Romance Dawn

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Romance Dawn refers to three separate, pirate-themed manga chapters drawn by artist Eiichiro Oda between 1996 and 1997, culminating in the first chapter of the ongoing series One Piece. The first volume of this series is also called "Romance Dawn;" for this, please see One Piece manga releases: vol. 1.

"Romance Dawn" represents the slow progression of the author's ideas in his desire to create a manga about pirates, whose inspiration was drawn largely from his own childhood interests. While a first-year junior high school student, he began sketching out ideas for a pirate-themed manga in a notbeook, in pencil. Years later, as an assistant to Rurouni Kenshin author Nobuhiro Watsuki, he began refining his ideas into what would become "Romance Dawn," and later, One Piece.^[1] All 3 versions were published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, with the final incarnation published exactly one year after the first. The author made significant alterations to the premise and plot over the course of the three chapters, which will be examined in-depth below.

Contents 1 "Romance Dawn," Version 1 1.1 Characters 1.2 Plot synopsis 1.3 Commentary 2 "Romance Dawn," Version 2 2.1 Characters 2.2 Plot synopsis 2.3 Commentary 3 "Romance Dawn," Version 3 3.1 Characters 3.2 Plot Synopsis 4 References

[edit] "Romance Dawn," Version 1

This, the initial telling of "Romance Dawn," is 48 pages in length, and was first published as a one-shot in the Shōnen Jump 1996 Summer Special (an issue dedicated to the work of up-and-coming artists) on 4 August.^[2] One Piece fans sometimes refer to it as "Chapter 0" in the context of the series, because it is called this in One Piece RED: Grand Characters (2002; ISBN 4-08-873211-1), where it is reprinted in its entirety along with a page of commentary by the author.

[edit] Characters

Monkey D. Luffy (モンキー・D・ルフィ, Monkī Dī Rufi^?) 

The protagonist, an aspiring pirate with the power to stretch like rubber. His boat is called the Märchen (メルヘン, Meruhen^?), the German word for 'Fairy Tale').

Red-Haired Shanks (赤髪のシャンクス, Akagami no Shankusu^?) 

Luffy's role-model, who saved his life and entrusted him with his straw hat. Now one of the most well-known pirates.

Crescent-Moon Galley (三日月のギャリー, Mikazuki no Gyarī^?) 

One of the most fearsome pirates on the sea.

Silk (シルク, Shiruku^?) 

A young girl who lives in the village attacked by Galley, and the abandoned child of a pirate.

[edit] Plot synopsis

The story opens with young pirate Monkey D. Luffy spotting a pirate ship in the distance, and setting his skiff, the Märchen (adorned with 4 different pirate flags), after it. Meanwhile, the residents of a town on the shore are panicking as they realize that the pirate ship of "Crescent-Moon Galley" is approaching. The mayor advocates paying off the pirates to save their town without a fight, but the townspeople argue that money won't be enough. Still, armed resistance would be too reckless to try. A young, sword-carrying woman named Silk speaks up, saying that they should fight, but the townspeople dismiss her, telling her that it would only make the problem a larger one. She resists this argument, but the mayor tells them that he'll attempt to speak to the pirates while the rest of the town stays safe.

As the pirate ship arrives, the townspeople panic at the figure, whom they believe to be Galley. Luffy, however, has subdued Galley and his crew, and is now looking for somewhere to eat. Galley claims that he was only caught off-guard, and demands to know what Luffy thinks he's doing, but the young man replies that he didn't want to fight, but Galley's men gave him no choice. Galley responds by saying that Luffy's made an enemy of one of the three most fearsome pirates there are, but realizes mid-sentence that Luffy is no longer there.

Luffy walks through the streets of the village, commenting on the lack of people. The mayor approaches him, asking for what he can do for the pirate, and Luffy asks where a restaurant is. The mayor hurriedly directs him to one, but panics after Luffy goes in when he realizes that Silk is also inside. Silk attacks him immediately, but Luffy hurriedly explains that he is not a pirate, but a candidate for one. As Luffy begins to eat, Silk comments on how weak he looked, and asks about Galley's ship. Luffy's attention, however, is solely on his food. Between bites, he begins to tell her how he's going to become a "Peace Main." He explains that there are different kinds of pirates in the world: the ones that go around indiscriminately plundering are called "Morgania," while those who go on lots of adventures are called "Peace Main." He wants to recruit Peace Main crewmembers, but the world is full of Morgania types, who just want to loot and plunder. He then asks Silk if she has any treasures. When she questions what he means, he tells her that his hat is his treasure, but it's not really his. A long time ago, a Peace Main pirate made the town where he lived his home port...

Luffy, as a child, is being made fun of by Red-Haired Shanks and his crew, who tell him that to be a pirate would be fatal for a Hammer like him. Luffy shouts that he'll be okay as long as he doesn't fall overboard, so they should take him on their next voyage. Shanks tells him sure, in 10 years. Shanks admits that Luffy has guts, going out day after day in a boat, but... just then, Luffy eats a fruit he found, and Shanks & crew react with horror. It turns out that the fruit is none other than the "Gomu Gomu no Mi," the fruit of a mysterious tree that grows (or doesn't) once every 50 years, and which they stole from an enemy ship. Luffy is indifferent until Shanks reveals that because he ate it, he'll never be able to swim. Luffy is shocked, but later (after regaining his composure), he rows out into the sea, telling himself that he'll be all right as long as he doesn't fall into the water. Unfortunately, his ship is attacked by a shark, and Luffy calls out for help. He seems just about to be eaten, when Shanks steps in, and tells the shark to get lost. Luffy looks on in horror as he realizes that Shanks also lost his left arm in the process. When it comes time for Shanks and his crew to move on, Luffy begs them to let him come too, but Shanks tells him no. Instead, he leaves his straw hat with Luffy, and tells him to give it back, after he becomes a pirate.

Back in the present, Silk reveals that she's heard of "Red-Haired Shanks," one of the most famous pirates in existence, but that she hasn't heard any negative rumors about him. She also tells Luffy that she, herself, is the child of a pirate, though she was abandoned.

Although Galley escapes his bonds and attempts to do away with Luffy, he manages to overcome them and sink Galley's ship. The townspeople wish him well as he sails off with a new Jolly Roger atop his mast.

Some time later, On a grand-looking pirate ship, a crew informs their captain that they've spotted an island. Luffy, looking relaxed as ever and sporting several days' stubble, tells them to head ashore. The narrator informs the reader that the name of "Straw Hat Luffy" will spread far and wide, but that's for another story.

[edit] Commentary

Even at this early stage, it can be observed that many of the basic elements of One Piece are already present, albeit in a rather undeveloped form. Monkey D. Luffy is already there in his usual outfit, wears the straw hat given to him by Red-Haired Shanks (who saved Luffy's life at the cost of his left arm), and came to have his rubber powers by eating the Gomu-Gomu Fruit. Indeed, some panels from the first chapter of One Piece, including dialogue, were meticulously redrawn with very little alteration from this version of Romance Dawn (it was for this reason that the author chose the second version of the chapter for inclusion in his one-shot anthology Wanted!). Similarly, Silk seems to be a very early incarnation of Nami, albeit with a very different backstory and a different appearance.

Despite these similarities, there are a number of divergences from what would eventually be laid down as One Piece canon:

• Luffy's trademark scar (and the story behind it) is nowhere to be found, nor is the wider Devil Fruit concept behind the Gomu Gomu Fruit. Luffy also appears to be smarter than his One Piece incarnation.
• Luffy's chief motivation for becoming a pirate, rather than becoming the Pirate King or obtaining the One Piece, is to have lots of adventures. There is no mention whatsoever of Gold Roger or his treasure.
• The Navy is not even considered as a possible means of repulsing Galley and his men; while this does not mean it does not outright exist in this version of the story (since practical concerns, not to mention disgust for the World Government, might override such considerations), it is nevertheless unmentioned.
• Luffy's self-identification as a candidate for pirate, rather than a full-fledged one, is utterly foreign to the world of One Piece, where anyone who raises the Jolly Roger is considered a pirate. Similarly, the designations of "Morgania" and "Peace Main" appear nowhere in One Piece, where most pirates seem to have a mix, to varying degrees, of adventuring and plundering tendencies.
• Luffy's own Jolly Roger is less "cartoonish" than the version that appears in One Piece, and his collection of flags from pirates he's defeated is something that One Piece's Luffy does not have (although he does at one point redraw the flag of a pirate crew he defeats). It is unclear whether this Luffy drew his own flag (and thus can actually draw), or whether it was the work of someone else (just as the Straw Hat Jolly Roger is drawn by Usopp in the series).
• In an episode of the anime, a character known as Galley appears very briefly in Loguetown before being arrested by Captain Smoker. He also has a hat and beard shaped notably like a Crescent Moon.

[edit] "Romance Dawn," Version 2

The second version of "Romance Dawn" is 45 pages long, and was originally published in Weekly Jump 1996 issue #41. It has since been reprinted, along with a page of author commentary, in the Eiichiro Oda early-works compilation WANTED! (1998; ISBN 4-08-872631-6).

[edit] Characters

Monkey D. Luffy 

The protagonist, an aspiring pirate in a straw hat who possesses the power of the Gomu Gomu no Mi.

Luffy's grandfather 

The captain of his own pirate crew who is known for his violence, and who gave Luffy his straw hat. While an "apocryphal" character in terms of the story of Luffy's straw hat, his character design and blood relationship to Luffy are reused in One Piece, albeit in a different context.

Spiel the Hexagon (六角のシュピール, Rokkaku no Shupīru^?) 

A relative unknown among pirates who is nevertheless formidable due to his use of witchcraft.

Ann (アン, An^?) 

A girl whose village was attacked and who was used to lure in the treasure that Spiel is after.

Balloon (バルーン, Barūn^?) 

A Monster-Bird (怪鳥, Ruku^?) who has been Ann's companion for as long as she can remember. Spiel aims to take it for himself.

[edit] Plot synopsis

The story opens with Luffy out at sea on a small skiff, having just woken up from a nap. He hears a noise from above, and a strange bird plummets directly into his boat. He is impressed by its size, and wonders if it's an ostrich, or maybe even a panda. Then he realizes that the bird's arrival has made a decent-sized hole in the boat, so he plugs it with the creature, because he can't swim if the boat sinks. While examining the animal more closely, he also notices that it's wounded, and wonders how it happened. Suddenly, a huge ship appears next to Luffy's boat, and a voice calls out for "Balloon" to escape, and fly far away. The bird tries to take off, but Luffy holds it firmly in place, reminding it that the current situation in the boat is its fault. A rope ladder is lowered from a ship, and a voice calls out to the young man in the straw hat to bring the bird on board.

Once Luffy is on board the ship, a girl named Ann yells at him for bringing Balloon on board, because now it's being held prisoner. Luffy asks if Balloon is that panda, and Ann (who is tied to the mast) angrily tells him it's not a panda. Luffy tells her that it's injured, and Ann remarks that it had been shot by "Spiel the Hexagon", the captain of this ship. He's an unknown among pirates; nobody at Ann's village had heard of him before he attacked. Nevertheless, he can use witchcraft, so the villagers defending their home couldn't even approach him. Spiel's crew is afraid of him, and Ann's village was looted and plundered because of him. If Luffy tries to fight him, he'll be killed.

Spiel appears and congratulates Luffy on capturing the creature, offering his thanks. Luffy answers that Spiel has a weird-looking head. Ann yells at him for not listening to her, while he just tells her to look at him and see. Spiel orders both of them locked up. Ann wants to kill Luffy for what he did, but Luffy just wants to know if the ostrich is hers. Ann corrects him again, telling him that it's a Monster-Bird, and its name is Balloon. It had been with her for as long as she could remember. When she played, and when she slept, it never left her side. When viewed by others, it might look like an ordinary bird, but to her, it's her most important friend, whom she can trust more than anyone else.

Luffy asks why Ann was captured, and she says it's because she's cute (Luffy wonders if that's really true). Ann wonders what Luffy was doing out in the middle of the sea in such a small vessel, so he tells her that he's looking for Peace Main to make his crew. Ann doesn't know what this is; Luffy explains that it's a kind of pirate. The ones on this ship who loot and plunder indiscriminately are called "Morgania," while those who go innocently looking for adventure are called "Peace Main," and Luffy is going to be one. His grandfather was a Peace Main pirate, too...

Luffy's grandfather, laughing loudly, urges the boy to set out to sea when he becomes a man. Luffy refuses, however, because he can't swim and he hates the sea. His grandfather tells him that he didn't raise grandson to be so selfish, but Luffy doesn't want to be a pirate. Later, Luffy's grandfather's crew argues with him about the distribution of their loot, but he silences those who want more with his fists, telling them they're 100 years too early. He then shows off one of his latest acquisitions to Luffy: the Gomu Gomu Fruit, which he found by chance on an enemy ship, and took for his own. It's the fruit of a mystical tree, and if he sells it, he could get 5,000,000,000 Berries for it... but Luffy takes it and eats it, commenting on its bad taste, while his grandfather looks on in horror. grabbing his grandson, he shouts that it's the fruit of a devilish tree, and now that Luffy's eaten it, he'll never be able to swim. Luffy is shocked, but quickly regains his composure, since it's not like he wanted to be a pirate anyway. Luffy's grandfather is annoyed at his flippant attitude, but brushes it off, since after all, there are lots of people who enjoy not having anything to do with water. At that, Luffy breaks down, revealing that he really did want to be a pirate, but couldn't say it because he couldn't swim. He still wants to go out on the sea, and doesn't want to be dead weight in water all his life. His grandfather is touched by this, but slugs him for taking the sea so lightly. He launches into a speech about how the sea is different from ponds or rivers, and that even he would drown if his ship sank in the middle of the sea, but Luffy interrupts him with a return kick to the face and the two begin to fight.

Back in the present, Ann seems amused that Luffy can't swim. Luffy tells her that his hat is the one his violent grandpa always wore, and it's his treasure. He asks Ann what her treasure is, and she says that it's Balloon, but Luffy is distracted by a whale, angering her. Much later, Luffy announces that he's tired of being there, so he's going to go. Ann reminds him that he cant, and Luffy recalls that his ship was broken by the bird. Ann meant that they can't escape from where they are, but Luffy just squeezes through the bars. Ann is astonished, and yells at him to let her out. She asks him if he can also use witchcraft, but he says no, just something similar. Ann is going to go save Balloon, and asks for Luffy's help, but he refuses, saying that he needs to go find a boat. She takes off on her own, cursing Luffy, while Luffy complains that she said she was afraid of pirates before.

On deck, Ann finds the pirates guarding Balloon's cage asleep. She sneaks toward him, but Spiel is watching from the crow's nest. Elsewhere, Luffy is happy to have found both a boat and food. Ann bests the pirates guarding the cage in swordplay, and tells them to free Balloon like they promised, but suddenly one of them is set alight, while Spiel proclaims them scum for being defeated by a woman. Spiel throws the key to Ann, telling her she is free to go, but when she goes to free Balloon, he shoots her. Spiel upbraids her for thinking she could get away, but is interrupted by Luffy appearing with his boat. He asks where Luffy is headed, Luffy replies that his head looks like a water strider. Both the crew and Ann are shocked at Luffy's stupidity. Luffy walks over and asks Ann why she's bleeding, and she replies that it's because she was shot, and she was playing dead until he started talking to her. Spiel takes advantage of the opening by shooting Luffy multiple times, but he bounces the bullets back. Spiel is speechless, Ann wants to know how he did that, and Spiel's crew panics, thinking that Luffy can use witchcraft like their captain. Spiel attempts to crush him with a giant hammer, but Luffy is only annoyed at him. Spiel climbs into the crow's nest and tells the "monster" to stay away, but Luffy tells him he's the one who started it, and at any rate, climbing up there won't help him, which he demonstrates with a long-distance punch that sends Spiel back to the deck. The crew want to know if they're dreaming. Luffy explains that he ate the Gomu Gomu Fruit, which made him into a Rubber Man (in exchange for never being able to swim). This shocks the crew even more, but Spiel tells Luffy to spend his whole life there, stretching and shrinking. Spiel, standing on a broomstick and holding Balloon on a leash, says he has no more use for the ship, because he has the treasure he wanted. He breaks the ship apart with his witchcraft, and departs.

Ann saves Luffy from drowning, and Luffy says he owes her his life. Ann breaks down, and reveals that Balloon was the last of its kind, whose blood is supposed to have magical properties, which is why Spiel wanted it. The real reason that she was captured was because Balloon will always come back to her. She despairs about her most important friend, wishing it didn't have to be rare, or magical, but Luffy tells her not to give up hope yet. Luffy wraps his arm around the mast, and uses the tension as a catapult to launch himself after Spiel and Balloon. Spiel, who is quite pleased to himself, looks back to discover Luffy riding on Balloon's back, who then hops onto Spiel's broomstick. Spiel wants to know how he managed to get there, but makes the fatal mistake of grabbing Luffy's hat. Balloon flies away, which upsets Spiel even more, but Luffy assures him that he'll be landing shortly, delivering a Right Hand Stopper to Spiel's face. As Luffy is being carried back by Balloon, he recalls his grandfather telling him that real treasure isn't a gigantic diamond, gold, silver, coral, or pearls. Luffy wanted to know what it was then, but his grandfather told him he'd understand in time. From Balloon's back, Ann wishes Luffy luck in becoming a Peace Main, and he assures her he will. The narrator says that the pirate known as "Straw Hat Luffy" will spread his name far and wide on the sea, but that it is a story for later.

[edit] Commentary

This version of Romance Dawn progresses in some ways towards the ultimate serialized version of One Piece. In particular, Luffy's personality now seems much more in keeping with the series, and he is not as smart as he appeared in the first version of "Romance Dawn." He also has a named attack for the first time, with his "Right Hand Stopper" (though it does not fit the formula of his attacks in One Piece). Ann continues the trend of a female character bearing a strong resemblance to Nami, while Luffy's powers continue to be brought on by the effects of the Gomu Gomu Fruit. The overall style of drawing is also much closer to that of the beginning of the series, but perhaps the most striking aspect of this version of "Romance Dawn" is that Luffy's past is deliberately less similar to One Piece than its predecessor. According to the author, having moved from a special issue of Jump showcasing new artists to Weekly Jump proper, he wanted to keep Luffy's backstory with Shanks a surprise, and thus rewrote it (arguably into a less-compelling form) so that Luffy's grandfather gave him the straw hat, instead. A number of other holdovers from the first "Romance Dawn" or discrepancies from the series proper still remain:

• The Gomu Gomu Fruit is described as the fruit of a particular tree, rather than a Devil Fruit. This, combined with Spiel's use of witchcraft (which is not mentioned, at least overtly, within One Piece), can be taken as evidence that Oda either had not yet formulated, or at least wished to keep secret, the larger concept of Devil Fruits as they exist in One Piece.
• The story of Gold Roger and the inauguration of the Great Age of Piracy are still absent, as is his mysterious treasure. Based on his absence from both early versions of "Romance Dawn," it is tempting to conclude that both he and the One Piece were relatively late additions to the One Piece world. This may be viewed as unlikely, given his centrality to the plot, but it is not entirely unheard of: in Star Wars, for example, Darth Vader did not originate as a central character in the overall story, but became such as the story was refined.
• The terminology "Peace Main" and "Morgania" from the first "Romance Dawn" continue to be used. These ideas were ultimately scrapped before the final version of "Romance Dawn," and the pirates in the series seem to occupy more of a continuum between the two extremes. Even so, Luffy and Shanks still undoubtedly represent the ideals of the "Peace Main" concept.
• Luffy's grandfather was originally believed to have been solely an addition to this version of "Romance Dawn" in order to keep Luffy's true backstory a secret; no mention had been made of him at all in the first nine years of One Piece's serialization. Yet in late 2006, Luffy's grandfather was revealed as none other than the previously-introduced Vice-Admiral Garp, bearing the same character design as his "Romance Dawn" predecessor. However, it is unclear how long the author had this in mind, as Garp appeared to be a minor character at best when he was first introduced. It is also worthy of note that, while his personality is the same, his character has changed dramatically: far from being a pirate himself, he is a high-ranking Naval officer, who had hunted down the famed Pirate King on multiple occasions. In this context, Garp disapproves greatly of his grandsons' decision to become pirates, and lays the blame squarely upon Shanks. Nevertheless, regardless of his "apocryphal" appearance in this version of "Romance Dawn," Luffy's grandfather managed to survive as a character in the transition to One Piece.

[edit] "Romance Dawn," Version 3

The final version of "Romance Dawn" is that which was serialized in Weekly Jump 1997 #34, as the start of One Piece. It can be found in One Piece volume 1, which is itself subtitled "Romance Dawn."

[edit] Characters

Gold Roger

Monkey D. Luffy

Red-Haired Shanks

Ben Beckman 

(unnamed in this chapter)

Lucky Roo 

(unnamed in this chapter)

Yasopp 

(unnamed in this chapter)

Makino

The Mayor of Fusha Village

[edit] Plot Synopsis

Wealth. Fame. Power. The man who had gained everything in life like none before him was the Pirate King, Gold Roger. The last words he spoke at his execution inspired people the world over to take to the seas:
"My treasure? If you want it, it's yours. Seek it out! I left all of it there!"
The World is about to witness a Great Age of Piracy...

12 years after Roger's execution, in a village that a pirate crew has made its temporary base, a young boy named Monkey D. Luffy is causing a commotion. He is determined to show everyone that he is tough enough to join the pirates in their crew; to do so, he stabs himself in the face, just below the left eye, to the horror of the onlookers. Later, at the village tavern, Luffy (through tear-filled eyes) celebrates his toughness and bravery, while the pirates laugh at his stupidity.

[edit] References

1. ^ Oda, Eiichiro (1998-11-04). Wanted! (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shueisha. ISBN 4-08-872631-6.
2. ^ Oda, Eiichiro (2002-01-05). One Piece RED: Grand Characters (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shueisha, 210. ISBN 4-08-873211-1.