Ron Does Stuff

The previous episode almost made me cry over a whale, so let’s see what this episode is going to do to me!

This episode is obviously going to be Zoro-centric, as we start with him practicing with his swords and still grappling with his loss to Mihawk. He’s sparring with Mihawk in his mind, but even there, he’s not getting the upper hand.

But we take a break from that as Usopp captures a fish, Sanji cooks it, and Nami walks in with a banging body. While all the happens, a tied-up Mister 9 is being snotty in a corner. He’s also hitting Zoro where it hurts, questioning his skills as a swordsman. But Zoro isn’t falling for that. For now.

Meanwhile, Luffy is interrogating Miss Wednesday, or at least that’s what I thought and that’s what Miss Wednesday thought was happening. Luffy’s just trying to get to know her! He even frees her from her binding and takes her out to the deck, where we see her get into some lesbian tension with Nami. Don’t be blind, people. She and Mister 9 escape after the Straw Hats are distracted after they see Cactus Island, but the Straw Hats aren’t that worried about it.

Once they get to Cactus Island, they’re welcomed in the town of Whiskey Peak, because as Igaram, its mayor, explains, it’s easier to just welcome the pirates arriving in the Grand Line rather than fighting them off. Assassins, however, might be a different matter. He also tells Nami that her log pose will reset tomorrow morning, which means the crew will have to stay the night.

The crew is invited to dinner, but they have to pay with ~tales of adventure~, and Usopp’s got that covered. At this point, I got to commend the music this season, because there’s definitely been an upgrade. From “Bink’s Brew” in the previous episode to this sax number in Whiskey Peak, I’ve really been enjoying it.

While the Straw Hats are celebrating with the residents of Whiskey Peak, Miss Wednesday and Mister 9 are drying themselves right outside the bar. There’s talk about Mister 8, who I think hasn’t been introduced in the show just yet? But the anime and manga fans probably know all about him. Miss Wednesday’s going to report to Mister 8, and we see that her and Mister 9 aren’t exactly BFFs. We also find out that, of course, nothing is what it seems with the residents of Whiskey Peak.

As the celebration progresses, the Straw Hats begin to disperse. Nami is off to climb the island’s giant cactus mountain, Luffy’s off to get dessert at a bakery, and Sanji’s propositioned by twins at the bar, who tell him to bring Usopp with him to a lounge. It is obviously going to be a trap. I’m betting those twins are fighters or something.

At the town bakery, Igaram gets Luffy to spill about how he got that huge bounty on his head, before Miss Wednesday makes her entrance to reveal that Igaram is actually Mister 8. The two of them knock Luffy out with her ~Enchanting Vertigo Dance~, which does as it says on the tin. Truth in advertising!

Elsewhere in the town, Nami find out what really happened to the Tulip Pirates, who were there before them. What happened is that the Tulip Pirates were killed by the residents of Whiskey Peak, who are basically a honeypot trap. I think that’s what it’s called? We then find out that the mountains aren’t cacti. The spikes? Actually crosses marking the graves of all the pirates that the residents of Whiskey Peak have killed. I thought that was a great reveal!

Zoro’s also found out that the town is a trap, confirming it when two guys follow him out when he takes a piss. And I think it’s totally fair to ask the guys to buy him a drink first before cornering him in an alley with his dick out. Manners! Zoro quickly dispatches those two guys, and then walks into the saloon/bar/restaurant to face off with everybody else. The whole town is Baroque Works! Now we get to see Mackenyu’s background in martial arts and stunt work fully utilized. Also, him kicking a nun across the room? Funny for me, a lapsed Catholic.

Back in the bakery, Luffy’s recovered from the ~Enchanting Vertigo Dance~, and now he’s chasing Miss Wednesday and Mister 8. That chase eventually leads to Nami and Luffy finally finding each other and facing Miss Wednesday and Mister 8. Those two try to say that there’s more going on than they think, but they don’t get to expound on that as Miss Valentine and Mister 5 show up. But Miss Valentine and Mister 5 aren’t there for the Straw Hats. They’re there for Miss Wednesday and Mister 8. There is more going on, and that’s Miss Wednesday and Mister 8 being spies looking into Baroque Works!

Back at the bar, Zoro’s dispatched almost all of the 100 assassins present. There’s only Mister 9 left. Or at least I thought it was only Mister 9 left. Just as Zoro’s about to finish him off, here comes Miss Monday, who’s a boxer! Between the two of them, they manage to contain Zoro. For a moment, because Mister 9 makes the mistake of motivating Zoro, so now he gets a burst of energy to finish them all.

It really is a great fight sequence, watch it below!

Elsewhere, Igaram’s been fatally wounded by shrapnel from Mister 5’s attack, and extracts a promise from Luffy to safely take Miss Wednesday back to her father. Miss Wednesday is the princess of Alabastra, and Igaram says her survival is essential to the safety of the kingdom. Igaram then faces off with Mister 5 and Miss Valentine alone so that the rest of the group can escape to the Going Merry. When it becomes clear that Igaram has been killed, Nami is there to console Miss Wednesday.

Back on the island, Mister 9 actually shows he’s got a code, and he lives by it. He doesn’t betray Miss Wednesday to Miss Valentine and Mister 5, and even reminds them that since they failed with their mission, Mister Zero has probably already sent Unluckies — don’t know what those are, but it scares Miss Valentine and Mister 5 — to kill them. Mister 9 dies honorably! Sorta!

Meanwhile, Miss Wednesday reveals that she is Nefertari Vivi, the princess of Alabasta. Baroque Works has been fomenting civil war in her kingdom, just like Garp said in the second episode. During the course of their spy mission, she and Igaram have found out the true identity of Mister Zero, the leader of Baroque Works, and it’s information that they need to give to her father to bring down Baroque Works. But before they can do that, they have to face off against Miss All-Sunday, who is on the ship.

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