One Piece Chapter 498

Cover

Storyline

The Straw Hat Pirates is currently in the Outlaw Zone, on their way to Bottakuri Bar in search of a sheath mechanic to help them get to Fish Man Island. But on the way there they are exposed to several surprise attacks of bounty hunters, which they defeat with ease.

Finally, the Straw Hats reach Grove 13 and then enter the bar built on a root. They are greeted by the bartender Shakuyaku, who doesn’t seem very friendly, as she only greets the Straw Hat gang with a “What do you want?”, moreover she just beats up a “guest” who doesn’t want to pay. But then when she sees Hatchan, she bursts out in joy. Hatchan and Shacky’s reunion joy is great, as they hadn’t seen each other in ten years now. Shacky and Hatchan chat a bit about their lives and what they’re up to now, which is when the others learn that Shakuyaku was also a pirate 40 years ago. Currently, Luffy and Brook are helping themselves to the bar’s refrigerator. Shakuyaku doesn’t seem to mind this at all. She also gives Chopper a cotton candy, which is apparently Chopper’s “favorite” food.

Luffy is very surprised that she knows Chopper loves cotton candy. That’s apparently not the only thing Shacky knows though, she knows Luffy and the rest of the group too. She tells them that the Straw Hats are the number one topic of conversation. Hatchan then wants to get to the real reason for the visit, but Shacky already knows. She tells them that the mechanic named Rayleigh hasn’t been back in six months, he’s apparently supposed to be somewhere on Sabaody Archipelago. He’s probably in bars, casinos, or looking for women. Rayleigh probably stays between Groves 1 – 29, but he loves Sabaody Park the most. As a result, Luffy, Chopper, Brook and Camie freak out with joy.

However, Shakuyaku warns them to stay under cover at all times, as there are another nine rookies on Sabaody Archipelago. Luffy is also only number 2, apparently there would be another rookie pirate with a higher bounty!

In a restaurant on Grove 24 is Capone “Gang” Bege with a bounty of 138,000,000 berry. He is the captain of the Fire Tank pirate gang. In another restaurant is the captain of the Bonney pirate gang, named Jewelry Bonney with a bounty of 140,000,000 berry. In addition, on Sabaody Archipelago is Basil Hawkins, who is also on his way to the New World and whose bounty is 249,000,000 berry. In another bar, the feisty Eustass Kid, captain of the Kid pirate gang, whose bounty is 315,000,000 Berry, meets Scratchmen Apoo, whose bounty is 198,000,000 Berry. He is the captain of the on air pirate gang. Also in the game are X. Drake, captain of the Drake pirate gang, Trafalgar Law, leader of the Heart pirate gang, and the captain from the Fallen Monk pirate gang named Urouge.

Miscellaneous

• On the last page of the chapter, there is an Easter Egg in the form of a wanted poster that puts a bounty of 100,000,000 on Naruga Kuruga. This is a reference to a monster in the Monster Hunterwhich was very popular among wizards at the time.