Yamato's Past - The Man Who Came for an Emperor of the Sea

Trying to slip away, Sanji finds himself snared in Black Maria's silk, and she shows that her Devil Fruit lets her become an ancient spider species. Luffy keeps trading blows with the Beasts Pirates, while the hidden foe who cornered Jinbe steps forward as Who's-Who, now wearing the shape of a saber-toothed tiger. He drops a hint that, much like Jinbe before him, he once served under the World Government. Inside the storehouse, Yamato dresses Shinobu's injuries and opens up further about the time spent alongside Ace.

The flashback shows Ace, leading his own crew, landing on Onigashima to free children who had been taken there. He clashed with the island's young guardian, Yamato, during a stretch when Kaidou and his senior officers were away. As his crewmates ferried the rescued kids back to the mainland, Ace fought on and spoke of his own burden. Roger's reputation had turned the world against the boy, leaving young Ace doubting whether his very existence carried any worth. Yamato answered with a confession of his own, explaining that Kaidou had locked an exploding collar on him to stop him chasing the free life Oden had lived. Ace urged him to defy those restraints, and a furious Yamato smashed Kaidou's dragon statue.

The two grew close, and during a sunset Ace described the wider world along with a younger brother destined to make his name as a pirate. Yamato closes the tale by noting that Ace fell two years earlier, yet his resolve lives on through Luffy, the brother he had been waiting for to bring Kaidou down. Elsewhere, Tama lets slip to Nami that she had known Ace as well. The adaptation adds the Spade Pirates reaching the island, their rescue of the captives, and a short Yamato and Kaidou flashback, while lengthening the duel and talk between Yamato and Ace. This installment was the final one broadcast in Japan before a temporary production halt caused by a hacking of Toei's systems, with the run resuming roughly a month later.