Punk Hazard Arc

The Punk Hazard Arc is the twenty-sixth story arc in the series and the first in the Dressrosa Saga of the One Piece series, continuing on from the Fishman Island Arc and the Fishman Island Saga. Upon finally entering the New World, the Straw Hat Pirates immediately receive a distress call from a group of people on an island called Punk Hazard, stating that they are being attacked by a samurai. Without hesitation, Luffy sets out to the blazing island, with Vice Admiral Smoker hot on his tail. On the supposedly death-ridden and empty island, the Straw Hats soon learn that they are not alone, meeting many new and old foes as they explore the purpose of the island. Punk Hazard is the first island the Straw Hats encounter in the New World, and is made up of a frozen side and a burning side. The island also contains the abandoned research laboratories of Dr. Vegapunk. As the Straw Hats leave from Fishman Island, the crew has some free time. Nami decides to spend hers taking a bath, using a new Shower Tempo as a shower with Chopper (and unknown to her, Sanji and Brook) looking on. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew has decided to go fishing. Luffy knocks out one fish but it just attracts a bigger one, and that fish attracts an even bigger eel. Zoro kills it, but the weight of the fish brings the ship to a stop.

To make matters worse, an underwater maelstrom called the White Strom, suddenly appears in front of them. The eel gets sucked into it dragging the Thousand Sunny into it. Straw Hats Arrive in the New World After a wild ride, the ship suddenly hits something and the crew realizes it is a pod of Island Whales. Luffy mistakes the whale they hit for Laboon. Brook starts crying and calling out to them, though calmed down by Usopp afterwards. Nami realizes that even through they got out of the maelstrom, the current caused by the pod is still dangerous to them and they need to raise the sails to ride it. As the crew does so, Brook starts to sing Binks' Sake. This attracts the attention of a whale who gives them a ride. After a bit, the Straw Hat reach the surface. Despite the thunderous seas around them, the crew is excited for the new challenges that await them. In the distance, Luffy sees a volcano erupting on an island and decides to head there even though none of the New World Log Pose needles are pointing there. Sanji tells Luffy that he managed to cut off some meat, but the fish that they had caught had been burnt to a crisp by the sea of flames. Usopp is concerned about the Sunny, but Franky assures him that the ship will not lose. Suddenly, Luffy hears the Den Den Mushi ringing, but Robin states that there is a 50% chance that the distress signal is merely an ambush set by the Marines. Luffy decides to answer anyway, and hears a man calling for help, stating that the unit is being killed by a samurai, and that they are on Punk Hazard. However, the man is presumably killed before the conversation can continue. Zoro questions Brook about the samurai, who answers that samurais are the Swordsmen of Wano Country, who have a closed-door policy to outsiders and are not affiliated with the World Government. Luffy decides to go rescue him at the nearest island, the one with the volcano. Meanwhile, on a G-5 Marine ship, Vice Admiral Smoker is commenting that while there were three islands the Straw Hats could have gone to, but they have somehow gone to Punk Hazard, which was closed off due to an incident four years ago. Back at the Sunny, the crewmates draw straws to see who will go with Luffy. Zoro, Robin and Usopp get the "winning" straws. Sanji hands Luffy a deep-sea fish lunchbox, and Nami forms a cloud road over the flames and the adventure party sets out on the Mini Merry II. While the others eat, Usopp is frightened to go to the island, stating that he has the "Can't set foot on new islands" disease.