The Straw Hats hijack a retired Marine's final theatrical performance and somehow make it the most genuinely funny thing One Piece has ever done with its ensemble cast. Every character gets a moment to be ridiculous in their own specific way, the comedy lands because you know who these people are and what makes them tick. In a special that could have been a throwaway tie-in, Oda writes an actual complete story that earns its ending without pretending to be something heavier than it is.

Randolph, a former Marine lieutenant whose family died at the hands of pirates, has staged plays aboard his ship with his troupe for many years, hoping to give courage to others who lost loved ones the same way. Now facing retirement, he is putting on one last show. Luffy and his crew arrive to watch and somehow end up on stage themselves. Trouble comes from Randolph's past: a bitter former subordinate, newly promoted to commander, has a scheme to capture him. The Straw Hats must guard the farewell performance and show the audience that not every pirate is a villain. This one-episode special mixes action, adventure, comedy and fantasy, and it aired after episode 174.