Ep 35. Untold Past! Female Warrior Bellemere!

In One Piece season 1 episode 35, entitled "Untold Past! Female Warrior Bellemere!", viewers are taken on a journey into the backstory of one of the series' recurring characters, Nami. The episode is set in Nami's hometown, Cocoyasi Village, where we meet her adoptive mother, Bellemere.

Bellemere is a tough, no-nonsense woman who has raised Nami and her sister Nojiko as her own after finding them abandoned on a nearby island. The episode opens with a heartwarming scene of Bellemere teaching Nami how to read a map, a skill which will later prove to be crucial for Nami's role as the navigator of the Straw Hat crew.

However, the peacefulness of the village is short-lived, as a group of Marines led by a young officer named Nezumi arrive to collect a tax from the villagers. Bellemere, who refuses to pay, is taken prisoner by the Marines, and Nami and Nojiko are left to watch in horror as their mother figure is dragged away.

As the episode progresses, we learn more about the young Bellemere and her past as a Marine. Through a series of flashbacks, we see her training as a soldier alongside her friend and fellow recruit, Vice Admiral Garp. Their military training is intense, and we see Bellemere struggle to keep up with the demanding physical requirements.

Despite the challenges, Bellemere and Garp form a close bond, and we see them joking and laughing together during their time off. However, their friendship is put to the test when Bellemere is captured during a mission and held hostage by a group of pirates.

Without hesitation, Garp marches into the pirates' lair to save his friend. However, during the rescue attempt, Bellemere discovers the true cost of being a Marine when one of her fellow soldiers, a young boy named Tashigi, is killed in the crossfire.

Distraught by the loss of her comrade, Bellemere decides to leave the Marines and start a new life. She settles in Cocoyasi Village, where she takes in Nami and Nojiko and raises them as her own children.

As the episode comes to a close, Nami and Nojiko attempt to rescue Bellemere from the Marines, but are ultimately unsuccessful. In a heartbreaking scene, Bellemere chooses to sacrifice herself in order to protect her daughters, even though it means revealing her true identity as a Marine and losing the trust of the villagers.

Overall, "Untold Past! Female Warrior Bellemere!" is a standout episode that explores the complexity of morality and the sacrifices that individuals make for the ones they love. The flashback scenes are beautifully animated, and the emotional weight of Bellemere's decision to give up her life for Nami and Nojiko is palpable. Fans of the series will undoubtedly feel a deeper connection to Nami and her backstory after watching this episode.