Summary:
This is the story of Luffy in an alternate reality. As he sails the sea alone, a strange bird crashes into his small boat. He looks up to find a giant ship where a girl named Ann has been captured. The bird turns out to be the lifelong companion of a girl who is hunted for her magical blood.
It reprises the early beginnings of Luffy’s pirate adventures set in a similar world, but with significant differences. For example, this Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by his grandfather, who himself is a pirate rather than a marine.
Luffy is at sea when he meets Ann and her pet Balloon. Both are captured by Shupeal, a warrior equipped with psychic powers. Trapped on Shupeal’s ship, Ann explains to Luffy that the mad captain is after Balloon’s magical blood and that he intends to save his friend. Luffy gets them both out of prison using his ability.
Ann fights with the crew for Balloon’s freedom, only to be tricked by Shupeal. Luffy bursts onto the main deck and stops Shupeal’s plan before he can attack the girl. In a last ditch effort, Shupeal destroys his own ship with his powers and flies away with the captured Balloon.
Ann mourns her failure to save her friend before Luffy catapults away and pursues the villain. It rains down on Shupeal’s flying broom, Gomu Gomu’s last attack without a gun and restores the balloon. Luffy returns to the wrecked ship and finally reunites them. As he and Ann part ways, Luffy sails off to new horizons.
The anime changed the following:
In the manga, Balloon lags behind Luffy, while in the anime, Luffy retreats and Balloon falls in front of him.
In the manga, Luffy turns Balloon around before asking his species, while in the anime, Balloon is held upside down.
In the manga, Balloon’s wound was in his stomach, but in the anime, it’s in his wing.
In the manga, Ann claims that Shupeal is an unknown pirate, but in the anime, he is infamous.
In the manga, Luffy told his grandfather that he can’t swim even before eating the fruit. He later claimed that this was why he lied about not wanting to be a pirate. In the anime, he claimed it was because he wasn’t sure he could do it.
In the manga, Luffy’s grandfather won the fruit in a match against his crew members.
In the manga, Luffy took the fruit from his grandfather, while in the anime, he ate it while being held by his grandfather.
In the manga, Luffy first came out of the cell without Ann and pushed his way through the bars. In the anime, he stretched to reach the keys, opened the cell door, and let them both out together.
In the manga, Ann commented on the sleeping guards before approaching Balloon’s cage, while in the anime she said it while picking the lock.
In the manga, the deal Shupeal offered Ann is mentioned after she defeats the pirate, while in the anime the deal offered is shown.
In the manga, Luffy is seen with his new ship and shares heading outside, while in the anime, he is shown finding the food first.
In the manga, Ann’s fight against the pirate is off-panel, while in the anime it is shown.
In the manga, the lost pirate was magically set on fire, while in the anime, he was magically thrown from the ship.
In the manga, Shupeal’s crew merely observed the fight against Luffy, but in the anime, they took part in it.
Anime added the following:
In the anime, Balloon is shown saving Luffy from falling into the sea.
In the anime, Shupeal offered Luffy a reward for catching and delivering the Balloon.
Luffy’s jolly roger from the manga cover is used as the flag of his grandfather’s crew.