Otama was the star of One Piece episode 1038 (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece episode 1038: Luffy is saved and new friends for the Alliance

Modified Oct 30, 2022 04:37 GMT

One Piece episode 1038 was released only a couple of hours ago, bringing fans to the thrilling conclusion of Nami’s fight against Ulti. For the last couple of episodes, the Straw Hat cartographer has been working with Usopp to help Otama arrive at the Live Floor. They were desperate for the small girl to use her powers and turn the Smile users into their allies.

Last week’s episode focused on Nami’s group arriving at the Live Floor, only to be attacked by a weakened Ulti. We also saw the Heart Pirates finding Luffy at the bottom of the sea. One Piece episode 1038, titled Nami’s Lethal Attack! Otama’s Desperate Challenge!, showed fans the true strength of Otama’s power. Keep reading to learn more about the highlights of the episode.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for One Piece episode 1038.

Nami used her new powers in One Piece episode 1038

What happened in the last episode?

Nami as seen in the show (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece episode 1037 began with Kaido chasing Momonosuke and Shinobu around Onigashima. The Kunoichi destroyed the ground beneath her and her master to escape the Yonko. Nami, Usopp, and Otama arrived at the Live Floor. Ulti surprised them by attacking Usopp. Nami discovered that her Climate Baton was possessed by Zeus and used his power to attack Ulti.

Episode 1038: Safe at last

The Heart Pirates saving Luffy in One Piece episode 1038 (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece episode 1038 began with the Heart Pirates rescuing Luffy from the depths of the sea. Once the Straw Hat captain was safely on board their submarine, they emerged to the surface to give Luffy a chance to breathe. Sadly, the young man was bloated with all the water that he drank as he sank. Jean Bart jumped on top of Luffy to help him eject all the liquid from his body.

Meanwhile, Momonosuke and Shinobu were still falling towards the sea. The young boy was terrified by the possibility of drowning, prompting Shinobu to use her Ninpo: Great Kite to help them fly. Once they were safe on land, Momonosuke allowed his worry to dissipate, crying while the Kunoichi hugged him.

Nami’s right-hand-man

Nami and Zeus in One Piece episode 1038 (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece episode 1038 continued with Nami and Zeus thinking about a strategy to take down Ulti once and for all. The sentient cloud wanted his new master to use her Lightning Blast, but Nami refused, as it could hurt Otama too. Usopp used one of his special Black Stars to separate the Tobi Roppo from the little girl.

Seeing an opportunity to attack, Nami conjured her clouds, which took the appearance of Zeus. The former Homie asked Nami to rename him since he did not want to be remembered as Big Mom’s helper. Nami told him that his new name would be Fluff, prompting Zeus to introduce himself with his original name.

Together, they charged a massive Lighting Blast attack, powerful enough to knock out Ulti with a single hit. Nami sent Zeus after the blue-haired woman, thinking that this would be the end of the fight. Unfortunately, Ulti evaded the attack and prepared herself to kill Nami. Suddenly, Zeus changed trajectories, hitting Ulti directly and knocking her unconscious.

Otama’s order

Bao Huang in One Piece episode 1038 (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece episode 1038 went on to show Bao Huang in shock after seeing Ulti defeated in front of her. Not realizing that she was still transmitting her voice throughout the castle, the woman screamed that two Tobi Roppo had been defeated. The Animal Kingdom Pirates were unsure of what to do with this new information, as they never expected their top officer to be defeated.

Usopp noted that Bao Huang was the person who transmitted the messages through Onigashima. He shot another one of his special projectiles to create a giant Venus flytrap that ate Bao Huang. The marksman revealed to Otama that the woman acted as a transmission device, so she could use it to control the Smile users inside the castle.

Otama about to give her orders in One Piece episode 1038 (Image via Toei Animation)

Despite being scared, the small child began walking towards Bao Huang, ready to speak her orders. Otama introduced herself, horrifying Sanji and Chopper, who were not aware that the child was inside the castle. Ulti continued talking, prompting the Smile users to call out for their master.

A game of numbers

Jimbei fighitng Whose Who in One Piece episode 1038 (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece episode 1038 continued with Queen using his scream to knock Otama to the ground. The girl was scared and could not continue giving her orders to the Smile users. Elsewhere, Jimbei could be seen fighting Whose Who and his troops. The Fishman knew that the Alliance was severely outnumbered, which is why they tried to keep the most powerful Animal Kingdom Pirates separated.

As Jimbei spoke, Franky could be seen fighting Sasaki, who was still surrounded by allies. Far from there, Dogstorm continued his battle against Jack, who mocked the Samurai for even believing that the Alliance could win. He reminded Dogstorm that the Animal Kingdom Pirates had more than five times as many fighters as the Alliance.

Soon after, the Smile users entered the Live Floor, ready to kill their former allies for betraying Queen. The former Animal Kingdom Pirates began running, trying to escape their impending doom. Chopper wanted to join the fight but was exhausted.

New members of the Alliance

Luffy was saved in One Piece episode 1038 (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece episode 1038 proceeded to show Usopp and Nami helping Otama stand up. They begged the girl to be strong and gave the command for the Smile users to join their side. Without hesitation, the small child began speaking to everyone in the castle. She told everyone that Luffy and her friends were fighting, regardless of the pain they were going through.

As Otama’s speech went on, viewers could see the Straw hat Pirates facing their enemies. The young girl continued by proclaiming that she would be strong and fight alongside her friends. Queen sent a group of flying Smile users to kill the girl. Knowing that she did not have much time left, Otama commanded the Smile users to switch sides and help the Alliance defeat Kaido.

The flying soldiers that Queen sent after the girl turned around, stating that they would follow their master’s command. Throughout Onigashima, Smile users were attacking their former comrades while proclaiming their undying loyalty to Otama.

Father vs son

Kaido in One Piece episode 1038 (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece episode 1038 continued on Onigashima’s roof, where Yamato was ready to fight his father. The young man explained to Kaido that he was there to cut ties with him and protect the Land of Wano. Kaido laughed, asking his son if he was aware of what those words meant. Yamato did not falter and once again told his father that he would beat him.

Kaido entered his hybrid form while mocking Yamato for still believing in Luffy and Momonosuke. The Yonko told his son that both of the Alliance’s leaders were sinking to the bottom of the sea as they spoke. Yamato assured Kaido that Luffy and Momonosuke would return soon to defeat him. One Piece episode 1038 ended with Yamato and Kaido’s weapons clashing.

Final thoughts

Nami finally got a powerup in One Piece episode 1038 (Image via Toei Animation)

Now that the Smile users have allied themselves with the Straw Hats, the tides of war have finally changed. The Alliance went from being almost defeated to taking control of the battlefield in the blink of an eye. It is now time for the Straw Hat Pirates to show Kaido and his forces what they are truly made of.

According to the preview of One Piece episode 1039, the next episode will continue with Sanji’s fight against Queen. The All-Star will reveal his most powerful form yet, in an attempt to scare the Straw Hat cook.

Edited by
Rodrigo Sandoval Lahut