The short opens with the jaunty wartime tune You're a Sap, Mr. Jap, a Tin Pan Alley number released just days after Pearl Harbor, which sets a brisk and playful mood for the action to come. Popeye is riding a small boat, scanning the sea with his binoculars, when he spots a tiny Japanese vessel on the horizon. He drops anchor with a decisive gesture, ready for whatever comes next.
A calm encounter quickly turns into mischief as one Japanese sailor fishes on the side of the boat and another emerges from inside. They present Popeye with a peace treaty, and the moment seems almost ceremonial as he begins to sign. But the mood shifts in a flash: a giant mallet swings at him, and chaos erupts around the treaty signing. A bamboo-clip deception unfolds—a firecracker hidden in a hole at the bottom of Popeye's shoe is set off, sparking an explosion that sends shenanigans and slapstick flying. A bouquet, apparently innocent, hides a lobster that pops out to punch a foe and even give a sharp haircut as a bit of mock danger.
The lobster’s intrusion escalates the chaos, and the Japanese crew members scramble, slipping out from their disguise and signaling others to emerge from the hull. What seemed like a small skirmish reveals itself as a much larger, more formidable ship. The enemy vessel blasts a cannon at Popeye’s boat, and suddenly the situation looks dire: Popeye clings to his mast as the mast itself becomes a point of danger, and two sailors spot the mast and watch as he seems to drown.
But this is where the spinach magic happens. With a quick gulp, Popeye reaches for his spinach and channels a surge of energy that lifts the boat and turns the tide. He confronts the two sailors who cut the mast, sending them tumbling into the water. He seizes the anchor from the enemy ship and uses it as a tool to pry open cannons and turn the fight in his favor.
Moving across the vessel, he discovers a group of sailors hiding inside a cannon hull and, with a powerful kick, sends them into the sea. The ship begins to fall apart from the inside as the hull caves in and panic spreads among the crew. Inside the ship, a Japanese Naval Officer contemplates a grim end to the battle, choosing a deadly path of gasoline and firecrackers. The explosive mix fuels his own chaotic end, and his body becomes a combustible spectacle that shoots him out of the vessel.
Popeye watches for a telltale sign in the enemy commander’s mouth—gas buildup in the stomach—and realizes the danger before it’s too late. With quick reflexes, he throws the officer back under the hull and then hops aboard his own craft to escape. From that vantage point, he sees the enemy ship erupt, explode, and sink beneath the waves as a final, comic flush punctuates the catastrophe.
The scene closes with a noisy, comic denouement—an outlandish, triumphant finish that stays true to Popeye’s brand of over-the-top heroics and relentless resilience. The victory is loud, messy, and unmistakably cartoonish, leaving a lasting impression of perseverance and playful chaos in the face of danger.
