Short Summary
A powerful pirate named Burndy World has escaped from Impel Down, following the events of the Impel Down arc. He's after the Seven Warlords, and his first target is Boa Hancock. On Rusukaina, Luffy is training with Rayleigh when he comes across a banquet left by the Amazons, but it's soon interrupted by World, who having seen the Kuja ship assumed Hancock would be there. After a brief one-sided fight World kidnaps Marigold and Sandersonia then tells Hancock that if she wants her sisters she'll have to come and get them. When Luffy wakes up later he begs Hancock to take him with her, and the two race off after World.
While Oda had no input in the writing, he did however design the bad guys.
In 2018, it was announced the special would receive a English dub in January 2019.
3D2Y: Overcome Ace's Death! Luffy's Vow to his Friends! provides examples of:
- Alas, Poor Villain: It's honestly not hard to feel sorry for World. He was actually a fairly nice guy who just wanted to adventure with his brother and they even gathered three loyal and powerful crewmates too. But then they ran afoul of Cipher Pol agents who tricked World's crew into turning against them. His brother and their three friends were forced to abandon him in the scuffle with the intent to rescue him later. But World took it as a sign of betrayal and by the time he broke out of Impel Down years later, he was bitter, unable to trust even his brother anymore and dead set on revenge against the World Government, which ultimately proved fruitless as Mihawk cuts the cannon in half before it can crush the Marine ships. World dies shortly after from his wounds gotten during his battle with Luffy and using the last of his power in firing the cannon.
- All for Nothing: World gets his cannon, but when a Buster Call commences on his ship and he uses said cannon along with his power to crush them, Mihawk jumps in and cuts the cannon shell before it has a chance to hit the ships, robbing World of his revenge and costing him his life as he used the last of his strength from his battle with Luffy to power up the cannon shot.
- Animation Bump: Luffy's final fight with World is amazingly fluid.
- Bad Boss: World is rather harsh to people who don't do what he tells them to do in the time he told them to do it in. This was a result of the supposed betrayal by his crew.
- Call-Forward: Despite the story being set before the time skip, we see Sebastian using Fishmen Karate moves which are used by Hody Jones (albeit scaled up in Sebastian's case) from the Fishman Island arc.
- Chickification: Hancock doesn't display the level of ability that allowed her to walk away from Marineford without a scratch. Admittedly Luffy doesn't do much better. May be somewhat justified as Luffy is injured from training and Hancock is... distracted.
- Clothing Damage: Hancock suffers a bit of this during her fight with Nightin who was hoping to go for a Defeat by Modesty, which fails for two reasons A) Hancock doesn't really care and B) even while holding her dress together, Nightin ain't a match for a Warlord.
- Designated Girl Fight: Hancock vs. Nightin, admittedly its not much of a fight since despite all her planning and counter measures Nightin is no match for Hancock, neither physically nor mentally.
- Disability Immunity: Sebastian is unaffected by Hancock's looks since he's blind.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Sabo makes his first post time-skip anime appearance in a post-credits scene.
- Edible Ammunition: At one point, World executes a group of his own men who failed to take over a Marine ship within the given time limit by throwing walnut fragments at them with the speed of a shotgun volley.
- Flashback: The story of World and his companions is narrated through a series of flashbacks, detailing his story from his first steps in piratehood alongside his brother to his defeat and capture.
- Foregone Conclusion: Since it takes place before the time skip, it's pretty obvious Luffy and Hancock are gonna come out victorious.
- Handicapped Badass: Sebastian, the blind Wotan, is the only subordinate of World who's able to actually give both Hancock and Luffy a hard time, contrasting Nightin and Gairam, who go down very quickly.
- Hostage Situation: Burndy's initial plan was to kidnap Boa Hancock and use her as a bargain chip agaisnt the World Government. In order to get his hands on her, he kidnaps her sisters Marigold and Sandersonia to force Hancock to come and face him on his own ship.
- Interquel: The story is set during the Time Skip, and part of it tells how Luffy's training is going.
- Knight Templar: Akainu as usual. Once Buggy calls them to World's ship, he instantly opens fire despite the fact that Buggy is a Warlord and thus suppose to be on the same side.
- Ms. Fanservice: Hancock, obviously. With Clothing Damage included.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: During his brief scuffle with Luffy, Gairam manages to crush him against a wall with his Cube Cube powers, leaving him stuck. He then uses those very same cubes to attack Buggy and co, unwillingly releasing Luffy (whom he thought dead).
- Origins Episode: For Luffy's Red Hawk move which he would later debut in the Fishman Island arc.
- Re-Cut: Part of the episode includes remade scenes from the Marineford arc.
- Spoiler Title: Hopefully you knew of Ace's death, because the episode's full title gives it away.
- Stupid Sexy Flanders: Knowing well in advance of Hancock's charms, Nightin prepared a mugworth concoction of herbs so bitter that allows her to overcome the attraction for Hancock. Despite her best attempts though, it's merely a temporarly solution and she ultimately ends up gushing over Hancock's beauty, ending up petrified.
- Third Time's The Charm: Its takes Luffy three times to beat World. Somewhat justified though as Luffy is still in training and can't properly use Haki yet.
