The Cursed Holy Sword

One Piece: Curse of the Sacred Sword (ONE PIECE 呪われた聖剣,) is the fifth film of the anime/manga series One Piece which mostly focuses on Roronoa Zoro.

Summary
On Asuka Island, the Straw Hat Pirates learn about the Seven Stars Sword, considered the world's most beautiful sword and a valuable treasure, though it contains a deadly curse. When they come back to the ship, they find that Zoro, who was to act as guard, is missing, but they are forced to leave port when they are attacked by Marines. They dock in another section of the island and come across a village, whose job it is to keep the Seven Stars Sword sealed. It is soon attacked by Marines who are trying to free the sword--among whom is Zoro! What reason could Zoro have for doing this? What is the secret of the sword? Why would Marines want it? The answers lie on the night of the red moon.

Synopsis
The movie begins during a flashback, when Asuka Island is attacked by pirates. The villagers put up a valiant effort, but can't drive them back. Near a sacred temple, a man called Saga is cut down by a pirate, and as he lies dying with a woman called Maya by his side, he reaches out for a mysterious blade, and despite Maya's warning, Saga grips the sword. His wound is healed, and he effortlessly slaughters the pirates, but an evil presence is sensed within him.

Cut to present time, the Straw Hat Pirates have docked up at that same island, and while Zoro and Usopp stay behind on the Going Merry to guard it, the others head into town to restock their supplies. While in a restaurant, Nami tells the others about a sword called the Seven-Star Sword, a blade said to be the most beautiful in all of the Grand Line, rumoured to be on Asuka Island. Remembering something she read once, Nico Robin tells of the Red Moon, a terrible disaster occuring once every 100 years. To protect the island, the king was given three magical gems to use as a shield, and the Seven-Star Sword, an unbreakable sword, to use as a weapon. However, the sword would meet an ironic fate, as read in a prediction:

"When the Red Moon shines, the sword will be imbued with a great power. If the Seven Stars should fall to it, the world will be forever be ruled by darkness."

Back on the Going Merry, Zoro is fast asleep, while Usopp is issuing repairs on the Going Merry. After Usopp asks Zoro to kick down some wooden boards, a knife is thrown through the woods, nearly hitting Zoro squarely in the face, if he hadn't moved his head. However, he is shocked to see his name carved into the knife. As Usopp climbs above deck to get the wood himself, he notices Zoro to be missing, without noticing the stab mark on Merry's mast...

Zoro is then seen walking through the woods, the knife in hand, when he comes across three people: Bismarck, Boo Kong and Touma. The three identify him as Roronoa Zoro, tell him that they've been expecting him, and asks him to follow them.

At that moment, the Straw-Hats are escaping a fleet of Marine ships, led by Commander Drake. They still haven't found Zoro, but have no time to find him, due to said Marine attack. At that moment, Luffy decides that they will look for Zoro. Just then, Nami tells the crew that they have to sail into a path surrounded by mountains. Despite Luffy's disagreement, they are forced to take said path, due to the Marines trapping them in a pincer attack.

As they sail through the path, they come across a ramp which they are about to make contact with. However, instead of sinking, the Going Merry flies into the sky, while the massive Marine ships are left to crash into one another. However, as it turns out, Luffy has no idea where they would land, and as the ship started descending, things seemed hopeless for the pirates. However, by chance, they bounce on a rhino (which immediatly falls in love with the ship), and the Straw-Hats are sent flying into a river on the island.

Further inside the jungle, inside a Marine dojo, Zoro has been taken by Touma's group to meet their leader, who turns out to be Saga, his old friend. Zoro hands Sage the knife, who hands it to Touma. Zoro presumes, since Saga is a Marine and Zoro is a pirate, that he wants to fight him, but Saga asks him instead to give up piracy, before collapsing on his knees, clutching his chest in pain. He then asks Zoro for a favor; to lend him his strength. Zoro decides to listen to what he has to say.

On the Going Merry, the Straw-Hats are searching high and low for Zoro, when Chopper discoveres a huge lake right ahead of them. There, we see Maya swimming in the lake, before heading towards a shrine, carrying three gems, in order to pray. Just then, she notices the Going Merry, and realizes that it's a pirate ship. She escapes with the gems after the Straw-Hats notice her. Luffy decides to stretch on land in order to ask about Zoro, and Usopp is dragged along in an attempt to stop him. However, the two lose track of her without noticing, and she runs away, but not before being noticed by the other Straw-Hats present.

Despite following her, they lose track of her, but they notice a village close-by, and that Maya is heading in that direction, so they follow her again. In the village, Maya warns the other villagers of a pirate attack, and the villagers prepare to fight them off. Maya runs to a woman the others call Grandmother in order to make her escape with the other women and children, but the Straw-Hats have already found the pair. Seeing thee armed villagers, Nami presumes that it hides something, which Robin confirms by looking at a few ruins. Sanji tries to resolve the conflict peacefully, but nearly looses his cool when Lapus accuses Robin's hands of being blood-stained.

Just then, a band of Marine swordsmen assaults the village, led by Bismarck, Boo Kong, and much to the Straw-Hats surprise, Zoro! Zoro chases after Maya and Grandmother, while Sanji pursuit the rouge swordsman. Sanji engages Zoro in combat, but leaves himself wide open, letting Zoro cut him down. After that, Zoro steals the gems, and the Marines retreat, along with Bismarck, Zoro and Boo Kong.

Back at the dojo, it is revealed that Luffy and Usopp managed to get there, despite looking for Maya. Inside, after noticing the many swordsmen practicing (which resulted in Luffy asking them for Zoro, without any response), Touma shows up behind Usopp, frightening him. After asking Touma for Zoro, Luffy learns that Zoro should return any minute, before deciding to wait at the dojo until he shows up.

At that moment, Saga reveals himself to the pair, but Luffy is more interested in the long sword he carries on his back. Touma asks for permission to test Luffy in order to find out if he really defeated Sir Crocodile of the Shichibukai. Getting permission, Touma nearly cuts Luffy by unsheathing his sword at a high speed. Then, Saga reveals that Zoro will no longer be part of the Straw Hats, before Luffy starts attacking him. At that moment, Saga draws his blade, which is the same blade he aquired at the beginning of the movie.

Saying that the sword wants Luffy's blood, Saga attacks Luffy, before the battle is taken outside. As the battle rages on, Usopp brags about Lufy having been taught his moves by Usopp, but when Touma seems to believe it, he chickens out. The battle goes in Saga's favor, and when he uses his special attack, Youkazan (a green flame erupting from his sword), Luffy is sent flying down a cliff. In fear of being killed by Saga, Usopp jumps after Luffy, and after a failed parachute attempt, he crashes into the valley below.

Back in the village, the Straw-Hats are aiding the suffering villagers, with Chopper making medicine and Sanji cooking food, despite his arm being damaged by Zoro. Despite their aid, Grandmother urges them to leave the island at once, saying that all lives are important, even pirate's lives.

Meanwhile, Usopp has successfully been caught in a tree due to his parachute, and starts looking fror Luffy after finding his straw hat. However, he falls into a cave shortly afterwards. Later that night, Zoro brings the gems to Saga, before throwing them down a well. Despite this, Saga once again collapses, even though it seemed the gems were causing him the pain, but Saga tells him that he'll be alright.

Meanwhile, Usopp finds himself in a large cave, and looks for Luffy. Luckily, he finds him, and hands the straw hat back to him. However, Luffy has stupidly enough activated a trap that sends a giant boulder after them, which Luffy destroys at Usopp's urging. However, he activates another trap that causes a cave-in, nearly doing the pair in. Meanwhile, back at the shrine, Maya is once again praying, but she breaks into tears, and asks Saga (even though he's not there) what she has to do. Inside the tunnels again, Usopp and Luffy trespass many traps, before finding three peculiar towers. Starving, the duo falls asleep.

Cast

 * Mayumi Tanaka as Monkey D. Luffy
 * Kazuya Nakai as Roronoa Zoro
 * Akemi Okamura as Nami
 * Kappei Yamaguchi as Usopp
 * Hiroaki Hirata as Sanji
 * Ikue Ohtani as Tony Tony Chopper
 * Yuriko Yamaguchi as Nico Robin
 * Ryouka Yuzuki as Maya
 * Shidou Nakamura as Saga
 * Masami Hisamoto as Izaya
 * Uchi Hiroki as Touma
 * Seiji Sasaki as Bismark
 * Takeshi Aono as Boo Kong
 * Fumihiko Tachiki as Lapus