Ep. 31: Crash!! Secret Operations

'''Crash! Secret Operations''' is the thirty-first episode of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger. It is the tribute to Chouriki Sentai Ohranger, as well as the beginning of a two-part story which concludes with One Power.

Synopsis
With the next fortune being "UAOH", the Gokaigers seek out their next clue until they find a sign at an amusement park that says "greater power found here", and they find Momo Maruo, the former OhPink of the Ohranger team. However, Basco has also managed to find this greater power, and has approached Gorou Hoshino, the former OhRed.

Plot
At UAOH HQ, Gorou Hoshino learns that the Earth Defense Force has been wiped out and the Changemen's Greater Power taken as he tells his aide Momo Maruo that they must begin their own operation. On the Gokai Galleon, confused by Navi's fortune being "Uao" (sounding like "Wow"), the crew thinks it might have something to do with a roller coaster.

They head to an amusement park for clues as they find Momo with a sign as she calls out for the Gokaigers. After she is formally introduced to the pirates by Gai, Momo reveals that she will give them the Ohrangers' Greater Power in return for a series of menial tasks. The Gokaigers agree until the tasks start to wear on the others when Joe points out that Momo is hiding something from them. Confronting her, Momo reveals that she has been keeping the Gokai Galleon crew distracted so Gorou can make a deal with Basco...

Elsewhere, Gorou has contacted Basco with an offer... if Basco provides info on the coordinates of the Gigant Horse  then Gorou will willingly hand over the Ohrangers greater.

Aboard the Galleon, Momo explains that while Gorou is making a deal with Basco it isn't what they assume as Gorou's plan is actually to try and get the stolen powers back by luring the privateer into a trap while Momo has orders to hand over the Greater Power in case Gorou fails. The crew however refuses to take something that they're just offered... they're pirates, so they feel they have to earn it properly.

Meanwhile, Gorou fails in his attempt to take out Basco, who sets Sally on him. However suddenly chains rise from the ground and capture Basco and Sally, as Gorou's back-up plan takes effect. He reveals that he has laced the warehouse they are inside with bombs that he intends to detonate, taking out Basco once and for all. However, when he presses the detonator nothing happens. Basco is released from his bounds by the Wolzard Fire clone, while the clones of Signalman, DekaMaster, DekaSwan, Princess ShinkenRed, Rio and Mele have already disarmed and removed all the bombs. The clone of Zubaan releases Sally, as Basco attempts to take Gorou's Greater Power. Gorou, surprised when the Rapparatta's tune begins to draw the Ohrangers' power out of him, communicates with Momo desperately asking her why she hasn't handed the Greater Power over to the Gokaigers yet.

At the last second, Basco is stopped as the Gokaigers arrive, and Momo convinces Gorou to let the Gokaigers do things their way. Basco has the clones fight the Gokaigers, and things are made worse when the clones of Wolzard Fire and Zubaan grow.

As Gokai Silver takes to Gojyujin to defeat Wolzard Fire and Zubaan, the rest of the Gokaigers assume the forms of the Ohrangers while receiving the team's greater power. By using the Ohrangers' signature attacks, the Gokaigers manage to defeat the warriors as Gokai Silver gets the Ranger Keys before Sally can retrieve them. With no more Ranger Keys in his possession, Basco seems defenseless as he signals Sally to stand aside when Captain Marvelous charges him. However, Basco reveals his true monstrous form before breaking Gai's arm and easily crippling the rest of the crew (while Damaras watches from the Gigant Horse with interest). After revealing that he has the greater powers of the Changemen, the Flashmen and the Maskmen, Basco spares the Gokaigers' lives so they can continue with their quest and make his job of getting the Greatest Treasure in the Universe easier. As Gorou and Momo arrive to help the fallen heroes, Marvelous vows revenge against Basco.

Cast

 * Ryota Ozawa as Captain Marvelous (Gokai Red)
 * Yuuki Yamada as Joe Gibken (Gokai Blue)
 * Mao Ichimichi as Luka Millfy (Gokai Yellow)
 * Kazuki Shimizu as Don Dogoier (Gokai Green)
 * Yui Koike as Ahim de Famille (Gokai Pink)
 * Jun Ikeda as Gai Ikari (Gokai Silver)
 * Tamao Sato as Momo Maruo (OhPink†)
 * Masaru Shishido as Gorou Hoshino (OhRed†)
 * Yukari Tamura as Navi (voice)
 * Koji Ishii as Damaras (voice)
 * Kei Hosogai as Basco ta Jolokia
 * Toru Omura as Sally

Gokai Changes

 * Gokai Changes in Crash!! Secret Operations:
 * Gokai Red - OhRed
 * Gokai Blue - OhBlue
 * Gokai Yellow - OhYellow
 * Gokai Green - OhGreen
 * Gokai Pink - OhPink
 * Gokai Silver - Go-On Wings, Gold Mode

Ranger Key Summons

 * Like Basco's previous two appearances, with his Extra Ranger/Bangai Hero Ranger Keys, Basco summons manifestations of Extra Rangers/Bangai Heroes to fight against the Gokaigers:
 * Gokai Red - DekaMaster, DekaSwan
 * Gokai Blue - Black Lion Rio, Confrontation Beast Chameleon-Fist Mele
 * Gokai Yellow - Princess Shinken Red
 * Gokai Green - Signalman
 * Gokai Pink - MagiMother
 * Gokai Silver - Wolzard Fire, Great Sword Man Zubaan
 * With this episode, Basco has summoned all 10 Extra Rangers/Bangai Heroes as clones at least once.
 * Gai is the only Gokaiger to fight 2 Extra Rangers/Bangai Heroes with the same gender, but from different series.

Elements/Homages to Ohranger

 * The title of this episode homages Ohranger in its structure: like many of the early episodes, the title begins with an exclamation (with two exclamation points), followed by a subject tied to the exclamation that is connected to the episode.
 * The usage of Zubaan both as Basco's ally and as the opponent of the mecha connects to Gunmajin, a similar mecha-like being used in Ohranger like Zubaan was in Boukenger, as well as the aspect that the main enemy of the Ohranger were an army of machines.
 * The "diva-like" attitude of Momo forcing the Gokaiger to do things for her may be in reference to the problems during Ohranger's filming between Toei management and Tamao Sato, the actress who played OhPink.

Trivia

 * As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside Kamen Rider Fourze episode 4, Changing Illusion, Secret Maneuver.
 * Despite this being the Ohranger tribute episode, Gai does not change into KingRanger when the Gokaigers become the Ohrangers. This is because Gai was busy battling an enlarged Wolzard Fire and Zubaan in GouJyuJin. Storywise, it can also link to the next episode where the core Gokaigers are the ones to utilize the Ohrangers' Greater Power.
 * This episode opens with Basco attacking a male member of the Earth Defense Force and taking the Greater Power of the Changemen. Obviously, this man is a Changeman, but his face isn't shown so his identity is unknown. He could be either Hiryuu Tsurugi (Change Dragon), Shou Hayate (Change Griffin) or Yuuma Oozora (Change Pegasus).
 * This episode has also shown that Basco had offscreen stolen the Greater Powers of Flashman and Maskman. Note that all of Basco's stolen Greater Powers succeeded each other.
 * This is the only tribute episode where a song from a previous Super Sentai other than the theme song plays. In this case, Nijiro Crystal Sky.
 * With their claim of the remaining 9 Bangai Hero Ranger Keys, the Gokaigers now possess every Ranger Key that originated from the Great Legend War.
 * As of this episode, the only Greater Powers that are left unclaimed are from the Battle Fever, Sun Vulcan, Fiveman, Kakuranger, and Megaranger teams.