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 story begins at Marine HQ where Vice Admiral Garp and Fleet Admiral Sengoku witness Shiki's ship floating in the sky overhead. Shiki uses a power to lift all the marine vessels into the sky, then drops them before departing, saying that this is a warning.

Next, Luffy is seen, currently on an island floating in the sky, and being chased by a crocodile like monster. This monster is overcome by another, which in turn battles another several times while Luffy watches until he finally briefly battles and defeats the final victor, a bear like creature, using his Gear 3rd. It is revealed that the various members of the Straw hat crew are separated around the floating island, Sanji with Ussop, Zoro with Chopper, and finally Robin, Franky, and Brook together who are all encountering similar monstrous animals.

Nami, meanwhile, is first shown swimming in a large swimming pool. Shiki and his henchmen enter, where it is revealed that she has been taken to this place against her will and the scene flashes back to several days earlier. On board Sunny Go, the Straw Hats read news of an attack on East Blue. Luffy says they will return to East Blue to protect it when Shiki's ship appears overhead. Nami feels the weather changing and warns of a coming storm. Luffy calls out to Shiki ship, attempting to warn them, gaining Shiki's attention. Shiki sends down a tone dial to record the warning. His own navigators initially disagree that a storm is approaching, but it does indeed appear and with Nami's direction, both ships successfully escape it. Afterward, Shiki shoots his navigator, and comes down to the Sunny Go to meet Nami. There he reveals he has a Devil Fruit power to make any inanimate object he touches ignore gravity and float. After learning it was Nami that delivered the warning, and that they are headed to East Blue, Shiki offers to take them there and uses his power on Sunny Go. Together the two ships travel to the floating island seen before where Shiki suddenly kidnaps Nami. The others try to rescue her, but by controlling the Sunny Go using his power he escapes them, as well as scattering them among the fragments of the island.

Back in the present, Shiki asks Nami to become his navigator but she refuses. Dr. Indigo appears with an 'evolved' bird, called Biri, that can use electricity, demonstrating it to Shiki, but after being shocked by it, Shiki tosses it aside. It is explained that a plant here, called IQ, can cause animals to evolve very rabidly, making them very strong. Nami protects Biri, and the bird is left with her as Shiki and his men leave.

Elsewhere, Sanji and Ussop fight off various animals while Sanji searches for Robin and Nami, eventually falling from one island fragment to another, ending up in a lake just next to a village. Meanwhile Zoro and Chopper rescue a young girl, Xiao, and are lead to her village and are told about the large poisonous plants around the village that emit a sink so powerful that the animals stay away. However, long term exposure to the plants is poisonous to humans, and the girl's grandmother has become ill by it. The girl was outside looking for the cure which is the IQ plant, but Shiki has taken all the IQ plant for his experiments. Sanji and Ussop, also at the same village, where everyone appears to have small wings on their arms, learn that Shiki also takes all the men and young women to his royal palace, leaving the village with only the very young and old. They soon after meet up with Zoro and Chopper.

Nami manages to escape her captivity with the help of Biri, and finds the Sunny Go. Only moments later, Luffy, being chased by several giant scorpion like monsters, arrives. Biri defeats the scorpions using electricity, and Nami and Luffy talk about what has happened. They soon after decide to hunt for the others, using Biri to fly.

Robin's group, meanwhile, find a large building where many pirates are gathering, similarly protected by poison plants. They learn there that Shiki is planning to let loose the animals on the island into East Blue in a gambit to force the surrender of the World Government. They also learn that to demonstrate the power of the animals he is planning a demonstration against a village on the floating island.

Luffy and Nami join the others at the village, and they too learn of the plan from the village residents, who, not knowing where the Straw Hats originate, are relieved to be rid of the monsters. Nami is seen by a den den mushi camera, and Shiki decides to head over to retrieve her. He arrives sometime later and confronts the Straw Hats who are there. Despite some initial success in fending him off, the Straw Hats are defeated, and Nami is coerced into rejoining Shiki by him agreeing to leave them, and her home town be. Ussop, the only remaining crew member conscious tries to stop her, but Shiki knocks him out. Nami records a message, using the tone dial, which is supposed to be a farewell message. After leaving it, Shiki's men remove the poisonous plants around the village, and cause the animals to destroy it. Nami watches this from Shiki's palace, apparently uncaring.

Robin's group arrives shortly after and rejoin the rest of the crew. Xiao reappears, her and the other villagers having taken shelter, and gives them the dial. Her mother, who earlier had expressed relief about the animals being sent to East Blue, apologizes for saying such a thing. They then play the message, and after hearing only the first bit of it, Luffy is angered to the point that he won't listen to the rest (the rest of the crew does, however).

Back at Shiki's place, Nami is found to have in fact been attempting to blow up the plants protecting his palace, but was overcome by the poison. Shiki traps her near the plants and heads off to meet the pirate captains gathering. While greeting them, the Straw Hats burst into the palace using Sunny Go, then march into the main meeting room brandishing various weapons. After a short confrontation, where Shiki calls them simply a suicide squad, and reveals hundreds of men around them, Luffy says that Nami was simply the vanguard and that they are the main force. They unload there weapons in the room, defeating most those gathered, then split up to defeat the rest. Luffy chases after Shiki, telling Chopper and Ussop to find Nami.

Nami is found by Biri who helps her ignite the explosives just as Chopper and Ussop find her. While all escape harm from the explosion, animals from outside storm the palace adding to the chaos within. Chopper realizes the only way to save Nami is to find the IQ medicine, but Shiki attempts to stop them. However, Luffy appears, in Gear 2nd, and starts fighting him, with the help of Biri.

Ussop and Chopper find the IQ plant, but find the medicine is being held by Dr. Indigo. Zoro fights him, and using Asura defeats him and retrieves the medicine. Sanji and Brook, meanwhile, witness another of Shiki's henchmen, Scarlet, an ape man, attempting to kiss an earlier incapacitated Robin. Sanji quickly defeats him using Diable Jambe, but Brook ends up receiving Robin's thanks when he catches her. Nami also recovers, and feeling a storm approaching has an idea.

Luffy, still battling Shiki, is overcome when Shiki surrounds him with water. Shiki then receives a den den mushi call warning of the storm and asking him to redirect the island which he does. Unknown to him, the call was in fact coerced by Ussop and Chopper, and that Nami has lead them directly into the storm. The various remaining pirates realize this and retreat, while the Straw Hats rig the palace with explosives. Shiki returns to the palace and confronts them, but Luffy also reappears, having recovered. Once more using Gear 3rd, he places his giant foot into the clouds, gaining an electric charge and uses this to enhance his giant axe attack to defeat Shiki. The other Straw Hats escape using Sunny Go, using Shiki's pirate sail as a parachute. Luffy is recovered by Biri while the villagers are shown flying away using the wings on their arms. While they descend to the ocean it is revealed that on the other half of the message, Nami in fact asked them to save her.

The story ends with the marines gathering below to capture the fleeing pirates, including Shiki, and witnessing the islands crash into the sea, now free of Shiki's power. The Sunny Go is seen in the sky and they prepare to attack it. Back at Marine HQ, Sengoku comments that the Straw Hats were the ones to deal with this, and the marines did nothing.

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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