The main character of the series, Monkey D. Luffy, is introduced as a child with his role model Shanks. After Shanks gets into a conflict with a mountain bandit at a bar, it is revealed that Luffy accidentally ate the Devil Fruit, Gomu Gomu no Mi. Later, after Luffy provokes Higuma, he is taken hostage. Shanks and his crew show up and defeat Higuma’s bandits, but Higuma escapes and takes Luffy to the ship. After Higuma kicks Luffy into the water, the Sea King appears and eats Higuma, and Shanks arrives just in time to save Luffy’s life. Shanks intimidates the Sea King with Haki, but loses his arm in the process. Because Shanks sacrificed his left arm to save him, Luffy became even more determined to become a pirate. Before Shanks leaves, he gives Luffy his straw hat. Ten years later, Luffy officially sets sail as a pirate and embarks on an adventure to fulfill his dream of becoming the Pirate King.
A man is handcuffed and in front of him are two other men with swords who cross into an “X”. Once upon a time there was a man who took everything in the world: wealth, fame and power, known as the pirate king Gold Roger. The pirate’s last words drove people all over the world to the sea. Roger announces that if anyone wants his treasure, they can have it, saying that he left everything “there”. Roger is executed and the entire crowd, including the man with the pirate symbol on his hand, cheers. The world has entered a golden age of piracy.
A pirate ship landed in the small port village almost a year ago. The east wind is blowing. It is a small quiet village. A boy is standing on the puppet ship. The man asks Luffy what he is doing. The child’s full name is revealed to be Monkey D. Luffy. He has a knife in his left hand and is wearing a shirt that says “ANCHOR”. He announces that he’s not kidding this time because he’s had enough and decides to prove it to everyone. The man is wearing a straw hat and tells Luffy to go get him to see what he will do. Another man claims that the child will do something funny again. The child stabs himself with a knife right under the eye and screams in pain. All the pirates are therefore surprised. The first man shouts and asks Luffy what he is doing.
In the village, the pirates and the boy gathered at Partys bar. The pirate suggests drinking and celebrating Luffy’s madness and their greatness. Inside the bar, all the men are drinking and eating. A fat man drinks straight from a barrel of beer. A dancing monkey can be seen in the background. One of the pirates laughs and tells everyone to drink. Another man asks to bring him another sake. Two other men are fighting over a piece of meat. The former calls the latter a moron and claims that it is his meat. The second tells the first to shut up and claim it as his. The third man tells them both to stop because it’s shameful to fight when they’re drunk.
Luffy is now patched up but almost cries and claims it doesn’t hurt. The man in the straw hat calls the boy a liar and tells him not to do something so stupid again. The child boasts that he is not afraid of pain and asks the man to bring him to the sea next time, because he also wants to be a pirate. The man claims that Luffy is not ready to be a pirate and explains that not being able to swim is a pirate’s greatest weakness. The man is revealed to be a pirate leader called “Red-Haired Shanks”. The boy brags that he’ll be fine as long as he stays on the board and that he fights well, saying that he’s been training and that his punch is as strong as a pistol shot. Shanks doubts Luffy’s claim in a bored tone. The child is angry with the man because of his tone.
Many pirates line up and dance with the fat man from earlier in the middle. The man to his left is wearing a scarf that says “Yasopp”. One of the men notices that Luffy is unhappy. Another tells him to be glad he could face anything. Another confirms that the life of a pirate is great. Another tells him that the sea is very wide, so he can go to any island and have an adventure. Another says that nothing is greater than freedom. Luffy is fascinated by the pirates’ words. Shanks asks that the men not give the boy stupid ideas. The fat man claims it’s true. Another man confirms. Another pirate suggests to the captain that they take the child once since it’s not a big deal. Another man and Luffy agree. Shanks orders one of his subordinates to step off the ship next time, leaving the boy to replace him. Hearing this, the men turned away, while one of them remarked that they had said enough and that they should drink. Luffy gets angry and asks the group what friends are like.
Shanks says that the most important thing is that the child is still too young and that he will change his mind in ten years. The child brags that he is a man. The red haired man calms him down and gives him a glass of juice. The boy happily accepts and drinks. Shanks starts laughing and crying to prove that Luffy is still a child. Luffy gets angry at the trick.
Luffy gets depressed that Shanks won’t let him join the crew even though the boy cut himself today. A bartender can be seen in the background. Smoking Man tries to explain to Luffy that he should try to understand the captain’s feelings since he is their leader. The man continues and says that the captain knows that the life of a pirate is interesting but also very dangerous. A wanted poster of Mikio Itoo can be seen on the wall in the background. The man claims that his captain is not deliberately teasing the boy’s ambition to become a pirate. Luffy thinks that Shanks doesn’t mean him, which Shanks proves by mocking him again.
The bartender notes that the red haired man is very happy. Shanks replies that making fun of the boy is his pleasure. Luffy again hints to the smoker that the captain is not taking him seriously. The bartender’s name is revealed to be Makino. He holds a barrel of beer and asks the boy if he wants to eat. Luffy claims he will pay with his treasure. Shanks doubts the existence of Luffy’s treasure and calls him a liar. The boy denies becoming a pirate and pays her with the treasure he finds. Makino replies that she will wait and the child starts laughing. Luffy waits with fork and knife in hand.
Finally, Makino brings Luffy and Shanks their food. As the boy tries to bite into a large piece of meat, he wonders how long the crew will be there. The red-haired man notes that it’s been almost a year since they made the city their base, so he thinks he’ll make a few more trips before leaving and heading north. Luffy manages to bite into his piece of meat. Luffy thinks for a moment and Makino looks at him, almost feeling sorry for the kid. As a bartender, he is w