Episode 337

"Venture Into the Devil's Sea! The Mysterious Skeleton Floating Through the Fog" is the 337th episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
After the Straw Hat Pirates get into some hijinks involving octopus hunting, they discover a barrel in the middle of the ocean. When they open it, it starts up a massive red flare in the sky. The Thousand Sunny gets then thrown into the foggy Florian Triangle where it encounters a ruined ship. Luffy, Sanji and Nami go aboard the ship to investigate. There they meet a living skeleton man, whom Luffy immediately asks to join the crew.

Long Summary
Robin is watering flowers while Luffy, Chopper, Usopp are playing on a swing outside. Franky is in his workshop bemoaning his failed attempt at surprising Nami. There is a flashback showing Nami catching him remodeling the Waver (by mounting a horse head on it) and hitting him in the face and screaming at him not to do that kind of thing without her permission.

Sanji finishes preparing a drink for Nami and Robin and goes outside to ask Luffy, Chopper and Usopp to go catch some of the octopus from yesterday's catch in the fishtank. Chopper first fails to catch an octopus and as  Luffy is  about to try too, Usopp stops him. Usopp points out Luffy is a  Devil Fruit user and if he falls into the water he will drown. So Usopp declares he will do it. Usopp gears up and dives in the water.

Nami and Robin who are sitting down drinking their shakes in the viewing room watch him go into the aquarium. Usopp looks for the octopus and, using some large spatulas, start to catch the octopus and throw them out of the water. He is doing well until the remaining octopus gang up and all hitch on to him. Robin tries to help him but it is no use. The octopus ink up the water, making it turn pitch black. Nami calls the others for help and using Gomu Gomu No Gatling, Luffy manages to get Usopp out of the octopus' grip and out of the water - even if Usopp gets beaten up in the process. Sanji comes out and complains about the noise.

Zoro is in the observation room. Looking out of the window, he sees something floating on the ocean and alerts the crew. As the others look out, they see it's a barrel and Usopp notes it has the character for "treasure" written on it. They pull it out of the water. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper dance and sing around the barrel. Nami step outside and says it probably just has alcohol and food in it. She notes the whole message on the barrel says "Gift to the God of the Sea" and that this is a tradition for people to place those kinds of items in a barrel to pray for a safe journey. After some disappointment and discussion, they decide to open it anyway and drink up the booze.

But when they open the barrel, a large red light shoots up and explodes in the sky. The crew is a little shocked. They wonder what it means that there was a flare in the barrel and Robin wonders if it is a mere prank or something more serious. Usopp worry that this was a trap and Robin notes they could be targeted by someone.

At that point, Nami notices changes in the atmosphere and senses a storm coming. She urges everyone to get in position to fight it as they only have five minutes. After some difficulties because of the strength of the storm, Franky uses Channel Zero of the Soldier Dock System and gets them out of the storm.

Zoro notes how dark it has gotten even though it is not nighttime and Luffy mentions they are in the "ghost sea", the  Florian Triangle,  that Kokoro told them about. Usopp is appropriately terrified and the rest of the crew entertains themselves scaring him with the details of what is said about the sea. Luffy notes the legend about the living skeletons and Sanji reminds Usopp about the ships disappearing here.

At that moment, they start hearing a haunting song sung in the distance while a massive black ship with torn sails slowly approaches them. The crew is stunned and terrified to see the "ghost ship" once they notice it. They wonder who is singing and what the song is but Usopp thinks it is an evil cursed song they should not listen to. Usopp rants about ghosts. Robin wonders if there is someone on the ship and as the ship passes by the  Thousand Sunny, they see a skeleton wearing a suit and an afro and drinking a cup of tea singing softly and watching them.

Luffy is excited and wants to rush and see from up close the living skeleton of the legend. Sanji stops him and says he can't go alone or he will find a way to act rashly and get them in trouble. Zoro suggest to Usopp, Chopper and Nami they draw straws. Those three are terrified and say they should just let the other ones who want to go be the ones who actually go but Zoro calmly asks them if this is really a good idea to let those people be the ones going on the ship. Nami tearfully admits it isn't. Soon after, Nami is seen in a small rowboat sobbing and cursing her bad luck. The team that has gone to check the skeleton from up close is made of Luffy, Sanji and Nami.

As they climb the side rope web up the ghost ship, the skeleton leans over. The rest of the crew watching from the Thousand Sunny is terrified and Nami keeps sobbing. Once on the ship, Sanji and Luffy stare in amazement at the skeleton. Nami is still sobbing. The skeleton calmly apologizes for not greeting them properly but explains he was so surprised to see real people: all he has seen for years were "terrifying" ghost ships. He suggests they go inside and talk. He notices Nami and suavely notes how pretty she is. He tidies himself up and matter-of-factly asks if Nami can show him her panties! Nami decks him! Sanji notes the skeleton seems to be a bit stupid. To Sanji's irritation, Luffy wants to know if the skeleton can poop (he can, he says) but Sanji insists there are more important questions: who is he? How come he is alive and can talk? What is up with the ghost sea?

Luffy interrupts. There is an even more important question: will he join Luffy's crew? The skeleton accepts!

Anime Notes

 * This is the first episode of the Thriller Bark Arc.
 * Brook debuts (although he is not named yet).

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Episodi 337 Ma no Umi totsunyū! Kiri ni ukabu Nazo no Gaikotsu