Popeye and Bluto own adjacent shipyards. They are given the plans for a battleship; whichever finishes first gets the contract for the fleet. Bluto does his patriotic duty by refraining from his usual sabotage; his own incompetence provides much of the entertainment, until the end, when Popeye finishes first. Bluto, invited to help launch the ship, provides a bottle of champagne filled with nitroglycerine. Popeye's ship is destroyed, but after his spinach, he manages to turn out a ship every 5 seconds or so, launching an entire fleet for the war effort.
Popeye takes Olive to a stage show of a hypnotist (Bluto), who also levitates objects. While he's doing this, Popeye makes him lose his concentration, so in retaliation, the hypnotist pulls Olive on stage and turns her into a chicken. Popeye comes down to fight and the hypnotist tries to turn him into a monkey, but Popeye pulls a mirror into place. He recovers, and turns Popeye into a donkey, then smacks him around a bit, but spinach comes to the rescue.
The boys arrive at Olive's house at the same time, but at different doors. They both come in, and whenever Olive isn't looking, they start fighting. She catches them, and tells them one will have to leave. Bluto tells Popey that whoever does the best trick can stay. As a result, they find ever more creative ways to abuse each other, much to Olive's merriment. Eventually, though, they start destroying her house, and Olive throws them both out, for a little while, anyhow.
To the classic tune of "Barnacle Bill the Sailor", Olive explains that she can't marry Popeye because she's in love with Barnacle Bill (an unusually large Bluto), who then comes by and proceeds to pound Popeye (until he eats his spinach, of course).
Popeye and Bluto run adjoining (and competing) fire companies. When Olive's huge house catches fire, they are soon more interested in fighting each other than the fire. When Bluto goes to the roof to rescue Olive, the fire strands him there. Popeye eats his spinach and rescues them, but it's too late for the house.
Popeye sees Olive going into the Bruiser Boys Club, where she works in the hospital ward. Their motto, "Can you take it?", is a clear challenge to Popeye. President Bluto puts Popeye through the tests, and while he fares better than most, he still ends up in the hospital ward, until he eats his spinach and goes after the members.
Popeye skates over to Olive's house to give her a Christmas present: ice skates of her own. While he's teaching her, Bluto skates up and gets fresh; of course, Popeye fights him. When Olive rejects Bluto again, he sends her careening on an ice floe towards a waterfall.