Summary:
After escaping from the Buggy Pirates, Zoro and Luffy rest in the middle of a street where the only inhabitant is a strange dog. As Nami returns with the key to Luffy’s cage as thanks for saving her life, the dog eats the key. Mohji, Buggy’s second-in-command, then appears to kill Zoro. With his lion Richie, he attacks the defenseless Luffy, destroying the cage in the process, freeing Luffy.
Buggy flaunts his reputation as a pirate to his crew. He orders them to find Luffy, Nami and Zoro no matter what. Mohji arrives at Richie and asks Buggy if he can take Zoro out. Buggy replies that he doesn’t mind.
Elsewhere, Zoro is still carrying Luffy in a cage. Suddenly, he collapses to the ground in exhaustion. The pair notice a dog sitting and staring at them. Luffy comments on how the dog sits so still you can’t tell if it’s real or not before provoking the dog to bite him by poking him on the head. Nami appears and explains that they will probably find them if they stay in the middle of the road. Nami throws the key to the cage in front of Luffy, but before he can grab it, the dog eats the key. Luffy tries to strangle the dog in a rage. The town’s mayor, Boodle, appears and demands that they stop hurting Chouchou the dog.
Boodle takes them to his house to rest and explains why the dog is sitting where he is. She feeds him every day and watches over her owner’s pet store. Ten years ago, the mayor’s friend and owner Chouchou opened the shop. Owner Chouchou went to the hospital three months ago and never came back, leaving Chouchou to guard the shop. Chouchou is covered in wounds from the fight with the pirates: he knows that his owner will not return, but he still guards the shop because it is his treasure. Boodle talks about abandoning the dog and moving out, but admits he has changed his mind many times.
Just then, he hears the roar of Richie the lion. Boodle and Nami run away, leaving behind Chouchou, Luffy, and Zoro. When Mohji and Richie arrive, they find Luffy still in his cage. Luffy mocks Mohji’s hairstyle and provokes him. Mohji boasts that he is such a good animal trainer that every animal obeys his commands, but Chouchou bites him anyway. When Richie lunges at the cage to finish Luffy off, he frees Luffy instead.
As the pair prepare to leave, not noticing that Luffy is still alive, Richie smells food at the pet store and Mohji tells Richie that he can eat the food.