The Straw Hats and Vivi cross paths with Miss All Sunday, but Luffy flatly rejects her offer of a Log Pose directly to Alabasta. Knowing Luffy, he was never going to let someone else dictate his adventure.
Little Garden lives up to its manga origins with no corners cut. We get dinosaurs, giant man-eating plants, and a sense of scale that cements One Piece as this legendary adventure. The crew splits up immediately: Zoro and Sanji engage in an epic hunt for a T-Rex (seeing them dive into combat for food was a highlight for me!).
Elsewhere, Luffy and Vivi ride a long-neck dinosaur as she learns more about Luffy’s character. We even get a name-drop for Karoo, Vivi’s giant duck companion. Since he’s missing here, we can likely expect his debut in Season 3!
Usopp is paralyzed by fear and ends up back on the ship with Nami where they meet the legendary giant warrior Brogy. After a brief misunderstanding involving a kidnapping, it’s revealed he just wanted to talk. In a brilliant bit of irony, the tall tale Usopp spins here sets up a fight he will inevitably face in a future season!
We learn Brogy has been dueling his friend Dorry for over 100 years—73,466 draws, to be exact—to the point where they’ve forgotten why they started. The mention of their homeland, Elbaf, is a massive “win” for current manga readers, given that the story is currently exploring that very location.
Miss Valentine and Mr. 5 arrive, joining Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek who are already on the island. Goldenweek proves to be a unique threat though with her “Colors Trap” which isn’t a Devil Fruit power, but a form of hypnotic painting that alters the target’s emotions. She successfully marks both Zoro and Nami in a stealth move.
The plot takes a dark turn when Mr. 5 laces Brogy’s ale with explosives. The resulting internal blast causes Brogy to lose his duel unfairly. In the chaos though Luffy is incapacitated by Miss Goldenweek, Nami and Vivi are captured by Miss Valentine and Usopp is sent flying in a rockslide.
Zoro, Nami, and Vivi are eventually trapped on Mr. 3’s Giant Candle Service Set (the wax cake!), with Zoro striking a “noble” pose as he prepares to be turned into a wax statue. In the manga and anime he does it to look cool, but here it’s done as a way to help Vivi be brave.
While the others fight for their lives, Sanji wanders into Mr. 3’s hidden wax house. He intercepts a call from Mr. 0 (Crocodile) himself—a scene ripped straight from the manga that gives us our first chilling look at the big villain. Sanji also makes quick work of the “Unluckies”—Mr. 13 (the otter) and Miss Friday (the vulture)—before mocking Mr. 0 and hanging up.
The newspaper Sanji finds is packed with Easter eggs: the opening of the Chou-Chou Pet Shop, the Bliking Pirates who we will meet in the next few episodes, and a reference to Water 7. (The name “Barbara Troy” is a nod to a team member/creator from the community)
Usopp finally finds his courage and rescues Luffy from Miss Goldenweek’s spell. The pair rush to the wax cake, where Usopp uses his wits (and head) to trick Miss Valentine into using her weight-shifting powers to shatter the wax, freeing the others.
The battles all merge together with Vivi and Nami team up to knock out Miss Valentine. Zoro taking down Mr. 5 while one foot is still encased in wax! (with some help from Usopp and his slingshot) and Luffy chasing down Mr. 3, knocking him off his feet and freeing a wax encased Dorry.
The Straw Hats emerge victorious, and Sanji reveals the spoils of war: an Alabasta Log Pose taken from the Unluckies. To send them off, Dorry and Brogy unleash the Hakoku Sovereignty, a devastating move that obliterates a giant “Island Eater” goldfish trying to swallow the Going Merry.
The episode ends on a grim note for the villains however, as it’s suggested Mr. 3 kills Miss Valentine to stay in Mr. 0’s good graces. But the real cliffhanger comes as the crew celebrates: Nami suddenly collapses on deck!
Verdict
One Piece continues to push the boundaries of manga-to-reality. Little Garden felt like a living, breathing prehistoric world. While there were a few sub-par CGI shots with the giants—understandable given the difficulty of daylight visual effects—the choreography was entertaining and character beats were top-tier. We are now heading into the final arc of the season, and I cannot wait for the introduction of Tony Tony Chopper!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
