Future major players Eustass Kid and Trafalgar Law witness the punch from the audience, signaling the start of their dynamic with Luffy.
The episode highlights the deep-seated prejudice against Fish-Men in the One Piece world. One Piece Episode 396
Despite Hatchan's dying plea for Luffy not to retaliate against a Celestial Dragon (which would summon a Navy Admiral), Luffy reaches his breaking point. In a sequence praised for its dramatic shift to black-and-white animation to emphasize impact, Luffy delivers a powerful punch to Charlos's face, literally knocking the color back into the scene and shattering the Noble's protective bubble. Future major players Eustass Kid and Trafalgar Law
