"Hikari e" or "Towards the Light" in English, was the song sung for the third opening song of the One Piece anime. It was sung by The Babystars and by Vic Mignogna for the Funimation dub. It was also the first opening to be featured as an opening in the Funimation dub. It was first used on Episode 116 and last used in Episode 168.
Opening[]
The One Piece title appears and turns into the Straw Hats, then a Jolly Roger, and finally the Going Merry. Gol D. Roger narrates as the world is shown on the side of the ship with images of the Straw Hats running on the top right side. After Roger finishes, a still frame of the Straw Hats (including Chopper and Robin) is shown until Luffy is shown. He does a few stretching attacks before punching the screen. Zoro does the same with his swords, Nami creates a Thunder Tempo which nearly hits Usopp, who hops on a cannon and fires it at a rock. Chopper comes flying off of the rock, morphing into his different points before ending in his Guard Point where Sanji, who is cooking, kicks him into the air and throws up the food as well. Chopper, back in regular form, lands on his shoulders as Sanji and he catch the dishes. Sanji nearly falls over, but Robin catches him with her ability and smiles. An overhead shot of the crew is given, the Going Merry is shown again, and the world appears before the logo comes up.
The camera sweeps over the Going Merry as it sails with her crew doing various things. After this, the Straw Hats battle a storm and try to keep the Merry afloat.They survive and get a sunrise as a reward. Next, the crew sees a dolphin Sea King (resembling the one from the beginning of the Little Garden Arc) that looks normal until it splashes near them and nearly capsizes the ship. Finally, one more shot of the crew is given as they sail on toward a sunset. Finally, there is a still shot of the crew posing in different outfits, with Luffy wearing a captain's coat over his clothes.
Gallery[]
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Lyrics[]
| Japanese Kanji | Japanese Rōmaji | English Translation |
| 僕は今 さがしはじめた 水しぶきあげて | boku wa ima sagashi hajimeta mizushibuki agete | I've just now begun to search, over the splashing waves |
| 果てしなく続く世界へ | hateshinaku tsudzuku sekai e | For the everlasting world |
| あふれだす情熱を胸に どこまでも行くよ | afuredasu jounetsu o mune ni doko made mo yuku yo | With this overflowing passion in my chest, I will go anywhere |
| まだ見ぬヒカリ ��め | mada minu HIKARI motome | Seeking the light yet unseen |
| 夏色太陽が ココロの帆をゆらせば | natsu-iro taiyou ga KOKORO no ho o yuraseba | When the summer sun shakes my heart's sail |
| (fly away glum blue sea...) | (fly away glum blue sea...) | (fly away glum blue sea...) |
| あたらしい世界への 扉を開く合図 | atarashii sekai e no tobira o hiraku aizu | That's the signal to open the door to a new world |
| (fly away glum blue sky...) | (fly away glum blue sky...) | (fly away glum blue sky...) |
| 波間にゆれてる 絶望を抜けて | namima ni yureteru zetsubou o nukete | Swaying on the waves, surpassing my despair |
| 水平線の向こう側 (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) 目指して | suiheisen no mukougawa (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) mezashite | Aiming for the other side of the horizon |
| 僕は今 さがしはじめた 水しぶきあげて | boku wa ima sagashi hajimeta mizushibuki agete | I've just now begun to search, over the splashing waves |
| 果てしなく続く世界へ | hateshinaku tsudzuku sekai e | For the everlasting world |
| あふれだす情熱を胸に どこまでも行くよ | afuredasu jounetsu o mune ni doko made mo yuku yo | With this overflowing passion in my chest, I will go anywhere |
| まだ見ぬヒカリ 求め | mada minu HIKARI motome | Seeking the light yet unseen |
| きまりきった毎日と ありふれた雲の流れ | kimarikitta mainichi to arifureta kumo no nagare | A current of repetitious days and mundane clouds |
| (flying over sea of love) | (flying over sea of love) | (flying over sea of love) |
| 君にも映ってる 知るはずもない未来 | kimi ni mo utsutteru shiru hazu mo nai mirai | I see reflected in you a future you can't possibly know |
| (fly away endless blue...) | (fly away endless blue...) | (fly away endless blue...) |
| 変わらないことで 傷つかなくても | kawaranai koto de kizutsukanakute mo | Even if I avoid pain by not changing |
| それじゃ夢も希望さえもない さぁ行こう | sore ja yume mo kibou sae mo nai saa yukou | That leaves me without dreams or even hope—so let's go! |
| 僕はなぜ さがしてるんだろう 何がほしいんだろう | boku wa naze sagashiteru'n darou nani ga hoshii'n darou | Why am I searching? What is it I want? |
| 答えはきっとその先に | kotae wa kitto sono saki ni | The answer is surely somewhere ahead |
| 動き出す世界の中へ ココロして行くよ | ugokidasu sekai no naka e KOKORO shite yuku yo | My heart will go on to the moving world |
| まだ見ぬチカラ秘めて | made minu CHIKARA himete | Hiding my yet unseen strength |
| 僕はなぜ さがしてるんだろう 何がほしいんだろう | boku wa naze sagashiteru'n darou nani ga hoshii'n darou | Why am I searching? What is it I want? |
| まだ見ぬタカラはどこに | made minu TAKARA wa doko ni | Where is the yet unseen treasure? |
| あふれだす情熱を胸に どこまで行ける？ | afuredasu jounetsu o mune ni doko made yukeru? | With this overflowing passion in my chest, how far can I go? |
| わからないけれど | wakaranai keredo | I don't know, but |
| 僕は今 さがしはじめた 水しぶきあげて | boku wa ima sagashi hajimeta mizushibuki agete | I've just now begun to search, over the splashing waves, |
| 果てしなく続く世界へ | hateshinaku tsudzuku sekai e | For the everlasting world |
| あふれだす情熱を胸に どこまでも行くよ | afuredasu jounetsu o mune ni doko made mo yuku yo | With this overflowing passion in my chest, I will go anywhere, |
| まだ見ぬ光 求め | mada minu hikari motome | Seeking the light yet unseen |
| その 向こうへ | sono mukou e | To the other side |
Funimation Version[]
English Title: Towards The Light
English Credits:
English Translation - Michael McFarland
English Singer - Victor Joseph Mignogna
Opening Narration[]
[GOLD ROGER]
The world.
What a glorious place!
Seek freedom and it will lie stretched out before your eyes.
If the endless dream guides your restless spirit, seize it!
Raise your flag, and stand tall!
Lyrics[]
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!)
I think back to the time when my search first began--
I left behind those shores of sand--
For the endless, everlasting world out there...
I know that with this burning passion driving me--
Someday, somewhere, I'll finally--
See the light I have searched for everywhere (ere-ere!)
When the summer sun is shining,
shaking the sails of my heart, I know...
(Fly away glum blue sea)
A brand-new world that had been hiding
has opened up its doors for me to go...
(Fly away glum blue sky)
Swaying in the troubled waves--
From all despair, I can be saved--
For the horizon on the other side is--
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Is what I aim for!
And though I've traveled far from where my search began--
Over seas of green, and shores of sand--
Through the endless, everlasting world out there...
I know that with this burning passion driving me--
Some day, somewhere, I'll finally--
See the light I have searched for everywhere![1]
Trivia[]
- Robin was an enemy during the time the opening premiered, yet was pictured in the opening with the rest of the Straw Hats, it served as a spoiler that she would eventually join the crew.
- Nami's Clima-Tact was seen in this opening prior to its first appearance in the anime, which debuted one episode after this opening's premiere.
- This is the first opening that features Chopper and Nico Robin.
- When the song was shown on Cartoon Network's Toonami, due to their (at the time) standards and practices, all instances of Sanji's cigarette were removed and in the group shot of the crew looking at the sunset his arm was redrawn so that it was not near his face. The post-watershed Toonami reboot now airs the uncensored version of the Funimation dub and does not omit his cigarette in the episodes.
- In the special edition print, the "Special Edition" text in Japanese katakana was added to the One Piece logo (which was later removed in digital prints).
- The outfits the Straw Hat Pirates wear at the end card come from previous art.
- Luffy's outfit is from the inner cover of Volume 24.
- Zoro's outfit is from the cover of Chapter 156.
- Nami and Robin's outfits are from the cover of Chapter 226.
- Usopp, Sanji, and Chopper's outfits are from the cover of Color Walk 1.