ONE PIECE Episode 39 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

Luffy Submerged! Zoro vs. Hatchan the Octopus!

At Arlong Park, Zoro fights Hatchan despite his unhealed wounds, while Sanji is caught off guard by Kuroobi. Genzo and Nojiko sneak in to help Luffy, whose feet are stuck in cement in the pool, and Nojiko keeps his head above water so he can breathe. Zoro defeats the six-sword Hatchan with his tornado technique but is too injured to dive in, and as Sanji prepares to go into the water to save Luffy, Kuroobi attacks him from behind. Meanwhile, Chew chases Usopp, and Nami decides to return to Arlong Park.

• Genzo and Nojiko help Luffy

  With Luffy's feet stuck in cement in the pool, Genzo and Nojiko sneak into Arlong Park and dive in. Genzo cannot break the cement, so Nojiko holds Luffy's head above the water so he can breathe while Genzo stays underwater trying to revive him.

• Zoro vs Hatchan

  Still wounded from his duel with Mihawk and left with only one intact sword, Zoro struggles against Hatchan. When Hatchan returns with six swords, Zoro borrows Johnny and Yosaku's swords for his three-sword style and, despite a blow to his wounds, defeats Hatchan with his tornado technique, shattering all six swords.

• Sanji ambushed by Kuroobi

  Distracted by Zoro's fight, Sanji is struck by Kuroobi. With Zoro too injured to dive, Sanji prepares to go into the water after Luffy despite Kuroobi's advantage there, but Kuroobi attacks him from behind.

• Usopp chased and Nami's resolve

  Chew chases Usopp through the island's outskirts, while Nami bandages her wounds at home and decides to return to Arlong Park to join the battle.

Recent Timeline

• Bellemere executed during Arlong's invasion (Episode 36)

  Arlong made his promise to spare Bellemere's daughters conditional on her accepting death, and the villagers' resistance was put down. Bellemere was shot after telling Nojiko and Nami that she loved them, and Arlong announced she would serve as an example.

  Nami returned to the village and announced she would serve Arlong as a sea chart surveyor, rejecting her family's pleas. She was ordered out of the village after agreeing to draw charts for Arlong in exchange for the chance to buy the village's freedom for 100 million berries.

• Marines seize Nami's savings (Episode 37)

  Nezumi's searchers found the hundred million berries Nami had hidden and seized them, with Nezumi claiming thirty percent for himself. Arlong's knowledge of the amount suggested he had sent the Marines, and the loss destroyed Nami's years-long plan to buy back Cocoyasi Village.

• Marines shoot Nojiko (Episode 37)

  During the search, the Marines shot Nojiko. She survived and said she was all right, and her statement that Arlong had allied with the Marines and deceived Nami for eight years made clear the betrayal behind the seizure.

• Usopp escapes Chew (Episode 39)

  Usopp drew Chew, an enemy officer, away from his companions, but after taunting him he was caught and chased off again, so the lead he had gained was short-lived.

• Zoro defeats Hatchan (Episode 39)

  Despite a fever and a reopened wound, Zoro countered Hatchan's six-sword assault, cut his hands with a rolling counter, and finished him with a tornado technique, leaving Hatchan unable to understand how three swords had beaten six.

Character Graph

Gaimon

A man who was trapped in an empty treasure chest for twenty years on the island; refuses to join Luffy's crew and lives freely on the island.

• Past life

  Formerly a boy aboard a pirate ship that came to the island searching for treasure; after a month of failing to find any, his crew left him behind.

• Current stance

  Knowing there was no treasure gave him closure and the freedom to live as he pleased; he has befriended the animals native to the island.

• Luffy (Friend, Affinity)

  Quickly befriended by Luffy, who later invited him to join his crew; Gaimon declined.

Fullbody

Marine · Baratie customer

Marine lieutenant who enters the Baratie for a date and orders his men to destroy the crew's ship; attacked by Sanji after he places a fly in his soup.

A patron of the Baratie who clashed with Sanji and then vowed never to return.

• Vow

  Decided he wanted nothing more to do with the restaurant and vowed never to return.

• Sanji (Other, Hostility)

  Argues with Sanji after placing a fly in his soup; Sanji beats him for wasting the food.

  Confronted by Sanji for wasting soup and insulting the cook; the feud escalated.

Sanji

Baratie · Baratie cook · cook

Sous chef of the Baratie; kicks Fullbody after Fullbody wastes the food he made.

A cook at the Baratie who owes his life to Zeff and refuses to surrender the restaurant even at the cost of his life.

• Crew invitation

  Luffy asked him to become the cook aboard his pirate ship; Sanji refused while staying at the restaurant.

• Infatuation with Nami

  Became infatuated with Nami and declared himself willing to become a pirate for her.

• Debt to Zeff

  Insists he can only repay his debt to Zeff by risking death to protect the restaurant Zeff treasured.

• Kindness to Gin

  Fed Gin for free and urged him to survive rather than die for pride, which moved Gin to spare him.

• Fullbody (Other, Hostility)

  Argues with Fullbody after Fullbody places a fly in his soup, then beats him with his legs.

• Zeff (Hierarchy, Mentor, Mixed)

  Sous chef serving under the head chef Zeff.

  Zeff, his head cook, told him to join Luffy's group and said the restaurant no longer needed him.

• Luffy (Colleague, Hostility)

  Luffy invited him to be the cook of his pirate ship; he refused at first but was later told to join Luffy's group.

  Sanji was angered when Luffy announced he would sink the ship and argued with him over the debt and the restaurant.

• Nami (Other, Affinity)

  Infatuated with Nami and willing to become a pirate for her.

• Gin (Other, Mixed)

  Sanji refused Gin's request to leave; after Gin was moved by his kindness, Gin could not kill him and fought him.

Gin

Krieg subordinate · Krieg Pirates · combat commander · Krieg's crew

A hungry man who came to the Baratie demanding food and was driven away for lacking money, then fed by Sanji.

Former crew member of Krieg who was expelled and condemned to death for refusing to kill Sanji, and who gave his own gas mask to Luffy and was poisoned by the gas.

• Hunger and rescue

  Refused charity at first, then ate and thanked Sanji, admitting he had thought he would die.

• Combat role

  Revealed as the fleet's combat commander who had broken Pearl's shield; later assigned to fight Sanji.

• Turning point

  Hesitated when Krieg ordered him to kill Sanji, and after pinning Sanji down could not finish him because no one had ever treated him with such kindness.

• Loyalty to Krieg

  Defended Krieg as unbeatable and considered his punishment deserved because his emotions had kept him from fulfilling his duty.

• Sanji (Other, Mixed)

  Sanji fed him and called anyone hungry a customer; Gin promised never to forget his kindness.

  Sanji fed Gin for free and urged him to survive; Gin, moved by this kindness, could not kill him and was then fought by Sanji.

• Zeff (Other, Hostility)

  Catches Zeff off-guard and holds him at gunpoint.

• Luffy (Guardian, Other, Affinity)

  Urged by Luffy to survive; Luffy gave him a mask-related rescue and promised to defeat Krieg.

  Gin credits Luffy with teaching him what commitment means and asks Sanji to tell Luffy they will meet again on the Grand Line.

Zeff

Baratie · Baratie head cook · Cook Pirates

Head chef of the Baratie; injured when Luffy's deflected cannonball blasts a hole in the restaurant roof. Refuses to negotiate with Luffy over repairs.

Head chef of the Baratie; Sanji's mentor, who with the other cooks pretended to dislike Sanji's soup so that Sanji would leave the Baratie to chase his dream with Luffy.

• Past with pirates

  Had once cooked for a notable pirate crew, as Sanji explained.

• Assessment of attacker

  Concluded the attacker was the hawk-eyed man based on the scale of destruction.

• Shared dream

  Shares Sanji's dream of finding the All Blue and sacrificed his leg so Sanji could pursue it.

• Judgment of Luffy

  Judged that Luffy showed no hesitation despite the fear of death and argued that his determination was a form of fighting power.

• Luffy (Hierarchy, Mixed)

  Forces Luffy to work as a chore boy for a year to pay for the roof damage and refuses to negotiate.

• Sanji (Hierarchy, Mentor, Guardian, Mixed)

  Head chef; Sanji is the sous chef under him.

  Mentor who staged harsh insults to make Sanji listen; admits he always regretted saving Sanji, yet shows deep care and asks Luffy to take Sanji to the Grand Line.

Bell-mère

Marine (former)

Adoptive mother of Nami and Nojiko, who farmed mikan in the outskirts of Cocoyasi Village to survive; she formerly travelled overseas as a Marine.

• Adoption

  Met Nojiko and infant Nami overseas, then took them back to Cocoyasi Village to raise them as her own children.

• Nami (Family, Guardian, Affinity)

  Adoptive mother who went without food so she could feed Nami, and who regretted their quarrel and prepared Nami's favorite meal.

• Nojiko (Family, Guardian, Affinity)

  Adoptive mother who raised Nojiko alongside Nami on a low income.

Nami

Straw Hat Pirates · Arlong Pirates · Arlong Pirates (surveyor)

A thief who targets pirates and steals sea charts; infiltrates Buggy's crew under a false pretext while secretly aiming to recover the chart and steal his treasure.

Nami, a young navigator and surveyor who joined Arlong's crew to draw sea charts in order to buy Cocoyasi Village's freedom for 100 million berries.

• Ambition

  Aims to earn one hundred million berries for reasons she keeps secret.

• Arlong's plan

  Arlong called her indispensable to his planned empire and affirmed his promise from eight years earlier to free her and Cocoyasi Village if she accumulated one hundred million berries.

• Family background

  Stole books from a local bookstore to support her cartography interest, and wore only hand-me-down clothing from Nojiko.

• Motive

  Works for Arlong to earn 100 million berries for the village's freedom, and vows to earn it alone.

• Luffy (Colleague, Neutral)

  Met Luffy after he defeated armed men; proposed a partnership, then declined his invitation to join his crew upon learning he was a pirate.

  Gave Luffy the Grand Line map and agreed to sail with the crew temporarily to acquire Bellies.

• Arlong (Hierarchy, Pact, Hostility)

  Serves under Arlong as his officer and cartographer.

  Serves Arlong as a surveyor drawing sea charts; smiles in front of him while resenting him for killing Bellemere.

• Nojiko (Family, Mixed)

  Nojiko is her adopted sister.

  Sister who condemned her decision; Nami keeps her in the dark about her plan to fight alone.

• Bell-mère (Family, Guardian, Mixed)

  Adoptive mother with whom Nami quarrelled before running away from home; Bell-mère later prepared her favorite meal to make up for it.

Arlong

Arlong Pirates · fish-man

The most notorious pirate in East Blue, a fish-man originating from the Grand Line, who claims fish-men are far superior to humans.

Fish-man leader who dominates Cocoyasi Village; he mocks the idea that humans could defeat him and threatens to kill Luffy.

• Base and claims

  Operates from Arlong Park; bribes a corrupt Marine officer; asserts fish-men surpass humans in strength and underwater breathing.

• Gosa destruction

  Arlong destroyed Gosa Village because one person failed to pay the tribute.

• Commanding the pursuit

  Ordered the hunt for Usopp and suspected the captured swordsman was a bounty hunter come for his head.

• Broken promise

  Refused to return the village unless Nami presented the full sum, and threatened to kill everyone if she fled.

• Nami (Hierarchy, Pact, Hostility)

  Commands Nami as his officer and cartographer.

  Captain of the crew Nami joined under the promise; holds her to the debt.

• Roronoa Zoro (Other, Hostility)

  Interrogates Zoro after capturing him.

• Hatchan (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Learned from Hatchan that Zoro was also searching for him.

• Luffy (Other, Hostility)

  Arlong calls Luffy his target after Luffy names him as the real target of the fight and threatens to kill him.

Luffy

Would-be pirate who set sail to begin a pirating career; cast adrift at sea in a barrel after his dinghy was destroyed by a whirlpool. Aims for the Grand Line to search for the One Piece, and first sets out to recruit Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro into his crew.

Pirate who confronts Arlong, introduces himself as a pirate, and demands that Arlong stop making his navigator cry.

• Origin at sea

  Dinghy destroyed by a whirlpool, left trapped in a barrel

• Response to Nami's plea

  Readily agreed to help after Nami broke down and asked, then called for the others to go.

• Roronoa Zoro (Colleague, Affinity)

  Rescued by Zoro in the fight against Buggy's men; Luffy told him to run.

• Gaimon (Friend, Affinity)

  Befriended Gaimon and then invited him to join the crew, which Gaimon declined.

• Nami (Other, Colleague, Affinity)

  Offered help, which she first refused, and later accepted when she asked for it.

  Luffy calls Nami his navigator and confronts Arlong on her behalf.

• Arlong (Other, Hostility)

  Luffy names Arlong as his real target and stands against him.

Roronoa Zoro

Straw Hat Pirates

Pirate-hunter swordsman whom Luffy first finds crucified at the Marine base in Shells Town and sets out to recruit.

Pirate who offers to fight Hatchan so the others can continue, and declares that the pirates intend to crush the fish-men.

• Crucified at base

  Held on a cross at the Marine base and refuses to be fed by others; he eats the dirt-stained rice Rika brought.

• Childhood training

  Was a dojoyaburi who challenged local dojos; after defeat by Kuina he joined her father's dojo and trained harder than peers.

• Vow to Kuina

  After Kuina's fatal fall, decided to become the world's greatest swordsman; received Kuina's katana Wado Ichimonji from her father and trained eight more years before becoming a pirate hunter.

• Pursuit of the hawk-eyed man

  Revealed that the attacker on the Grand Line is the man he went to sea to find, and became more determined to head there.

• Hatchan (Other, Hostility)

  Zoro dismisses Hatchan's grievances over the fish-men he cut down and offers to fight him.

Genzo

Cocoyasi Village

Genzo is a villager of Cocoyasi Village who was nearly executed by Arlong for possessing a weapon and was treated for his wounds afterward.

Villager who stops the injured fighters and volunteers to rescue Luffy himself, recognizing that his survival could decide the battle.

• Near execution

  Arlong decides to execute Genzo for possessing a weapon, which he treats as rebellion; Usopp interferes.

• Rescue of Luffy

  Refuses other villagers' help to avoid drawing the fish-men into the fight and works to free Luffy from the trapping stone.

• Arlong (Other, Hostility)

  Arlong tried to execute Genzo for possessing a weapon.

• Nojiko (Colleague, Affinity)

  Agrees to let her join the rescue; they work together to free Luffy.

Hatchan

Arlong Pirates

An octopus fish-man who met Zoro and guided him to Cocoyasi Village, mistaking him for a guest.

Fish-man with six arms who boasts of his six-sword style and fights Zoro.

• Guiding Zoro

  Took Zoro to Cocoyasi Village without knowing his identity and later admitted doing so.

• Duel with Zoro

  Boasts that his six arms make him impossible to cut, mistakes Zoro's condition for a trick, and claims each of his swords weighs three hundred kilograms.

• Arlong (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Serves Arlong as a fish-man crew member who reports on his movements.

• Roronoa Zoro (Other, Hostility)

  Hatchan accuses Zoro of deceiving him and cutting down his comrades.

  Opponent in a sword duel; Hatchan threatens to kill Zoro and is beaten by Zoro's tornado technique.

Kuroobi

Arlong Pirates

A fish-man of the Arlong Pirates who suspected Nami of betraying the crew and questioned her loyalty.

Fish-man fighting Sanji who takes advantage of Sanji's distraction and reports to Arlong that he finished him off.

• Accusing Nami

  Argued that someone freed Zoro and accused Nami of letting him infiltrate the crew, and suspected her of hiding a treasure map.

• Fight with Sanji

  Warns Sanji not to look away, strikes after his distraction, and is later confronted again by Sanji, who questions his surprise at a survivor.

• Nami (Colleague, Hostility)

  Suspects Nami of betrayal and questions her motives for buying Cocoyasi Village.

• Arlong (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  Serves Arlong within the Arlong Pirates.

  Reports to Arlong and asks him what to do with Zoro, acting under his command.

• Sanji (Other, Hostility)

  Opponent in the fight at the sea; Sanji targets him after recovering.

Nojiko (Nami's sister)

Cocoyasi Village

A human resident who rescues Usopp by diverting an Arlong Pirate away.

Joins Genzo to rescue Luffy because Luffy and his companions are fighting for her sister.

• Rescue of Usopp

  Intervenes when a revealed Arlong Pirate attempts to capture Usopp, diverting the pirate away.

• Search for Nami

  Went looking for Nami at Bell-mère's request and reunited with her before they returned home for dinner.

• Accusation against Arlong

  Asserted that Arlong allied with the Marines and deceived Nami for eight years.

• Rescue mission

  Insists on joining Genzo's rescue of Luffy and later tries to help him expel water.

• Nami (Family, Affinity)

  Nami is her adopted sister.

  Her sister, for whom Luffy and his companions are fighting.

• Bell-mère (Family, Guardian, Affinity)

  Adoptive mother who raised her and Nami on a low income.

• Genzo (Colleague, Affinity)

  Accompanies Genzo on the rescue; Genzo agrees to her joining.

World Memo

• Weapon possession treated as rebellion

  Under Arlong's rule, merely possessing a weapon is regarded as a form of rebellion.

• Monthly tribute under Arlong

  Citizens under Arlong's reign must pay him a monthly tribute in exchange for their lives.

  Arlong's pirates demanded 100,000 berries per adult and 50,000 per child for survival, and villagers could barely afford their tribute.

• Cocoyasi freedom price

  Cocoyasi Village's freedom from Arlong could be bought for 100 million berries.

Battle Record

Zoro, still wounded from his duel with Mihawk, faces Hatchan, who returns with six swords. Borrowing Johnny and Yosaku's swords, Zoro fights with three swords and defeats Hatchan with his tornado technique, shattering all six swords.

Arlong Pirates' invasion of Cocoyasi Village

Tribute demand on the island · Episodes 35–36

Location: Cocoyasi Village

Trigger: Arlong declares the entire island, including the village, his own domain and demands monthly tribute from all citizens

Invaders vs villagers

• Arlong Pirates — invaders: Arlong
• Cocoyasi Village — residents: Nojiko, Nami, Bell-mère

Outcome: Arlong takes over Cocoyasi Village; Bell-mère, who can pay the tribute only for her two daughters, refuses to deny them and is shot dead by Arlong

Aftermath

• Arlong takes Nami into his crew to draw sea charts, and she sets out to raise 100 million berries to buy the village back

Arlong Park infiltration

Crew fights Arlong's officers at Arlong Park · Episode 31– (Ongoing)

Location: Arlong Park

Trigger: Arlong threw Luffy into the pool to drown him, and the Straw Hats must defeat his officers before they can rescue him

Straw Hat crew vs Arlong's officers

• Straw Hat crew and villagers — fighters: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp
• Arlong Pirates — fighters: Arlong, Hatchan, Kuroobi, Chew

Zoro vs Hatchan duel

Wounded Zoro fights six-sword Hatchan · Episode 39

Location: Arlong Park

Trigger: Hatchan boasts that his six arms make him impossible for Zoro to cut

Fighters

• Zoro — fighter: Roronoa Zoro
• Arlong Pirates — fighter: Hatchan

Outcome: Zoro defeats Hatchan with his tornado technique, shattering all six of Hatchan's swords and sending him flying

Aftermath

• Zoro is too injured to dive into the water to rescue Luffy

Ability Table

Music Releases

• We Are! (OP)
• RUN! RUN! RUN! (ED)