Episode 701

"Sad Memories - Law the Boy from the White City!" is the 701st episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
The history of Flevance is revealed as Law's history prior to joining the Donquixote Pirates is explored.

Long Summary
In the town of Spider Miles in the North Blue, a 10-year old Law sits alone in a trash dump and is told it is time to eat. Seeing Corazon walking along, Law stomps on one of his cigarette butts and curses him before being interrupted by Senor Pink, who tells him that Donquixote Doflamingo wants to ask him something. However, as Law claims he also has something to say, Corazon picks him up and throws him into the trash heap again before walking away. Seeing this, Senor Pink notes that Corazon has no mercy as Law swears to kill him.

At dinner, the Donquixote Family sits around a table and eats as Doflamingo reveals that their next target is Rakesh, which has been allying with other groups. When Law walks in, Giolla is hostile towards him, only for Doflamingo to reveal he called Law, shocking his crew members. Laughing, Trebol asks Law if he wants to leave after a week of being beaten by Corazon as Diamante notes that they only have the best because both kids and adults run away from them. He wonders how much longer Law will last, prompting Law to proclaim that he is not going anywhere. Lao G tells Law to never forget the Blood Law no matter how he is harmed because the Family will fall apart if a member defies the authority of the executives. Buffalo reveals that he once nearly died from torture after laughing at Pica's voice as Law claims it does not scare him because he has already seen hell.

Laughing at this, Doflamingo states that he will put to death anyone who attacks Corazon because the latter is his biological brother. When a shocked Machvise points out a white patch of skin on Law's chest, Giolla recognizes it as Amber Lead Syndrome, which causes agonizing pain to those infected. This prompts Buffalo to believe it is contagious while telling Law to leave. However, Doflamingo angrily tells Giolla to not spread rumors as facts before explaining how Amber Lead Syndrome is caused by poisoning and is not contagious. While Buffalo is still nervous around Law, Doflamingo asks Law if there are any other survivors of Flevance, only for Law to admit he does not know because he was desperate to get out. When asked how he escaped, Law reveals that he hid under a mountain of corpses. Doflamingo asks Law what he holds a grudge against, prompting Law to claim he wants to destroy everything and is not afraid of death before telling Corazon that he will get his revenge at any cost. Baby 5 berates Law for saying this despite the punishment he will receive, but Law merely glares at her, resulting in her clinging to Buffalo while crying.

The following day, in Rakesh, Gladius blows down the door to a pirate hideout before walking in with Giolla, Lao G, Baby 5, Senor Pink, and Machvise. The two groups enter a firefight as the Donquixote Pirates use their various Devil Fruit powers to overwhelm their enemies. With all the enemy pirates defeated, the Donquixote Pirates begin collecting the money present as Baby 5 asks Gladius what the city Law is from is like. Gladius reveals that it is called Flevance and that it was completely white. The citizens eventually discovered a type of lead called Amber Lead underground and they used the lead to create many different types of goods that people everywhere wanted to buy. This made it their primary business, and the World Government quickly took advantage of it by helping Flevance ship their goods.

In the past, Law studied with his father, only to be interrupted by his sister Lami asking him to come to the festival with her. When Law refused, his mother told him that too much studying is not good for him, only to be surprised when Lami asked her to come as well. Law's father said the three of them should all go, and after his mother agreed to go for only thirty minutes, Law agreed to go.

In the present, Lao G notes that everyone wanted to go to Flevance. When Baby 5 states that she wants to go there as well, Lao G reveals that it is long gone, shocking her. The Donquixote Pirates walk away from the hideout while being fired upon as Lao G and Gladius explain that the World Government performed a geological survey 100 years ago. It revealed that Amber Lead was poisonous and would erode the body if dug up and handled. However, the World Government and the royalty of Flevance kept this a secret because of the fortune that Amber Lead would bring them, so the citizens kept digging it up. As Gladius fires at the pirates attacking them, he explains that the traces and effects of Amber Lead would build up in each generation, consequentially shortening their lifespan by about 20 more years each, which meant that a generation doomed to die before adulthood was eventually born. Senor Pink joins the other crew members in walking as Gladius notes the world discovered the poisonous effects of Amber Lead too late.

In the past, Lami and Law's mother rushed toward the parade taking place as Lami told Law to hurry up. However, as Lami ran, she suddenly stopped and clutched her chest as Law noticed a white patch of skin on her arm. Around that time, all people eventually began to collapse at the same time due to the buildup of Amber Lead in their bodies. They began to die with immense pain flooding their bodies, which no doctor could stop. Law's father saw Lami's white patch of skin and began to cry as Law and his mother watched.

In the present, Baby 5 asks Gladius if everyone in Flevance died, only for Senor Pink to claim the real tragedy began after this event. He explains that the citizens of the surrounding countries placed a quarantine on Flevance because they thought Amber Lead Disease was contagious. The royalty escaped the country early with the help of the World Government, abandoning the ordinary citizens in the process, and anyone who attempted to escape while seeking treatment was shot dead like monsters escaping from a cage. Senor Pink notes that the manner in which the disease was treated as someone else's problem was very human-like before stating that Flevance would not remain quiet and had plenty of lead bullets, which eventually lead to a war breaking out. The Donquixote Pirates continue gunning down their foes as Senor Pink explains how the countries neighboring Flevance showed no mercy toward their attackers because they justified their assault as self-defense.

In the past, Flevance and its citizens were attacked as soldiers gunned down anyone they found. A nun informed Law that some soldiers promised to let only the children escape, only for Law to state that he cannot leave because his sister was dying. Noting this, the nun promised to come back on the next ship to get Law as the other children told Law to come with them. Law began to tremble, but the nun told him that there is always hope and that a loving hand will one day reach out to him, causing Law to smile. Later, Law's father attempted to plead with other doctors to come and help, trying to tell them the truth about Amber Lead, but was unsuccessful.

Elsewhere, Law stood next to his bedridden sister, whose body hurt and was turning whiter every day. In response, Law held her hand and promised that their father will find a cure. As soldiers gunned down civilians outside, Lami asked Law why it was so noisy, prompting Law to lie about there being a festival going on. Soon, soldiers entered the hospital with orders to kill any Amber Lead patients they find, prompting Law to have Lami hide in a closet before sneaking past two soldiers. However, Law found his mother and father shot to death and screamed in grief, alerting the soldiers to his presence. Leaping through a window as the soldiers fired at him, Law landed outside and ran away in tears as the soldiers pursued him. Eventually, Law escaped his pursuers by hiding under a bridge, and returned to find the children and nun lying dead outside, causing him to fall to his knees in tears while remembering the nun's words about hope. Upon returning to the hospital, Law found it burning and, realizing Lami has died as well, suffered a complete mental breakdown while screaming her name.

In the present, Senor Pink reveals that Flevance perished as the Donquixote Pirates finish off the pirates whom they were fighting. As Senor Pink notes that any 10-year old who experienced this would have their personality screwed up, Law walks through the garbage dump in Spider Miles until he sees Corazon reading a newspaper. Law notes that everyone he loved died while Corazon lived, claiming it is not fair. Hefting a dagger, Law says that no one will know if he keeps quiet about it and that no one will care if a scumbag goes missing before lunging toward Corazon and stabbing him in the back. Seeing this, Buffalo exclaims that Law broke the Blood Law and that he must inform Doflamingo.

Anime Notes

 * The anime adds the following:
 * Prior to the dinner party, a short scene shows a hungry Law sitting outside and staring at the ocean.
 * Prior to the dinner party, Senor Pink was speaking to Law right before Corazon throws him again.
 * Before Law walks in on the dinner party, Doflamingo mentions targeting Rakesh.
 * During the dinner, Pica is shown speaking and Buffalo nearly laughed at his voice.
 * When Law explains how he escaped Flevance, the anime does not show the image of Law hiding under corpses.
 * The Donquixote Pirates' raid on Rakesh is more shown in the anime than in the manga. The name of the port town was not mentioned in the manga.
 * In this episode, Baby 5 uses the power of the Buki Buki no Mi. In the manga, she was not shown using it at this age until she fought Wellington.
 * The flashback of Flevance is extended and it started before Law and his family were afflicted with the Amber Lead Sickness.
 * During Law's past, the nun's cross necklace is replaced with pendant necklace.