After skipping the opening, they were greeted with a rather peaceful looking day at sea, though intense music played as Usopp pretended that they were being attacked, but was disappointed in the others just lazying around.
"I mean, everyone needs their slow days too," Hizashi shrugged. "Even pirates and heroes."
Usopp was immediately surprised by Luffy, who finished his pirate flag, but his jolly roger looked rather... messy, to put it lightly. He asked the others about the mark.
The only thing he got right was that it did send fear... fear of his talent though.
Jiro let out a snort. "That's just... awful looking. It looks like something a five year old would make."
Usopp decided to leave this project to him, saying he has 50 years of drawing graffiti on walls. Of course, the others made fun of him for his 'age.'
"Really? 50 years? You couldn't have thought of a more realistic number?" Katsuki rolled his eyes.
Later, Usopp made a really nice looking jolly roger. The problem was that it's obviously his own marking. After a little beating, Usopp made the official jolly roger: a cartoonish skull wearing a straw hat like Luffy's. The mark was painted on the sail as Luffy felt like the Going Merry is finally complete.
Finally, the title card came up: "You're the Weird Creature! Gaimon and His Strange Friends."
Izuku blinked in surprise. "I think it's that chapter."
"What do you mean?" Ochako asked.
"Did you read ahead again, Deku?!" Katsuki furiously shouted.
"N-No! After Luffy, Zoro, and Nami left that town, there was a chapter with a similar name to this."
"So, you're saying that they rearranged some things again?" Iida nodded.
"Yeah, I guess so."
It seemed to be a peaceful day, but they suddenly saw dark clouds in the distance. It seemed dangerous, but Nami already have a map on hand and recognized the island under those clouds as the legendary Treasure Island, a famous island among pirates that have weird storied that usually involves god's wrath.
"Are you sure this isn't a filler episode?" Katsuki quickly asked Aizawa. "It feels like one."
"The sticky note didn't have episode 18 as filler," Aizawa dryly said. "And since Midoriya saw it as a chapter from the manga, it's canon."
Mina stuffed a pillow on Katsuki's face before he could scream out his lungs.
As they entered the storm, Usopp was terrified by this and the stories while Luffy was absolutely excited.
The Going Merry landed by this island as lightning and thunder rang throughout the sky. The four adventured into the island's forest as Usopp was already creeped out by the place.
Nami explained that there's suppose to be an extraordinary treasure on this island, and many pirates had fled in terror before they could even look for it, like one pirate's face have changed into a boar's or another have his mustache strange him.
"It is a Devil Fruit user?" Izuku muttered to himself.
"But what would it be? Some kind of... Ani-Ani No Mi?" Ochako guessed.
"That sounds like something more for an anime based power, not animals." Denki pointed out, somewhat teasing.
"Fine, then Fur-Fur No Mi!"
"Now that's more like a fruit for furries." Mineta joked with a somewhat sleazy smile.
Usopp asked if those stories are true and Nami could guess that they were somewhat exaggerated. Then sets of red, glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, but Zoro decided to take a nap on the ground in an instant.
While Nami and Usopp can't believe Zoro can sleep in a creepy place like this, Luffy found a... bunny snake?
"The fuck?!" Katsuki shouted, looking rather freaked out like his friends.
"Is it some kind of fusion Devil Fruit?" Izuku questioned as Koda stared at the creature curiously.
Nami and Usopp were looking around until something wet caused Usopp to shriek. He tried to pass it off as a dance until a roaster wolf licked his hand.
The two freaked out at the appearance of more strange animal combinations. They realized they were surrounded by the glowing eyes.
An echoing voice told them to leave, proclaiming that he's the island's god, and since they're pirates (which he have to ask), he've warned them of his divine punishment. More strange animals came out of the shadows.
"Yeah... this guy is no god. A god wouldn't want these abominations to exist." Katsuki said.
"Hey, the pig lion is cute!" Toru argued, which Koda nodded in agreement.
"Oh god, now all I can think of is how they're made." A look of pure horror appeared on Mineta's face, as if his own imagination just traumatized him.
"Well, good. Ribbit." Tsuyu said, not bothering to even tongue-whip him.
The 'god' claimed these animals were once humans he've transformed when they came to look for treasure. Usopp was already on one knee, but Luffy picked up the pig lion curiously until it bit his face, stretching him out. This caused the 'god' to be shock at what he is, a rubber man from a Devil Fruit.
The voice called him absurd, saying Devil Fruits are just a rumor when he was a pirate. Nami pointed the pirate part out, but the voice badly lied that he wasn't reminiscing.
"Too late, you were figured out." Jiro smirked.
At all the accusing, the 'god' released his divine punishment. Wooden spikes were sent their way as they tried to dodge them, though the spikes missed Zoro completely. Rocks from above fell and hit Luffy on the head, who was completely fine.
The 'god' was shock at how he's fine while the bush behind Luffy moved around. Luffy noticed him, and when the 'bush' tried to shot at him, the bullet bounced off of Luffy.
The 'bush' tried to run away, leaving his pistol behind as Luffy chases after him until he reached a cliff. At the sound of a broken branch, tree were able to find the 'bush' in a treasure chest, and he ran away once again until the guy bumped into a tree, fallen onto his back like a turtle.
The clouds floated away, revealing the sun. The sun revealed the man in that 'bush,' asking for help.
"...What the?" Katsuki stared at the man, dumbfounded.
"This has to be the weirdest character design so far." Denki said. "He's a literal bush man in a treasure chest."
"Congratulations, you're not longer the guy with the bush hair." Sero joked, pointing fingers at Izuku, which caused a shock expression to spread across his face.
When the man was able to stand up, he tried to run away, but Luffy was able to get him with his rubbery arm, though it did caused him and the bush man to be sudden launched off a cliff. Before the two could land in the water, Luffy grabbed onto a branch and they were blasted off to the sky.
After the eyecatches, Nami was patching up the bush man as the animals licked his face. Usopp ask if he use the animals to scare others off while Luffy asked if he's a sheltered son.
The man said he was overly pampered since he was a little boy... until he shouted that he's obviously not one. He can't get out of the box! In fact, he's been alone on this island and in this box for 20 years.
"Why is he living in a box anyway?" Ochako asked. "Like he can't get out of it?"
"I mean, he doesn't look like he has arms, just hands." Todoroki said.
Usopp caustically took out a pink thermal bottle to have a drink and asked that how he've been alone for 20 years. The man claimed that it's been 20 years since he had a conservation, asking them to understand how painful it it. Luffy thought it was ridiculous, which he took offense to.
Zoro finally woke up and took Usopp's drink, sitting down on a rock. Then he finally noticed the weird bush man, causing him to jump out of his seat. Luffy said the man is stuffed in a treasure chest, which Zoro asked if he's a sheltered son. Once again, the man was going through the same beats as before... then said to not do the same gag twice.
Jiro let out a little snort of a laugh as Denki said, "Oh! Fourth wall break!"
Luffy tried to pull the guy out of the treasure chest with Zoro helping him, but the man told them to stop. In all honesty, they couldn't budge him as the man claimed that due to his lack of exercise over the years, the treasure chest fits together with his body now, meaning if they break it, his body will get destroyed too.
"So, he's just a blob in that box." Sero wondered.
"Stop it! STOP IT! I don't want to think about it!" Mineta shouted with hands over his ears.
The man asked who they are since they're not like any pirates he've seen. Luffy causally says his name, claiming he's going to be King of the Pirates and get One Piece. The man was shock that they're going to the Grand Line, telling them not to take it lightly. He claimed that the pirates who'd managed to escape from the Grand Line looked like they've died.
"Now I'm interested." Tokoyami said, lending forward.
The One Piece have caused so many rumors upon rumors, and the 20-something years since the Great Pirate Era has started made the One Piece seem like a dream within a dream beyond a legend.
"So not even the marines have found it." Aizawa said.
"If they did, I'm pretty sure this 'Pirate Era' would had been over." Hizashi chimed in.
Luffy showed him the Grand Line chart, but they realized they don't know how to read it, giving them a laugh. Nami told them that if they do enter the Grand Line, it's best to earn as much money as they could, then escape. Luffy simply claimed he'll find One Piece because of his good luck, making Nami wonder how he got so much confidence.
The man stared at him, claiming that he's the same, like him, even claiming they look alike. Of course, Nami questioned that, but the man continued on the idea of achieving his dreams someday and how they're willing to put their lives on the line to search for treasure. That's what caused him to change his entire life.
He told them the story of 20 years ago when he and his fellow pirated landed on this island, which is to find treasure. After a month of searching, they found nothing but an empty treasure chest. Just as they were leaving, the man, named Gaimon, was curious about a hill, wondering if anyone looked theme. So he decided to climb up there and found a bunch of treasure chests. He was about to call out to his crew mates, but he slipped and fell into the chest from before. Gaimon found out that his crew left him behind, and for all this time, the treasure never left his mind, so he did everything he could to scare off pirates.
Izuku shivered. "So did his bones broke to fit in-"
"I said stop it! No body horror!" Mineta shouted.
"So, wait, does that mean those animals are just normal inhabitants of the island?" Iida asked.
"Stop it!"
"But I was just-"
"Stop!"
"Oh god," Katsuki sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Gaimon said the treasure is his, which Luffy didn't argue. In fact, they're going to help him get that treasure for him, though Luffy did ask Nami that isn't she a thief who steals from pirates. Nami thought of that as rude, saying she knows when it's appropriate or not.
"Oh, really?" Ochako raised an eyebrow, not too sure if she could trust her on that.
They reached the hill, riding on the cow turtle. Luffy used his "GOMU GOMU NO... ROCKET!" to reach the top, Gaimon asked if the treasure is still there. It took a while, but Luffy have found six treasure chests. Gaimon was so happy at the discovery, but Luffy refused to toss them down, much to Gaimon's shock.
"What!?" Ochako shouted as some other of the other students were just as shock.
"What's going on? Luffy's never been greedy about treasure before." Momo said.
"I... have a guess." Aizawa didn't elaborate any further on that.
Usopp and Nami told him to bring that treasure down for Gaimon, but soon the bush man realizes why Luffy's doing this, even claiming he's a great guy. He had an inkling, but... those treasure chests were empty and Luffy confirmed it.
"He wasted 20 years of his life guarding nothing." Todoroki bluntly said.
"No!" Toru shouted at this tragedy.
Gaimon claimed that this happens all the time with treasure that have maps as he cried. Though Gaimon grieved over this, Luffy let out a laugh, telling him not to get so upset since at least they came along. 30 years later and he might be dead.
Surprisingly enough, Luffy asked Gaimon to be part of his crew, which the bush man cried at such a kind offer, thanking him.
"Fuck no! We already have Long Nose. We don't need Bush Man over here. What would he even do on the boat?" Katsuki argued.
As the sun sets, Gaimon plans on staying on the island, protecting his real treasure: the odd animals. Though he didn't get his treasure, he felt free.
Even though Luffy called Gaimon the weirdest creature on the island, they still were able to laugh.
As Luffy and his friend on their ship, they waved goodbye as Gaimon was certain that Luffy will get the One Piece and buy the world.
"To Be Continued."
"Finally." Katsuki groaned.
"Hey, we need something a little more lighthearted." Ochako pouted.
"It could had been a little more interesting. It's about pirates for god's sake."
"But like the beginning of the episode, everyone have their calm days." Hizashi said, though Katsuki let out an annoyed sigh.
AN: Okay, sorry this took a while to get this out, especially for a one episode chapter, but I thought about it, and decided... I'm going to have them watch the most of fillers and movies. Here's the thing, they won't be watching them in order and they'll be watching them later at a certain point. I'm going to keep this certain point a secret (for fun), but maybe you can guess where that it.
Anyway, hoped you enjoyed this chapter.
