Random Thoughts.....What Are You Thinking?

This dub was heavily edited for content, as well as length; reducing the first 143 episodes into 104. Sanji's cigarettes, for example, were turned into lollipops,[48] and "the skin of a black pirate was changed to a tan mulatto / white color."[49] 4Kids originally created an English version of the original opening theme; however, the music was replaced with an alternate score.[50] The series premiered in the United States on September 18, 2004 on the Fox network as part of the Fox Box block, and later aired on the Cartoon Network in the Toonami block in April 2005. 4Kids released a statement in December 2006 confirming that it cancelled the project.[51] In July 2010, an interview was conducted between Anime News Network and Mark Kirk, the Vice President of Digital Media for 4Kids Entertainment. In this interview, Kirk explained that 4Kids acquired One Piece as part of a package deal with other anime, and that the company did not actually watch much—if any—of the series before acquiring it. However, once it became clear to the company how One Piece would not work with their intended demographic, they decided to edit it into a more kid-friendly show until they had an opportunity to legally drop the license. Kirk said the experience "ruined [the] company's reputation." Ever since that incident, 4Kids have established a more strict set of guidelines, checks, and balances to determine what anime the company acquires.