Carrying on his will (Vol. 16) : Avalanche! Luffy and Sanji surf a tree down a mountain on a fast-moving wave of snow and just avoid being buried alive. But then the demented King Wapol suddenly appears and orders Luffy and Sanji's deaths. With no time to lose, Luffy evades their attacks. Then out of the blue, an unlikely friend comes to his rescue! A friend who was just trying to kill him only hours before.

Hiriluk's cherry blossoms (Vo. 17) : King Wapol wants his castle back. Luffy, Sanji, and their newfound friend, Tony Chopper, aren't giving up so easily. But these heroes have their hands full--especially with Wapol's ability to modify his body depending on what he eats.

Ace arrives (Vol. 18) : The Straw Hats at long last reach Alabasta! But their stay is cut short when Luffy attracts too much attention from the Navy. They're not the only ones interested in Luffy--someone from his past has been waiting for him too! Meanwhile, the Baroque Works' agents are summoned together when their leader, the dastardly Mr. Zero, aka Sir Crocodile, learns that Luffy is still alive and orders his immediate extermination!