Search - One Piece: Season Two, Fifth Voyage on DVD

Straw Hats and Baroque Works Clash!!

Steven R. Peck | 11/05/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The first part of the Alabasta arc contained in Season 2, Fourth Voyage (technically this is about Season 4 of the original anime series) was mostly filler but nevertheless covered some exciting adventures as Luffy and Co. trudged through the desert to the rebel base in Yuba where they hoped to meet with Vivi's friend Kohza and stop his planned attack on the capital Alubarna and on Vivi's father King Cobra. Luffy's brother Ace, who had travelled some distance with the group, has now parted ways with them to continue his search for Blackbeard, but he vows to meet Luffy again at the Pirate Summit (something that is happening just now in the manga series in Japan). Upon reaching Yuba, they find the town abandoned except for Kohza's father, who is stubbornly digging for water. The rebel base, apparently, is now in Katorea, a town much closer to where the journey started in Nanohana. DOH!!
All of this is pleasing to Baroque Works leader, Crocodile, who is using the distraction of the civil war to facilitate his takeover of Alabasta. Meanwhile, Luffy and Co. converge upon Crocodile's position in his casino at Rainbase. The Marine division led by Smoker and Tashigi arrive here at about the same time as the Straw Hat Pirates and eagerly pursue them. But this development plays into Crocodile's plans as well, as the Straw Hats take refuge in the casino and fall into his trap along with Smoker. Sanji, Chopper, and Vivi help the rest of the group to escape, but the most crucial role is played by a former enemy once believed to be dead!
Once free, the Straw Hats find a much faster way to Alubarna. Crocodile tries to kidnap Vivi, but Luffy thwarts the effort and enthusiastically squares off against Crocodile. Unfortunately, Luffy learns the hard way that Crocodile is in an entirely different league than any of the opponents he's fought before. Being made of sand and with an endless supply of sand to manipulate, Crocodile proves unstoppable and leaves Luffy to die. Thanks to an unexpected rescue by Ms. All Sunday, Luffy lives on, but he needs some time to recover.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew races on to Alubarna, where they find Crocodile's Officer Agents waiting for them. They then separate to fight the Agents in a thrilling series of one-on-one battles! Usopp and Chopper take on the tag team of Mr. 4 and Ms. Merry Christmas in a bizarre fight combining elements of baseball and Whack-a-Mole (in this game, the mole can attack you too). Sanji takes on the playfully sadistic transvestite Mr. 2, who besides being a ballet dancer and face copier has kenpo fighting skills that rival Sanji's. Mr. 2 is also aware of Sanji's weakness for Nami and exploits this weakness fully. Nami, at long last, gets her first solo fight against Ms. Doublefinger, a dominatrix who can turn her whole body into deadly spikes. Luckily, Nami has a new weapon invented by Usopp called the Clima Tact that can create a variety of weather effects (including lightning). Unluckily, Nami hasn't quite mastered the use of this weapon, and her life is on the line as this volume ends.

Next: Zoro vs. Mr. 1, Luffy's arrival, what Crocodile really wants in Alabasta, the end of the war, and a new, unexpected addition to the Straw Hat crew.
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