ONE PIECE Episode 43 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

End of the Fishman Empire! Nami's My Friend!

Luffy fights Arlong to the top floor of Arlong Park, where Nami had been forced to draw sea charts. Arlong insists her talent belongs to the fish-men and claims the charts are essential to his world domination plan. Luffy declares she is his crew's navigator and vows to destroy the room. The building collapses during their clash, Luffy is still inside, and Nami calls for him; he appears and declares her his companion. The villagers celebrate the victory. Nezumi interrupts, claiming the money and wealth and ordering everyone to disarm; Nami and Sanji strike him, and he surrenders to demands to help rebuild Gosa and return Nami's money, while threatening revenge. Nezumi then contacts Navy Headquarters, requesting a large bounty and a wanted poster for Luffy and his four companions, and Headquarters agrees to verify and seek approval.

• Final showdown at Arlong Park

  Luffy and Arlong exchange attacks on the top floor, the building collapses, and Luffy declares Nami his companion.

• Villagers' celebration interrupted

  Nezumi claims the reward and orders disarmament, is struck by Nami and Sanji, and surrenders to the villagers' demands while threatening revenge.

• Bounty request to Navy Headquarters

  Nezumi reports the defeat of Arlong's crew to Navy Headquarters and requests a large bounty on Luffy, which Headquarters agrees to verify.

Recent Timeline

• Sanji defeats Kuroobi (Episode 40)

  Sanji escapes Kuroobi's underwater attack by forcing air into the fish-man's gills, then challenges him on land and defeats him with a series of kicks.

• Usopp defeats Chew (Episode 40)

  Usopp recalls Chew after deciding to fight with everything he has, uses hammer and projectile attacks, ignites alcohol to hit Chew, and finally beats the fish-man.

• Villagers pledge to fight alongside Nami (Episode 41)

  Nami chose to trust Luffy's promise, apologized to the villagers, and asked them to risk dying alongside her against Arlong. The villagers answered by declaring their willingness to fight.

• Arlong Park collapses (Episode 43)

  Luffy and Arlong exchange blows on the top floor until the impact brings the building down. The villagers recognize the victory and celebrate Arlong's fall.

• Nezumi surrenders to villagers (Episode 43)

  Nezumi, captain of the Navy's sixteenth branch, interrupts the celebration to claim the victory and Arlong Park's wealth. Struck by Nami and others, he surrenders, agreeing to deal with the fish-men, help rebuild Gosa, leave the remaining wealth for the island, and return Nami's money.

Character Graph

Ripper (new base commander)

Marine

Marine who succeeded Morgan as the new base commander.

• Role in town

  Took over the base after Morgan and confronts Luffy, then orders Luffy and Zoro to leave town while agreeing to accept Koby into the Marines.

• Luffy (Other, Mixed)

  Confronts Luffy over his pirate status and orders him out of town, while promising not to report him to headquarters as a gesture of gratitude.

Higuma

Mountain Bandits

Leader of a group of mountain bandits who terrorized and abducted Luffy; threw Luffy into the sea to drown and was devoured whole by a Sea King.

• Luffy (Other, Hostility)

  Threatened, abducted, and tried to drown Luffy.

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.

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.

• 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.

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.

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.

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.

A fish-man who claims his heritage makes him superior to humans and holds Nami captive to chart the sea.

• Base and claims

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

• Broken promise

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

• Supremacist stance

  Declares fish-men superior to humans, boasting he can kill humans without touching them and citing his strength as proof.

• Claimed superiority

  Declares that fish-men are fundamentally superior to Luffy and other humans.

• Nami (Hierarchy, Pact, Hostility)

  Commands Nami as his officer and cartographer.

  Forced Nami to draw sea charts over eight years and insists her talent should serve the fish-men, calling her their comrade.

• 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.

• Kuroobi (Hierarchy, Hostility)

  Arlong reacts angrily to the defeat of Kuroobi, one of his subordinates.

Nami

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

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.

Luffy's crew navigator, held and forced to draw sea charts by Arlong.

• Ambition

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

• 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.

• Forced chart-making

  Was made by Arlong to produce sea charts over eight years, which he called his treasure.

• Luffy (Colleague, Affinity)

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

  Luffy declares her as his crew's navigator, defending her against Arlong.

• Arlong (Hierarchy, Pact, Other, Hostility)

  Serves under Arlong as his officer and cartographer.

  Arlong forced her to produce sea charts and claims she is a comrade of the fish-men.

• 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.

Nezumi

Navy · Navy sixteenth branch captain

Captain of the 16th Branch who arrived with another Navy ship and demanded that Genzo guide him to Nami's home without explaining his purpose.

Claims to have watched the fight from outside and seizes credit for Arlong Park's fall as captain of the Navy's sixteenth branch.

• Arrival

  Identified himself as a captain of the 16th Branch and demanded guidance to Nami's home.

• Seizure of the money

  Ordered his men to search despite Nami's protest and declared thirty percent of the money would belong to him.

• Surrender terms

  Agreed to disarm, help rebuild Gosa, leave Arlong Park's remaining wealth for the island's people, and return Nami's money, yet still threatened revenge against Luffy and his crew.

• Navy report

  Contacted Navy Headquarters, asking that Luffy and his four companions be treated as enemies of the government and that a large bounty be placed on Luffy.

• Genzo (Other, Hostility)

  Demanded that Genzo guide him to Nami's home without explaining his purpose.

• Nami (Other, Hostility)

  Confronts Nami as the thief he is seeking and demands she surrender the stolen treasure.

  Accused her of hiding pirate treasure and seized her savings during the search.

• Luffy (Hierarchy, Hostility)

  Nezumi asked Headquarters to brand Luffy an enemy of the government and vowed revenge on him and his crew after surrendering.

World Memo

• Weapon possession treated as rebellion

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

• Fish-men species traits

  Fish-men originate from the Grand Line and live among residents of islands; they are described as far stronger than humans and able to breathe underwater.

  Fish-men breathe through gills underwater, so forcing air into their gills makes them suffer when they are submerged.

• Fish-men innate superiority belief

  Arlong asserts that fish-men are born superior to humans, citing his ability to kill humans without touching them with a little water as proof.

Battle Record

The fight reached its conclusion at the top floor of Arlong Park: the exchanged attacks brought the building down and the villagers celebrated the fall.

Usopp vs Chew at the village

Village duel · Episode 40

Location: Cocoyasi Village

Trigger: Chew assumed his water shot had killed Usopp

Combatants

• Straw Hat side — fighter: Usopp
• Arlong side — fighter: Chew

Outcome: Chew beaten by Usopp

Zoro's victory over Hatchan

Duel concluded · Episode 39

Location: Arlong's stronghold

Trigger: Zoro's fight with Hatchan

Zoro against Hatchan

• Zoro's side — fighter: Zoro
• Hatchan's side — fighter: Hatchan

Outcome: Zoro declared his side the winner.

Aftermath

• Hatchan cried out
• Zoro's wounds were reopened

Arlong Park final clash

Luffy vs Arlong on the top floor · Episodes 31–43

Location: Arlong Park, top floor

Trigger: Luffy confronts Arlong over Nami being forced to draw sea charts for him

Straw Hat Pirates vs Arlong Pirates

• Straw Hat Pirates — attacker: Luffy
• Arlong Pirates — defender: Arlong

Outcome: Arlong Park collapsed during the exchange of attacks and the villagers celebrated the victory

Aftermath

• The villagers were urged to spread the news of Arlong Park's destruction across the island

Ability Table

Music Releases

• We Are! (OP)
• RUN! RUN! RUN! (ED)