EPISODE CONTEXT

As episode 1 of 21, this is the launching point of the Fish-Man Island Saga, picking up directly after the two-year time skip that followed the devastating Summit War. The reunion at Sabaody Archipelago serves as both an emotional checkpoint and a narrative reset, re-establishing the crew's dynamics before they plunge into the deep-sea journey to Fish-Man Island. Everything here — the powered-up designs, the renewed chemistry — is foundational setup for the escalating challenges and new adversaries the Straw Hats will face as they push toward the New World.