July 21, 2023
One Piece: Foxy’s Return Arc (Filler) | Summary, Recap & Review
One Piece: Foxy's Return arc features charm and Aokiji's debut but also repetitive & slow with consecutive fillers before Water 7 / Enies Lobby arcs.
6
Mediocre
Foxy's Return Arc in One Piece: It's a bit annoying with more Foxy antics, but Aokiji's debut and a glimpse of Robin's past add some spice.
Pros
Foxy brings his quirky charm, giving the arc a playful vibe and a nice breather to the series.
Encountering Admiral Aokiji was a refreshing addition to the arc.
Cons
Foxy's same old tricks get old fast, making the arc predictable and a bit dull.
Too much filler takes away the fun, making the arc seem stretched and watered down.
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Welcome aboard once again; we’re slowly but surely making our way through these arcs, but don’t worry, we’re nearing some epic moments in the series. Now, you’re probably wondering at this point what happened to one of the best and biggest villains in this series and what’s he been up to these days. Of course, we’re talking about Foxy!
Surely after watching Long Ring Long Land, you’re now needing to know just what happened to the Foxy pirates right? Right?...
Well, things get a bit complicated here to follow up in tandem with the anime and the manga. Some events from Long Ring Long Land that took place in the manga but not in the anime finally arrive. But we’ll get into that in a moment when we dive into our summary. So for now get ready to hear more about the villain we all know and love, Foxy!
One Piece: Foxy’s Return Arc | Summary & Recap
Oceans Nightmare
After the events we saw in Ocean’s Dream filler arc, a storm hits the Going Merry Go, and amid the storm, they find a small boat with some familiar faces. The boat was carrying Foxy, Porsche, and Hamburg. Even though Foxy displays some incredible abilities to slow down the waves, they are in great danger in the storm. And of course, Luffy being Luffy, decides to rescue them and put them aboard the Going Merry Go.
Even though they are not the greatest of friends, everyone seems to at least be getting along. But the next day, the waves bring yet another unexpected encounter, as they come across the Sexy Foxy, Foxy’s old ship, along with the rest of his crew! But the emotional reunion doesn’t last long, as there’s a startling situation going on in the Sexy Foxy.
The Davy Back Fight is Back!
Without Foxy onboard, the crew has fallen under the command of the ruthless Fanged Toad Pirates, but surprisingly enough, Foxy’s crew is incredibly loyal to Foxy. This obviously upsets the captain of the Fanged Toad Pirates, and suggests that the only way he’d be able to get their loyalty is that he beats Foxy himself.
Of course, when you challenge Foxy to a fight we know how things go down. Foxy challenged the captain to a Davy Back Fight, a competition with the crews’ destinies at stake. Even though Foxy uses his Noro Noro Beam powers, the loyal members of the Fang Frog’s crew manage to block the attack, and from there things go south for Foxy.
Hamburg and Porche attempt to intervene, but their efforts fail, and they end up badly beaten. The Captain claims he never agreed to the Davy Back Fight, prompting Luffy to leap into the scene to help Foxy, who hands him the iconic afro Luffy used in their captain vs. captain showdown.
Luffy and the Straw Hats help Foxy and win the fight easily. In one last act of solidarity, Luffy tells Foxy he can have his crew back.
Here We Go Again
Even though the Straw Hats just helped Foxy and his crew it doesn’t mean that Foxy is suddenly a new ally. As a reward and a thank you for the help, Foxy uses his powers to trap the Straw Hats inside his ship.
This leads to different unfortunate situations as Foxy tries to get his revenge on Luffy, but obviously it’s not successful. After being defeated once again by Luffy and the Straw Hats, both crews go their separate ways.
Survivors And A Mystery: A Dangerous Man Awakens
As the Straw Hats sail away, they find an inhabited island and make a stop to try and find some food. Once there, Foxy strikes again, this time attempting to catch the Straw Hats by surprise using a crab-like vehicle. However, his plan unsurprisingly fails to succeed.
As the Straw Hats explore the island, they find bicycle marks on the ground. Following the tread marks, it leads them to a mysterious man sleeping while standing. The mere sight of this man shocks Robin, causing her to fall to the ground. He is Admiral Aokiji, one of the World Government's ultimate powerhouses, and he seems to have a connection with Robin.
Aokiji reveals he's not there to chase the Straw Hats; he was merely on a stroll. Their meeting is interrupted by stranded survivors, and Aokiji uses his Ice powers to freeze the sea, helping them escape safely.
True Intentions And Cold Blood
After saving the survivors, Aokiji mentions that he’s actually there ‘cause he wanted to see Nico Robin and Luffy with his own eyes, and that he should kill them there. Admiral Aokiji reveals Robin's dark past and how she’s a huge threat for the World Government.
Despite their efforts, the crew is overpowered, and Luffy and Robin are entirely frozen. Determined to protect their nakama, the crew races to save Robin and eventually they all escape and survive.
Though shaken, they emerge stronger and more resolute, ready to face the challenges that lie ahead on their journey.
One Piece: Foxy’s Return Arc | Review
A Mismatch Between The Anime And Manga
People who follow both anime and manga might find this arc a little strange for many reasons. One of them being, of course, Foxy. The anime expanded the Original Davy Back Fight a lot with more events and more episodes. In the manga, not only is Foxy’s appearance much shorter, but he only appears the one time.
The meeting with Aokiji also takes place on the Long Ring Long Land island. As you can see, the anime took some liberties and mixed together some important canon parts, such as the appearance of Aokiji, with a filler arc of Foxy.
This back-to-back marathon of filler arcs in the anime might seem a bit excessive, but it makes sense given the impending Water 7 / Enies Lobby arcs. With limited space for additional fillers, the decision to include them earlier is understandable, especially since those arcs are longer and more significant.
Adding Meaning To Nothing
This arc is a bit bothersome in the sense that almost nobody really wanted to see more of Foxy ever again. Ironically, we got two more episodes filled with his annoying tricks. But the addition of Aokiji’s first appearance here, and the dramatic moment and fight make up for the annoyance at least.
If it weren’t for the Aokiji appearance, this could be one of the least remarkable and surely the most skippable arc in the series. It's hard to say that any character is objectively annoying, as it's all up to opinion... but Foxy is. Perhaps a little bit of his charm lies there, if there's any charm at all.
Aokiji's Brilliance Amidst Foxy's Folly and Robin's Past
Aokiji’s appearance is incredible, and the interactions between Luffy and him are pure gold, but we cannot forget that this came right after more of the Foxy episodes, and that really brings it all down as an arc. The repetitiveness of Foxy does get boring very quickly, and he only appears for a couple of episodes.
On the other hand, this is also the first time we see some real feats of power shown from the side of the Marines, with the overwhelming power of Admiral Aokiji. We also saw a brief look at Robin’s past, foreshadowing something that will play a huge role in the Water 7 and Enies Lobby arc.
So now that the fillers are done for now, we can get started on the real deal, some of the most epic moments in the series are right ahead of us!
Overall Score: 6/10
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Frequently Asked Questions
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+The ever-expanding world of One Piece has an immense amount of characters, most of whom feel so alive it’s almost like they...
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