ONE PIECE Episode 56 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

Eric Attacks! Great Escape From Warship Island!

The Straw Hats plan to return Apis's friend, the elderly thousand-year dragon Ryu, to Lost Island, the dragons' nesting ground, while escaping a Marine blockade of the harbor. The Marines discover the dragon and a mercenary claims its bones as an immortality elixir source. The crew evades the pursuit at sea and reaches the appointed cape, then sets out to search for Lost Island without a charted location.

• Plan to return the dragon

  Apis explains the dragon wants to return to its homeland and recover at the nesting ground, and Luffy promises to take it to Lost Island. Usopp objects that escaping the Marines is already hard without moving such a large creature, and the crew builds a large cart to transport the dragon down the mountain.

• Escape from the harbor

  The Marines search the host's property, find drag marks, and pursue the trail. Usopp is spotted retrieving the ship and comes under fire, and Nami waits for the Going Merry to reach the cape before giving the escape signal.

• Pursuit at sea

  The mercenary, who identifies himself as an employee of Nelson Royal and wields the Kama Kama Fruit, attacks Luffy and Sanji with a whirlwind. Sanji launches the escape maneuver, and Usopp and Zoro reach the cape while the Marines' sails are blocked.

• Search for Lost Island

  Apis confirms she is unhurt and the crew sets out for Lost Island, although Luffy can only guess the direction.

Recent Timeline

• Clashes at the shore and recovering the Going Merry (Episode 53)

  Tashigi challenges Zoro to a duel for lying to her, and Zoro replies that he never lied, he only failed to tell her; the two swords clash. Nami and Usopp reach the Going Merry just as Mohji is about to burn it, and when the Marines attack Mohji they seize the chance to board and sail away. Smoker, aiming to catch Luffy, fights him on the shore; Luffy's attack is knocked back and Smoker appears to win, but a mysterious figure stops Smoker with a strong gust of wind and Luffy escapes.

• Usopp's dive and the departure for the Grand Line (Episode 53)

  Sanji reaches the shore but is surrounded by Marines. Usopp dives into the sea, shoots down the Marines with his slingshot, and swims to Sanji, risking his life in a way unusual for him.

  Luffy launches Sanji, Usopp, and Zoro to the Going Merry with his Gomu Gomu Rocket, and the crew sets sail for the Grand Line. Smoker, Tashigi, Buggy, and Alvida split into groups to chase them there, while the crew, thrilled, makes its vows before departing.

• Escape into the Calm Belt (Episode 54)

  The Going Merry escapes the Marine fleet on a southward gust. The Marines begin to follow but stop when they learn the ship is heading into the Calm Belt. Nami discovers they have entered the Calm Belt, leaving the crew stranded and motionless.

• Escape from the Calm Belt and arrival at Warship Island (Episode 55)

  A Sea King attacks the Going Merry after hearing Usopp shout, and Apis falls off the ship. While Apis pulls out a nostril hair, her sneeze hurls the ship back out of the Calm Belt.

  The Straw Hats reach the island Apis said was named for its resemblance to a warship. Island residents meet them at the shore with weapons, fearing a pirate invasion, until Apis vouches for the crew.

• Apis's return home and the dragon Ryu (Episode 55)

  Apis runs to her grandfather Bokuden, who thanks the crew for saving her and invites them to a celebration in honor of her safe return.

  Luffy and Nami find Apis hiding the dragon Ryu in a cave, and Luffy resolves to help him return to his home.

Character Graph

Usopp

Village youth who invents tall tales and leads a small group of followers; wants to become a pirate.

Village liar who joins the crew as a new permanent member after his backstory is revealed.

• Tall tales

  Invents an alarm, claims to command eighty million followers, and tells extravagant stories to entertain Kaya.

• Reputation as a liar

  His repeated lies make the villagers refuse to believe his pirate warning.

• Retraction and resolve

  He claims the pirate threat was invented, then decides to intercept the pirates at the coast himself.

• Childhood and father's departure

  His father Yasopp left to become a pirate with Shanks, leaving Usopp and his wife behind. His mother later died of illness, and Usopp became the village liar hoping his father would return.

• Luffy (Colleague, Affinity)

  Invited to join the crew as a new permanent member.

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.

• 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.

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.

• Luffy (Other, Hostility)

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

Genzo

Cocoyasi Village · 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 acted as a father figure to Bellemere's daughters, Nami and Nojiko, after Bellemere's death.

• 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.

• Guardian of Nami's freedom

  Accepted Nami's decision to become a pirate, threatened Luffy to keep her smile safe, and resolved that the survivors should live wholeheartedly.

• 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.

• Nami (Guardian, Affinity)

  Adoptive father figure who encouraged her to live as she wished, and who gave her a pinwheel to make her smile as a child.

• Luffy (Guardian, Mixed)

  Warned him that his crew must never take away Nami's smile; Luffy accepted the warning.

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.

Bellemere's daughter who left the island to pursue her dream of charting the world's seas as a pirate.

• Ambition

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

• 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.

• Departure from the island

  Left Cocoyasi with her companions and drew her own charts, after the villagers gained freedom.

• 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.

  Recruited as a crewmate by Luffy, who vowed to destroy Arlong and accepted her into the crew.

• Buggy (Hierarchy, Other, Hostility)

  Infiltrated Buggy's crew by claiming to have quarreled with her boss; privately plans to steal from him.

  Nami was attempting to leave with Buggy's treasure when he spotted her, and she restrained him with rope.

• 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, Affinity)

  Nojiko is her adopted sister.

  Older sister; shares a tattoo-marked past and a close bond as Bellemere's daughters.

• Usopp (Other, Hostility)

  Threatened to eliminate Usopp because his companions could ruin her work, and Usopp accused her of deceiving Luffy.

• 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.

• Genzo (Guardian, Affinity)

  Adoptive father figure who accepted her pirate path and encouraged her to live freely.

Nojiko

Cocoyasi Village · Village

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

Bellemere's daughter who stayed on Cocoyasi Village after the liberation.

• Rescue of Usopp

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

• 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.

• Village life

  Pointed out Luffy as the one who defeated Arlong, and bid her sister farewell at departure.

• Nami (Family, Affinity)

  Nami is her adopted sister.

  Older sister who stayed behind while Nami left to pursue her dream; they share a close bond.

• Bell-mère (Family, Guardian, Affinity)

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

• Genzo (Colleague, Guardian, Affinity)

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

  Guardian figure who raised her alongside Nami after Bellemere's death.

Gaimon (the island's guardian deity)

former pirate · island hermit

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.

A former pirate who was left behind by his companions and has lived on the Island of Rare Animals for twenty years, claiming to be its guardian deity.

• 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

  Content to stay with the animals and refuses Buggy's invitation to join his crew.

• Luffy (Friend, Affinity)

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

• Buggy (Friend, Affinity)

  Met Buggy on the island, shared liquor and a friendly parting, and helped him build a raft; Gaimon believed Buggy and the young pirate could become friends.

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.

Leads his group in hunting Luffy in town and announces that the time for revenge has come.

• Power

  Can separate his body parts and is immune to being cut apart, due to the Bara Bara Fruit.

• Nami (Hierarchy, Hostility)

  Accepted Nami into his crew as a supposed defector; ordered her to fire a Buggy Ball at Luffy as proof of loyalty.

• Luffy (Other, Hostility)

  Fights Luffy and pierces his straw hat with knives, enraging him.

  Seeks revenge against Luffy, claims a fortune-telling confirmed Luffy is in town, and unknowingly gives Luffy directions.

Apis

Warship Island

A little girl held aboard a Marine ship who escaped her room and was later pulled from the sea onto the Going Merry by Luffy; she introduces herself as Apis and says her home is on Warship Island.

A girl who was taken by the marines and rescued by the Straw Hats; she can read the minds of animals and wears a pendant shaped like a millennial dragon claw.

• Escape from Marine ship

  Incapacitates one of her Marine guards, breaks out of her room, and climbs the mast before jumping into a lifeboat.

• Refusal to explain

  When asked why the Marines were holding her, she refuses to answer, and Sanji backs her, saying it is her business.

• Bokuden (Family, Affinity)

  Her grandfather, who lives on Warship Island and welcomes her return.

• Ryu (Guardian, Affinity)

  A dragon she found helpless in a cave; she is determined to help him return to his nest on Lost Island.

Bokuden (Grandpa)

An old man living on Warship Island, grandfather of Apis, who knows the island's legend of the dragons.

• Apis (Family, Affinity)

  His granddaughter, whom he welcomes back after she was taken by the marines.

Eric

Mercenary

A mercenary working under Nelson Royal who confirmed Apis was lost at sea, then was ordered to recapture her on Warship Island and believes she knows the dragonite's whereabouts.

• Nelson Royal (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  His employer, who ordered him to capture Apis again.

Nelson Royal

Marine

A Marine officer who was told Apis was lost at sea, then learned she was back on Warship Island and ordered her recaptured.

• Eric (Hierarchy, Neutral)

  A mercenary he has hired and commands, ordered to capture Apis again.

Ryu (Grandpa Ryu)

dragon

An old dragon hiding in a cave on Warship Island, who lost his way to Lost Island and is weakened with age.

• Apis (Guardian, Affinity)

  A dragon she met in the mountains and helps find his way home; she calls him Grandpa Ryu.

World Memo

• Warship Island named for its shape

  Warship Island is named so because from a distance it resembles a huge warship, though it is an island and not a ship.

• Warship Island descends from Lost Island

  According to local legend, the people of Warship Island are descendants of Lost Island, which sank into the sea a thousand years ago and was home to the millennial dragons.

• Dragonite as dragon bones

  The bones of the millennial dragons are called dragonite, also known as the Elixir of Immortality.

Battle Record

The Going Merry is caught by Sea Kings in the Calm Belt after Usopp's shout alerts one. The ship is launched clear by a Sea King's sneeze, and the encounter ends with the crew back outside the Calm Belt.

Usopp's rescue of Sanji at the shore

Sea dive and slingshot rescue · Episode 53

Location: Shore

Trigger: Sanji is surrounded by the Marines

Sides

• Straw Hat crew — rescuer: Usopp / rescued: Sanji
• Marines — surrounding force: Marines

Outcome: Marines shot down and Sanji reached by Usopp

Marine fleet pursuit of the Going Merry

Escape into the Calm Belt · Episode 54

Location: Sea south of the Grand Line entrance, heading toward the Calm Belt

Trigger: Marines suspect the missing girl is aboard the Going Merry

Marines vs Straw Hat Pirates

• Marines — attackers: Marine fleet
• Straw Hat Pirates — defenders: Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Zoro, Sanji, Apis

Outcome: Straw Hats escape on a gust of wind; Marines stop at the edge of the Calm Belt

Aftermath

• Going Merry is stuck in the Calm Belt, unable to move

Sea King ambush in the Calm Belt

Going Merry surrounded in the Calm Belt · Episode 55

Location: Calm Belt

Trigger: Usopp's shout alerts a Sea King, which attacks the ship

Straw Hats vs Sea Kings

• Straw Hat Pirates — combatants: Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Nami, Apis
• Sea Kings — attackers: Sea King

Outcome: Straw Hats escape; the Going Merry is launched out of the Calm Belt by the Sea King's sneeze

Aftermath

• Apis is rescued by Luffy after falling off the ship
• Apis pulls out the Sea King's nostril hair, provoking the sneeze

Ability Table

Music Releases

• Believe (OP)
• RUN! RUN! RUN! (ED)