ONE PIECE Episode 4 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

Luffy's Past! Enter Red-Haired Shanks!

The burglar girl's dinghy is found at sea by three Buggy Pirates, who she lures with promises of treasure while secretly sailing away from them. The ship the pirates are on capsizes in a windstorm. Luffy and Zoro sail onward, and Luffy loses his straw hat until Zoro recovers it, revealing its significance: as a child Luffy befriended Shanks, who gave him the hat before leaving Foosha Village. Luffy had eaten the Gomu Gomu no Mi and gained rubber properties but lost the ability to swim, and later Higuma threw him into the sea until a Sea King devoured Higuma and Shanks rescued Luffy at the cost of his left arm. In the present, a bird abducts Luffy, and the stranded Buggy Pirates hijack Zoro's rowboat and are defeated by him; the bird is shot down and Luffy falls into Buggy's territory, where he meets the female thief who stole the map.

• Burglar girl escapes the pirates

  She tricks the Buggy Pirates with promises of treasure and secretly sails away from them, and their ship capsizes in a windstorm.

• Hat recovered and its history

  Zoro recovers Luffy's lost straw hat, and Luffy's childhood bond with Shanks and the gift of the hat are explained.

• Luffy's rubber body and Higuma's attack

  Luffy gains rubber properties from the Devil Fruit but loses the ability to swim, and after Higuma throws him into the sea, a Sea King devours Higuma and Shanks rescues Luffy, losing his left arm.

• Buggy Pirates and Luffy's fall

  A bird abducts Luffy, the Buggy Pirates are defeated by Zoro while hijacking his rowboat, and Luffy lands in Buggy's territory where he meets the female thief.

Recent Timeline

• Luffy defeats Alvida's pirates (Episode 1)

  Freed from the barrel, Luffy faces Alvida on the cruise ship after she suspects him of being a bounty hunter. Using his rubber body from the Devil Fruit, he finishes her with a Gomu Gomu no Pistol, sending her flying into the sea, and then leaves the ship with Koby.

• Marine base rebellion at Shells Town (Episode 2)

  Zoro surrenders to the Marines to spare the bar's customers, but Helmeppo secretly plans to execute him, breaking the deal. Luffy assaults Helmeppo for the betrayal and exposes his dishonesty. Morgan's large statue on the base rooftop is accidentally destroyed by Luffy, who then grabs Helmeppo and locates Zoro's confiscated katanas. When Koby tries to free Zoro from the cross, Morgan orders his men to fire on both of them, and Luffy stops the bullets with his rubber body.

• Morgan defeated and arrested (Episode 3)

  Captain Morgan orders an attack despite being overpowered by Luffy and Zoro. Helmeppo's hostage threat against Koby is broken when Luffy punches him, and Zoro cuts Morgan down before he can strike Luffy. The Marines, aware of Morgan's many abuses of power, discharge and arrest their own captain, ending the Shells Town standoff.

• Escapes and Shanks' hat (Episode 4)

  A girl burglar poses as a stranded woman to lure the Buggy Pirates onto her boat, then secretly boards their ship and sails away unnoticed, after which the pirates' ship capsizes in a windstorm. Shanks rescued Luffy from the sea at the cost of his left arm, and just before the Red Hair Pirates left Foosha Village for the Grand Line, he entrusted his straw hat to Luffy, which Luffy has kept as a reminder of his idol.

• Zoro defeats Buggy's rowboat hijack (Episode 4)

  The stranded Buggy Pirates board Zoro's rowboat to hijack it, but Zoro swiftly defeats them.

Character Graph

Alvida

Alvida Pirates

Pirate captain leading the Alvida Pirates. Attacks ships and keeps chore boys; armed with a large spiked club. Defeated by Luffy and sent flying into the sea.

• Defeat

  Knocked off her ship into the sea by Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Pistol

• Koby (Hierarchy, Hostility)

  Holds Koby as one of her chore boys

• Luffy (Other, Hostility)

  Confronted Luffy as a suspected bounty hunter and lost the fight

Koby

Former chore boy forced to serve the Alvida Pirates; escapes with Luffy to pursue his dream of joining the Marines.

• Forced service

  Kidnapped from a rowboat and made a chore boy by Alvida

• Alvida (Hierarchy, Hostility)

  Forced to serve Alvida as one of her chore boys

• Luffy (Other, Neutral)

  Meets Luffy in the kitchen and travels with him after the battle

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.

• Origin at sea

  Dinghy destroyed by a whirlpool, left trapped in a barrel

• Koby (Other, Neutral)

  Travels with him after the battle, sharing a dinghy out of the Alvida ship

• Alvida (Other, Hostility)

  Defeated the pirate captain who suspected him of being a bounty hunter

Helmeppo

Marine

A snobbish, cruel man who is the son of Captain Morgan and abuses the townspeople.

• Abuse of townspeople

  Brings a hostile wolf into a bar, then threatens to execute the customers unless Zoro surrenders.

• Broken deal

  Breaks his deal with Zoro by intending to execute him anyway.

• Roronoa Zoro (Other, Hostility)

  Struck a deal with Zoro after Zoro defeated his wolf, then intended to execute him anyway.

Rika

A small girl in Shells Town who sneaks into the Marine base to bring food to Roronoa Zoro.

• Rice ball delivery

  Tries to bring rice balls to the crucified Zoro and is stopped by Helmeppo.

• Roronoa Zoro (Other, Affinity)

  Brings food to the crucified Zoro and wants to help him.

• Helmeppo (Other, Hostility)

  Stopped from delivering food by Helmeppo, who destroys the rice balls.

Roronoa Zoro

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

• 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.

• Confiscated katanas

  His katanas are confiscated and kept in the Marine base, where Luffy goes to find them.

• Rika (Other, Affinity)

  Rika brings him rice balls out of kindness.

• Helmeppo (Other, Hostility)

  Defeated Helmeppo's wolf to protect the bar's customers, then was threatened and betrayed by him.

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.

Buggy

Buggy Pirates

Captain of the Buggy Pirates; a fearsome pirate with his own Devil Fruit ability; his territory is where Luffy lands after being dropped by the bird.

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.

Shanks

Red Hair Pirates

Pirate captain of the Red Hair Pirates who lived in Luffy's home village; lost his left arm rescuing Luffy from Higuma; entrusted his straw hat to Luffy before setting sail for the Grand Line.

• Luffy (Friend, Affinity)

  Befriended Luffy in childhood and is Luffy's idol; gave Luffy his straw hat to protect.

World Memo

• Red Line divides the world

  The world is divided into a west and an east by a continent called the Red Line.

• Grand Line as a linear sea

  The Grand Line is a linear sea running perpendicular to the Red Line.

Battle Record

Buggy Pirates board Zoro's rowboat to hijack it and are swiftly defeated by him.

Luffy vs Alvida on the ship

Pantry confrontation · Episode 1

Location: Alvida Pirates' ship, pantry and deck

Trigger: Alvida suspects Luffy is a bounty hunter

Luffy vs Alvida Pirates

• Luffy — fighter: Luffy
• Alvida Pirates — leader and fighter: Alvida / pirates: hostile pirates on the ship

Outcome: Alvida is defeated and knocked into the sea by a Gomu Gomu no Pistol; Luffy defeats the pirates.

Aftermath

• Luffy and Koby leave on a dinghy to continue their travels
• the girl burglar departs the ship on her own dinghy

Marine base standoff with Morgan

Episodes 2–3

Location: Marine base

Trigger: Morgan orders his men to attack Luffy and Zoro despite being overpowered

Sides

• Luffy and Zoro — combatants: Luffy, Roronoa Zoro
• Captain Morgan's Marines — commander: Captain Morgan / hostage-taker: Helmeppo

Outcome: Marines stand down; Morgan is dishonorably discharged and arrested

Aftermath

• Zoro agrees to join Luffy's crew should he survive
• Koby is freed after Luffy punches Helmeppo
• Morgan is cut down by Zoro before he can strike Luffy from behind

Zoro's defense of the rowboat

Buggy Pirates' hijack attempt · Episode 4

Location: at sea

Trigger: Buggy Pirates attempt to hijack Zoro's rowboat after finding it stranded at sea

Buggy Pirates vs Roronoa Zoro

• Buggy Pirates — attackers: Buggy Pirates
• Roronoa Zoro — defender: Roronoa Zoro

Outcome: Buggy Pirates swiftly defeated by Zoro

Ability Table

Music Releases

• We Are! (OP)
• Memories (ED)