Cover
Smoker and Hina in town: Smoker apparently wants to leave by camel cab, so Hina, who is wearing short hotpants, yells at him because she probably wants to go to a bar.
Storyline
Goa Kingdom, Gray Terminal: Bluejam explains to young Luffy and Ace that being born a noble is an incredibly lucky coincidence. He himself wishes for nothing more than to be under that star. He assumes that Ace and Luffy now despise Sabo for coming out of town to play with them in Gray Terminal, which the two deny since they are brothers. Bluejam makes fun of this, but reminds them that they won’t be getting any closer to the little nobleman or he will slash them. He advises them to forget about Sabo, which Luffy has a hard time doing since he knows Sabo hates the city. Bluejam tells them that they will understand everything when they grow up. He then forgives them for Porchemy and gives them work: they are to distribute boxes on Gray Terminal according to a grid. They do it, even though it’s no fun for them without Sabo. Ace wants to see how things turn out, but they don’t have to worry about Sabo because he’s very strong. Besides, he’s sure they’ll meet again.
In town: Sabo’s father wants to know from him why he ran away. Sabo can’t tell, but he assures him that it’s not Luffy and Ace’s fault. His father suspects they did something to Sabo to keep him from giving up information, but Sabo is shaken and stresses that his friends are not that kind of people. A police officer who is with them suggests that there might be problems letting Sabo into High Town if he is a criminal. His father tries to put the appropriate words in Sabo’s mouth. He then whispers to him that he should answer correctly or Luffy and Ace would be in danger. Sabo is shocked and cries out that they all three acted of their own free will. His father then knocks him out. He bribes the policeman to allow Sabo into High Town.
At home with Sabo: His father orders him to wash up a little in the garden first, once inside the house he should clean up properly straight away. When they enter the house, they are greeted by Sabo’s mother, who notices a disgusting smell. She then introduces Sabo to Sterry, his eight-year-old brother. From his father, Sabo learns that they adopted Sterry because his parents lost the right to raise a child. Of course, Sterry is a noble and thus has excellent blood.
Later, when Sabo is alone, Sterry comes in and tells Sabo that his parents said a lot about him, the idiot. But he’s lucky because the next day is Burning Garbage Day and if he wasn’t back home, he would die. Sabo chokes Sterry and wants to know what exactly is going to happen. Sterry tells him that the Gray Terminal is going to be burned because it is a disgrace to the kingdom and the king wants to spare the World Nobles, who are currently visiting East Blue with envoys from the world government, the sight of it. Sabo is appalled that the garbage is to be burned, as the people who live there will lose their homes and livelihoods. Sterry asks him if he wasn’t listening properly: the king wants to burn the garbage. all the garbage that is there. Sabo realizes: the people who live in Gray Terminal are also just going to be burned. He jumps out of the window and goes to a house where preparations for the fire are being held. He is completely horrified.
The next morning, Sabo and Sterry are greeted by their private tutor. As she acts completely normal, Sabo realizes that the people don’t know about the planned purge. Sabo flees home again and asks around High Town if the people know about the King’s plan, to which they all answer in the affirmative. However, this information is not spoken aloud as it is not allowed to go out of High Town to the normal people. However, he must flee as he is once again wanted and pursued. In his mind, he calls for Ace and Luffy as the town is going insane. They study and eat as usual while knowing people will die. He implores them to leave Gray Terminal that everyone should flee to avoid the purge.
Meanwhile, Bluejam has told Luffy and Ace that the boxes they distributed are full of oil and gunpowder. The boys are horrified and cry out that they must tell the humans, but Bluejam has them tied up and locked in a hut. Before he does, he wants to know where they hid their treasures. During the night, the Gray Terminal is infected. Even Dadan can see the massive fire. The people of the city are terrified that such a fire could start so suddenly. The soldiers of the city guard the Great Gate so that no one can get out of the city. Human rescue and fire fighting should be left to the royal army.
Meanwhile, the people living in Gray Terminal have woken up to the howling of the flames and are trying to escape, but there is no escape route: the way into the forest is blocked by a sea of flames and the Great Gate is closed. Bluejam, meanwhile, is on his way to the Great Gate to claim his reward: He had been promised to make him a noble. But the gate is not opened. Bluejam and his men are trapped. In the meantime, Ace and Luffy have managed to free themselves from their shackles and try to escape as well. A rumor is spread around town that Bluejam set the fire to prevent the World Government from coming.
Sabo meanwhile is kicked away by the soldiers as he tries to get out. A hooded man asks him what is going on. Sabo reveals to him that it was the royal family and nobles who set the fire. The town stinks worse than Gray terminal to Sabo. It stinks horribly of corrupted people. As long as he is in this city, he cannot be free. Crying, he says he is ashamed to be born a noble. The man who listened to him is Dragon. Dragon tells him that he too was born in this kingdom, so he understands him, but he does not yet have the power to change the kingdom. Sabo asks him if he can tell him something and Dragon says he won’t forget.
Meanwhile, Luffy and Ace are still searching for a way out of the flames. Someone approaches Dragon and declares that the preparations are complete.
| Manga volumes | Post-War (Manga) |
