Cover
The CP9 Mission Report, Part 15: “The Day He Leaves the Hospital”. Lucci has been treated enough to leave the hospital and says goodbye to the doctor with a handshake. The rest of the CP9 agents stand by in everyday clothes and rejoice.
Storyline
Heart pirates versus marines: Bepo Clears the Way. Jean Bart also stands up for his new crew, with Bepo making it clear that he would have to serve under him as a rookie. Jean Bart agrees. On their escape, they take the same route as the Kid and run into the latter and Bartholomew Kuma. Bear recognizes Law and attacks him as well.
The Kid makes it clear to Law that he would be in the way, as this is his match. Law continues to not let the Kid tell him what to do and wants Bartholomew Kuma to let his crew pass.
Grove 8, Peterman’s bounty hunter headquarters: Peterman lies injured and beaten in his headquarters. His subordinates are worried about his condition. The Straw Hats had paid him a visit. Meanwhile, Duval says goodbye to the Straw Hats and gives Camie her backpack, which he found on Peterman.
Rayleigh and the Straw Hats arrive at Grove 13 at the Bottakuri Bar. Shakuyaku welcomes them.
At the bar: Luffy is surprised to learn that Rayleigh was aboard the Pirate King. Chopper doctors up Hatchan, while Rayleigh reveals that he was Roger’s first mate. When Rayleigh asks why Hatchan hadn’t said anything, he just stammers that the Straw Hat Pirates was just looking for a coater. Robin then asks the others if they hadn’t recognized Rayleigh by now. Usopp, Nami, Sanji, and Franky now seem almost embarrassed by the fact that they didn’t recognize Rayleigh, while Brook puzzles over whether there was once a rookie named Gold Roger in his day.
Zoro now asks how Hatchan became acquainted with Rayleigh. Rayleigh explains that Hatchan saved him 20 years ago when Rayleigh was shipwrecked. Hatchan himself was just a kid and then joined the “Sun Pirates”. However, the question of whether this is the Arlong gang is simply passed over.
Sanji then wants to know why Rayleigh is even still alive, after all the Roger pirate gang had been captured. Rayleigh opens up that they were never captured. Roger would have turned himself in. The horrified Straw Hats now want to know why the Pirate King turned himself in. Rayleigh explains that Roger was suffering from an incurable disease four years before his execution! The only doctor who could relieve Roger’s pain was Crocus, the lighthouse keeper at Cape Twins! The latter joined the Roger Gang for three years and supplied Gold Roger. This enabled the gang to do the impossible and sail around the Grand Line. The Straw Hats now realize they know Crocus as well. He is still at the Cape of Twins at Laboon. Rayleigh then reveals that Crocus was looking for the pirate crew that Laboon left behind. Rayleigh would like to meet him again.
Sanji now asks what happened after the circumnavigation of the Grand Line. Rayleigh explains that Roger was officially considered a pirate king from that point on. Roger’s impending death should have led him to believe that the title was of no consequence to him, but Roger was glad. He was a man who enjoyed his life to the fullest, whether it was partying or fighting.
Rayleigh now tells of the separation of the Roger pirates. Roger himself gave the order and one by one the crew disappeared. No one knows where they are at this moment. Roger then turned himself in, was imprisoned and executed at Loguetown. The public execution was attended by many pirates, but not Rayleigh. In his last conversation with Roger, the latter gave him to understand that he would not die. By saying that he had hidden his greatest treasure somewhere on the Grand Line, he triggered a new age of piracy. From the warning of the world government that death would follow the pirate life, it became a call to be a pirate.
Usopp then asks if Roger set all this up to create a new age of pirates. Rayleigh doesn’t know the answer to that.
Rayleigh only knows that some people are still alive who listened to Roger on the day of the execution. One of them is Shanks. In addition, Buggy was also present. The fact that both of them were on the pirate king’s ship deeply amazes Luffy. Rayleigh met Shanks ten years ago on the archipelago. He related that Luffy had used the very same words as a young boy that Roger once uttered!
Grove 27, harbour: some pirates observe that a navy ship is coming in and suspect that the admiral is coming. The naval ship simply opens fire. On top of one of those bullets is a man! He rides the cannonball to the mainland and lands unharmed while communicating through a Den-den Mushi. It’s Admiral Kizaru!
| Manga volumes | Sabaody Archipelago Arc (Manga) |
