The Mysterious Skeleton Floating Through the Fog! Venture Into the Devil's Sea

From the Sunny's lookout, Zoro notices something drifting and signals the crew. The find turns out to be a barrel bearing the kanji for treasure, and Nami reads its full message as an offering meant for the sea god, a custom sailors observe to beg safe travels. Disappointed but thirsty, they pry it open hoping for liquor, only for a vivid red flare to launch skyward and detonate above them.

Reading the air, Nami warns that a fierce storm will hit within minutes, and Franky fires up the Soldier Dock System's Channel Zero to wrench the ship clear of danger. They break into an eerie gloom, the spirit-haunted waters Kokoro had described, where a mournful tune carries on the fog and a black ship in shredded sails creeps toward them. On its deck rides a tea-sipping skeleton in a suit and afro. Drawing straws decides that Luffy, Nami, and Sanji will board the wreck, where the bony figure greets them courteously, admires Nami, and earns a punch for requesting a look under her skirt. Waving aside every other question, Luffy invites the skeleton aboard his crew, and the answer is yes.

The Thriller Bark Arc begins with this episode, drawn from part of Chapter 442. Brook makes his debut, still unnamed, together with the Florian Triangle setting and both the Horo Horo no Mi and the Yomi Yomi no Mi. The bounty hunters of the prior arc get a mention, and a single Hollow ghost of Perona's is spotted behind Chopper. Zoro and Sanji share the eyecatcher.