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One Piece PSP RPG's New Ads Focus on Ace, Going Merry

Namco Bandai Games began streaming the next weekly commercials for the upcoming PSP "pirate romance" role-playing game One Piece Romance Dawn: Bōken no Yoake on Monday. The videos center on the pirate Portgas D. Ace and Straw Hat Pirates' Going Merry (Merry Go in the English manga) ship. (The commercials contain pre-New World spoilers.) Like the previous ads, these also include the game's theme song "Eternal Waves" by Hyōe Ebata of TRIPLANE, the same band that performed The One Piece anime's ending theme song "Dear friend."

As the title indicates, the game begins with the "Romance Dawn" arc of the manga, at the "dawn" of pirate Luffy's adventures in the East Blue. It will feature 30 minutes of brand-new anime footage, some of which appears in the commercials.

Namco Bandai Games will release the game in Japan on Thursday on both UMD and through digital download for 5,980 yen (about US$77). Those who pre-order the game will receive nine custom PSP themes of the Straw Hat Pirates' wanted posters, a map for the special quest with Kuzan (Aokiji) as seen in One Piece Film Z, and a serial code for obtaining a limited figure in the Mobage One Piece Grand Collection game.

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan will also offer a black One Piece Romance Dawn: Bōken no Yoake Straw Hat Pirates Edition PSP system with gold symbols of the Staw Hat Pirate Flag and the individual members on the back.