Cover
The Tales of the Self-Styled Straw Hat Grand Fleet, Part 7: “The first thing we do is finish off the worst criminals on the docks!” Bartolomeo has defeated the leader of a gang of criminals, forcing its members to surrender.
Storyline
On the roof of Big Mom’s castle: Charlotte Linlin is still beside herself with rage and continues to try to bring down Capone Bege’s fortress. So Charlotte Chiffon turns to her mother to calm her down, but her Lola-like appearance only infuriates her more.
Inside, Bege is already badly battered, so Luffy wants to rush out to fight. But he is prevented from doing so by Nami, Chopper, and Brook, who remind him that all the objectives that led them to Whole Cake Island have already been accomplished and they shouldn’t get into unnecessary fights. That’s when the gasping Bege devises an escape plan: He wants to transform back into a human, at which point all the alliance partners would remain inside him, at which point he would in turn be flown off the castle roof by Caesar Clown. However, Caesar Clown denies this plan, as the children of Big Mom are Hakin users and could therefore catch him in his gas form.
While the others discuss, Vinsmoke Judge asks Sanji why he saved him when he could have just let him die after what happened in the past. To this, the Cook replies that his real father, Zeff, taught him never to treat life lightly. Thus, he would not have been able to look him in the eye if he had simply allowed his own blood to be murdered. At this, Sanji remembers Judge’s childhood words about never mentioning being related to the Vinsmokes as his biggest mistake. He now returns these words to the Vinsmoke chief, who should never dare to call himself his father again. Thereupon “Garuda” swears to his third son that he will never come near him or the East Blue again.
Turning his attention to Bege and Crown’s conversation, Judge sends the alliance off; he and his children, meanwhile, would keep the Charlotte family at bay, thus paying their debt to Sanji.
Though Crown still disagrees with the plan, Capone also transforms back, releasing only the scientist and the Vinsmokes from within him. While Crown immediately flees with Bege in tow, Sanji’s kin confront the Empress, who immediately has Prometheus fire his Heavenly Fire at Reiju. When she is hit, Luffy and Sanji suddenly jump out of Bege and attack Big Mom with a Gomu Gomu no Elephant Gun and the Diable Jambe, as they both never intended to stick to the retreat plan…!
| Manga volumes | Whole Cake Island Arc (Manga) |
