Cover
Jinbe and Hawkeye are eating Takoyaki. An octopus also eats with them.
Storyline
East Blue, Goa: Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp arrives in the Foosha Village. The villagers immediately ask him about the Great Event, Luffy’s condition, and what will happen to the world. One citizen describes how new pirate ships can be seen all the time now, and that’s why they can’t sleep at night. Garp himself had just sunk a ship of amateur pirates and thinks that the sea will now be unstable for a while, even in such small places in the East Blue. So he has his men put up a sign saying that the village is under the protection of the Vice Admiral. However, there is another problem: A gang of mountain robbers is said to have occupied Makino’s bar. Just at that moment, their leader comes out of the building and immediately attacks Garp with her club. It is Dadan, who asks the Vice Admiral how he can come back like that. Garp, who is bleeding from the head, stops his soldiers as it is an acquaintance. Dadan immediately pounces on him afterward, questioning how he could just let Ace die like that during the battle. She starts crying on Garp’s face and lashes out at that one. Suddenly, Makino stands in her way. Meanwhile, the Vice Admiral also has tears in his eyes. The bar owner claims that Garp couldn’t save both of them and is probably suffering the most. However, Dadan only replies that the one suffering the most is Luffy. Makino now recalls how she tried to teach Ace and Luffy manners. She too finally bursts into tears and runs away. Woop Slapp then speaks up and asks Garp what happened to Luffy. Since he escaped in a submarine and no body has been found yet, they assume he’s still alive. The residents are relieved, but wonder what the mountain robbers have to do with it. Dadan now makes it clear that no matter what kind of pirate Luffy becomes, she has his back. She calls out that he shouldn’t lose out there.
On an island in the New World: Tombs have been built for Whitebeard and Ace. Marco asks Shanks how he can thank him. The Emperor replies that although Newgate was his enemy, he had mustered the utmost respect just as Sengoku had. Marco thanks him before Shanks wanders back to his ship through the pirates of the Whitebeard pirate gang. In his mind, he says to Luffy how hard it must be, and that Ace’s last actions remind him of his captain, Roger. Sometimes he wanted that one to run, sometimes he wanted him to cry. Luffy should know victory and defeat. It’s okay to cry, as long as he can work through it.
Calm Belt, Amazon Lily: Luffy is still screaming that he is weak. He wants to be left alone by Jinbe, which the latter cannot allow. Luffy would hurt himself even more otherwise. The latter, however, thinks that it is his body. Jinbe counters that it was also Ace’s body and that he could decide to die himself. The Straw Hat Pirate then wants to fight the former Samurai of the Seas, which the latter accepts, since the Rubber Man wouldn’t stand a chance in his condition. Luffy now attacks Jinbe, but the latter is able to simply fling him to the ground. Jinbe remembers how Ace told him in the Impel Down that he had met his little brother on Arabasta. After only that brief meeting, he knew immediately that Luffy was safe. He asked Jinbe if he could guess why. In the present, Luffy bites the fish man, whereupon the fish man presses him against a rock. He talks down to Luffy, saying he had lost his confidence in himself, his strength, which he had never doubted, and also his beloved brother. Because of this, he became completely blind to everything and locked in the darkness of self-reproach and regret. Jinbe tells Luffy to see what he has left. The latter now breaks down crying: He still has his crew! Whose name he calls out loudly, saying that they have a rendezvous point. Glad for Luffy’s insight, Jinbe remembers the rest of Ace’s narrative. He knew immediately that Luffy was fine now that he has loyal crew members and wants Jinbe to look out for him. Luffy yells out that he wants to see his crew immediately.
| Manga volumes | Post-War (Manga) |
