it erupts the Marines will know his fury.

As Luffy and the others relax in the hot springs, Luffy vows to not let his guard down around Z again. Sanji tells him as long as he is a Devil Fruit user and lets himself get caught by his arm he will lose, offering to let him and Zoro to fight him instead. Luffy turns him down, knowing to avoid his arm for their next fight. However, a familiar voice calls out to them, claiming he was getting tired waiting for them. The group finds it belongs to Kuzan who is resting in a nearby bath. The group instantly go on guard. Save for Brook who does not recognize him, but panics when they fill him in that he is an Admiral.



Kuzan reassures them he is not there to capture them, and had given up being an Admiral. Brook asks what he is then, with Kuzan finding being questioned bothersome. He thinks on the question, and is unable to think of a proper answer confusing them further. However, he tells them again he is not their enemy anymore and reminds them if he was he would not be in a hot spring where he cannot use his powers. As Kuzan gets out of the water, the Straw Hats see his battle scarred body, and his missing leg that he regrows with his ice powers. Noticing their shocked expressions, he merely notes he "got into a bit of mischief".

Nami and Usopp meet up with Chopper to share information. Chopper reports he heard rumors of some Marines showing up because of Z. Usopp says there are lots of Marines where he was, but is unsure if it has to do with Z or Robin's popularity. Though on aside, they did make some good money (which Nami instantly takes when Usopp shows Chopper). Back at the spa, Kuzan and Luffy's group talk some more, with Luffy asking him what happened to his leg. But Kuzan does not wishes to answer, likewise when questioned why Akainu and he fought. He does answer he wishes his only reason for coming was to enjoy the hot springs, but is chasing Z. Kuzan also correctly guesses that the Straw Hats has fought against Z, remarking how strong he is.

Nami makes her rounds pressing for information from local Marines, learning Z is currently on the island. One of them spills information of his plan on destroying the End Points. One Marine Captain becomes suspicious of her, and asks her why she is so curious about him. Panicking, she points the blame to Usopp. The Captain tries to escort her away for questioning, but Robin subdues the Captain and the group take off, their cover blown.



Kuzan and Luffy's group soon leave the spa as he talks about the great age of pirates. He ponders to himself if pirates are made from the One Piece existing, or if the One Piece exists because of the pirates. Telling them how when some follow their dreams, it can lead to pain and sadness of others. He tells them that Z plans to destroy piracy by destroying the One Piece. He has chosen to follow Z's journey, but is unsure what actions he himself must take. He then departs, telling Luffy he will find Z on the island.

Luffy thinks back to his encounter of Z questioning Luffy's dream, until the rest of the Straw Hats catch up with them with a group of Marines on their tail. Luffy dispatches them all with his Haoshoku Haki save for the captain whom he ask where Z is. Reluctantly, the Marine Captain tells him the location of Z, explaining they were planning to ambush him. His squad of soldiers are then shown trying to subdue Z who easily beats everyone around him. Kibin, the last standing, clashes with him. He uses his Tekkai, but Z breaks his defense with the power of his Armored Haki and defeats him. The Dyna Stones explode, causing the volcano to erupt. Z informs his men the destruction the Second Point has been a success and they need only destroy one more island. Stating his plan as the "Grand Reboot", to which he wishes to purge the seas of pirates and start everything anew.



Luffy, along with Zoro, Usopp and Sanji find their location and he instantly attacks. Z blocks it, showing mild surprise to see Luffy. Luffy demands Z change his friends back to normal. Ain and Binz attack which Sanji and Zoro intercept them. Z tells Luffy if he wants something, he has to take it like a pirate. Luffy and Z both strike, the shock setting off the volcano to explode forth with magma. Kuzan saves the lives of some civilians by knocking away a volcanic rock and tells them to get to the Sea Train. Kuzan looks on at the devastation, wondering if Z has finally lost his mind.

Luffy and Z battle with Luffy managing to counter most of his attacks. As they fight, Z questions Luffy if he has the resolve to be the pirate king and that if he is willing to sacrifice his crew to make his dream happen.



Elsewhere Zoro and Ain exchange strikes, but she breaks off her attack promising she would kill him the next time they met. Sanji begins to overpower Binz, sending powerful kicks to his face but Binz breaks off the fight and escapes with a smoke bomb along with Ain. Luffy and Z clash furious blows, with Z mocking Luffy telling him if he keeps being afraid of his Battle Smasher, he will never land any hits on him. He strikes the ground, sending Luffy flying away. In the process, Luffy's hat is sent flying from his head.

Z fires more bullets at Luffy who deflects back at him, stating his bullets will never harm him, until Z pulls out a small pistol and fires a bullet into his shoulder made from Seastone, incapacitating Luffy. Mocking Luffy further, he tells him the strongest people in the New World would have never have let themselves be hit with it and he relies too much on his Devil Fruit power. He takes Luffy's hat, promising to bury it himself once he has finished destroying the age of pirates.



Luffy manages to get up and tries to reclaim his hat, telling Z the hat was given to him by Shanks. Z grabs Luffy in his powerful grips and tells him Shanks, along with the rest of the Four Emperors will all die before they know what is happening. Luffy becomes enraged, screaming at him to not mock Shanks. Z responds by blasting Luffy with the Smasher's Cannon, ultimately defeating him. Usopp, Zoro and Sanji regroup and find Luffy. As they do, the volcanic ash begins to cover the whole island forcing the group to run for it.

Usopp uses one of his Pop Greens to make a banana shaped boat to ride down a slanted areas of the town but they're knocked off at a crossroads. Just as their deaths seemed imminent, Kuzan appears and encases the magma and ash in a gigantic layer of ice giving them time to escape. The Straw Hats board the sea train and flee, just before the island blows taking the once thriving town with it.

Z's Hatred
Z is shown watching the island exploding from one of his ships, with Ain wondering of Luffy's fate. Z reflects on the One Piece and becomes angered over how much suffering and death its existence has brought to the world. That pirates consider it a symbol of freedom, but he will destroy that and bring a close to the great pirate age.



Meanwhile, Garp and Sengoku are seen discussing Z's actions. Sengoku notes how tragic Z's history has been, but destroying the island and putting innocent civilians in danger was unacceptable. Garp remarked that not everyone could see things as black and white like him. Koby asks Garp about Z, wondering what kind of man he was like. Garp obliges and tells the two of Zephyr's past. Explaining that Zephyr was always a serious man, that he was always fighting in front of men on the battlefield. He had become an Admiral when he was still young, and led a happy life until his wife and son were killed by a pirate who hated him.

That hatred and sadness stayed with him as he continued to perform his duties. He had become a teacher who had trained many of the high ranking Marines who now serve the World Government today and was loved by many. However he suffered another tragedy when he had lost his right arm and was unable to stop a powerful pirate from slaying a crew of trainees he tried to protect, with Ain and Binz the only survivors. Zephyr took this defeat into a new goal to hunt down pirate with Devil Fruits with his new mechanical arm that was built for him.

Shortly afterwards, the pirate who had taken his arm and his crew was nominated by the Government to become a Warlord of the Sea. This was Zephyr's final straw, he left the Marines after this in great disgust. Unable to rely on the Marines anymore to inflict proper justice, he formed the Neo Marines as an enemy to both marines and pirates alike. Koby asks why Zephyr is called Z now, to which Garp confesses he does not know.



Some time later, the Neo Marines arrive on Piriodo. Z leaves his crew for a bit to go to a makeshift grave where he finds Kuzan singing the requiem song from the beginning of the movie. He tells Z he always hated that song, before giving him a bottle of his favorite wine as a peace offering. He tells Z he used to drink that because of him, looking up to him. While Z is humbled that Kuzan is lecturing him, he states he plans to continue to go forward with his plan no matter what.

Kuzan tells him he might die, as Z responds that is no problem if he can rid the world of evil. Z tells him to step aside and the two come to a tense stand off, but each side is unwilling to fight one another as enemies. Kuzan backs down and leaves Z to his machinations.

The Straw Hats return to Dock Island, as Luffy is patched up and has the Seastone bullet removed. Kuzan appears before the crew again, telling Luffy to stop moping. Nami, Usopp, Chopper and Robin are shown terrified, but Luffy assures them it is alright. Kuzan explains Z's plan to the crew of destroying the three Endpoints with the Dyna Stones to release the Grande Imbuto, a fissure line underneath the Grand Line. If Z destroys the last one, this will allow the magma flow to be release and flood the sea with fire. Though doing so will not only kill pirates, but innocents as well.



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. The Endpoints had been considered a legend, with most thinking it was nonsense. The government covered up the truth about them, to dissuade pirates from using it. Thus only the World Government and highest ranking officers of the Marines know about it. He laments that it is an Admiral abusing this knowledge above all else. He reminds them that he is not doing this out of power, but to punish pirates.

Luffy remains undeterred despite being defeated twice by Z, vowing to chase him down and get his hat back. If he lets Z keep his hat, he could never face Shanks or be worthy of the Pirate King title. Kuzan then gives the crew an Eternal Pose leading to Piriodo. Nami asks why he is helping them, but he ignores the question and warns them that their journey will be very dangerous. If they lose to Z, they will be destroyed along with the New World. However if they win they will be surrounded on all sides by the Marines, so it is lose-lose either way. With that said he leaves them to their own fates. The crew begin making their preparations to leave, as Kuzan and Robin share a small moment.



Franky reminds the crew about the equipment they were promised earlier, showing a large stash of armor and weapons Mobston had saved up from the previous crews that suffered from Z's wrath. Mobston gives Usopp his bicorn hat, believing they can bring down Z. They suit up in their new gear and head out. As they are leaving, Gari approaches Luffy telling him he wants to grow up to be a hero but cant decide whether he wants to be an Admiral or a pirate. Sanji flatly states pirates are not heroes. But Luffy chimes in saying if both feel the same, then it is okay and just do whatever he pleases. Gari watches the Straw Hat Pirates leave, filled with admiration for them.

Battle for the New World
The Straw Hats intercept a blockade of Neo Marine warships guarding Piriodo. They blast through their defenses with the Gaon Cannon before landing on the beaches with an army waiting for them. The Straw Hats begin fighting, using their new weapons to help. Chopper fights off the hordes using his Guard Point, holding many rifles within himself. Luffy tries fighting with two sabers, but he quickly discards them shouting for Z to appear. Zoro finds himself separated from the group, and is met once again by Ain. She announces she will not let Zoro reach her master. Zoro tells her he has nothing against her, but will fight with everything he has. Ain admits she probably will not win, but will buy Z as much time as she can and will gladly die for him. Zoro remarks he felt hesitation in her sword, angering her.



Sanji is shown fighting with Binz once again, as he tells him how tired he is of listening to him talk about his master, wondering if the Ain and he are merely kids. Luffy finishes fighting off a large group of Neo Marines, as he had used his large meat stick as a club. Feeling tired, he eats the emergency food gaining his stamina back for the fight ahead.

As the Straw Hats fight with the Neo Marines, Kizaru and a large fleet of Marines arrive on the island. Kizaru cheerfully says that he will kill every one of the Straw Hats along with Z. Meanwhile, Z himself is sitting in the mouth of the volcano surrounded by Dyna Stones placed to blow. After a swig of his wine, he stares eagerly at Luffy's straw hat awaiting his inevitable arrival. Luffy is shown fighting off more Neo Marines trying to stop his advances. He uses his Haki, dodging multiple shots from cannons gradually getting closer.

Zoro and Ain battle as she uses her powers to turn the hardened volcanic rock around them back into flowing magma. Zoro slashes the magma aside easily. Meanwhile Sanji breaks through Binz vines landing hard kicks to his body. Robin uses her Gigantesco Mano move, summoning giant legs to stomp the surrounding enemies. Brook unleashes Soul Solid, freezing a large number of soldiers in place. Chopper uses his Kung-Fu point, able to physically hold off the soldiers and dodge their every moves. Usopp uses Hissatsu Midori Bosshi, summoning a forest of strong bamboo sticks pulverizing the soldiers. Nami uses her Clima-Tact to summon down a lightning storm on the battlefield, striking both enemy and ally alike.



The Straw Hats win their battles, standing victorious over the defeated Neo Marines. However an army of modified Pacifista appear and begin their onslaught. The crew are forced to run until Franky arrives in the Franky Shogun to turn the tide. Franky takes on the Pacifista, able to fight them all off with his superior strength. Once clustered together, he destroys them with a powerful Radical Beam.

Zoro chases Ain through the volcanic lands, both of them clashing their swords against one another. Zoro is shown to be physically dominating the match, as she desperately tries using two pistols against him. Zoro cleaves through the bullets easily and then cuts the guns out of her hands. He finishes the match by performing his Santoryu Seiryu In: Ryusui slash. Ain collapses to the ground, as Zoro stands victorious.

Sanji and Binz are battling it out in the air, with Sanji maneuvering around his vines keeping to the air with his Sky Walk. Binz throws his large shuriken stars that Sanji kicks aside with his Diable Jambe footwork. His anger against attacking Nami fuels him during his match, landing multiple kicks to Binz who struggles to keep up. Sanji bursts into a ball of flames, using his new Sexy Fire move to finish him off. His powerful kick sends Binz crashing down below, as Sanji takes a moment to light a cigarette.

Upon Ain's defeat, her effects begin to wear off. Nami grows back to her adult size, with the armor she is sporting now barely fitting her body. Chopper reverts back growing slightly, along with Robin and Brook (though it does not seem to show any signs of change on him). The group head on to catch up with Luffy.



Luffy finally finds Z waiting for him inside the volcano. He discards his jacket, as the two engage in a furious battle. Luffy pounds away against his Battle Smasher arm, with Z calling his efforts useless. Their fight grows more intense, Luffy's shirt incinerating off him from Z's raw strength. He tells Luffy he cannot defeat his justice. Luffy unleashes his Gatling Gun punches, able to land a few brief hits on Z's body and break the rigging supporting the Battle Smasher on Z's arm.

Z compliments Luffy on having courage for a pirate, remarking he is far braver than the Marines. Luffy inflates his fist to Gear Third, using his Gigant Pistol move at Z. Z matches Luffy's hit with his Smash Blaster, both unable to push each other back. Z begins showing signs of fatigue, as the two rush and smash each others fists against one another as hard as they can. The force of the impact sends rippling shock waves along the volcano.

The Straw Hats catch up to the battle, seeing Luffy had managed to leave an imprint of his fist inside Z's giant metal fist. Z asks him why he wants to fight him so much. That even if he defeats him, nobody will thank him for his efforts for the stigma of being a pirate. Luffy responds if he cannot defeat him, he will never be able to become the Pirate King. The Battle Smasher breaks then and there and falls from Z's arm, revealing a smaller mechanical arm he can still use. Z tells Luffy he is going to dedicate his life to ending his ambition, challenging him for a final bout.



Z and Luffy activate their Armament Haki, their arms turning a hardened black. The two engage in a brutal fist fight, both striking each other with imbued Haki. Kuzan is seen watching their match from a distance, stating "Black Arm" Zephyr has returned. Z and Luffy both give each other hard punches to the chest and stomach, giving Luffy a moment to recoil and puke. Luffy strikes back a punch that knocks Z's glasses right off.

A brief flashback is seen in his mind of his early childhood, rattling his early memories. Z becomes elated, that he is being given such a good fight. Both Luffy and him are worn out, still pushing each other with punches back and forth. He corners Luffy and begins pounding on him, with Luffy showing little sign he can defend himself anymore. As Z begins to gain the upper hand, Luffy pushes him back with a kick.

Fighting on their last reserves, Luffy shouts he is going to be the Pirate King with Z shouting his name in absolute confidence. After exchanging a few more blows to one another, Luffy finally collapses from exhaustion. Z falls to the ground after, unable to fight anymore too. Z bitterly says he has gotten old, and his body cannot keep up with him anymore. He finds it disappointing, telling Luffy he was enjoying fighting him.

As the battle ends, the Straw Hats rush over to Luffy's aid, with Ain and Binz doing the same for Z. Z tells Luffy to finish him, but Luffy merely tells him he is already satisfied as he regains his straw hat, giving him a smile. He offers to continue fighting him but Z turns him down, also being satisfied. Z apologizes to Ain for giving her so such work. Ain begins crying for him, telling him she is happy he is alright.



However, the reunion is short-lived as Kizaru then arrives with his army, telling them he is going to kill them all. Z says he has done everything he has wanted to do, and now will face the price for it as he marches towards the Marine army. He dismisses Luffy, and tells him to leave the rest to him. Ain tries to rush to his side, but Kuzan summons a giant wall of ice dividing everyone from him. Z begrudgingly accepts he has been given a place to die, as he faces the Marines head on.

Even near death, his raw strength overpowers all the soldiers around him. Kizaru unleashes his Yasakani no Magatama attack, filling the sky with thousands of beams of light than rain down upon Z. He is hurt badly, filled with burning holes in his body but still stands against them. The Marines begin weeping, shedding tears for being forced to kill their beloved teacher. Z announces he will give them all their last training lesson, as he barrels forth giving his all for one last battle.

The Straw Hats depart the island, watching the battle unfold in grim silence as Z gives up his life to save them. Eventually Z is defeated and passes away (offscreen). Ain and Binz visit his gravestone that has his Battle Smasher arm wrapped around the cross, still with the fist imprint on where Luffy struck it. Kuzan tells the two not to cry for him, for he lived the way he wanted without any regrets. Kuzan remarks he was an incredible man.



The movie ends in a flashback as a young boy dressed as a superhero and wielding a log on his right arm beats up bullies that were harassing a young girl. As other kids cheer him on, the boy claims himself a hero of justice under the name "Z".

During the credits, it is revealed that after Z's defeat, the Straw Hats returned to Dock Island one last time, to return the gear and weapons Mobston had given them. They bid them farewell, and Gari decided to become a pirate.

Episode of Luffy
Crash landing on an island after escaping a fight against the Marines, the Straw Hat Pirates decide to explore while Franky repairs and move the ship.

Luffy befriends a wax sculptor, and after being told that his apprentice had joined the Marines and subsequently been imprisoned due to knowing how to create incredibly solid wax, Luffy decide to meets with the others and go out to find the apprentice, facing up against Bilić and his inventions.

Glorious Island
Luffy, Nami and Brook are relaxing in the pool as a Sea Horse attacks them. Sanji tell Luffy that he can make soup from the attacker so Luffy defeat the animal while the rest of the crew prepare for the party. This special leads directly to the beginning of the film.

Z's Ambition Arc
After leaving Fish-Man Island the Straw Hats meet Lily Enstomach who tries to free her father from being sent to Impel Down. They agree to help her and after finding Momonga and the Marines escorting him they begin the rescue mission.

During the attack, Shuzo lead the Neo Marines attack in an attempt to kill Panz Fry and a three way battle commence. The Straw Hats eventually succeed in rescuing Panz Fry and escaping their adversaries, and start preparing the ingredients for Panz Fry's famous volcano cooking. The group is suddenly attacked by Shuzo, who tracked them using a Vivre Card he attached to Panz Fry and restart his attack on the Giant.

Luffy and Lily tries to fight back but are beaten. Lily asks Usopp to fire her into Shuzo's mouth in order to defeat him using her Devil Fruit powers, but Shuzo uses Luffy as a shield and Lily enter his mouth instead. Nonetheless, Lily still deactivates her power and with Luffy's own abilities combine, they defeat the Neo Marines. Momonga capture and arrest Shuzo and head to Impel Down.

The Straw Hats enjoy Panz Fry cooking and after promising to meet again, they go their separate ways. Elsewhere, Zephyr and the rest of the Neo Marines prepare their attack on Firs Island.

Wardrobe
The red themed character designs:

The Armani outfits used in the movie:

Trivia

 * This is the the first film which takes place after the timeskip.
 * Several elements in the film would later be contradicted by 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.
 * However, this part could be considered canon if one were to say he was promoted to commodore very late in the timeskip, just before the Dressrosa Arc.
 * Robin was shown unable to catch Binz with her Hana Hana no Mi powers because he was moving too fast with Soru. This contradicts the Dressrosa Arc when she had no problem catching Hakuba (that was moving at equal or even higher speed). She even says that speed is useless while fighting her.
 * In an interview with Toyo Keizai, director Tatsuya Nagamine said that he suggested the titles of "Dream Crusher" or "Dream Smasher" because of Z's effort to crush pirates' dreams. However, Oda did not think those titles were catchy and preferred to name it "Z" after the antagonist.
 * The film premiers 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 Smoker, Vice Admiral Doberman, Vice Admiral Strawberry, Vice Admiral Yamakaji, Vice Admiral Onigumo, Vice Admiral Momonga, Vice Admiral Comil, Vice Admiral Dalmatian, Vice Admiral Stainless, Vice Admiral Lacroix, Vice Admiral John Giant, Vice Admiral Lonz, Vice Admiral Mozambia, Vice Admiral Cancer, Vice Admiral Jonathan (non-canon character), Rear Admiral Yukimura (non-canon character), Commodore Brannew, Commodore Daigin, Commodore Kibin (non-canon character), Former Master Chief Petty Officer and new Captain Koby, Captain Tashigi, Captain Hina, Captain T Bone, Captain Shu, and Former Chief Petty Officer and new Lieutenant Commander Helmeppo
 * The film marks the debut appearance of the new Marine Headquarters (formerly G-1) after the timeskip, though it is different from the manga.
 * The film follows the manga fact that Sanji does not need to spin to activate his Diable Jambe mode, something the anime ignores completely.
 * This is the second movie referred to as a "film", the first being One Piece Film: Strong World, the third being One Piece Film: Gold and the fourth being One Piece Film: Red. All these movies were directly overseen by the creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda.
 * This is the second movie featuring an ex-Marine as the main antagonist, the first being Gasparde in the fourth movie, Dead End Adventure.
 * Two of this film's theme songs are sung by Canadian singer Avril Lavigne.
 * Eiichiro Oda selected outfits designed by the fashion label Armani for part of the film.
 * Those who attended the theatrical releases of the film received Volume 1000, similar 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: Sengoku, Monkey D. Garp, Kuzan, Sakazuki, Borsalino, Jinbe, Dracule Mihawk, Boa Hancock, Bartholomew Kuma, Marshall D. Teach, Donquixote Doflamingo, Perona, Scratchmen Apoo, Trafalgar Law, Basil Hawkins, and Eustass Kid. The credits also showed Brook as a child.
 * This is the second One Piece film, Strong World being the first, to get a theatrical release in France.
 * This is the third One Piece film to be dubbed in English by FUNimation.
 * This is also the first of the post-timeskip One Piece content to be dubbed in English.
 * This film marked Takkō Ishimori's final performance as Sengoku before his death on June 5, 2013.
 * Chopper's autograph from Sogeking that he got in the Enies Lobby Arc (unaware it was just Usopp in disguise) can be seen hanging up in the medical room.
 * A magnetic signal on the Sea Train route reads, "Magnetic Signal Company", "Los Angeles, CA", marking the first time a real world location and company have been explicitly named in One Piece.
 * Some of the pirates seen as Kuzan explains how it would be a disaster if pirates took advantage of the Endpoints are modeled after Oda's unused character design sketches, such as Jabra with spikier hair and a lanky figure, and Apollo, a prototype character for CP9 who would be replaced with Kumadori.
 * The film shows Kuzan missing part of his left leg after his battle with Sakazuki, which would later be confirmed in Chapter 1081 over a decade later.
 * To celebrate the film's release, Weekly Shonen Jump 2013 #4-5 included an alternate volume sleeve featuring characters and events from the film, complete with an exclusive Author's Note from Chopper's perspective.

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