Summary:
Nami notices that her Log Pose has not responded to the presence of the island. Brook explains that this is because Thriller Bark is an island that he abducted from West Blue. Walking in and picking up his staff, Brook tells the Straw Hat crew that this is a lucky day because he met them both and now sees one of his dearest wishes finally come true. He opens the door on the other side of the galley and leaps into the air at the bow. Sanji notes how light it is. Brook then says goodbye to the crew. He urges them to get out of the gate quickly and away from this island, and thanks them for the food. He suggests that their fates will one day cross paths again. He then jumps completely off the boat and, to the amazement of the crew, runs away from them across the water.
Nami then suggests that they follow his advice and sail away as fast as possible, but the look on Luffy’s face makes the others realize that he wants to go to the island. Chopper is worried about the ghost they saw earlier, but Zoro saw it flying towards the island. Robin then shows the rest of the crew what probably happened earlier when the ship shook. A gate “like a mouth” probably enclosed them in a fence wall that runs around the whole island. They are trapped. Franky also points out that they’re in the middle of the sea, which means they can’t drop anchor. Nami and Chopper sob that they have the “I won’t make it to this island” disease, but Luffy is ready and eager to go. It has a net and a box to catch the ghost and keep it as a pet! Usopp is horrified and tries to dissuade him. Robin also suggests that he wants to go and it is decided that Luffy, Robin and Franky will go explore the island. Franky suggests that they need to use Soldier Dock System Channel 2 to get to the island. He explains the Soldier Dock System and reveals his “gift” to the crew: Channel 2 is a steam Mini Merry II that seats four. As they remain on the Thousand Sunny, Nami, Chopper, and Usopp are encouraged to test the Mini-Merry first while the others watch from the ship. Everyone is excited and excited and Luffy is eager to try as well. While the people are still talking on the ship, Nami can be heard screaming in the distance. Sanji runs to the side of the boat, but no one can see anything in the fog.
Suddenly the anchor drops without anyone visibly dropping it. Franky notes that the gears sound a lot more worn than they should be on a brand new boat. The trapdoor on the lawn suddenly opens and everyone is confused. No one else should be on the boat. Luffy’s face begins to stretch and as Sanji yells at him to stop fooling around, Luffy protests that he’s not doing anything. One of Zoro’s katanas is unsheathed and thrown into the air at Luffy who is on the floor after his face was pulled back. Franky jumps in and kicks Luffy out of the way before he gets hurt. Franky yells at Zoro, who protests that it wasn’t him. Everyone realizes that there must be someone else on the boat with them.
Franky speculates that the culprit is either a ghost or a Devil’s Fruit user. Luffy confirms that he felt someone grab him, and Robin says that she heard a wild animal growl. Fearing for Nami, Sanji decides to jump off the ship to search for the missing crew members. However, as he jumps, something grabs his leg and starts tossing him around and back onto the ship. Franky is shocked that the “ghost” won’t let them leave the ship. Robin starts to scream and is seen pushing back against something pressing down on her and we see signs of something licking her. Sanji is furious and runs to protect her, but is tripped by an invisible obstacle. The growling of the beast can actually be heard.
The sea begins to be plagued by large waves, which Franky speculates must be man-made because they are inside the fence. Everyone is confused as to what to do and Sanji worries that they will be separated from Nami and the others. Franky suggests they use his “Flying Surprise Pool” to get over the waves.
Back on Nami Island, Chopper and Usopp fell into a very deep moat located between the real island and the sea. She explains that she and Mini-Merry were having too much fun and probably ran into an embankment that she couldn’t see due to the fog and was thrown into a ditch. Chopper and Usopp are upset and scared that they are on ghost island. The bottom of the trench is littered with skulls and bones, which doesn’t help calm their nerves. Nami hopes that her cuteness will help them forgive her for putting them in this predicament. Usopp hopes that Luffy will find them there, but they debate whether it would be wiser to wait on shore instead.
Suddenly, a three-headed dog appears in the darkness. When the three stranded Straw Hat Pirates are shocked, Chopper realizes it must be Cerberus, the Watchdog of Hell! Nami, Usopp, and Chopper start to run, with Cerberus in tow chasing them. Chopper notices that one of the three heads is that of a fox, not a dog’s, which seems to anger Cerberus even more. Everyone is confused about where they are and what is going on. As they run, they find a large staircase that appears to lead to the island itself.
At the top, they find themselves in the forest. Usopp uses the Kemuri Boshi to create the smoke and once it clears, Cerberus is nowhere to be found. The beast begins to move further into the forest while Nami, Usopp and Chopper are actually hiding in a tree. Usopp notes that the beast doesn’t seem to have a developed sense of smell like a normal dog. The three straw pirates are wondering what to do now. With Cerberus running around, they can’t walk in the open.
A voice behind them confirms that they are in danger. It’s a vampire man hanging upside down from a tree branch. He introduces himself as Hildon. He says he saw them being chased by Cerberus and secretly followed them to protect them in case of trouble. He says that as night approaches, the forest will indeed become dangerous for them, and perhaps they should ride him in his carriage back to Dr. Hogback’s mansion.
Chopper reacts with shock when he hears Dr. Hogback’s name.