Monster Time is the 5th story in the Straw Hat Theater series. It was originally published in The 7th Log: Vivi on May 2, 2006. It was adapted into the anime in Episode 283. So far, it is the last Straw Hat Theater story to be animated.
Premise[]
This is the only Straw Hat Theater story to begin without a comment from Eiichiro Oda.
However, the setting is described by the narrator: The story is set in Monston (モンストン, Monsuton?), a "carefree monster town" within a forest of monsters.
Summary[]
The narrator explains that Rodusa (Robin) wears sunglasses because she is a gorgon and would turn people into stone. But today she has more reasons for not looking at anyone.
Ussopaka the centaur (Usopp) fires an arrow into the hat of Lugyao the dragon (Luffy) and calls him a monster and asks him to hand over his fantastic horns. Lugyao tells him he is always doing that, but he too is also a monster and asks him if he's bored and invites him to he help him fish the fantastic fish in the sea. The narrator explains this is a town of monsters. Ussopaka points to Lugyao's rod, the dragon pulls the fish to the surface, but as the dragon is celebrating his large catch, he soon realizes he has only caught Chopaken the kraken (Chopper) again.
Lugyao asks Chopaken what he was doing at the bottom of the ocean, at which he replies he was looking for a fantastic treasure, but first and foremost he would like more of Lugyao's bait. At that point Stronami the mermaid (Nami) appears out of the ocean and threatens that if Chopaken touches her fantastic treasure she will never forgive him. The kraken just replies he simply fell there so whoever finds it owns it. Seeing Chopaken has a lot of nerve she asks if he would like to compete for it.
At that point Sanzara the kappa (Sanji) appears out of the ocean and asks who is causing hassle for his beloved Stronami, telling them he will beat them up. At that moment Lugyao waves the end of his line in front of the kappa's eyes (it's chocolate) and he asks if the dragon wants to catch him. Lugyao calls him "fantastic fish" to which Sanzara replies he is not a fish he is a kappa. At that point Zoromilk the minotaur (Zoro) appears and berates the kappa because he lives at the bottom of the ocean and is a pervert. Sanzara insults the minotaur for looking like a Holstein more then a minotaur. Zoromilk tells the kappa to shut up as today he is going to take the fantastic plate on his head. The kappa replies he needs it to live, however Sanzara concerns him with Zoromilk's metal rods, then states its a pretty fantastic item too to which Zoromilk replies that he should dare and take them.
Rodusa crying after Lugyao tells her of their plan.
Rodusa appears angry with the other monsters bickering. She scolds them for looking for each others fantastic treasures, when they themselves are fantastic creatures. Lugyao replies its because Robusa lost her fantastic earrings and started crying, so they were looking for a rarer treasure to replace them. The others tell the dragon off for letting her know. At that point to hide her happiness, her embarrassment and tears she turns away from the group, but as she does her sunglasses fall off. When she turns around to thank them, she turns the group into stone.
Characters[]
- Rodusa (ロデューサ, Rodyūsa?) (Robin) - Gorgon (Medusa)
- Usoppaka (ウソッパカ?) (Usopp) - Centaur
- Lugyao (ルギャオ?) (Luffy) - Dragon
- Chopaken (チョパーケン, Chopāken?) (Chopper) - Kraken
- Stronami (ストロナミー, Sutoronamī?) (Nami) - Mermaid
- Sanzara (サンザラー, Sanzarā?) (Sanji) - Kappa
- Zoromilk (ゾロミルク, Zoromiruku?) (Zoro) - Minotaur
Trivia[]
- All the characters have a habit of saying "fantastic" ("legendary" in the Funimation dub). This implies that this is a story based on fantasy.
- As of 2024, all of the monsters in this omake have been referenced and—excepting the gorgon and the kappa—depicted in the main storyline:
- Mermaids were alluded to several times in the Arlong Park Arc, most notably by Sanji idly speculating that Nami might be one; later, Hatchan's Sea-Floor Stroll confirmed them to be an extant race.
- Centaurs were first alluded to in the Water 7 Saga, with Franky's "Franky Centaur" technique; they were later depicted as an artificial race in the Punk Hazard Arc, produced by Trafalgar Law's abilities.
- Dragons (notwithstanding the anime-original Sennenryu) were confirmed to exist by the Thriller Bark Arc, which retroactively tied Monsters into the storyline; they were later depicted in the Punk Hazard Arc as both artificial creatures and a "natural" species accessible by certain Zoan Devil Fruits.
- The legend of Gorgon petrification was alluded to in the Amazon Lily Arc, being used by Boa Hancock and her sisters to deter others from seeing the World Noble slave-brands on their backs.
- A Minotaur was depicted in the Impel Down Arc, described as someone who had "awakened" their Holstein cow-model Devil Fruit.
- Krakens were confirmed as an extant species in the Fish-Man Island Arc.
- "Kappa" was briefly used by Zoro as an insult to Sanji in the Fish-Man Island Arc; it was later used in the Wano Country Arc as the epithet of the fish-man Kawamatsu.
- Luffy's portrayal as a dragon may have been intended as an in-joke on his father's identity (first revealed in a chapter published around five months after this omake).
- Interestingly, this was Hiroaki Hirata (Sanji)'s second time playing a kappa; a few years prior, he had played the Saiyuki character Sha Gojyo.
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