Summary
The penultimate episode of One Piece delivers some key backstory while also setting up an action-packed finale.
This recap of the 2023 Netflix series One Piece Season 1 Episode 7, “The Girl with the Sawfish Tattoo”, contains spoilers.
After the big revelation in Episode 6 that Nami is apparently a “loyal” member of the Arlong Pirates, things aboard the Going Merry are a little tense. Buggy’s severed head is navigating, though nobody can trust him, Zoro is being a little antagonistic towards Sanji, and nobody, including Luffy, knows if Nami really needs to be rescued.
Nevertheless, they’re going to the Conomi Islands to try.
One Piece Season 1 Episode 7 Recap
As with previous episodes, “The Girl with the Sawfish Tattoo” is festooned with flashbacks, these ones all pertaining to Nami’s backstory, explaining how a red-haired human girl ended up a sworn member of a Fishman pirate gang.
Where did Nami grow up?
Eight years ago, in Coco Village, Nami was just a child. She was raised in a tangerine grove alongside her adopted sister Nojiko, the pair of them having been found by a wounded Marine, Bellemere, after a battle. Nami’s predilection for thievery began early, an outgrowth of her being sick of her poverty-stricken circumstances.
In the present day, Arlong, who wants to use the Grand Line map to conquer the oceans for fishmen and subjugate humans, sends Nami back to Coco Village — where she’s no longer welcome — to collect a late tribute, the job requiring, in his words, “a human touch”.
How does Garp find out where Luffy is?
Elsewhere, Garp and his Marines dine at the baratie. Garp seems to have a history with Zeff, and they have a pretty loaded conversation about Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates over steak.
Zeff, despite being retired, still lives by the code, and since Luffy defended the restaurant, he won’t give him up. As it turns out, he doesn’t need to, since a bartender tells Koby and Helmeppo that they went to the Conomi Islands. But this is the first time we see what looks like genuine sentiment from Garp. When Zeff says that Luffy reminds him of Gold Roger, Garp says he doesn’t want to see him meet the same fate — and he seems to mean it.
How did Bellemere die?
Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and Buggy’s head arrive at Coco Village at the same time as Nami, finding it a far cry from the idyllic paradise we’ve seen thus far in the flashbacks. Further flashbacks reveal Arlong and his crew raided the place, upending buildings and slashing the face of Genzo, the man Nami stole a map book from back in the day. The community has been bled dry by Arlong’s “tributes”, and is by no means pleased to see Nami when she arrives to collect.
When Nami spots the Straw Hat Pirates, she insists that this is where she belongs, but Luffy is adamant that this isn’t really her, so he sticks around in the village to gather more information.
The gang calls in to visit Nojiko, who is compelled by one of Sanji’s meals to share more of the story. We return to the flashbacks, in which Arlong tries to collect a hefty tribute from Bellemere. When he discovers Nami and Nojiko hiding under the house, Bellemere offers her own life to cover the children’s tribute. Arlong shoots her dead in front of them.
Luffy takes the idea that Nami would join the pirates who killed her mother especially hard since it challenges his staunchly idealistic worldview of the essential good in everyone, especially his crewmates. Though to be fair, the show isn’t exactly shy about highlighting Nami’s obvious displeasure at working with the Arlong pirates.
Why is Nami working with Arlong?
When Captain Nezumi, a Marine who has a longstanding bribe arrangement with Arlong, tries to extort him for more money, Nami mentions to Arlong that she has accumulated enough money to settle an arrangement of their own.
When Nami goes to retrieve that money, we learn it’s hidden in the grave of her mother, and Nojiko, who has stepped out for a break from Buggy’s incessant ranting, catches her desecrating it. Nami’s explanation takes us back into another flashback.
As we see, Nami volunteered to join Arlong’s crew and work for him in exchange for buying back Coco Village. He set a steep price of one hundred million Berry, but she has accumulated it over the years and plans to buy back the freedom of the village and everyone in it. Of course, though, Arlong has already betrayed her and has despatched Captain Nezumi and his men to retrieve the plunder. Nami has no choice but to watch the Marines take everything she has saved away.
One Piece Season 1 Episode 7 Ending Explained
At the end of the episode, Arlong gives a stirring speech to his fishmen compatriots, inspiring them to rise up against the humans and take their rightful place on the seas. They’ll begin, it seems, by razing Coco Village to the ground.
Nami is devastated by her failure and tries to carve the sawfish tattoo from her arm with a knife. She’s stopped by Luffy, though. After telling him to leave once again, and knowing he won’t, Nami finally asks if he’ll help her. “Of course I will,” he says and then screams.
The Straw Hat Pirates assemble on the edge of the tangerine grove as Coco Village erupts into flames on the horizon.
You can stream the 2023 series One Piece Season 1 Episode 7, “The Girl with the Sawfish Tattoo” exclusively on Netflix.
