Take Aim! The Pirate Baseball King

Take Aim! The Pirate Baseball King
Statistics
Japanese Name:	めざせ! 海賊野球王
Romanized Name:	Mezase! Kaizoku Yakyū Ō
Official English Name:	Go for it! The Pirate Baseball King (Toei Animation USA) Take Aim! The Pirate Baseball King (Manga Entertainment)
Runtime:	5 minutes and 30 seconds
Release Date(s):	March 6, 2004
Chronology
← Previous	One Piece: The Adventure in Grand Line
Next →	ONE PIECE 3D! Trap Coaster

Take Aim! The Pirate Baseball King is a featurette (animated short) associated with the One Piece film, The Cursed Holy Sword. It lasts 5 minutes and 32 seconds.

The short was included with Manga Entertainment's release of The Cursed Holy Sword, which remains its only official English release.

Summary

The short film pits the Luffy Pirates against the Fish-Men Pirates in a game of baseball, with Buggy and Mr. 2 Bon Kurei serving as announcers. Luffy begins the game as the lead-off batter, with Arlong pitching against him. Because small iron spiked balls are used instead of normal baseballs, Luffy, who was facing the wrong way when the ball was pitched (he was fighting with Chew), was painfully hit in the butt and was awarded first base. Next up is Zoro, with Hatchan pitching against him. Zoro uses his Three Sword Style technique with the baseball bats, but ends up shattering the balls (all three pitched at once), striking himself out. Luffy attempts to steal second base, but does not make it, much to coach Nami's extreme irritation. Next up to bat is Usopp batting against Arlong. Usopp, scared out of his wits, dodges the ball and starts rounding the bases on the wild pitch at an incredible speed. Just as he dives for home, his abnormally long nose sticks in the dirt, foiling his in-the-park home run. Sanji is up to bat, but is so distracted by Nami, that he lets by two strikes. He bats the third ball with his foot, which is so tough to counter that it shreds away his shoe and pant leg, and strikes it out of the park, but walks off to Nami without rounding the bases, earning himself an out and a slap to the face. Nico Robin pitches against Arlong, who almost bats it out of the park, but thanks to Robin's intervention, the ball is caught, and the Straw Hats turn a triple play.

It is now at the final inning, and the Fish-Men are winning with the score being 3-0 Fish-Men. With two outs and Nico Robin on first, Sanji on second, and Zoro on third, and Luffy at bat. Arlong pitches against Luffy, who does not swing the first time. The second ball shatters the bat, so Luffy decides to bat bare-handed, and gets a home run with his Gomu Gomu no Home Run technique. Momoo tries to catch it, but the ball hits him in the face, knocking him out. Just as Buggy quits as announcer in a fit of anger, the ball hits him in the face. The Straw Hat Pirates are named the Pirate Baseball Kings as the credits roll, and Buggy bitterly ends the short.

Positions

• Announcers: Bon Kurei and Buggy (Buggy quits at end of game)
• Home Plate Umpire: Gan Fall

• Team Luffy
  • Coach- Nami
  • Pitcher- Robin
  • Outfield- Tony Tony Chopper
  • 1st base- Zoro
  • 2nd base- Sanji
  • 3rd base- Luffy
  • Catcher- Usopp

• Team Arlong
  • Pitcher and possibly coach- Arlong
  • Outfield- Momoo
  • 1st base and secret pitcher- Hatchan
  • 2nd base- Kuroobi
  • 3rd base- unknown human
  • Catcher- Chew

Cast

• Shigeru Chiba as Buggy
• Kazuki Yao as Bon Kurei

All of the Straw Hats' dialogue is spoken by Yao in character as Bon Kurei.

Trivia

• A password for the game One Piece: Going Baseball was slotted into the scoreboard at one point. In addition to this, the same outfits are used in the game as in this featurette.
• In this special, all of the characters are voiced by Kazuki Yao and Shigeru Chiba instead of their usual voice actors.
• Pandaman appears in this special.