Chapter 161

The Straw Hats cross the Sandora river, meet a pack of kung-fu dugongs, and Vivi talks about the Dance Powder incident occurred 2 years ago.

The Green City Erumalu

The Straw Hat Pirates crosss the Sandora River and lands near a town. They then meet a colony of kung-fu dugongs. Vivi explains her friends that the animals normally live in sea water, but because of the current drought, the river has become salty. The same happened to the ghost town they enter. Erumalu was once called a green town, but three years without a drop of rain took the best of its inhabitants and nowadays, Erumalu is nothing but ruins. Vivi then tells them that the only town which did not suffer of lack of water was Alubarna, the capital of Arabasta and the king's residence.

However, two years ago, an "accident" happened in Nanohana. A ship cargo is dropped, revealing its content: a huge amount of Dance Powder. The people in charge of the cargo looked terrified and mention that the powder was for the king. The Dance Powder is a forbidden material which has the power to generate rainfall but at the expense of the clouds in the surrounding area. After the scandal, it rained nowhere besides near the king's palace. People started to become suspicious of Vivi's father, unaware that it is part of the mischievous plan brought by Crocodile. Vivi is determined to not let him continue making her people suffer, and all the Straw Hats are ready to help her.

Shell of a Man

At the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob is in the middle of making a Krabby Patty, and when he is finished, he cries as he gives it to Squidward so that he can give it to customer number 5. The customer is revealed to be SpongeBob, who grabs the order, and eats it. Meanwhile, outside the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs calls SpongeBob into his "Hidey Hole" under the dumpster, where he keeps his belongings from when he was in the Navy in a treasure chest.

Mr. Krabs explains he grew too big for his shell and molted, and is now in despair because he no longer looks tough or manly, looking "pink and soft." After a little bit of slapstick, SpongeBob accidentally launches into Mr. Krabs' shell, which gives Mr. Krabs an idea: for SpongeBob to impersonate him at the reunion, as SpongeBob can also do a convincing impression of his voice.

Later, at the reunion, SpongeBob initially puts on a convincing performance, but goes onstage to accept his "Trophy of Manly Toughness." He tells a story of him jellyfishing in Jellyfish Fields, and nearly reveals his true identity, before Mr. Krabs tells him to get offstage.

He attempts to leave, but Torpedo Belly insists that he body-slam him to test if he still has "armor abs." When he punches SpongeBob, he flies around the room, cracking the shell and revealing SpongeBob. They get angry, but the real Mr. Krabs emerges from the bush that he had been watching from and reveals himself. He begins to walk away in shame, until Muttonchop gives him back his trophy, saying that revealing his condition was the manliest thing anyone could ever do, and revealing that they have all had unmanly secrets as well: Muttonchop's sideburns are fake, Torpedo Belly had his torpedo removed long ago after his retirement from the Navy, Lockjaw Jones lost his Navy chompers and now has to wear dentures, and Iron Eye's eye is actually made of Formica.

As the episode closes with Mr. Krabs walking away with SpongeBob, he says "Yeah, poor suckers. At least my shell will grow back!" and they both start laughing.

Mount Hyjal and Illidan's Gift

As the aftershocks from the Well’s implosion rattled the bones of the world, the seas rushed in to fill the gaping wound left in the earth. Nearly eighty percent of Kalimdor’s landmass had been blasted apart, leaving only a handful of separate continents surrounding the new, raging sea. At the center of the new sea, where the Well of Eternity once stood, was a tumultuous storm of tidal fury and chaotic energies. This terrible scar, known as the Maelstrom, would never cease its furious spinning. It would remain a constant reminder of the terrible catastrophe and the utopian era that had been lost forever. . .

The few Night Elves that survived the horrific explosion rallied together on crudely made rafts and slowly made their way to the only landmass in sight. Somehow, by the graces of Elune, Furion, Tyrande and Cenarius had survived the Great Sundering. The weary heroes agreed to lead their fellow survivors and establish a new home for their people. As they journeyed in silence, they surveyed the wreckage of their world and realized that their passions had wrought the destruction all around them. Though Sargeras and his Legion had been ripped from the world by the Well’s destruction, Furion and his companions were left to ponder the terrible cost of victory.

It was clear that Azshara and her elite high-borne followers had been smashed to the bottom of the raging sea. Still, there were many high-borne amongst the survivors who made their way to the shores of the new land. Though Furion mistrusted the high-bornes’ motivations, he was satisfied that they could cause no real mischief without the Well’s energies.

As the weary mass of Night Elves landed upon the shores of the new land, they found that the holy mountain, Hyjal, had survived the catastrophe. Seeking to establish a new home for themselves, Furion and the Night Elves climbed the slopes of Hyjal and reached its windswept summit. As they descended into the wooded bowl, nestled between the mountain’s enormous peaks, they found a small, tranquil lake. To their horror, they found that the lake’s waters had been fouled – by magic.

Illidan, having survived the Sundering as well, had reached Hyjal summit long before Furion and the Night Elves. In his mad bid to maintain the flows of magic in the world, Illidan had poured his vials, containing the precious waters from the Well of Eternity, into the mountain lake. The Well’s potent energies quickly ignited and coalesced into a new Well of Eternity. The exultant Illidan, believing that the new Well was a gift to future generations, was shocked when Furion hunted him down. Furion explained to his brother that magic was innately chaotic and that its use would inevitably lead to widespread corruption and strife. Still, Illidan refused to relinquish his magical powers.

Knowing full well where Illidan’s treacherous schemes would eventually lead, Furion decided to deal with his power-crazed brother once and for all. With Cenarius’ help, Furion sealed Illidan within a vast underground chamber – to remain chained and powerless until the end of time. Concerned that destroying the new Well might bring about an even greater catastrophe, the Night Elves resolved to leave it be. However, Furion declared that they would never practice the arts of magic again. Under Cenarius’ watchful eye, they began to study the ancient arts of druidism that would enable them to heal the ravaged earth and re-grow their beloved forests at the base of Mount Hyjal.

Jango's Dance Paradise

Vol. 27 : "Shall we DANCE?"

ジャンゴのダンス天国vol.27「Shall we DANCE?」

Oda Eiichiro