By this point, chances are good that you’re hooked, but this live-action adventure won’t stop sailing to the Grand Line. We know that the first two episodes of the series covered the first two arcs of the source material, so it’s not hard to guess that this episode covers the third arc, Syrup Village… Well, mostly.

Since these are still introductory episodes, we are getting to know the first three Straw Hats, but this episode introduces a few important characters. The first is the crew’s sniper and expert liar Usopp. Next is another crew member, just not of the human variety. Here we get to meet their trusty ship, the Going Merry.

Fans wondered if the show could capture the love between Usopp and Kaya or the terror of the Black Cat Pirates’ captain Kuro. So, in the source material this arc was a bit slow compared to the last two, so surely adapting it into a shorter format could serve in its favor. So, what’s in this third episode of the Netflix live-action series? Well, let’s go through a quick recap of events here first.

Tell No Tales (Episode 3) | Summary & Recap

A New Ship

The episode opens on a flashback in Syrup Village, where resident prankster Usopp is running through the streets ringing a bell, frantically warning the townsfolk that pirates are coming. After years of false alarms, the villagers are thoroughly fed up with Usopp’s antics and ignore his cries.

Meanwhile, out at sea, the Straw Hat Pirates are taking stock of their situation. Luffy excitedly shows off the Jolly Roger he designed for their crew. Zoro and Nami remind him they aren’t officially a crew… yet. Their banter is interrupted when they discover their ship is taking on water and fast. Nami manages to rescue her most precious belongings, including a broken transponder snail, before directing them toward the closest island: Gecko Island, home to a renowned shipyard.

Cut to a Marine battleship, where we check in on Koby and Helmeppo. Koby reties one of Helmeppo’s shoddy knots, earning him a reprimanding from the senior cadet. When Vice-Admiral Garp asks who tied the knot, Helmeppo lies, trying to take credit for Koby’s work. Garp sees through his ruse and invites Koby into his quarters for a game of Go, which he uses to teach Koby about strategy and aggression. Their lesson is interrupted by Helmeppo announcing they’ve found Luffy’s Jolly Roger and traced the Straw Hats to Gecko Island.

A Shadowy Threat | Syrup Shipyards

Meanwhile, in Orange Town, Buggy the Clown is recovering from his fight with Luffy when he receives an unexpected visitor. Kuroobi attacks Buggy and brings him to his captain, Arlong of the Fishmen Pirates. Arlong demands a tribute from the people of Orange Town. A fearful Buggy directs Arlong toward Luffy and his treasure map to the Grand Line, hoping that will square him up with the fearsome pirate.

Back in Syrup Village, the Straw Hats arrive at the shipyard, stunning in scope. While Luffy envisions a perfect ship for his future pirate crew, Nami and Zoro suggest stealing a smaller vessel better suited for their current needs. Luffy refuses to steal, insisting on finding a beautiful ship with history and meaning. His attention soon falls on a distinctive sheep-headed ship, and a fateful encounter occurs when he meets the ship’s self-proclaimed caretaker, Usopp.

Usopp brings the pirates to a sprawling mansion (complete with Pandaman hedges) he claims belongs to his wealthy friend who owns the shipyard. However, his furtive behavior suggests he’s lying. The caretakers evict Usopp, but he’s welcomed warmly by the mansion’s owner, a sickly young woman named Kaya and her butler, Klahadore. Despite the butler’s objections, Kaya invites the Straw Hats to dinner and offers them lodging for the night.

While preparing for the dinner, Nami and Luffy strike a deal: if Kaya gives them the ship, they'll set sail on it, but, otherwise, they’ll steal one of the smaller ones. During dinner, Luffy shocks everyone by openly asking Kaya for a ship. Before she can respond, she has a violent coughing fit, allowing Klahadore to intervene. Kaya stands up to him and invites the Straw Hats to stay the night.

Merry’s Suspicions | Black Cat

After dinner, Usopp gives Kaya a gift and regales her with exaggerated tales of his (imaginary) pirating adventures. Meanwhile, Zoro and Luffy raid the kitchen as Nami tries to steal their valuables. She ends up bonding with Kaya instead. In the cellar, Merry, the estate’s lawyer, confronts Klahadore about trying to steal the shipyard, prompting Klahadore to attack him with strange claw-blade weapons.

Zoro and Usopp investigate the noises from the cellar and find Merry’s bloody body. Klahadore reveals himself to be the notorious pirate Kuro, who faked his death years ago. He quickly overpowers Zoro and Usopp, disposing of them in a well.

A frantic Usopp tries warning the villagers about the pirates, but just like the boy who cried wolf, the townspeople ignore him. In desperation, he appeals to young Marine Koby, the only one willing to listen.

Tell No Tales (Episode 3) | Analysis and Review

Small Town, Big Changes | Black Cat Reshuffled

It’s clear that this live-action adaptation has been gaining momentum on its own, becoming an interesting mix of an adaptation and something original capable of standing on its own. Changes to the pacing, narrative, and characters take place in this episode, perhaps even more so than in the previous episodes.

Right from the opening montage, it’s clear Syrup Village has undergone a makeover, transforming from the quaint little village into a bustling shipbuilding hub. When we meet Usopp, played by Jacob Gibson, he’s now a builder tending to the majestic Going Merry, which Luffy has already laid claim to rather than discovering it after the fact.

Speaking of Usopp, the lack of the young Usopp Pirates-in-training is a noticeable absence, diminishing his introductory antics. Inviting the Straw Hats to dinner at Kaya’s lavish mansion fills their void pretty well. The crew’s amusing fish-out-of-water hijinks as they traipse around the noble estate is a fun addition.

Over at the mansion, another interesting change takes place when Zoro recognizes Kuro at first sight, raising the dramatic stakes early on. The omission of their clash robs Usopp of his heroic defense of Kaya. We do get an added gut punch seeing Usopp’s mother Banchina’s death firsthand in a flashback.

There were some other clear changes to the characters' interactions here. Nami’s unlikely friendship with Kaya brings out her compassionate side, something that has been missing from this adaptation thus far.

The biggest shakeup comes from the villains. Merry actually getting murdered by Kuro himself ups the violence and gives Usopp a personal motive for vengeance. While Jango’s absence is a letdown, Arlong’s intimidating introduction via an emissary promises future conflict.

Overall, the arc's vital elements shine through despite the shuffling of characters and events. Sharp-eyed fans will spot Easter eggs like episode titles on Kaya’s bookshelf, a certain sword prop, and references to as-yet unintroduced characters. Clever additions complement Oda’s work nicely rather than overshadowing it. The series continues maturing while still delivering the color and humor that make One Piece iconic.

Overall Score: 6.5/10

Tell No Tale is the third episode in the live-action adaptation of One Piece and Netflix made some heavy changes compared to the manga version. While staying faithful to the spirit of the original arc originally created by Eiichiro Oda, they made a great deal of character reshuffling and changes to the designs and visuals of the whole arc.

Luffy and his friends are consolidating more as a crew with every passing episode to this point, and, with Usopp now here, we get to see some more instances of the amazing chemistry the cast has. Jacob Gibson manages to capture Usopp's eccentricities and mesh them perfectly with Iñaki’s joyful spirit as Luffy. Here, the balance of humor and heart these roles demand shines bright.

We more than welcome some expansions to the original story, such as the rapport formed between Nami and the mansion owner, Kaya, played by Celeste Loots. Their bonding scenes bring out Nami's compassionate side, creating some of the most affecting moments in the entire episode. Seeing the normally cynical thief let her guard down and engage in genuine conversation makes Kaya immediately relatable and likable.

Unfortunately, the live-action version of the Straw Hats ship, the Going Merry, is an absolute eyesore. The bizarre sheep-headed design takes one of the most iconic ships in anime history and turns it into nightmare fuel. This major misstep is an unwelcome distraction. Unlike most critics of the show, I believe there’s no objective explanation as to why they went ahead and made one of the most cute and beloved characters of the show into something capable of hunting you in your nightmares.

Even though these aren’t the most impactful moments of Kuro's character, we can already see that the character is darker and much more sinister here than in the source material. Most of the villains are trending darker, like what they did with Buggy; however, Kuro was already much more serious than the Clown pirate.

While Arlong’s early introduction promises eventual thrills, his dull costume design lacks the visual menace a villain of his stature deserves. As the central antagonist of the sprawling Arlong Park arc, Arlong needs the kind of dominant visual imagery that leaves a lasting impact. The live-action interpretation does no justice to Oda's imposing original design. This embodied the perfect blend of menacing shark features with military regalia befitting a conquering tyrant. But we have to trust that Matt Owens, series' showrunner, working together with Oda has great plans in mind for the next episodes. Also, the absence of Hatchan is also a disappointing loss.

Still, all the issues regarding Arlong are better left off for some other time when we get to see them in action a bit more. It’s just strange to see the changes they are making regarding character design and sizes. I can’t help but wonder how they are going to deal with some other characters in the future that just NEED to be huge compared to our beloved Straw Hats.

But, we better not let those ideas bother us at this point and focus on the episode we have at hand.

By shaking up the status quo in unexpected ways, this episode keeps One Piece fans on the edge of their seat with some of the twists and different storylines presented. Although, a few wonky creative choices hold it back from greatness. This episode is also the first so far to cut before the end of the arc, but it does make sense, given that this arc is originally longer than the previous ones.

The great chemistry among the cast of Straw Hats are showing more than ever before as they make new friends in this episode. Still, some harsh misses in the design area and visuals, such as the Going Merry’s nightmarish face, are taking some points from this episode. The original twists and more somber tone of this episode are an excellent way to make this arc stand out.