A Battle Begins - Luffy vs. the Mink Tribe!

Wandering through deserted Kurau City, Luffy searches for Sanji's group and enters the Whale Forest, marveling at the towering whale-shaped tree. Unseen, the mink Pedro tracks him. Elsewhere, Wanda stops Carrot from attacking the Straw Hats and warns of an intruder in the forest. Usopp grows paranoid about the minks wearing Nami's clothes, and Robin needles him with talk of cannibalism. Carrot stuns the crew by leaping enormous distances to scout the disturbance, then directs the pirates toward the Rightflank Forest where she claims they will find a crewmate's corpse.

In the forest Luffy collides with the bull mink Roddy, whose Electro charges have no effect once Luffy reveals he is made of rubber, baffling the gorilla mink Blackback. The fight is joined by Bepo, Jean Bart, Shachi, and Penguin of the Heart Pirates, who vouch for Luffy, but Roddy keeps charging until Wanda and Carrot arrive and pacify the Guardians with a fluttering distraction and bananas. Wanda explains the Guardians exist to bar outsiders from the Whale Forest, and signals Pedro to recall the many warriors who had quietly encircled Luffy. Luffy then properly meets the Heart Pirates, who are delighted to learn their captain is on the island.

Touring Kurau City, the Straw Hats find claw-gouged buildings, giant footprints, and bloodied torture devices, all from one or two weeks prior, implicating Sanji's group. Wanda reveals the devastation was the work of Jack, and as the ground trembles for the coming Eruption Rain, she offers to carry Luffy on Wany to his crewmates. The anime extends Luffy's clash with Roddy and the crew's exploration, and debuts Pedro, Blackback, and Roddy.