Chapter Summaries

Ma Qiao told Trafalgar Law that Brook was a real, conscious talking skeleton and offered to let him speak with his dead parents. He introduced Yorick, the Shepherd of Souls, and began planning to use his powers to restore Flevance as a home for the dead.

• Ma Qiao showed Law, Vivi, Nami, and the Heart Pirates a video of Brook playing the violin, explaining that Brook retained his memories and consciousness.
• Law asked whether Brook could truly remember his former life, and Ma Qiao said reuniting a soul with its own remains was difficult.
• Ma Qiao told Law that his friend Yorick could communicate with the dead and summon souls with their memories and personalities intact.
• Ma Qiao considered rebuilding Flevance as a kingdom of the dead, where souls could live and work for the Big Bird Consortium.
• Ma Qiao invited Law to visit the cemetery and speak with his parents before Yorick arrived.

At the 19th Navy Branch, Colonel Pieru worried after Captain Caitlyn beat Fullbody and then went to investigate reports of a haunting near forbidden Sea Area 75. Fullbody followed her alone, planning to bring Nezumi and Spandam into a scheme against her, leaving Pieru fearing for Caitlyn’s safety.

• Pieru learned that Caitlyn had beaten Fullbody after he harassed a woman, and Fullbody left the office vowing revenge.
• Pieru discovered that Caitlyn had defeated Bellamy and driven off the Heart Pirates while investigating dangerous rookie crews.
• Pieru ordered his assistant to tell Caitlyn to stay at the branch, but learned she had already gone to investigate a reported haunting near Sea Area 75.
• Pieru heard that Fullbody had gone after Caitlyn alone and intended to enlist Nezumi and Spandam, prompting Pieru to fear they would harm her.

Annie captured Basil Hawkins after defeating the Hawkins Pirates, while Twitch’s Root Division Navy arrived in the North Blue with Drake also in custody. The townspeople rallied around Twitch, and Fullbody reached the crowded docks as locals petitioned to have him stay.

• Basil Hawkins foresaw that his own chance of survival was 1% as a World Government judicial ship approached.
• Annie ignored Spandam’s orders to avoid the Hawkins Pirates and set out to fight them.
• Annie defeated Hawkins and his crew with her fire, and Hawkins surrendered before Cipher Pol agents shackled him with Seastone Handcuffs.
• Annie ordered Hawkins hung from the mast and celebrated winning the hunting competition.
• Two days later, Fullbody arrived in a North Blue town and heard that Caitlyn had captured Hyena Bellamy and Twitch’s Root Division Navy had brought in Hawkins and Drake.
• Fullbody found the docks packed with townspeople praising Twitch and signing a petition for him to remain in the North Blue.

Caitlyn, Twitch, and Annie competed to capture North Blue pirates while their forces converged near the forbidden sea around Flevance. As Fullbody’s clash with Caitlyn and Annie escalated, Yorick’s black mist appeared over the sea, and the Marines heard singing and saw movement within it.

• Ma Qiao assigned Leona to support Caitlyn and sent Pyke, Lux, Yuumi, Draven, and Varus to assist other Retainers in their operations.
• Annie and Twitch arrived with Hawkins and X. Drake captured, and Fullbody taunted Caitlyn about her comparatively modest capture of Bellamy.
• Caitlyn shot Fullbody in the shoulder, and Sanji kicked him onto Annie’s ship after Fullbody threatened her.
• Annie burned Fullbody’s fingers and pressured him to sign over part of his family’s Sabaody Archipelago property, but he demanded to call Spandam first.
• Yorick spread [Mourning Mist] over the sea, concealing Flevance as the Shadow Isles, and the assembled Marines heard singing and saw something moving in the black mist.

Admiral Kizaru investigated Fullbody’s supposed Amber Lead disease and ghost possession, then found Caitlyn and her friends near the forbidden sea. He took Lux as his disciple and left without discovering that the ghosts were real, as Ma Qiao and the Shadow Isles’ dead began building a new legend.

• Kizaru arrived at the 19th Branch, heard Pieru’s report, and visited the deranged Fullbody in the infirmary.
• Kizaru learned that Caitlyn had gone to Niu'er Island with Lux and another friend, then hurried off to find them.
• Kizaru questioned Caitlyn and her friends, learned she had staged the ghosts to cover her attack on Fullbody, and decided to let her go.
• Kizaru asked Garen for permission to take Lux as his disciple and assured her that Marine Headquarters would not investigate the incident further.
• Kizaru departed without entering the Shadow Isles, while Ma Qiao, Tahm Kench, Yorick, and Karthus gathered the dead and began a new legend.

Trafalgar Law said goodbye to his parents at Shadow Isles International Airport as the Fathead Fish carried Ma Qiao, Vivi, and the Heart Pirates back to Shurima. After the long flight, they arrived to find the city had grown into a thriving coastal hub.

• Trafalgar Law tearfully listened as his parents fussed over him before the Fathead Fish took off.
• Vivi showed Ma Qiao her drawing, and he encouraged her by promising to get her a Brush-Brush Fruit from Kanjuro in Dressrosa.
• The Fathead Fish crossed the Calm Belt and reached Alabasta after seventy-eight hours and forty-nine minutes.
• Ma Qiao and the Heart Pirates arrived in Shurima, where Bepo and the others marveled at the city’s growth and attractions.
• The Heart Pirates saw Shurima’s planned streets, public housing, Birdnet Cafe, and the Big Bird Consortium’s extensive services and transport fleet.

Ma Qiao visited Alabasta for Cobra’s food festival and discovered that Cobra had funded it with risky loans secured by the kingdom’s future customs revenue. The chapter ended with Cobra insisting Crocodile would keep Alubarna safe, while Ma Qiao questioned the absence of royal guards.

• Ma Qiao assigned Trafalgar Law to work under Dr. Mundo, though he knew Law still wanted to avenge Corazon and would help plan against Doflamingo.
• Vivi showed Ma Qiao an invitation to Cobra’s Alabasta Food Festival, and Ma Qiao traveled with her to Alubarna.
• Ma Qiao saw that the food festival had attracted crowds and vendors, while Cobra avoided explaining how much it had cost.
• Ma Qiao asked Ekko to investigate Cobra’s finances and learned that Cobra had borrowed widely and wagered Alabasta’s customs revenue for the next ten years.
• Ma Qiao asked Cobra where his royal guards were, and Cobra said Crocodile’s presence was enough to prevent trouble.

Ma Qiao took Vivi and Nami to Alabasta’s food festival, where they met Sanji and Katakuri’s family. After Flampe attacked Ma Qiao with a dart, he and Tahm Kench confronted her while she appealed to Katakuri for help.

• Ma Qiao, Vivi, and Nami sampled the food at Cobra’s festival, then found Sanji selling doughnuts.
• Ma Qiao recognized Sanji and hurried to buy doughnuts before he could flirt with Vivi and Nami.
• Twitch told Ma Qiao that Sanji had come to the festival to improve his cooking and earn money.
• Flampe demanded the doughnuts, then fired a bee-stinger dart at Ma Qiao when he ignored her.
• The dart bounced off Ma Qiao’s neck, and Tahm Kench ate it as Ma Qiao turned to confront Flampe.
• Flampe called to Katakuri for help as Ma Qiao and Tahm Kench faced her.

Crocodile rushed to a disturbance in Alabasta’s dessert area, where Ma Qiao was spanking Flampe after she had provoked him. Katakuri arrived to defend his sister, and Crocodile intervened as the royal guard’s commander, leaving a clash about to unfold.

• Chaka told Crocodile that Ma Qiao had gotten into a fight, and Crocodile rode Chaka to the dessert area.
• Crocodile found Ma Qiao spanking Flampe while Tahm Kench restrained her with his tongue.
• Katakuri freed Flampe with a candy bean and moved to protect her, though he disliked her and saw a blurred glimpse of the future through his Observation Haki.
• Crocodile stepped between Katakuri and Ma Qiao, then demanded that Katakuri submit to an investigation by the royal guard.

Crocodile agreed to take Katakuri outside Alabasta to settle their dispute, while Flampe stayed behind and targeted Vivi with an anesthetic dart. As Vivi worried about Ma Qiao, Cobra rushed toward the crowd carrying kitchen utensils.

• Crocodile trusted his instincts about Katakuri and stepped in, offering to settle the dispute peacefully.
• Ma Qiao suggested moving the confrontation outside the city, and Crocodile and Katakuri agreed to leave the festival grounds.
• Flampe stayed behind, grew angry, and aimed an anesthetic dart at Vivi so she could use her as leverage against Ma Qiao.
• Vivi tried to reach Ma Qiao, then quietly explained to Nami how he had passed his skills to her.
• Cobra ran toward Vivi wearing an apron and chef's hat and carrying a ladle and a spatula.

Flampe and Brulee attacked Vivi, Nami, and Cobra at the food festival, while Jhin and the Royal Guard intervened. Sanji defended Pudding from Koza, but Nami summoned Graves, Braum, and Varus to confront him.

• Flampe drugged Cobra with sleeping needles and ordered Brulee to capture Vivi and Nami.
• Vivi fought Brulee with her Peacock Chain and defensive gear, while Jhin shot Flampe and scarred her face and scalp.
• Pudding arrived and shot a Royal Guard soldier, and Koza tried to shoot her before Sanji blocked his shot.
• Sanji defended Pudding and declared he would protect her, despite Koza explaining that she could cooperate with the military investigation.
• Nami summoned Graves, Braum, and Varus with Vision Wards, and they invited Sanji to a philosophical discussion.

Braum, Varus, and Graves overwhelmed Sanji and the fleeing Charlotte siblings, while Crocodile fought Katakuri to a stalemate he could not win. Ma Qiao then clashed with Katakuri, and Tahm Kench Abyssal Dived them into striking range as Ma Qiao attacked.

• Braum froze Sanji's kick with his shield, and Varus bound Sanji with a chain of corruption while Graves filled the area with smoke.
• Pudding used her third eye to find a path through the smoke, but Sanji cleared it with his Rotating Pork Chop and praised her appearance; Brûlée carried Pudding, Flampe, and Cobra away as Graves and the others subdued Sanji.
• Crocodile repeatedly failed to damage Katakuri, recognized him as Big Mom's son, and challenged Big Mom to meet him at the Birdnet Cafe in Shurima.
• Katakuri confronted Ma Qiao over Flampe's new middle-part hairstyle and attacked him with Bird Mochi after Ma Qiao joked about adding overalls and a basketball.
• Ma Qiao mistimed Cleanse, so Tahm Kench freed him with Mikael's Blessing and Abyssal Dived to Katakuri's feet; Ma Qiao attacked Katakuri's knees with Demacia.

Ma Qiao and Tahm Kench fought Katakuri while Crocodile watched, but Katakuri’s Observation Haki and mochi body kept him in control. After Crocodile exploited Brûlée’s arrival and Ma Qiao wounded Katakuri, Ma Qiao stabbed himself to even the score and proposed starting their fight over.

• Ma Qiao’s empowered punch nearly broke Katakuri’s knee, but Katakuri used Observation Haki to foresee it and shifted his body into mochi to evade.
• Katakuri drew his trident and clashed with Ma Qiao’s Black Cleaver, while Tahm Kench blocked Katakuri’s attacks and absorbed heavy damage.
• Katakuri’s mochi body let him evade Ma Qiao’s blows, leaving Ma Qiao and Tahm Kench to endure the fight as they struggled to land a hit.
• Brûlée arrived carrying the unconscious Flampe, Cobra, and Pudding, with Vivi, Chaka, Nami, and Karoo following behind, and warned Katakuri that Marines were in the city.
• Crocodile attacked Brûlée with Sables, so Katakuri turned away from Ma Qiao to protect her, allowing Ma Qiao to strike Katakuri in the waist.
• Ma Qiao stepped back and stabbed himself with the Black Cleaver, telling Katakuri they were even and asking to start the fight over.

Ma Qiao faced Katakuri, using his strange abilities to overcome the Big Mom Pirates fighter and earn his friendship. After Katakuri left through a mirror, Crocodile tried to take charge of Alabasta, but the royal guards asked Vivi to serve as regent.

• Ma Qiao concealed his rapidly healing wound and convinced Katakuri that he had acted out of respect for him.
• Katakuri released his Conqueror's Haki, but Ma Qiao blocked it with a Wind Wall and then attacked with a barrage of unpredictable skill shots.
• Ma Qiao's Mystic Shot struck Katakuri, freezing his movement and silencing his Mochi Fruit powers; Katakuri surrendered and praised him as Gentleman Sword Ma Qiao.
• Ma Qiao and Katakuri clasped hands as friends, and Katakuri quickly departed through a mirror with Brûlée.
• Crocodile offered to rule Alabasta in Cobra's place, but Chaka and the royal guards asked Vivi to serve as regent.

After learning Vivi’s identity and becoming Alabasta’s regent, Crocodile was ordered to lead an expedition to rescue Cobra from the Big Mom Pirates. He reluctantly agreed to set out for Totto Land, while Ma Qiao prepared to infiltrate Big Mom’s tea party.

• Crocodile learned that Miss Valentine was Princess Vivi and scolded Alabasta’s guards for sending their sole heir undercover in Baroque Works.
• Vivi became Alabasta’s regent and planned an expedition to rescue Cobra after he was kidnapped by a senior Big Mom Pirate.
• Crocodile rejected Vivi’s order to lead five thousand troops to Whole Cake Island, but changed his mind when he learned Garp would deliver the summons in person.
• Crocodile decided to leave immediately with his own acquaintances instead of waiting for troops and supplies, then learned that Alabasta and the Goa Kingdom were forming an alliance with Ma Qiao as regent.
• Vivi and Chaka revealed that Ma Qiao had received an invitation to Big Mom’s tea party and would face Big Mom behind enemy lines.

Cobra woke on Flour Island after dreaming that Ma Qiao had taken over Alabasta and won Vivi’s affection, then learned that Katakuri planned to put his ramen skills to work. In Shurima, Crocodile recruited Nico Robin’s help to contact his former subordinates and discovered that Ma Qiao’s newspaper had publicly branded him the Big Mom-Conquering Admiral-General.

• Cobra woke tied up on Flour Island as Streusen argued with Katakuri and Brûlée about hiring him as a chef.
• Katakuri took Cobra away, saying he would make sure the old man’s ramen talents were used.
• Crocodile met Nico Robin, who gave him a list of former subordinates and a loan contract so he could finance their return.
• Robin showed Crocodile a Peace Daily article featuring a fabricated image and quotes that portrayed him as a challenger to Big Mom.
• Crocodile blamed the article on Vivi, signed Robin’s fake contract, and asked whether she would accompany him to Totto Land.
• Crocodile warned Robin to stay away from the boy she loved before leaving her office.

Crocodile gathered his former Baroque Works officers for the expedition against Big Mom, while Ma Qiao sailed toward Whole Cake Island with the retired Zephyr and rescued Camie and Pappag along the way. The voyage ended with Ma Qiao preparing another operation on Zephyr’s Nika Cell arm.

• Crocodile reunited his former Baroque Works officers and set out from Alabasta as the kingdom’s Grand General for the Conquest of Big Mom.
• Garp refused to accompany Ma Qiao to Whole Cake Island, but Zephyr revealed that he had submitted his retirement request and joined the voyage.
• Sengoku accidentally received Zephyr’s retirement request while wiping himself with document paper, and his scream led Marines to believe he was devastated by Zephyr’s departure.
• Ma Qiao rescued Camie and Pappag from a Sea Beast, discussed a possible fashion partnership with Pappag, and sold Camie a Big Bird Den Den Mushi.
• Ma Qiao passed the Red Line checkpoint and reflected on his Marine agents before deciding to give Zephyr’s Nika Cell arm further treatment, including possible big-eye transplants.

Ma Qiao and Marshall D. Teach sailed into Totto Land for Big Mom’s tea party, where a feud with Big News Morgans and Ace’s poisoning complicated their arrival. The ships continued toward Whole Cake Island, hoping Ma Qiao could treat Ace.

• Ma Qiao’s ship entered Totto Land, where territorial sea cows welcomed him and his penguins shared dried fish with them.
• Big News Morgans’s News Coos dropped bird droppings on Ma Qiao’s ship, and the penguins retaliated with a barrage of their own, starting a battle in the sky and sea.
• Marshall D. Teach brought Ace to Totto Land, hoping to investigate a rumored Devil Fruit that might be the Dark-Dark Fruit.
• Ace drank the juice-like seawater, which was contaminated with bird droppings, and became unconscious from severe poisoning.
• Teach refused to turn back for Marco and ordered the crew to continue toward Whole Cake Island, relying on Ma Qiao to treat Ace.

Ma Qiao arrived at Whole Cake Island for Big Mom’s tea party, where he observed the cost and plunder behind its apparent abundance. An assassination attempt was stopped, and he discovered that Ace had been poisoned by contaminated juice as Smoothie took charge of him and punished Snack.

• Ma Qiao explored Whole Cake Island and concluded that its residents’ comfortable lives depended on surrendered lifespans and the Big Mom Pirates’ plunder.
• An assassin targeting Ma Qiao was killed by an unseen protector, and the chess-piece soldiers removed the body without investigating.
• Ma Qiao warned Zephyr not to act rashly at Big Mom’s tea party, then set out with Snack and Morgans.
• Ma Qiao reunited with Teach and learned that Ace had also come to Totto Land, then found Ace poisoned near Smoothie.
• Smoothie used her ability to draw poison from Ace, kept him as a witness, and squeezed Snack into juice for questioning her.

Ma Qiao attended Big Mom's tea party, where he introduced Teach to Katakuri and retaliated against Du Feld for threatening him. The gathering revealed Big Mom’s new pet was Cobra, and Ma Qiao’s cake brought Big Mom and Miss Bakkin’s whispered conversation within earshot.

• Ma Qiao introduced Marshall D. Teach to Katakuri, while Katakuri stopped Zephyr from attacking Morgans at the tea party entrance.
• Du Feld threatened Ma Qiao, so Ma Qiao ordered Xin Zhao to strike him; Du Feld flew into Charlotte Linlin’s fist after Edward Weevil intervened.
• Ma Qiao discovered that Big Mom was keeping Cobra bound in her arms as her new pet, and Streusen served the tea party’s food.
• Big Mom welcomed Miss Bakkin and reminisced with her about their time aboard Rocks's ship, but they whispered whenever the conversation reached important details.
• Ma Qiao placed his cream cake, secretly fitted with Vision Wards, beside Big Mom, and the device made her conversation with Miss Bakkin audible.