A Coward Crybaby! Shirahoshi, the Mermaid Princess

Luffy and his companions arrive at Ryugu Palace just as a freed Caribou seizes a group of mermaids. Word of the abduction reaches the palace, and combined with Shyarly's troubling prophecy it prompts Neptune's soldiers to move against the Straw Hats. Luffy, meanwhile, drifts off on his own and stumbles upon the giant Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi, striking up a quick friendship with her. Far away, Vander Decken IX joins forces with Hody Jones, cementing an alliance aimed at toppling the Ryugu Kingdom.

The episode threads together the kidnapping by Caribou, the palace's growing alarm over Shyarly's vision, and the order to detain Luffy's group. Against that backdrop Luffy's wandering leads to his first meeting with Shirahoshi, the gentle, fearful princess at the heart of the saga. The closing alliance between Decken and Hody establishes the threat that will menace the undersea kingdom going forward.

This entry belongs to the Special Edited Version retelling of the Fish-Man Island Saga rather than the original broadcast run. It draws together material adapted from Episodes 531 and 532. The release pairs the We Go! Straw Hat Pirates opening with the Sailing ending. The condensed format compresses the earlier episodes into a streamlined recap.