One Piece: Episode 147

Every now and then, our protagonist takes off his goofy mask and shows an uncharacteristic unsmiling face. His first encounter with Bellamy is one of these rare moments.

Bellamy appears before Luffy and begins his litany about the New Age for pirates where idealistic dreams are unwelcome. Luffy initially prepares for a duel but backs down when he realizes that a physical attack is not needed for this round. He quietly asks Zoro to drop his sword and to accept the hits they are about to endure. Although Bellamy is oblivious to their intentions, Luffy and Zoro stand by their convictions.

The first half of the episode is reminiscent to Shanks’ encounter with a group of bandits in OP’s fourth installment, although a tad extreme. Possibly, Luffy’s reasoning is somehow similar to his mentor’s. Or maybe not. Either way, this scenario is possibly one of OP’s finest moments. Right now, this is one of my all-time faves.