The pirates are coming! The pirates are coming! The Straw Hat Pirates, that is! One Piece gains another main character in the Syrup Village arc, with the great Captain Usopp joining Luffy to save his village. That’s not the only new crew member this arc gives us though, with the Merry Go setting sail for the first time.
For a refresher, the previous Orange Town arc covered Luffy, Nami, and Zolo’s struggle to escape Buggy the Clown. Buggy is defeated, but not for good as Nami temporarily joins the crew as Navigator.
Usopp the Liar
When a small man with a long nose runs through the village screaming about pirates, all the townspeople know he’s lying. He’s not a puppet wishing to be a real boy though, but Usopp who wants to be a brave warrior of the sea! It’s cool to start the arc out by connecting Usopp and Luffy’s interwoven histories. Usopp’s dad, Yasopp, sails with Shanks’ Red Hair Pirates as their sniper. Usopp will of course fill that same role for the Straw Hats, but it’s fun to see Luffy tell him all about his father.
Usopp’s lies earn the distaste of the village, except for his little crew of “pirates”. Usopp doesn’t mind though, and regularly sneaks into the mansion nearby to speak with Kaya. She’s an. orphan, attended by her butler Kuro, but loves hearing Usopp’s tall tales. Kaya is sick though, with an unknown ailment and seemingly getting worse.
There’s a fantastic parallel here about the village not believing Usopp when he’s finally right about something. While they’re dismissive since Usopp is a known liar, they’ve unknowingly been lied to by Kuro this entire time!
Kuro and Black Cat Pirates
Kuro has been hiding just under the villagers’ radar for quite some time, posing as Kaya’s butler. Naturally, when Kaya’s parents pass mysteriously, he assumes control of her health and care. Except his pirate crew were the killers and he’s been slowly poisoning Kaya. Kind of the opposite of what a good butler is supposed to do. Kuro ends up foiled in his plans by Luffy and the company’s arrival, thankfully.
A prolonged battle reveals who “Klahador” is during a fight with Luffy. Their battle is fierce, with the Black Cat Captain pulling out long sword claws for battle. Though he fights fiercely, helped along by Django the Hypnotist, it’s not enough to save him when Luffy finally uses his head. Literally, Luffy wraps around him and lands a headbutt that should’ve knocked Kuro to the West Blue.
Going Merry in Syrup Village
Merry Go may be a ship, but she’s a member of the Straw Hat crew as much as Usopp or Zolo at the end of Syrup Village. Kaya’s second butler, Merry, assumes control of the estate. After Kuro’s defeat, Merry offers a ship to the Straw Hats as thanks. He’s not the greatest shipwright, but the Merry Go is as faithful a vessel as the Thousand Sunny would be, just not up to the same standards. Nevertheless, the Merry Go’s strange little Ram at the ship’s bow summed up the Straw Hats perfectly as it sailed onward.
Calling Usopp’s Bluff
One of the best moments in the episode to set up Usopp is Luffy and Zolo’s first arrival at Syrup Island. Their little ship lands on the beach, immediately surrounded by Usopp’s pirate crew of kids. Usopp takes aim and threatens to kill the pirates before Luffy and Zolo pull one of many recurring jokes. Luffy recites Shanks’ words about using a pistol, and he and Zolo threaten to call his bluff with a fight.
There’s a tense standoff while Usopp weighs his options, and it’s one of the best scenes to establish his character. He’ll lie his ass off until it comes down to his own safety, then he chickens out and admits defeat. Luffy and Zolo’s burst of laughter, followed by Luffy telling Usopp about Yasopp’s stories, is master storytelling.
Now, the Straw Hats have added another dream to their voyage. Usopp swears to become a brave warrior of the sea like his father!
Important Events
- Usopp joins the Straw Hats!
- The Straw Hats have their first ship, the Merry Go!
- Django defects from the Black Cat Pirates and eventually joins the Navy.
- Yasopp, Usopp’s dad, is part of Shanks’ crew.
- Usopp begins his record of lies, which almost always end up coming true.
So, with the mighty Captain Usopp now serving as the Straw Hat Pirates’ engineer. He’s incredibly inventive and will design weapons or even just mechanisms to make things easier for the crew. He also ends up playing carpenter to the Merry Go, building a steady path forward to an important showdown later in the Grand Line. For now, the Straw Hats will set sail on their new ship, onward to the next island!
The Syrup Village arc of One Piece streams on Crunchyroll and Netflix, found in episodes 9-18 of the anime. Stay tuned for the fighting cooks and a first peek of the Grand Line’s danger in the Baratie arc!
