In the present day, the Straw Hat Pirates were sailing on the Thousand Sunny listening to Uta's song New Genesis on a Tone Dial. Meanwhile, Uta stood alone on the coast of an island and proclaimed that she was about to make her dream of performing a concert for the whole world come true.
Twelve years ago, a 9-year-old Uta was sailing with her father Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates. Shanks doted on Uta with pillaged jewelry but kept some of his findings, namely the Gomu Gomu no Mi, away from her. Shanks told Uta that the crew would be docking at the Goa Kingdom, and she was unimpressed by their landing spot of the remote Foosha Village. Meanwhile, a 7-year-old Monkey D. Luffy was spending his days eating, fighting animals, and training with his grandfather Garp. When the Red Hair Pirates docked, Luffy ran up to their ship and met Uta and Shanks. While initially apprehensive towards the pirates, Luffy quickly began asking to join Shanks' crew. Uta did not think very highly of Luffy and did not want him coming aboard; she performed a song at the Partys Bar one day to great acclamation from the villagers.
Afterwards, Shanks told Luffy to guide Uta around the village. The two children quickly got into a series of competition, which Uta typically got the better of Luffy in. Later, Luffy took Uta to the upper level of a windmill by the coast where they could see the sun set over the ocean, and as Uta talked about Shanks, Luffy expressed his desire to set out to sea as a pirate. As she watched the sunset, Uta first came to realize her dream of performing for the whole world.[1] On a later day, Luffy and Uta were racing on makeshift boats when they realized the island they were racing to was actually the Lord of the Coast, forcing them to turn back. They settled on a cliff overlooking the ocean, and there Uta revealed her dream of sailing around the world with Shanks and writing and performing songs which would change the world and create a "new genesis". Luffy liked the idea and wanted to create a new genesis as well, though did not yet have an ambition in mind.
Later, the Red Hair Pirates prepared to set sail on a voyage, and Uta exposed Luffy trying to stow away, causing Shanks to remove him. Luffy was mad at her, but Uta replied that Shanks' command was of top priority and told Luffy to work on getting stronger while they were away. As the Red Hair Pirates began sailing, Uta told Luffy that when she returned she would test him to see if he had gotten stronger. Luffy moped alone around Foosha Village until one day at dusk he spotted the Red Hair Pirates' ship drawing into port. He quickly raced to greet them, but Shanks' subordinates disembarked in a subdued mood and said nothing to him. Luffy called out to Uta, and when Shanks came to disembark, he said that Uta had left the crew to become a singer. Luffy was distraught as he could not believe Shanks' claim, but the pirate said nothing more, and eventually Luffy ran away, saying he was done with Shanks.
At this time, big news was spreading around the world of the destruction of the island Elegia and the deaths of all its residents, with Shanks being named the culprit. Garp and Sengoku discussed the news at Marine Headquarters, with Sengoku saying the event had something to do with Tot Musica. The two Marines were quite surprised at Shanks being behind this, as they believed Shanks' former captain Gol D. Roger would have been appalled.
Back on Foosha Village, Benn Beckman approached Luffy to try and ask him to forgive Shanks. However, when he declined to reveal any further information about what happened to Uta, Luffy got angry and ran away. Luffy came across two mountain bandits that he and Uta had beaten up some time ago, with the duo now being out for revenge. They overwhelmed Luffy and beat him up, and Luffy ended up crying over his inability to become stronger for Uta. However, Beckman then arrived and scared off the bandits by simply glaring at them before carrying Luffy to get treatment. Later, Luffy entered the Partys Bar while the Red Hair Pirates were inside and renewed his plea to join Shanks' crew. When Shanks asked him about his injuries, Luffy claimed that they came from a fall, and when Shanks came to accept his lie, Luffy responded that he would likewise allow Shanks to keep what happened to Uta to himself.
Back in the present day, the Straw Hats begged Luffy to set course for Uta's upcoming debut concert on Elegia, and Luffy agreed, not knowing Uta was the singer his crewmates were speaking of. Meanwhile, Uta briefly reminisced of her departure from Shanks while proclaiming her intention of using her music to create a world where there was no war or hunger. Elsewhere, in a stormy part of the sea, Shanks stood on the deck of his ship.[2]
Trivia[]
This is the third filler arc to come out during an ongoing arc, namely the Wano Country Arc, instead of between two arcs. The first was the Little East Blue Arc which came out during the Impel Down Arc, and the second was the Cidre Guild Arc which also came out during the Wano Country Arc.
Both arcs also served to introduce an upcoming movie, the first being for Strong World and the second for One Piece: Stampede.
This arc currently contains the youngest depiction of Luffy in the entire One Piece franchise, and aside from brief portions of Chapter 1 and Episode 4, is the only media to depict Luffy without the scar below his eye.
While Uta and Luffy's flashback can be placed right before the Romance Dawn Arc, the present day scenes that leads directly into One Piece Film: Red cannot be properly placed between any other arcs in the storyline.
Before Funimation got to this part of the series they released the English dub of this and the special that came with it on July 16, 2023.
