One Piece Movie: Z was the 12th One Piece animated film and a tie-in to the main anime series. The film was announced in November 2011 by Fuji Television and officially premiered on December 15, 2012. Manga author Eiichiro Oda supervised and produced the film, as he did before and after. The film's plot is actually tied to the Z's Ambition mini-arc of the anime series, which actually served as a prequel to the film. In this article, we've decided to tell you when and where One Piece Movie: Z takes place.

One Piece Movie: Z was released on December 15, 2012. It is a follow-up to the filler arc of the Z's Ambition anime, and takes place somewhere between the Fish-Man Island Saga and the Punk Hazard Arc. It is officially part of the Dressrosa Saga and takes place in the post-time period, being the first One Piece movie depicting the characters after the jump. The characters visited several different locations in the film itself.

In this article, we'll give you more details about the plot of One Piece Film: Z and how it might tie into the manga's main plot. We'll see if there's any chance that One Piece Film: Z could be canon, which would certainly shake up the world Oda created, especially the opinions and ideas we had about Shanks.

One Piece Movie: Z is not canon, so it is impossible to determine exactly when it takes place.

Fans will know that animated films are mostly non-canonical in all major animated series. Sometimes they can be canonical, but in most cases, a film is simply an extension of the original plot and is considered filler content that is not related to canon; in fact, in many cases, these films blatantly contradict canon or are simply impossible to place on the timeline.

One Piece Film: Z is a non-canon film, and even though we can place it on the timeline, there are still elements that openly contradict the canon content.

We know that the film continues the Z's Ambition filler arc, which was the first mini-arc of the Dressrosa saga. The mini-arc began right after the larger Fish-Man Island saga and was a prelude to the canon Punk Hazard Arc.

The events depicted in the arc and the film take place after the time skip, making Z the first post-time skip film in the series. Specifically, this would mean that the film takes place between episodes 578 and 579 of the anime, which is when we think you should watch it.

The characters visit many locations in the film

As for where it takes place, we think it's best to read the plot to see where they are since the movie describes more than one location.

Zephyr, a former admiral and now leader of the paramilitary organization known as Neo Marina, along with his subordinates Ain and Binz, storms a naval base and steals the infamous Dyna Stone, a secret weapon of power comparable to ancient weapons.

After fighting Kizaru, Zephyr is injured and accidentally rescued by the Straw Hat Pirates; once he discovers they are pirates, he attacks them with his men, who came to retrieve him after locating him using a Vivre Card.

Ain uses his powers to rejuvenate Nami, Chopper, Brook, and Robin while the crew gets the worst of it but manages to escape. The Marine staff decides to mobilize once they understand Zephyr's plan, which aims to destroy the New World with the Dyna Stones by detonating the three Endpoints, that is, the islands in which a large amount of magma is found, in order to release an eruption that could destroy the entire second part of the Red Line.

Meanwhile, Luffy's crew reaches Dock Island, where a carpenter named Mobston tells them how many pirate crews have been defeated by the Neo Marines over the past year or so. While searching for information on Z, the crew meets former Admiral Aokiji, who left the Navy after being defeated by Akainu at Punk Hazard in the battle to decide who would succeed Sengoku as Grand Admiral following the Battle of Marineford.

Kuzan explains the Zephyr's plan to them, and the crew discovers that he is on the island. Luffy and the others attack him, but are unable to gain the upper hand, allowing him to safely leave with the captain's straw hat.

Meanwhile, Garp tells Koby and Helmep Zephyr's story: once an admiral, when a pirate killed his wife and son, he became an instructor and trained many cadets who would later become famous Marines. One day, most of his recruits were killed and Z lost his arm in a pirate attack; when he was chosen to join the Warlords of the Sea, the man left the Marines to form his new group, the Neo Marines.

Luffy and his companions go to the island where the Neo Marines will initiate their plan and confront them: this time, they manage to gain the upper hand, and Luffy defeats Z after a tough fight, just as Kizaru and the Marines also arrive on the island. Z then decides to face his former comrades alone to allow the crew and his subordinates to withdraw; Ain tries to change his mind by running towards him, but Kuzan creates a thick wall of ice to divide them and at the same time prevent the Dyna Stone from exploding.

Z dies during the fight, and later Ain, Binz, and Kuzan bury him by placing the remains of his smasher on his grave. The film ends with a flashback in which a boy dressed as a superhero confronts bullies who are abusing a little girl: while other children cheer him on, the little boy declares that he is a fighter for justice and that his name is Z. As the credits roll, Luffy's crew returns to Dock Island one last time to return to Mobston what he had lent them.