Romance Dawn (Live-Action)

"Romance Dawn" is the first episode of the One Piece live-action series.

Short Summary
Monkey D. Luffy, an optimistic young pirate with dreams of finding the One Piece, sets off in search of the loyal crew he needs to navigate the vast oceans. His journey begins when he helps Koby, a deckhand forced into servitude, escape an undesirable situation. While in Shells Town, Luffy meets Roronoa Zoro, a famed pirate hunter, and Nami, a master thief, and the three form a tenuous alliance.

Long Summary
In Loguetown, twenty-two years before the present day, the infamous pirate Gold Roger is led onto a high platform to be executed in front of a large crowd, with Marine Vice Admiral Garp overseeing the proceeding. After Garp gives the death sentence, an onlooker asks Roger where he left his treasure. Roger replies that he left it for someone to find it, and is promptly stabbed in the back by his executioners. The crowd is sent into a frenzy and quickly disperses, and Roger laughs while Garp is bewildered and concerned. Roger's final words would mark the beginning of the "Great Pirate Era".

In the present day, Monkey D. Luffy tells a News Coo about his desire to set out to sea and form a pirate crew to be part of the era that Roger started, which Shanks told him about. He tries to get the News Coo to join him, but it flies away. Luffy is left alone on a small dinghy that is rapidly taking on water, and when he realizes the boat is doomed, he gets inside a barrel which drifts away after the boat sinks.

Luffy drifts into a naval battle between the Alvida Pirates and a passenger boat, and his barrel is recovered during the conflict. The captain Alvida leads her crew in an invasion of the ship, where they easily overpower its crew. After rounding up prisoners, Alvida demands to know the location of the bounty hunter Roronoa Zoro, who she believes is after her for her bounty. A crew member reveals that they indeed transported Zoro to Sixis Island, but Alvida's name was not on Zoro's list of targets. This enrages Alvida, who kills the man with a duck-shaped club and orders cabin boy Koby to clean up the mess.

That night, Koby is cleaning the club below deck on the Miss Love Duck when he hears movement coming from inside Luffy's barrel. As he approaches it, Luffy bursts out, causing him to scream in fright and forcing Luffy to silence him. Luffy rummages through the storage for food and asks where he is, and Koby tells him about the Alvida Pirates. Luffy reveals that he is a pirate as well, which surprises Koby as Luffy did not strike him as such, as he is much different from the brutish people on Alvida's crew. Luffy says that the pirates he knew are not like that; ten years prior, while growing up in Windmill Village, he looked up to the Red Hair Pirates and their captain, Shanks, who regularly stopped by. He desired to join their crew, but was rebuffed; to prove his toughness to them, he stabbed himself under his right eye. Back in the present, Koby asks Luffy why he wants to be a pirate, and Luffy says that he wants to find Roger's treasure the One Piece, sail the Grand Line, and have more freedom than anybody. This shocks Koby, who tells Luffy that the Grand Line is known as the Pirate Graveyard. Additionally, he is surprised by Luffy's remark on freedom as he is essentially a slave in Alvida's crew.

With the Alvida Pirates sleeping, Koby tells Luffy that he needs to leave now before it is too late. The duo sneak above deck where the crew is sleeping, and go up to the helm where Luffy grabs an oar. As Koby tells him how to reach the nearest land, Luffy swings the oar and inadvertently hits a bell, waking up the crew including Alvida. She angrily storms out and confronts the duo, believing that Luffy is a bounty hunter that Koby hired to hunt her. Luffy candidly shares his thoughts on Alvida as well as what Koby told him about her, causing her to bring out her iron mace and attack them in a rage. The rest of Alvida's crew jumps into battle as well, and one of them shoots Luffy, only for his body to absorb the bullet and ricochet it back toward him. Luffy then reveals that he has the unnatural ability to stretch his body, which he uses to avoid the pirates' attacks. Alvida inadvertently sets the Miss Love Duck ablaze during her mindless rampage and, blaming Koby for this, moves to kill him. However, Luffy intercepts the blow with his head with no adverse affects. He then sends his arm stretching far back before snapping it toward Alvida, punching her in a move called Gum-Gum Pistol. The force of the punch sends Alvida overboard, and the rest of her crew surrenders. Luffy tells him to get a boat and rations for him and Koby, whom he has decided will accompany him.

On Sixis Island, Roronoa Zoro is kneeling at a shrine paying respects to someone he knew. He is approached by a man, whom Zoro is aware has been following him for the last several days. The man introduces himself as Mr. 7 and reveals he has pursued Zoro in order to extend to him an invitation to join a society of assassins known as Baroque Works. Zoro dismisses his offer, having no desire to join and being unimpressed that they only sent "Number 7" to recruit him. This enrages Mr. 7, who moves to kill Zoro with his two swords. Zoro unsheathes two swords in turn and the two duel, but Zoro soon emerges victorious after bisecting Mr. 7 at the waist, killing him.

The next day, Luffy and Koby are out at sea in a small rowboat. Koby asks how Luffy's body can stretch, and Luffy explains it to him. Ten years ago, following his unsuccessful attempt to convince Shanks to take him on, Luffy was with the Red Hair Pirates at a bar. He continued to try pleading for Shanks to take him, but Shanks refused, pointing out that the 7-year-old Luffy could not swim. Luffy stormed off into a room with treasure chests, and he spotted and opened a particular small box. Inside the box was an unusual fruit, and a hungry Luffy decided to eat it. Meanwhile, Higuma and his gang of mountain bandits came into the bar and demanded drinks; however, Makino informed them that she was sold out. Shanks apologized for clearing out the stock and offered Higuma the last bottle; however, Higuma responded by breaking it over the counter in an act of aggression. Shanks in turn reacted by apologizing to Makino and started cleaning up the mess, causing Higuma to mock him and break even more things for Shanks to clean before he and his gang departed. Having seen this unfold, Luffy expressed anger at Shanks, calling him a coward as he believed a real man would have fought back. Shanks was unable to convince him otherwise, and as Luffy stormed out of the bar, Shanks grabbed him by the arm. To the shock of everyone, Luffy continued walking with his arm stretching like rubber. He had eaten a Devil Fruit known as the Gum-Gum Fruit that turned his body into rubber.

Back on the boat, Luffy soon makes it clear that he has no map or any navigational ability, causing Koby to regret going with him. Luffy then asks Koby what he wants to do, and Koby reluctantly reveals that he wants to become a Marine. Luffy decides to go to a Marine Base so Koby can join and he can get a map to the Grand Line, a plan which does not enthuse Koby. Meanwhile, a woman named Nami is marooned on a boat with nothing but a treasure chest, and is approached by two pirates. She claims to have been attacked by pirates and asks for their help, seeming unaware of who they are. The pirates agree but first focus on finding out what is inside her treasure chest. They eventually break it open, only to find nothing, and when they turn around they see Nami on their boat sailing away, leaving them marooned. Upon making her escape, Nami goes through the maps stored onboard.

Luffy and Koby land at Shells Town, home of the Marine 153rd Branch. After looking at the wanted posters of several infamous pirates, they go to a bar which Zoro and Nami are also at. Rika, the young daughter of the bartender Ririka, takes a liking to Zoro and offers him some rice balls she made with chocolate. However, she accidentally bumps into Helmeppo, who is the son of Marine Captain "Axe-Hand" Morgan who rules over the 153rd Branch. Helmeppo takes offense to this slight and knocks her rice balls to the ground, smashing one of them with his feet. However, Zoro takes the smashed rice ball and eats it before telling Helmeppo to eat the other one and apologize to her. Helmeppo unsheathes his sword and prepares to fight Zoro, causing a brawl to break out as the Marines inside move to attack Zoro. However, Zoro easily disarms Helmeppo and takes down the Marines with only the hilts of his swords. During the chaos, Nami knocks a Marine she had been flirting with unconscious and starts stealing his uniform. Zoro corners Helmeppo, who says his father will give the swordsman anything he wants; Zoro decides to take the opportunity to get some money from Morgan.

Zoro is led into the Marine base to meet Morgan, who expresses admiration for Zoro's strength and invites him to become a Marine, which Zoro rebuffs. Zoro wishes to collect the bounty on Mr. 7; however, Morgan says that attacking Marines is a crime with a punishment of seven days' imprisonment; if Zoro does not turn himself in, he will no longer be able to collect bounties from the government. Zoro agrees to be imprisoned, saying it may help him get some sleep. Meanwhile, Luffy and Koby prepare to sleep on their docked boat as Luffy thinks about how to enter the Marine base to take the map; he soon gets an idea when he sees a sewer pipe nearby.

The next day, Zoro is confronted by Helmeppo, who taunts the swordsman with one of his own swords. Zoro promises to make him pay following the end of his imprisonment; however, Helmeppo reveals that Morgan has no intention of setting him free. Meanwhile, Nami has donned the stolen Marine uniform and uses it to sneak into the base. Following this, Luffy climbs out of a sewer grate and finds himself in the same clearing as Zoro. He introduces himself to the swordsman and invites him to join his crew, but Zoro rebuffs him, pointing out that his occupation is naturally at odds with Luffy. Luffy asks Zoro what drives him, and Zoro reveals that he made a promise to someone to become the world's greatest swordsman. Respecting Zoro's dream, Luffy unties the swordsman regardless of his refusal to join him before going back into the sewer.

Inside the base, Nami enters a library, and when confronted by another Marine who says she cannot be here, Nami claims that she was sent by Morgan to find him a map of the Grand Line. The Marine says that there are none here as such maps are kept locked away in Morgan's office, though Nami is able to avert suspicion by telling the Marine to verify her doubts with Morgan himself. However, Nami's facade abruptly ends when the Marine whose uniform she stole appears, immediately recognizing and exposing her as an impostor. Nami takes out a bo staff and knocks out the two Marines, but is then suddenly joined by Luffy who falls out of a grate in the ceiling. Nami resumes her facade and arrests him, but Luffy says he heard everything and knows she is an impostor. However, he offers to work together as they both have the same goal of finding the Grand Line map. Meanwhile, Helmeppo is in his room naked and playing around with Zoro's swords when Zoro suddenly breaks in. Helmeppo asks if Zoro is going to kill him, and Zoro responds that he has something much worse in mind.

Luffy and Nami are walking down the base corridor when they suddenly run into Morgan himself. Nami claims that she is taking Luffy to the brig, and just barely crafts an alibi for her identity. Morgan ultimately lets them proceed, and Nami reveals to Luffy that she pickpocketed the keys to his office during the encounter. Luffy says that Nami should join his crew, but she swiftly rejects him, revealing that she hates pirates. The duo break into Morgan's office and look around for the map; eventually, Luffy inadvertently triggers a switch that causes a safe to emerge from the floor. Morgan enters the library to find the two Marines laying beaten on the floor, who reveal the truth about Nami causing him to sound the alarm. Morgan goes to his office and uses his axe hand to break through the door; with not enough time to open the safe, Luffy is able to use his strength to pull it off the floor. The sudden force once the safe is broken out launches Luffy and Nami out the window and into the clearing down below.

Morgan and his men quickly race down to confront the duo, who are joined by Zoro as they fight back against the onslaught of Marines. When Morgan arrives, Luffy and Zoro take him on while Nami handles the remaining foot soldiers. Morgan proves to be a much tougher foe compared to his troops, possessing significant physical strength as well as his dangerous axe hand. However, Zoro is able to get the upper hand against him once he reveals his "Three Sword Style". Zoro uses his swords to hold down Morgan's axe hand, allowing Luffy to launch a stretched kick called Gum-Gum Whip that strikes Morgan in the face, defeating him.

Zoro picks up the safe with the maps and takes it down to Luffy's boat with Luffy and Nami. Although Luffy starts referring to the three of them as a crew, the other two adamantly reject the label. As Luffy prepares to go find Koby before departing, Helmeppo appears, with his hair having been mangled by Zoro's swords, in order to arrest the trio. However, Koby arrives and knocks him out, much to Luffy's delight. Luffy tells Koby that it is time to go; however, Koby reveals that he is not going with them as he wants to join the Marines here and make his own choice for the first time in a long time. Luffy approves his resolve and, although the two know they may be enemies in the future, they part ways on this day as friends.

On a Marine battleship out at sea, Garp receives a call via Den Den Mushi from Shells Town reporting that a pirate in a straw hat stole a map to the Grand Line. Garp takes the news very seriously, and he and Bogard prepare to head to Shells Town. Elsewhere Cabaji, who was in the bar at Shells Town with Luffy's trio, reports to his captain Buggy about meeting the three pirates and their acquirement of the map. He says he could not stop them because he was outnumbered, and Buggy sits plotting to take the map for himself.

Episode Notes

 * The live-action series changes the following:
 * Koby and Luffy meet on Alvida's ship, not on Goat Island.
 * This stays true to the anime.
 * The Tightrope Walking Funan Bros only have two members instead of three as they do in the manga and anime.
 * The background of Zoro's punishment at the 153rd Branch is altered:
 * Soro does not appear in the live-action series, and the reason for Zoro's fight with Helmeppo is the latter's reaction to Rika's onigiri.
 * Rika's onigiri are made with chocolate, while in the anime and manga, they were made with sugar.
 * Luffy, Koby, and Nami are present at the bar when Zoro attacks Helmeppo and the Marines.
 * Luffy infiltrates the Marine base via the sewers, as opposed to flying into the base with his Devil Fruit ability like in the anime and manga.
 * Luffy and Nami infiltrate Morgan's office and steal the safe together.
 * In the manga, Nami does not appear in Shells Town at all. In the anime, she does this independently.
 * They find the map to the Grand Line in the vault, with in both media, it was already in Buggy's possession.
 * Luffy and Zoro fight Morgan together, while in the manga and anime, it was Zoro alone.
 * Morgan's poor treatment towards his subordinates is omitted and he is not arrested following his defeat; he is only arrested after Garp visits in the following episode.
 * Luffy meets Nami in Shells Town. In the original series, Luffy does not meet Nami until the succeeding arc in Orange Town.
 * Nami joins Luffy and Zoro fighting the Marines.
 * Luffy and Zoro leaving Shells town with Nami.
 * They leave without the Marines' send-off or gratitude.
 * Zoro does not officially become a crew member after leaving Shells Town.
 * Garp learns of Luffy's pirate debut after the crew escape Morgan, while in the manga and anime, Luffy's involvement was kept quiet.
 * The live-action series adds the following:
 * Alvida beats a man with a duck-shaped club.
 * Alvida accidentally destroys her ship's helm, causing the ship to catch fire and later be destroyed.
 * Zoro killing Baroque Works agent Mr. 7; this was only mentioned in the original series, not shown.
 * Cabaji is present at the bar in Shells Town.
 * Nami subduing a Marine, stealing his uniform and infiltrating the Marine base.
 * An original character, a Marine girl named Sada, is included.
 * Helmeppo playing with Zoro's Wado Ichimonji while naked.
 * Zoro cutting Helmeppo hair as a form of punishment.

Trivia

 * An instrumental version of Binks' Sake can be heard playing in the background of the bar scene during Luffy's flashback of his childhood time with Shanks.
 * On Sixis, Zoro use matches from a brand called "Beast of Baldim..." which is a reference to to Legend of the Sacred Burning Beast of Baldimore.
 * Several characters make cameo appearances in this episode:
 * Momoo appears during the Opening Narration.
 * Limejuice, Bonk Punch, Building Snake and Hongo make an appearance in Luffy's flashback.
 * Bellamy, Foxy, Jango, and Cavendish appear on bounty posters in Shells Town.

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