Cover
Koby receives lessons on swords from Tashigi in a forest. Helmeppo is training in the background. Also, a raccoon steals their food package, but they don’t notice.
Storyline
Grand Line, Marine Ford: The Marine is surprised to see Shanks show up with his gang, after all he had a skirmish with the other Emperor Kaidou just yesterday. Garp scowls at Shanks and mentions again that it’s the redheaded pirate’s fault that Luffy went down this path as well.
Shanks tosses the straw hat to Buggy, his old nakama, with orders to bring it to Luffy. When he does, he hands him a treasure map. Buggy, whose dream is to recover every treasure in the world, immediately agrees. Lucky Roux asks Shanks if he’s sure he won’t see Luffy now, since it’s been ten years since their last meeting, after all. His captain replies that he would love to see Luffy, but he recalls the moment he entrusted Luffy with the Straw Hat. He promised to get the straw hat back if Luffy ever became a great pirate. If he were to meet Luffy now, he would have broken his promise. Therefore, he does not want to see Luffy now.
Trafalgar Law watches Shanks in amazement and is told by Bepo to hurry up and close the door. Law stops short as Buggy tosses him the straw hat. Akainu, meanwhile, is very angry with Shanks, as he allowed Dragon’s son to escape. Aokiji freezes the sea to stop the Heart pirate gang’s submarine. Kizaru then unleashes a rain of laser beams on the fugitives’ submarine. Shanks’ vice, Benn Beckman, is especially taken aback by this, as he didn’t suspect that Kizaru still had such power after the past battles. The escape boat, however, was not hit and now sets full speed towards the open sea. The pirates, of course, couldn’t see that Law survived with Luffy and Jinbe, so they are horrified. The admirals are certain that one could not survive these attacks, and if they did, it would be by very good luck.
Hancock orders a naval ship to set sail to follow the submarine. The soldiers are confused, as they assume that it has sunk. But Hancock is sure they are still alive. She orders a soldier to report that she is after Luffy as a samurai of the seas. So they set sail, not knowing which way to head. But Hancock wants them to just sail.
Shanks has since confessed to Buggy that he doesn’t have a treasure map for him. He just said it because he got sentimental and he’s happy to see Buggy again after such a long time. Buggy, however, is anything but pleased as he’s already pissed at Shanks and now he just used him too. Buggy’s followers, the refugees of the Impel Down, are impressed at how Buggy speaks to one of the Four Emperors and swear eternal loyalty to him. Buggy, meanwhile, hatches a plan: if he gets in good with Shanks, he might be able to escape from Marine Ford.
Marco addresses Shanks, but he interrupts him and advises him not to continue the fight, but to retreat quietly. Hawkeye sets off to leave the battlefield, having only agreed to fight Whitebeard. A fight against Shanks is not included in this agreement. Shanks now speaks to all present: If they want to keep fighting, then he, along with his gang, will take care of each and every one of them.
Shanks asks Blackbeard if he wants to keep fighting, but Blackbeard says no, since he got what he wanted. He also knows that a fight with the redhead is too soon for him. As a result, he leaves with his men. Now he asks the members of the Whitebeard gang to save face in front of him, as now that the fight is over, they vent their grief at the loss of Whitebeard and Ace.
Shanks demands the dead bodies of Ace and Whitebeard for himself. He will not allow, after the deaths of the two pirates have been broadcast to the entire world, the Navy to abuse the dead for their own purposes and put them on display. A marine scolds Shanks, saying that the heads of the two dead will prove the navy’s victory. Sengoku, however, thinks that this is of no interest. He leaves the dead to him and takes responsibility for them, for which Shanks thanks him. Sengoku’s interest now lies with the wounded, who should be treated as soon as possible. He, like Shanks before him, declares the war over.
| Manga volumes | Marineford Arc (Manga) |
