One Piece Episode 1029: Uta’s childhood memories and Luffy’s first encounter with Shanks are revealed

What did One Piece Episode 1029 reveal about Shanks? (Image via Toei Animation)
What did One Piece Episode 1029 reveal about Shanks? (Image via Toei Animation)

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for One Piece Episode 1029.

To commemorate the release of One Piece Film: Red, One Piece Episode 1029, titled A Faint Memory! Luffy and Red-Haired’s Daughter Uta!, traveled back in time to the simpler days. The episode focused on Luffy's childhood before he wanted to become a pirate, as well as the moment when the Red Hair Pirates and Uta arrived in Foosha village.

Last week's episode featured the exciting revelation of Luffy's Advanced Conqueror Haki, which he used to finally give Kaido the beating he deserves. Sadly, One Piece Episode 1029 takes a break from the Land of Wano, meaning it had nothing to do with last week's episode. With that in mind, let's go through the most important moments of this week's exciting and informative episode.


The origins of Uta’s dream are explored in One Piece Episode 1029

What happened last time?

One Piece Episode 1028 was the introduction of Big Mom's new Homie, as well as the start of Killer and Hawkin's fight. In addition, Luffy obtained mastery over his Conqueror Haki, allowing him to finally damage Kaido in combat.


Childhood memories

One Piece Episode 1029 starts with the Straw Hat crew sailing while listening to one of Uta’s songs. Everyone on the ship seems to love the song, although it seems to have stirred up something inside Luffy. Far from there, we see Uta standing on a cliff, thinking about her upcoming concert. She starts having memories of her past, including one of Luffy as a child.

Leaving Uta behind, One Piece Episode 1029 then travels back in time to show a small Luffy playing around. He scares Woop Slap, the mayor of Foosha Village, who scolds him for playing around without concern for others.

The major also lectures him about his lack of interest in helping others. However, they are both interrupted when the merchant at the nearby fruit stand gives Luffy some free fruit.

Happy with the food, Luffy goes to the woods near the village, where he encounters an ape who wants to steal his food. Luffy tells the primate that he will give him all the food he has if he beats him in a fight. After a short but intense battle, Luffy emerges as the victor, telling the ape they can share the food.

While they eat, a boar emerges from between the trees and starts chasing both Luffy and the ape. To avoid the beast, Luffy jumps off a cliff, falling safely into the water. Yet, since he does not know how to swim, he begins to drown. He is rescued by Garp, who tells him that he will need to learn swimming to become a Marine. Luffy explodes, telling his grandparent he does not want to be a Marine.


The Red Hair Pirates arrive

One Piece Episode 1029 continues by showing the Red Hair Pirates sailing while carrying a massive loot. Uta is seen looking out into the sea when she is called by Shanks, who wants to give her a present. The red-haired man gives her a new dress, which the small girl loves. The rest of the crew asks Uta for a song, praising her for her beautiful voice.

Uta starts imagining she is the headliner for a massive concert, asking the Red Head Pirates to act like an adoring crowd. The men are reluctant at first but end up playing along with the girl’s desires, even though she changes her mind about singing. Uta sees Shanks acting suspiciously, holding a small chest that contains the Hito-Hito no Mi, Model: Nika.

Uta asks her father if that is also a present for her, to which Shanks replies that it is not. The little girl is disappointed by the answer, so Shanks tries to cheer her up with news of their stay in the Goa Kingdom. Watching them arrive from afar is Luffy, who is curious about the pirate ship approaching his home.

Uta is not as excited as Shanks imagined she would be, as there is nothing of interest to her in the Goa Kingdom. Suddenly, Luffy arrives running, asking Uta if she and the rest of the crew are pirates. After she and Shanks confirm they are, Luffy warns them about causing trouble, claiming he will make them pay if they do. Uta is not impressed, but Shanks looks expectantly at Luffy.


Uta’s private concert

One Piece Episode 1029 continues after the Red Hair pirates have already established themselves in Foosha Village. To the annoyance of the red-haired man, Luffy has been asking for days to be allowed into Shanks’ ship, but he does not want someone as nice as Luffy to become a pirate.

The boy asks him to give him a chance to prove himself, to which Shanks agrees. Shanks tells Luffy he needs to figure out under which of the three cups in front of the boy Shanks hid a coin. The boy tries but is unfortunately tricked by Shanks. Luffy attempts the same trick Shanks used but fails miserably.

Still, his failure is overlooked when Uta enters Makino’s pub telling Luffy he has no style, so he should not be standing near Shanks. After arguing with Luffy for a moment, the girl decides she will sing him a song, so the Red Hair Pirates prepare the stage for her.

Uta’s song captivates everyone inside the pub, even Shanks, who looks proud of his daughter. However, the happiness Uta’s song brings to the pub does not last long, as Luffy starts singing, making even the birds fly away.


Uta’s new brother

One Piece Episode 1029 proceeds with Shanks telling Uta and Luffy to play together. Luffy brings Uta to a cliff, telling her they should climb it. The girl does not seem interested initially but quickly reveals her competitive nature by challenging Luffy to a race.

After the race, the two kids compete in several challenges to prove who is superior, with Uta winning them all. Uta wonders why Luffy is so hyperactive, prompting the boy to reveal he gets bored when he is not doing anything. Uta does not understand Luffy’s outlook on life. She believes the best thing in life is following her dreams of becoming a star.

After hearing about her dream of singing on big stages, Luffy leads Uta to one of the stages he knows. As they walk, the kids talk about Shanks and the rest of the Red Hair Pirates crew. After a long walk, the kids arrive at an abandoned windmill and climb to the top. Luffy opens a window to show Uta the sunrise, making the girl happy.

Uta and Luffy then talk about their dreams of becoming a famous singer and a powerful pirate one day. One Piece Episode 1029 ends back in the present, with Uta looking over the horizon. She is happy about her dreams becoming a reality.


Final thoughts

One Piece Episode 1029 was not as exciting as fans believed it would be, but it was definitely not bad. The beginning does feel a little slow, but the rest of the episode flows naturally, without any hitches.

Luffy and Uta were obviously the stars of the show, with cute and wholesome interactions that most fans will enjoy. We were also able to see a new side to Luffy, as it was revealed he hated pirates before meeting Shanks.

Speaking of the red-haired Yonko, fans were expecting to see a lot more of him in One Piece Episode 1029, which unfortunately did not happen. There were some scenes in which he was the central focus, but they were scarce and quite short.

Overall, One Piece Episode 1029 was enjoyable, although it does have its flaws. Next week, we will continue divulging into Uta and Luffy’s past with the surprise that Shanks will play a major role in the episode. We can only hope that the latter will indeed have more screen time next week so we can learn more about this enigmatic character.

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Edited by Priya Majumdar
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