Summary
One Piece Season 2 boasts one of the most stand-out action sequences of the series in “Whiskey Business”, which also provides a bit more shape to the season’s macro arc.
The great novelty of One Piece is that it’s a show of profound, fantastical imagination, all stretchy arms and double cigars and guns in powdered wigs. Far from shying away from this in Season 2, the show seems to be embracing it more enthusiastically, which is no bad thing. But the real selling point of Episode 3, “Whiskey Business”, is its sense of tactile practicality, especially during an expansive Zoro-focused fight sequence that is the best bit of action choreography the show has managed to pull off thus far.
We’ll get to that. In the meantime, we’re making our first stop on the Grand Line after getting a brief detour at the entrance to save a whale. The setting of this episode is Whiskey Peak, a Western-themed island that proves surprisingly accommodating to pirates… at least until it doesn’t. But the ruse-within-a-ruse structure gives “Whiskey Business” a lot more to offer than just a fake-out, solidifying a new fan-favourite major character and giving the overarching plot a bit more shape.
Ghosts of the Past
Even with all this going on, Zoro still remains the focal character for the most part. He’s still rigorously training, and still being haunted by visions of Dracule Mihawk after he suffered an embarrassing defeat at his hands the last time they squared off. Zoro isn’t the most complex of characters, but his desire to be the best swordsman in the world is at least compelling. Luffy tells him that he’ll get plenty of practice on this quest, but he doesn’t realise quite how accurate that prediction will turn out to be.
Luffy’s optimism isn’t so much a character flaw as a superpower. His first instincts about people typically turn out to be right, and that even applies to Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday, who at the start of the episode are still aboard the Going Merry. They’re technically hostages, but Luffy decides to free Miss Wednesday, and in short order, they’ve both jumped overboard to their presumed freedom, the rest of the Straw Hats distracted by their arrival at the Grand Line’s first island.
Whiskey Peak
The no-account desert town of Whiskey Peak – another feat of production design – proves to be surprisingly amenable to pirates. The mayor, Igaram, explains that its position as the first island in the Grand Line has made it so that welcoming pirates until they move on makes a bit more sense. The enthusiasm of the townsfolk to welcome potentially dangerous strangers into their midst should ring some alarm bells, but the Straw Hats need to spend the night there until the Log Pose resets, and it seems like the two escaped assassins present a much bigger danger than they do.
But not quite. The thing about Whiskey Peak is that it’s really a fake town designed to lure pirates in and lower their defenses so they can be killed, which gradually becomes clear. The town is a Baroque Works project, and Igaram is Mr. 8, the superior of Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday.
Naturally, this puts all of the Straw Hats in danger, but Zoro most of all, since he’s stuck in the middle of the saloon, which is promptly filled by 100 Baroque Works assassins.
Zoro Does His Thing
Zoro taking out 100 assassins is the highlight of One Piece Season 2, Episode 3, and one of the better action sequences the show overall has produced. It’s refreshingly practical – there’s even a bunch of wire work, like an old kung fu movie – and satisfying as Zoro cleaves through the henchmen while making his way up and up to Mr. 9. He also regularly has visions of Mihawk goading him as he goes.
Eventually, Zoro is able to take out everyone, including Mr. 9 and a knuckle-dusting nun, but he recognises it’s only a small step in his development. The show’s doing a really good job of building to another inevitable confrontation between Zoro and Mihawk.
Miss Wednesday’s True Identity
While all this is going on, Miss Wednesday and Mr. 8 are trying to escape and steal the Going Merry, for initially mysterious purposes. However, when Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine arrive, it becomes clear what they’re really up to. Miss Wednesday is really Nefertari Vivi, Princess of Alabasta. She and Igaram, the Captain of the Royal Guard, went undercover in the Baroque Works to find out the real identity of Mr. Zero, who has been sowing discord in Alabasta and has pushed the kingdom to the brink of civil war.
Knowing the truth, Luffy agrees to protect Miss Wednesday, whom I’ll be referring to as Vivi from now on, and Igaram agrees to sacrifice himself to allow the others time to escape. This ends up being a good showcase for the villainy and powers of Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, and even a surprisingly heroic turn for Mr. 9. After taking out Igaram, the other two find Mr. 9 drunk in the saloon, having been embarrassed by Zoro, but even knowing Vivi is a traitor he refuses to turn on her, and gloats that Mr. Zero will have already sent the Unluckies after them for their failure to apprehend Vivi.
Look forward to meeting the Unluckies later. In the meantime, check out the nice character moment where Nami consoles Vivi when Igaram gets barbecued. The Straw Hats now have a new objective – getting the information about Mr. Zero’s true identity back to Vivi’s father in Alabasta. But they also have a new problem, since “Whiskey Business” ends with Miss All Sunday turning up on the Going Merry, accompanied by the trademark flower petals. And that can’t be good news.
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