Dream Soccer King

Lasting roughly five and a half minutes, the featurette shipped as a companion to the third Chopper-centered movie in the Toei anime lineup, the strange-animals island adventure. Its production tied into Japan's co-hosting of the 2002 World Cup. The standout draw is a guest turn by series author Eiichiro Oda, who lends his voice to an original figure called Odacchi.

A stadium brims with soccer-obsessed pirates, Marines, and ordinary spectators for the Grand Line Cup playoffs, and the final pits Luffy's Pirates against Buggy's Villain All-Stars. When the score refuses to break, officials announce a penalty shootout, with Koby minding the net and Helmeppo officiating, each team sending forward five kickers. Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp all find the goal, but Chopper wastes his turn when his Heavy Point muscles rupture the ball. Buggy fumbles a misguided curve attempt, yet Jango, Hatchan, and Mr. 2 all convert to level things at three each.

For their final kicker the villains produce a mystery reserve, Odacchi, who is revealed to be the event's announcer. He brags about his years of experience, then sends up a limp shot that Koby swats away with ease before his own teammates round on him. That leaves the outcome to Sanji, whose strike blasts the ball far above the crossbar and into the heavens. Buggy crows that it is forfeit, only for the ball, driven with enough power to loop the whole planet, to sail back into the stadium and cross the line. As the crowd goes wild, Luffy jolts awake on the Going Merry, the entire game having played out in a nap, and immediately boots what he takes for a soccer ball but is actually Usopp's rear.

In terms of continuity, the short fits a narrow slice of the Arabasta Arc, landing after the crew has met Mr. 2 but before their arrival at Arabasta proper, given that Vivi is still aboard the Merry and cheers from the sidelines here. A Doskoi Panda logo marks every ball in the piece, and among the flags the crowd waves are Jolly Rogers tied to the Alvida, Arlong, and Hiriluk crews. Nami's cheerleading getup would return years later as a bonus costume in the 2005 title Grand Battle! Rush! and its American successor.