Ch. 281A Slap Sends the Empress Flying

Issho overwhelmed Boa Hancock, Shakky, and Hanafuda, but the three attacked again to seize Princess Mansherry. Just as Hancock was about to strike Mansherry, an unidentified man in a Justice coat appeared and slapped her flying.

  • Hancock's Mero Mero Mellow failed to affect Issho, and he deflected the trio's coordinated attacks with gravity before striking them with his Gravity Blade: Tiger.
  • Issho repelled Hanafuda's Dragon Roar Wave and subdued Shakky and Hancock with his Gravity: Sky Curtain and Gravity: Press.
  • Shakky ordered Hancock to capture Mansherry while she and Hanafuda kept Issho occupied, and the two blocked his attack as Hancock rushed toward the royal platform.
  • Hancock petrified the guards and Tontatta warriors, then launched Perfume Foot at the terrified Mansherry.
  • An unidentified man in a Justice coat appeared in front of Mansherry and slapped Hancock through a building and into the ground.

Ch. 282The Snake Princess's Arrogance

Roy arrived in Dressrosa’s central square and overwhelmed Hanafuda, then stopped Boa Hancock and Shakky from escaping. Boa provoked him by demanding that he beg for her to restore the petrified civilians, and Roy struck Shakky down as Hancock faced his cold stare.

  • Roy arrived in the square, reassuring Viola, Rebecca, and King Riku as Shakky and Hanafuda recognized him and tried to flee.
  • Roy used Haki and teleportation to batter Hanafuda in midair, then left him badly injured in a crater.
  • Roy blocked Shakky and Boa Hancock’s escape and shattered Hancock’s Pistol Kiss with a wave of his hand.
  • Shakky warned Roy that killing Hancock would not restore the petrified civilians, and Issho confirmed that he had seen many civilians turned to stone.
  • Boa Hancock mocked Roy and demanded that he kneel and beg before she would consider reversing the petrification.
  • Roy’s oppressive force immobilized Shakky and blasted her into the ground, leaving Boa Hancock staring fearfully at him.

Ch. 283Mocking the Five Elders

Roy defeated Boa Hancock and forced her to release the petrified civilians and soldiers, but Saint Saturn intervened to stop him from harming another Shichibukai. Roy challenged the Five Elders’ defense of the Seven Warlords system, leaving their argument unresolved.

  • Roy exposed Boa Hancock’s insecurities, defeated her attacks, and broke her lower leg when she refused to undo the petrification.
  • Shakky pleaded with Roy to spare Boa Hancock and urged her to release the petrified people.
  • Boa Hancock released the petrification across the city, and Shakky gathered her as she collapsed in despair.
  • Saint Saturn called Roy and ordered him to let Boa Hancock go, citing the damage that losing a second Shichibukai would cause to the system.
  • Roy mocked the Five Elders’ concern for balance and questioned why they relied on pirates to maintain it.

Ch. 284Issho's Ideals and Justice

After Saint Saturn agreed to let one of the defeated women live, Roy spared Boa Hancock and Shakky and turned to a conversation with Issho about justice and the Marines. Issho remained undecided, choosing to continue his travels and examine the Revolutionary Army’s changes for himself.

  • Saint Saturn told Roy that one of Boa Hancock and Shakky could live, and Roy allowed them to leave.
  • Shakky helped the injured Boa Hancock toward the harbor, while Hancock struggled with her complicated feelings about Roy.
  • Roy accepted King Riku’s thanks, then invited Issho to talk in the Royal Palace garden.
  • Roy argued that the Marines needed Issho and explained how revolution must pair the destruction of tyranny with institutions that could rebuild society.
  • Issho described an exemplary country he had visited and questioned whether the Marines could deliver justice.
  • Issho decided to keep traveling before choosing a path, while Roy warned that the New Era was approaching.

Ch. 285Aftershocks Linger, Arrival at Hachinosu

Boa Hancock struggled with the humiliation of her defeat by Roy as his ship sailed toward Hachinosu. Roy captured Hanafuda and ordered him kept alive, while Gion, Ace, and Luffy arrived at Hachinosu ready to attack Ochoku’s defenses.

  • Boa Hancock asked Shakky how anyone could defy the Celestial Dragons, and Shakky recalled that such people had existed before.
  • Roy rejected Saint Saturn’s request to choose a Shichibukai replacement, and the Five Elders ordered CP0 to screen candidates while keeping the system in place.
  • Roy ordered the Marines to lock up the wounded Hanafuda and keep him alive, noting his connection to Kaido.
  • Gion, Ace, and Luffy arrived by battleship off Hachinosu, where Ochoku and his pirates had prepared their defenses.
  • Gion told Luffy to give the pirates a greeting gift, and Luffy eagerly agreed.

Ch. 286The Dragon Roars, Hachinosu's Shocking Opening!

Ochoku prepared to use the Marines’ arrival to demonstrate his strength, but Luffy appeared above their warship as a gigantic pink dragon and devastated Hachinosu’s coastal defenses. As the surviving pirates panicked, Luffy called to Ace and Gion to charge in, and Ochoku ordered his forces to attack him.

  • Ochoku, Rumba, and Hawk watched Gion, Ace, and a young Marine approach Hachinosu and prepared to let them land.
  • Rumba spotted a massive pink dragon circling above the Marine warship, and Ochoku realized it was not Kaido.
  • Luffy fired Dragon Breath at the coastal defenses, overpowering Hawk’s shockwave and blasting through Rumba’s turtle shell as pirates and fortifications were engulfed.
  • The surviving pirates panicked at the sight of the pink dragon, while Luffy laughed and urged Ace and Gion to charge in.
  • Ochoku ordered his forces to kill the pink-skinned dragon.

Ch. 287All-Out War on Hachinosu!

The Marines launched an assault on Hachinosu, where Ace fought Hawk and Luffy battled Rumba while Gion advanced on Ochoku. As Rumba’s shell began to crack, Gion confronted Ochoku and challenged him to fight.

  • Gion led hundreds of Marines ashore, while Hawk’s shockwave clashed with Ace’s Fire Fist and Ace charged at him.
  • Rumba transformed into a Giant Armored Turtle and fought Luffy, who knocked him into the center of Hachinosu.
  • Ace drove Hawk away from the harbor with a barrage of fire attacks, then met his Flame Emperor with Hawk’s full-strength shockwave.
  • Luffy shifted into his Human-Beast Form and struck Rumba’s shell with Dragon Bone: Meteor, causing a crack to spread across it.
  • Gion cut through the pirates and confronted Ochoku, who leaped from his platform and accepted her challenge to fight.

Ch. 288Ice and Snow Sword Domain: Snow Thousand Blades!

Gion battled Ochoku across Hatchinosu, but his Strength-Strength Fruit and Haki gave him the upper hand until she revealed her ice-and-snow sword techniques. She trapped him in Snow Thousand Blades and drove him into the mountainside, leaving him wounded and stunned.

  • Ochoku used the Strength-Strength Fruit to overpower Gion and break through her sword strikes and defenses.
  • Gion froze Ochoku’s fist and unleashed Snow Flurry: Snow Thousand Blades, filling the battlefield with Haki-coated ice swords.
  • Ochoku used Iron Bones and Earthquake to withstand and counter the storm of blades, but the swords continued to wound him.
  • Gion attacked with Footless: Snow, Moon, and Flowers, breaking Ochoku’s defense and hurling him into the mountainside.
  • Ochoku knelt with his Haki defense cracked and frost spreading over his chest, shocked that Gion had pushed him so far.

Ch. 289Strength-Strength Fruit Awakening, Ace's Absolute Suppression!

Ochoku awakened the Strength-Strength Fruit and overwhelmed Gion, leaving her injured as the battle devastated Hachinosu’s center. Ace defeated Hawk with a series of fiery attacks while Luffy remained blocked by Rumba, leaving Gion’s fight against Ochoku unresolved.

  • Ochoku awakened his Strength-Strength Fruit, shattered Gion’s ice defenses, and injured her with his overwhelming force.
  • Gion counterattacked with Snow Moon: Three-Blossom Slash, but her cuts failed to penetrate Ochoku’s awakened, Haki-hardened body.
  • Ace and Luffy saw Gion being suppressed, but Hawk and Rumba blocked them from intervening.
  • Ace fought Hawk with flames and close-combat strikes, then used a sea of fire and Cross Fire to badly wound him.
  • Ace engulfed Hawk in a pillar of white-hot fire, while Gion’s battle with Ochoku continued unresolved.

Ch. 290Three Heroes Battle Ochoku!

Luffy defeated Rumba with Galaxy Impact, then joined Ace and Gion against the awakened Ochoku. Their coordinated attacks wounded and drove Ochoku underground, but his final condition remained unclear.

  • Luffy battered Rumba's turtle form until Rumba transformed into his Human-Beast Form and unleashed his spinning shell attack.
  • Luffy smashed Rumba's shell with Fist Bone: Galaxy Impact, blasting him into the ruins of the giant skull statue.
  • Gion struck Ochoku while his attention shifted to the approaching Luffy and Ace, sending him through a mountainside.
  • Ace and Luffy combined fire and dragon breath in Dragon Flame: Dragon Emperor Cannon, but Ochoku endured the attack with his awakened strength.
  • Gion slashed Ochoku twice, and Ace and Luffy followed with Fire Fist and Dragon Bone: Meteor, driving him underground as Hachinosu shook.

Ch. 291The Strength to Uproot Mountains, Frozen!

Ochoku tore up a mountain and fought Ace, Luffy, and Gion, overwhelming them with his awakened Strength-Strength Fruit. Just as he nearly killed Gion, Kuzan appeared and froze Ochoku and much of Hachinosu.

  • Ochoku ripped a thousand-meter mountain from the ground and hurled it at Ace, Luffy, and Gion, but Ace and Luffy destroyed it with their attacks.
  • Ochoku struck Luffy underground and knocked Ace and Gion away, while Luffy recovered and joined Ace and Gion in a coordinated assault.
  • Ace, Luffy, and Gion trapped Ochoku in a cage of ice swords and hit him with their combined attacks, leaving all four fighters exhausted.
  • Ochoku rushed Gion with a final punch, but Kuzan appeared between them and froze Ochoku and nearly half of Hachinosu.

Ch. 292The Bottom Line

Roy visited Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Tsuru at Marine Headquarters, where Tsuru warned him about protecting his parents and Roy made clear that threatening his family would bring severe consequences. At Hachinosu, Kuzan’s intervention secured a Marine victory over Ochoku and reassured Luffy, Ace, and Gion that the Marines would support them.

  • Roy met with Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Tsuru and said he had returned after finishing his business.
  • Tsuru asked Roy whether he had considered bringing his parents to Marine Headquarters, and Roy warned that kidnapping them would not protect anyone from his retaliation.
  • Roy told Zephyr that the Five Elders were unlikely to openly target his parents yet, but stressed that his blade was meant to deter anyone from threatening them.
  • At Hachinosu, Kuzan froze Ochoku and much of the pirate force while carefully sparing the Marine soldiers.
  • Gion thanked Kuzan, and he explained that Roy had arranged backup so Luffy, Ace, and Gion could fight without holding back.
  • The Marines regrouped and subdued the remaining pirates as Kuzan assured Luffy, Ace, and Gion that their fellow Marines would not let them face danger alone.

Ch. 293Frozen Hachinosu!

The Marines captured Hachinosu, prompting the Big Mom Pirates to retreat and alert Big Mom. Back at Marine headquarters, Roy proposed publicly executing Hanafuda to lure Kaido into a confrontation, while Big Mom put Totto Land on high alert.

  • Gion ordered the Marines to finish subduing the pirates on Hachinosu, then led the troops and prisoners back to the warships.
  • Luffy and Ace watched Kuzan on the deck and resolved to become stronger after seeing the frozen island.
  • Perospero and Daifuku discovered that the Marines had taken Hachinosu and retreated, warning Big Mom of the defeat.
  • Roy told Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru that Hanafuda had secretly supplied Ancient Zoan Devil Fruits to Kaido's Beasts Pirates, then suggested publicly executing him to draw Kaido out.
  • Katakuri reported Hachinosu's fall to Big Mom, who ordered her children to place Totto Land on the highest alert.

Ch. 294The Four Emperors' Vigilance

News of the Marines’ rapid destruction of Ochoku at Hachinosu spread across the world, boosting their standing among civilians and alarming pirates. The Five Elders weighed Roy’s demand to execute Hanafuda, Issho considered Roy’s proposal, and Kaido ordered the Beasts Pirates to retreat to Onigashima as he prepared for the Marines’ next move.

  • The World Economy News Paper reported Ochoku’s defeat and Aokiji’s intervention, prompting cheers from civilians and a large-scale retreat by the Big Mom Pirates.
  • The Five Elders learned Roy had requested Hanafuda’s public execution for secretly supplying Ancient Zoan Devil Fruits to Kaido, and they debated whether to accept or resist the demand.
  • Issho sensed the people’s relief at the Marines’ new approach and considered accepting Roy’s proposal.
  • Kaido ordered the Beasts Pirates to withdraw to Onigashima, then withheld a call on his black Den Den Mushi as he contemplated Roy’s intentions.

Ch. 295The Shackles of Balance

After the Marines celebrated their victory at Hachinosu, Tsuru received a top-secret reply from the Five Elders that made Roy suspect a hidden force was enforcing “balance.” Meanwhile, Shanks arrived at Onigashima to offer Kaido help, and their Haki clashed as the Beasts Pirates reacted with suspicion.

  • Kuzan and Gion returned to Marineford after wiping out the Hachinosu Pirates, while Ace and Luffy asked Roy for extra training and Garp dragged them away with Zephyr.
  • A female intelligence officer delivered a sealed message from the Five Elders to Tsuru, who took Sengoku and Roy to the Fleet Admiral's Office.
  • Sengoku read the Five Elders' refusal to grant the Marines full authority, and Roy suspected that the mysterious condition was tied to “balance.”
  • Shanks walked into Onigashima alone and told Kaido he had come to help him.
  • Kaido challenged Shanks with his Haki, and Shanks met the attack with his own Conqueror's Haki.

Ch. 296Red-Hair's Warning

Shanks warned Kaido that rescuing Hanafuda from execution at Marineford could destroy the Beasts Pirates, then revealed the Five Elders’ restrictions on the Marines. Roy recognized the restrictions as an attempt to preserve the balance of power and planned to use younger officers to counter them.

  • Shanks told Kaido that Roy had captured Hanafuda and that the Marines planned to execute him for secretly supplying the Beasts Pirates.
  • Shanks warned Kaido that Marineford’s defenders could kill him and urged him to abandon Hanafuda and withdraw his forces.
  • Shanks revealed that the Five Elders had restricted the Marines’ deployment and barred Roy and Garp from going to Hachinosu.
  • Kaido refused to abandon Hanafuda, whom he called his brother, but felt uncertain about facing the forces at Marineford.
  • Roy explained to Sengoku and Tsuru that the restrictions were designed to provoke Kaido while preventing the Marines from defeating him.
  • Roy pointed out that the Five Elders had not restricted fighters below Vice Admiral rank and hinted that he would make his own moves.

Ch. 297The Roar of the New Era!

Shanks warned Kaido that the Marines might have captured Hanafuda, prompting Kaido to prepare the Beasts Pirates for battle. At Marineford, Sengoku ordered a strike against the Beasts Pirates, with Kuzan leading the Marines and their new generation of fighters.

  • Queen and King rebuked Jack for suggesting they attack Shanks, and Kaido ordered his contacts inside the Marines to confirm Hanafuda's fate and readied the Beasts Pirates for war.
  • Kaido vowed to raze Hachinosu and bring Hanafuda back if the Marines had captured him.
  • Aboard the Red Force, Shanks told Benn Beckman that Kaido could not die yet and that the sea's balance must not be broken.
  • Sengoku declared that the Marines would deal the Beasts Pirates a devastating blow and assigned Kuzan, Enel, and Tokikake to lead the operation, with the new generation joining them.
  • Roy considered Kizaru's covert presence and decided he could stir up trouble while Kizaru watched from the shadows.

Ch. 298Publicly Executing a Shichibukai

Roy brought the blind Press-Press Fruit user Issho into the Marines as a Rear Admiral, and Sengoku assigned him and Kuzan to lead the operation against Kaido. After the Marines announced Hanafuda’s public execution on Hachinosu, Kaido vowed to go there with King and Jack to crush them.

  • Issho met Roy at Marineford and said he wanted to see whether the Marines could end the suffering and chaos on the seas.
  • Roy introduced Issho as a Press-Press Fruit user and Marine Rear Admiral, and Issho demonstrated his precise control over gravity to the gathered Marine leaders.
  • Sengoku welcomed Issho and assigned him and Kuzan to lead the operation against Kaido.
  • The World Economy News Paper reported that Hanafuda had been stripped of his Shichibukai title and sentenced to public execution on Hachinosu in one week for aiding the Beasts Pirates and harming civilians.
  • Mihawk, Boa Hancock, Moria, Kuma, Jinbe, and Crocodile read the news and reacted to the Marines’ decision.
  • Kaido smashed his throne and ordered King and Jack to accompany him to Hachinosu so he could attack the Marines.

Ch. 299Broadcast Rights, Prelude to the Second Battle of Hachinosu

Roy negotiated broadcast rights for Hanafuda’s execution as Admiral Kuzan led a Marine force to Hachinosu and prepared to face Kaido’s approaching fleet. The execution began under a worldwide live broadcast, and three enormous pirate ships appeared on the horizon with a dragon circling in the storm clouds.

  • Roy took over Sengoku’s call with Morgans and negotiated a seventy-thirty profit split in the Marines’ favor.
  • Kuzan led Enel, Tokikake, Issho, Ace, Law, Luffy, Zoro, Kuina, Sanji, Usopp, and five hundred elite Marines toward Hachinosu.
  • Morgans launched an exclusive worldwide broadcast as the Marine force arrived at the island and found it still frozen by Kuzan’s attack.
  • Kuzan ordered Enel and Tokikake to organize defenses while the Marines built an execution platform and the new generation prepared for battle.
  • At dawn, Hanafuda was bound on the platform as Kuzan and the Marines took their positions for the broadcast.
  • Three enormous pirate ships approached Hachinosu as a dragon appeared among the storm clouds.

Ch. 300Three Sides

The Five Elders approved secretly positioning Kizaru for emergency rescues at Hachinosu, while Roy gathered intelligence on the Red Hair Pirates. After Kaido contacted her, Charlotte Linlin ordered Perospero to reinforce Onigashima and said she would go to Hachinosu herself.

  • The Five Elders agreed that Kizaru would stay out of the fight but intervene if Roy’s younger brothers needed rescuing.
  • Shanks ordered the Red Hair Pirates to approach Hachinosu and watch from the shadows if Kaido began to lose.
  • Roy obtained the Red Hair Pirates’ location from Big News Morgans and warned him against scheming.
  • Morgans guessed that Roy intended to challenge Red-Hair and ordered his staff to prepare a front-page story.
  • Charlotte Linlin ordered Perospero to contact Queen and garrison Onigashima, then told Katakuri she would not miss the events at Hachinosu.
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Page 15 of 27