One Piece Chapter 572

Cover

Vivi is sitting on the belly of a sloth hanging from a tree, reading a magazine.

Storyline

The pirates are all very excited: Ace is free at last!

Luffy and his brother have landed and are still engulfed in flames. In a short dialogue, Ace thanks his brother for saving him. Luffy is visibly flattered, but also mentions that he was helped by Whitebeard and his allies.

Straw Hat and Firefist then engage in a skirmish with the Navy. Things quickly look bad for the elite soldiers, as Luffy and Ace turn out to be insurmountable opponents for them, who fight perfectly as a team to boot.

Then Admiral Aokiji appears. He uses his devil powers and launches an attack, but Ace stands up to it and is able to stop the attack with the help of his fire powers.

Elsewhere, Sengoku blames himself heavily. He failed to prevent Ace’s rescue by the Straw Hat.

Suddenly, in the middle of the battlefield, one of Whitebeard’s ships moves. Everyone is surprised when it turns out who is piloting the ship: Squard. He and his gang intend to rush forward with the ship, drawing all attacks to themselves so that the rest can escape with Ace. Despite their determination, all the other pirates criticize Squard’s intentions and eventually Whitebeard himself stops the ship. He announces his final order, demanding that all the men under his command use the ship to escape. He alone would be left behind. After a moving farewell, Whitebeard launches a massive attack that shakes the entire naval headquarters.

Near the end of the chapter, there’s a flashback to the legendary pirate’s past, in which he’s asked what he – who seems to have no interest in treasure – wants to accomplish as a pirate.

The finale is a panel of a drawn, but grinning Whitebeard, who challenges the navy one last time. His journey across the seas was long, now it would be in the hands of the Navy to end it.

Miscellaneous

• The title of the chapter is based on a song of the same nameThe Times They Are a-Changin’ (Bob Dylan album) By Bob Dylan.