One Piece Film: Strong World

Strong World is the 10th film of the One Piece series written by manga creator Eiichiro Oda himself.

News of the movie first appeared during a showing of the Episode of the Island of Perpetual Winter, which a teaser for the tenth movie was revealed. The movie was originally meant for a spring release in 2009. But complications with the script pushed the release date back. Eventually the movie premiered on December 12, 2009

As stated, the film is an original story written by Eiichiro Oda himself in honor of One Piece's Tenth Anniversary (In previous films Oda only supplied character designs and approved story ideas. For this one Toei personally asked if he would write the story). The movie is apparently canonical and set after the Thriller Bark Arc, as Brook is shown alongside the other Straw Hats (making this his first movie appearance), as well as Sengoku, Garp, Shanks and Whitebeard (the latter two as stand-ins with no voice roles).

As a promo for the movie, the first 1.5 million japanese moviegoers who went to see the One Piece Film Strong World received Volume 0 of the manga. The "0th volume" bonus gift depicts the world of One Piece from 20 years ago. It's said this volume is directly related to the plot of the movie — in particular, the Pirate King Gol D. Roger versus the legendary pirate "Golden Lion" Shiki.

Synopsis
East Blue in crisis? The news hits the Straw Hat Crew along their journey. With their hometowns facing a crisis, Luffy and his friends put their adventures on hold and search for a way back to East Blue, when suddenly a mysterious flying pirate ship appears out of the sky. The man riding that ship is none other than the infamous Devil Fruit user, Golden Lion Shiki, the same legendary pirate who managed to escape the great undersea prison Impel Down, and stood among such famous pirates as the Pirate King Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard. After abducting Nami, Shiki sends Luffy and his crew hurdling down to earth. Separated, the crew finds themselves placed in a battle of survival with terrifying beasts on a flying archipelago. Meanwhile, with tears in her eyes, Nami begs Shiki to let her join his crew.

Creatures that evolved on their own respective islands? What happens to the Straw Hat pirates? What is Shiki after? An adventure where the Straw Hats place their very lives on the line begins now!

Plot
The film opens in Marineford with Garp and Sengoku watching Golden Lion Shiki levatating several Marine Battleships and then sinking them with Shiki declaring this as a warning to the World Government. The scene then changes to Luffy in a jungle being attacked by all sorts of strange and large animals. He manages to evade them and beat up a few using their own attacks against them. It then goes to Robin, Franky, and Brook as they traverse another section of the island together, this time ruins. They are attacked by man-eating bugs but Brook manages to defeat all of them so they can move on. It then goes to Nami who is being held captive with Shiki.

Episode 0
3 Years before the Great Age of Pirates...

In Marineford, Marine Headquarters get word that Gold Roger and Gold Lion Shiki are having a confrontation. Hearing this, Vice-Admiral Garp walks out on the current Fleet Admiral, Kong, and forces his way onto Admiral Sengoku's ship, much to Sengoku's annoyance.

In the New World, at someplace in the sea called Edd War, Buggy freaks out at the potential conflict between the infamous pirates, and asks Crocus if Roger is well enough to fight. Crocus 'assures' him that Roger is perfectly okay. Meanwhile, Shiki asks Roger to join him, hoping to use Roger's information on the Ancient Weapons to rule the world. Roger refuses, not wanting to give up the freedom he has. A battle between the two crews ensues, and a change in the weather allows the Roger Pirates to sink half of Shiki's ships. A side-effect of the battle causes half of steering wheel to become implanted into Shiki's head.

2 Years later...

After conquering the Grand Line and becoming the Pirate King, the Roger Pirates mysteriously disbanded. A year later, news gets out that the Marines have arrested Roger. Furious, Shiki attacks Marine HQ and is told by Sengoku and Garp that Roger will be executed in Loguetown, East Blue, as a warning to all pirates. Shiki is infuriated even more that the Pirate King will die in the weakest sea, but Garp tells him that East Blue is also the symbol of peace. A battle between the three erupts, and ends with half of Marineford being leveled and Shiki sent to Impel Down.

Buggy, Shanks, Monkey D. Dragon, and future Shichibukai Doflamingo, Crocodile, Mihawk and Moria especially witnessed the execution.

A week after Shiki's captured, Roger is executed, sparking the Great Age of Pirates. All over the world, people have different reactions to the news...

Logue Town: Buggy and Shanks mourn for the loss of their captain, while Gecko Moria and Donquixote Doflamingo look eager. Juracule Mihawk and Dragon seem neutral, while Crocodile's reaction is not seen.

Elsewhere: Portgas D. Rouge awaits the birth of her son.

Arabasta: King Cobra and his wife note that a terrible age has begun.

Enies Lobby: Oimo and Kāshī hear about the surge in Piracy, but estimate nobody will attack Enies Lobby.

Little Garden: Dorry and Brogy continue to duel.

Longring Longland: Tonjit's tribe tells Tonjit about the news, but he is too concerned with the thought of building the longest stilts in the world.

Elsewhere: Monblanc Cricket calls the new age Romantic.

CP9 training ground: Rob Lucci, Jyabura, Blueno continue to train, being told that they must be stronger than even justice.

Elsewhere: Duval is born. His hideous looks are cited to be a pirates' curse by his mother.

Amazon Lily: Boa Hancock tells her sisters that only those who are really strong can become pirates.

Impel Down: the denizens of Level 6 demand to be let out- except for Shiki. He feels that all these new pirates are just selfish, and asks of Roger why he died.

2 Years after the Great Age begins...

In Impel Down, Shiki is able to escape his cell by cutting off his legs, freeing himself from the seastone shackles locked there. As news on his escape makes headlines, Shiki replaces his lost limbs with his swords.

In the East Blue, Garp hears about the escape while visiting baby Ace. At what will someday become Zoro's training dojo, Koshiro comments on how he hoped his child would take over someday, but his child ended up born a girl, Kuina. At Syrup Village, Shanks asks for Yasopp. Meanwhile, Merry begins designing a ship he will call the Going Merry. At Marine Base, Bellemere claims that she will kill Shiki if he ever attacks the East Blue. Elsewhere, Zeff hears about the escape. On Drum Island, Dr. Kureha watches as Hiriluk botches another examination. Meanwhile, Dalton and the current king discuss Wapol's behavior. In an unnamed town, Nico Robin hides from pursuers. Back in the East Blue, on the Island of Strange Animals, Gaimon gets stuck in his chest. In Water 7, Tom's Workers take a break from the construction of the Sea Train. At Reverse Mountain, Crocus tells Laboon that he could find no sign of the Rumbar Pirates, while Brook continues his lonely antics on his ship. At the Sabaody Archipelago, Hatchan visits Silvers Rayleigh who is reading about Shiki's escape.

On the Moby Dick, Shiki asks Whitebeard if he would like to join him. Whitebeard threatens to kill Shiki if that's all he's here for, to which Shiki says he'll lay low for a while, before showing the world what a true pirate is.

On Merveille in the Grand Line, Shiki meets up with his subordinate Dr. Indigo, who has discovered a land of strange, monstrous creatures. Indigo says that the plan will take twenty years to prepare, to which Shiki decides that in twenty years he will show the world what hell is... .

Pre Movie Arc: Little East Blue
Episodes 426-429

A special anime-only arc (consisting of four episodes) was made which will follow into the movie afterwards. The arc begins twenty years in the past when Shiki manages to bust his way out of Impel Down by cutting off his legs. He then uses his Devil Fruit power to escape into the air. The story then moves to present day, a submarine carrying a mariachi-style band of pirates known as the Amigo Pirates is shown making its way through the ocean. The leaders of the bunch, Largo and his brother Corto, are offered to join Shiki's assembly. However, they must fulfill a certain condition.

Meanwhile the Straw Hats are fishing, trying to refill their rations when they're attacked by a large horned beetle. After a brief skirmish, the beetle takes Luffy, along with Usopp, Sanji and Zoro, to a nearby island. There they meet its owner, Yoko, who dubs the beetle "Boss" all the while showing a notable disdain for Luffy, as he is a pirate. Soon, the rest of the island's residents make themselves known, revealing that they actually know of the Straw Hats and their exploits. They lead them back their village, mentioning Yoko's past in the process (her father was a Marine who had helped protect the village; but was killed while defending it from pirates, hence her hatred of them). Once the group reaches their destination, they find the whole town modeled after East Blue, even called "Little East Blue". Usopp soon calls Nami on the Den Den Mushi, stating that the villagers wish to meet her. She obliges, hopping on her Sky Waver toward the island. Meanwhile the Amigo Pirates are closing in on the island as well, aiming to capture Boss since he is a runaway from Shiki's hideout.

Luffy, Zoro, Usopp and Sanji explore around a bit, visiting the replicas of their respective homes as the villagers show them around. All the while Yoko spies on them, continuing to show her disapproval of their presence. Nami meanwhile meets a few fans of hers, all boys, who show her a statue they carved using her bounty poster as reference (as well as also intentionally making her naked). Nami is not amused by the shrine. Eventually the town throws a buffet for the Straw Hats, to which Luffy stuffs himself beyond proportion. However in the midst of the celebration, Corto and the Amigo Pirates appear and crash the party demanding Boss. When the citizens refuse, the Amigos prepare to attack only to be taken down by Zoro, Sanji and Luffy. Just as Luffy is about to finish Corto, Largo suddenly appears and blindsides Luffy, with a net attack he suddenly shoots out of his hands that traps the Straw Hat Captain in a spiked net, which pokes and scratches at him with every movement.

Largo then reveals he eaten the Ami Ami Fruit (Net Net Fruit) and can make different nets out of the matter of anything he eaten, as he had done with Luffy's net after eating a hammer. Zoro and Sanji attempt to attack Largo themselves but he creates different nets for them and captures them as well before stringing all three Straw Hats up to a tree. Largo and Corto once again demand Boss or otherwise they'd exterminate the town. Boss suddenly apppears and, not wanting Little East Blue to be destroyed, agrees to give himself up. Just as he is about to fly into a cage Largo made for him, Luffy manages to tear open his net and punches him to the ground, angrily reminding him of their planned rematch. It is at this point that Boss begins his molting process. Once done he burns the nets of Luffy, Sanji and Zoro who, once free, ready themselves for a final battle against the Amigos.

Luffy activates Gear Second and with some help from Sanji, punches Largo deep into the forest. He then chases him through the forest to the shore where they continue their fight, while Nami, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp and the citizens of Little East Blue along with Boss take care of Corto and his men. Back at the shore, Largo uses his Ami Ami no Mi powers to turn his body into a net and captures Luffy inside himself. Luffy, however, uses Hone Fuusen to tear the net, and then uses Gomu Gomu no Gigant Pistol to defeat him; slamming him into his own submarine and deep into the water. In the aftermath, Luffy and Boss have their rematch till both tired themselves out ending the battle in a tie. Yoko, with some help from Nami, comes to learn that not all pirates are bad after seeing the Straw Hats willingly defend Boss and Little East Blue. Largo, Corto and the Amigo Pirates are captured by the citizens of Little East Blue and put into a cage that Franky had originally made for Boss. With that the Straw Hats sail on with Luffy promising Boss and Yoko that he'll return someday. Meanwhile, Shiki is informed on the Amigo Pirates' failure to capture Boss (unaware of the Straw Hats' interference), but he casually explains that "one escapee doesn't affect the execution of my plan at all" as he view monitors of various animals with glowing eyes. Shiki then announces that the time to set his plan into action has begun.

Strong World Books
Three books related to movie publish on December 2009. December 14 Shueisha publish the film novel One Piece Film: Strong World written by Tatsuya Hamasaki and on December 18 publish the One Piece Film 「STRONG　WORLD」 Eichiro Oda Artbook. Also on December 4 Toei Animation publish the One Piece Pia Mook a movie guidebook with additional information about the series.

Box Office

 * One Piece Film Strong World, the 10th One Piece anime film, opened with 1.038 billion yen (about US$11.7 million) this past weekend. By comparison, Ponyo took in 1.025 billion yen (US$11.55 million) during its opening weekend last year. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opened on 844 screens in Japan this past July with 990 million yen (US$11.2 million). Last year's One Piece film, Episode of Chopper Plus:Bloom in Winter, Miracle Sakura, earned only 920 million yen (US$11 million) during its entire run less than the 10th film earned in just two days.
 * One Piece Film Strong World opened on 188 screens throughout Japan. 103 of those screens had sold-out showings throughout the weekend. The film's per-screen average was 5.52 million yen (US$62,200) — the record for a nationwide release in Japan.
 * On the first day, the film made 553 million yen (US$6.24 million), and it made 485 million yen (US$5.47 million) on the second day. In all, the film was seen 820,000 times.
 * Part of the reason for the huge audiences was the One Piece Volume 0 manga that was given to the first attendees. Toei has decided to add another printing of 1 million copies for the manga. Unlike previous One Piece films, Oda had personally overseen the new film's production.

Trivia

 * Oda had designed the Straw Hats' costumes. So far, they have been seen with three designs: formal suits, adventure suits and onboard suits.
 * This is the first movie for One Piece that is written by Oda himself, so it is generally regarded as canon and not filler.
 * This movie's promotion lead to a significant increase of sold volumes: All single 56 volumes of the manga that have been published so far ranked within the Top 200 Oricon selling charts in the week of December 7th to 13rd, 2009. Shueisha already had announced before the movie's premiere that Volume 56 was being published with 2.85 million copies in its first print.
 * This is the first and, so far, only movie that features Brook.
 * The Straw Hats are seen using guns, something that they never used in the main series.
 * Franky is seen wearing pants in this movie.
 * Strong World was on the official selection of the 50th Annecy International Animated Film Festival in June 2010. This was announced in the Jump cover of Chapter 587.

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