Recaps

Golden Lion attacked Navy Headquarters to take Roger, but Sengoku, Garp, Akainu, and Doflamingo fought him together. After hours of battle, Shiki was badly wounded and nearing defeat, though he nearly cut Doflamingo in half with a sudden kick.

• Golden Lion unleashed Conqueror's Haki and demanded that the Marines hand over Roger, while Sengoku announced Roger would be executed in the East Blue.
• Akainu launched a surprise magma attack as Steve struck Golden Lion from behind, tearing away part of his ribs.
• Golden Lion attacked Doflamingo with a moving lion-shaped mass of earth, then fought Sengoku, Garp, and Akainu as they overwhelmed him.
• Golden Lion used the Float-Float Fruit to destroy and hurl parts of Navy Headquarters, killing many Marines despite being unable to turn the tide of the fight.
• After seven or eight hours, Doflamingo ran his sword through Golden Lion's chest, but Golden Lion's kick split Doflamingo's abdomen before he could retreat using his Intangibility ability.

After Golden Lion was captured, Doflamingo recovered from his injuries and became the Navy’s youngest Vice Admiral. Sengoku then assigned him to East Blue with Dragon, apparently to prepare for Roger’s future execution.

• Garp and Akainu shackled Golden Lion and escorted him to Impel Down while Doflamingo went to the hospital for his injuries.
• Kikyo visited Doflamingo in the crowded hospital, worried about his condition and the meals he could no longer cook.
• After recovering in three to five days, Doflamingo received an exceptional promotion to become the Navy’s youngest Vice Admiral.
• With Zephyr, Tokikake, Garp, and Sakazuki away from Headquarters, Doflamingo decided to go to sea with his subordinates.
• Sengoku summoned Doflamingo and ordered him to East Blue, where Dragon would accompany him.

The Illusionary Clone revealed himself to Golden Lion in Impel Down's Level Six and offered to help him escape, despite having only limited illusion abilities. After tricking guards into bringing extra food, the clone planned to help Golden Lion recover and adapt to his Sea Stone shackles before attempting a breakout.

• The Illusionary Clone appeared beside Golden Lion, who mistook him for Roger's ghost and then questioned him about his abilities.
• The clone explained that he could create audiovisual illusions, was bound to the ring inside Golden Lion, and could not travel more than one kilometer away.
• Golden Lion said he retained only slightly more stamina than an ordinary person under the Sea Stone shackles, so the clone decided to obtain extra food for his training.
• The clone hid inside the ring as guards arrived, then used illusions of a cat and a black dog to make them bring Golden Lion three portions of food.
• The Illusionary Clone decided to wait until Golden Lion healed and adapted to the shackles before they tried to break out of Impel Down.

Doflamingo and Dragon traveled to the East Blue to oversee preparations for Gol D. Roger’s execution. After clearing out local pirates, they reached Loguetown as news of the execution drew people from across the seas.

• Doflamingo met Dragon aboard a Navy warship and sensed that Dragon was exceptionally powerful.
• Dragon told Doflamingo that they would secretly guard Roger’s execution and prevent the Roger Pirates from interfering.
• Doflamingo and Dragon led a Navy operation that swept through the East Blue’s pirates.
• Doflamingo and Dragon arrived in Loguetown, where people began gathering after news of Roger’s execution spread worldwide.

In Loguetown, Doflamingo absorbed a Joker mask and discovered that its memories carried a dangerous, corrupting obsession. He separated the Joker influence into an Illusionary Clone and considered finding it a host he could control.

• Doflamingo absorbed a Blood-colored Puppet that left behind a Joker mask.
• Doflamingo absorbed the mask’s memories and felt Joker’s madness begin to affect him.
• Doflamingo used the Soul Clone Technique to sever the corrupted Soul Fragments and create a powerful Joker clone.
• The Joker clone taunted Doflamingo about his hatred of the Celestial Dragons, and Doflamingo dismissed its projection.
• Doflamingo considered using the clone to corrupt a host with influence, while exploring ways to keep it under control.

Doflamingo watched Gol D. Roger’s execution in Loguetown, where Roger’s final words sparked the Great Pirate Era and his soul entered Doflamingo’s Illusion Space. Afterward, Doflamingo confronted Clown Buggy, who tried to stab him but discovered that Doflamingo’s body was immune to the blade.

• Doflamingo observed the crowds and recognized several powerful figures, including Red Hair Shanks, Sand Crocodile, Hawkeye, Gecko Moria, and Clown Buggy.
• Roger declared that he had left his treasure for anyone to find, inspiring the crowd and igniting the Great Pirate Era before the Navy executed him.
• Sengoku watched from a warship, raged at Roger’s final words, and smashed a table.
• Doflamingo felt Roger’s powerful soul enter his Illusion Space and approached Buggy, who was crying in the crowd.
• Buggy denied being connected to Roger’s crew, then stabbed Doflamingo, but the blade left no wound.

Doflamingo confronted Buggy in Loguetown, then used a strange orb of light to create a new clownish personality within him. After leaving Loguetown, Buggy’s second personality awakened and began exploring his abilities and plotting to become stronger.

• Buggy mistook Doflamingo for a Logia and panicked when he learned Doflamingo was a Navy Vice Admiral.
• Buggy shouted for Shanks, and Doflamingo struck him with a strange orb of light before leaving.
• Shanks found Buggy confused, and they departed the execution ground without discovering what had happened.
• Dragon questioned Doflamingo about Buggy, and Doflamingo explained that Buggy and Shanks had been young Roger Pirates apprentices.
• That night, Buggy’s new personality awakened aboard a boat and examined his powers, equipment, and memories.
• The new personality revealed itself as a Soul Fragment of Doflamingo, a second personality in Buggy that could emerge for less than half a day.

Golden Lion escaped his cell with the Illusionary Clone’s help and hid in Impel Down’s Level 5.5. He planned to recruit powerful prisoners before making his escape.

• The Illusionary Clone explored Impel Down, found Level 5.5, and secretly helped Golden Lion recover and train under Sea Stone suppression.
• Golden Lion used an illusion to appear as a guard, and the guards released him from his cell while mistaking him for an ordinary prisoner.
• The guards left Golden Lion behind as they hurried to report his escape, while the prisoners on Level Six realized he was gone.
• Golden Lion reached Level 5.5 under the Illusionary Clone’s concealment and learned it connected to the first five levels of Impel Down.
• Golden Lion decided to recruit powerful prisoners and treat Impel Down as a source of potential allies.

Doflamingo reviewed the progress of his soul clones and weighed his plans for stirring conflict between the Navy and the World Government. He then absorbed Gol D. Roger’s soul and began experiencing memories that hinted at the mystery of the Great Treasure.

• Doflamingo sensed that Joker was secretly training Buggy and causing trouble, while Buggy remained unaware of the clone’s actions.
• Golden Lion escaped Impel Down through a secret passage after deciding he could not yet subdue the prisoners.
• Doflamingo concluded that permanently brainwashing Navy officers was impractical and decided to serve in the Navy while waiting for an opportunity to provoke conflict.
• Doflamingo prepared to absorb Roger’s soul after repeatedly washing the Blood-colored Puppet with seawater to reduce the danger of its memories.
• Doflamingo absorbed the puppet and its Skill Pearl, then saw Roger laugh about the Great Treasure and wonder whether it would bring godhood or destroy the world.

After gaining Gol D. Roger’s memories, Doflamingo began mastering Conqueror’s Haki Infusion and advanced Armament Haki techniques. A year later, he spotted a pirate with the Hair-Hair Fruit and set sail to investigate what had happened to the Donquixote Family, growing grim as his Observation Haki sensed the island ahead.

• Doflamingo realized Roger’s fragmented memories had left him with new questions about the Great Treasure, but gave him a method for training Conqueror’s Haki Infusion.
• Doflamingo trained, reviewed Navy intelligence, and occasionally went to sea to fight pirates as a year passed.
• Doflamingo learned that Golden Lion was secretly gathering allies, Bullet had been sent to Impel Down, and the Laughing Disease had spread through East Blue.
• Doflamingo saw that the Fluffy Pirate Crew’s captain possessed the Hair-Hair Fruit and concluded that something had happened to Donquixote Homing and his family.
• Doflamingo told Sengoku he was taking leave and sailed the Little Hummingbird with Kikyo and trusted subordinates toward the Donquixote Family’s hidden island.
• As Doflamingo neared the island, his powerful Observation Haki made his expression grow grave.

Doflamingo discovered that the Donquixote Family had been taken from their ruined home and interrogated a hidden CP0 agent about what happened. After learning that the Five Elders had ordered them to seize the family’s Poneglyph and that Homing had died by suicide, he set out to rescue the surviving family members.

• Doflamingo found the Donquixote Family’s villa in ruins, with signs that someone had smashed it apart using powerful punches.
• Doflamingo revealed and captured Lina, a CP0 agent hiding with the family’s Den Den Mushi, then hypnotized her for answers.
• Lina told Doflamingo that the family had been taken captive on a nearby island, the Five Elders had ordered CP0 to seize their Poneglyph, and Donquixote Saint Homing had committed suicide.
• Doflamingo erased Lina’s memories and used his Illusion Fruit to keep his subordinates from connecting Steve’s identity to him.
• Doflamingo and his subordinates set off for the nearby island, where he suspected CP0 was holding the family and preparing to capture him.

Doflamingo secretly visited Amy Merkel and Rosinante, found Amy ill with grief, and chose not to reveal himself in case their family was under suspicion over the Poneglyph. He used his Illusion Fruit to put the estate to sleep and began probing their memories by recreating the day CP0 came for the family.

• Doflamingo reached the mansion and used his Illusion Fruit to pass its powerful servants unnoticed.
• He found Amy Merkel weakened by illness while Rosinante carefully fed her medicine.
• Doflamingo suspected Amy's grief stemmed from Homing's death and decided that meeting her and Rosinante could endanger them.
• He wondered whether Homing had learned the Poneglyph's secrets and whether his family had seen a Poneglyph inscription.
• Doflamingo cast an illusion over Amy, Rosinante, and the estate's staff, recreating the day disguised CP0 agents arrived.

Doflamingo uncovered the CP0 agents’ search for a Poneglyph-like slab and learned that Rosinante and Amy Merkel knew nothing about it. Back at Navy Headquarters, he recognized that the captured archaeologist Olvia was Robin’s mother and saw her being brought in by Vice Admiral Saul.

• CP0 agents captured the Donquixote Family, found a Poneglyph-like slab hidden in the villa, and Homing died after biting a poison tooth.
• The agents drugged Rosinante and Amy Merkel, questioned them, then settled them on another island under surveillance.
• Doflamingo copied the slab into his Illusion Space, erased the agents’ memories, and left after ensuring Rosinante and Amy Merkel were asleep.
• On the journey back, Doflamingo destroyed a Pirate Crew’s ship and crew with a Flying Slash.
• At Navy Headquarters, Doflamingo saw Kuzan and Vice Admiral Saul with the handcuffed archaeologist Olvia, who accused the World Government of concealing history.

Doflamingo used his Illusion Fruit to make Olvia dream of an excavation where she translated a Poneglyph. The translation revealed that the Celestial Dragons were human sacrifices in an ancient plan, leaving Doflamingo shaken by the possibility that the plan would return.

• Doflamingo arranged for Olvia to dream while she was imprisoned at Navy Headquarters, avoiding contact with Kuzan and Saul.
• Olvia dreamed that her expedition had discovered a Poneglyph and read its inscription.
• The inscription described the Ultimate Plan, which would combine the planet and its living beings into a god, and said the Celestial Dragons were human sacrifices kept to a limited population.
• The inscription claimed newborns and mixed-blood Celestial Dragons were sacrificed and that the plan would be activated again after seven hundred years.
• Doflamingo read Olvia's translated text and realized that the Celestial Dragons' small population could be explained by the sacrifices.

Doflamingo pieced together more of the World Government’s plan and decided to build his strength while leaving Imu’s testing to Luffy. Meanwhile, Saul told Olvia that Ohara would face a Buster Call, then helped her escape so she could try to save the island, but someone blocked their path near the warship.

• Doflamingo concluded that the Poneglyphs revealed the enemy’s plan and that Imu’s scheme involved consuming the power of the planet and its life.
• Olvia woke in her cell, where Saul told her that she would be executed in three days.
• Saul returned the next night and told Olvia that the Navy planned to launch a Buster Call on Ohara.
• Olvia begged Saul to help her escape so she could reach Robin and protect Ohara’s scholars, and Saul agreed to go with her.
• Saul hid Olvia inside his hat and led her past the guards, but a figure stood in their way near the warship.

Doflamingo gave Sauro a ring that could make its wearer invisible, helping him and Olvia prepare to reach Ohara. At the Tree of Omniscience, Buggy arrived in pieces inside gift boxes and realized the Second Personality had thrown him into West Blue again.

• Doflamingo confronted Sauro about helping Olvia save Ohara, then gave him a ring that could turn its wearer invisible.
• Sauro let Olvia try the ring, and she vanished from sight before they set out to find a warship.
• A flock of birds dropped gift boxes at the Tree of Omniscience, where Robin opened them with her Flower-Flower Fruit ability.
• The boxes spilled Buggy's moving body parts, which gathered into his clown form in front of Dr. Clover and the scholars.
• Buggy learned he was at Ohara in West Blue and realized the Second Personality had thrown him there again.

Buggy arrived in Ohara after surviving Joker’s dangerous pranks, but Joker took control that night and entered the Tree of Omniscience Library. Joker declared that he had come for the scholars’ buried knowledge, leaving them frightened and uncertain of what he would do next.

• Buggy woke dismembered into pieces packed in boxes and discovered that he had been sent to Ohara in the West Blue.
• Robin questioned Buggy about his origins and purpose while he ate, and Buggy angrily rejected being called a clown.
• Ohara’s scholars welcomed Buggy and gave him a place to stay, unaware of the danger posed by his Second Personality.
• That night, Joker transformed Buggy’s appearance, prepared a bag of special human bombs disguised as candy, and headed for the library.
• Joker burst into the Tree of Omniscience Library and told the frightened scholars that he wanted the knowledge buried there.

Joker revealed his identity to Robin and demanded that Ohara’s scholars compile a Poneglyph translation dictionary, then used his powers to remove their heads when they refused to hand it over. The scholars survived and began talking while Joker examined their brains, leaving Robin frightened but curious.

• Robin recognized Joker as Buggy by his red nose and Devil Fruit ability.
• Joker asked the scholars to compile a Poneglyph translation dictionary and said he might spread copies to cause trouble for the World Government.
• The scholars refused to give the dictionary to someone they considered unsuitable.
• Joker removed the scholars’ heads and set them down, where they began arguing and joking.
• Robin crept closer to watch Joker open the scholars’ skulls and asked whether he would eat their brains.

Joker forced Ohara’s scholars to compile a Poneglyph dictionary by planting Candy Bombs in their heads and revealing that a Buster Call would destroy the island in seven days. The scholars began their final work, while Buggy woke the next morning to find Ohara in turmoil and realized Joker had caused trouble again.

• Joker put Candy Bombs in the scholars’ heads and threatened to detonate them unless they compiled a Poneglyph dictionary.
• Joker gave the gathered scholars seven days to finish the dictionary and revealed that the Navy had blockaded Ohara ahead of a Buster Call.
• The scholars recognized that the World Government intended to wipe out Ohara’s historians and began compiling their work despite the threat of death.
• The next morning, Buggy found his blue hair cut off again and saw Ohara’s residents fleeing, gathering documents, and studying in a frantic rush.
• A frightened scholar mistook Buggy for Joker, and Buggy realized Joker had started causing trouble on the island.

Buggy learned that the Navy had launched a Buster Call against Ohara and struggled to find a way to escape while the scholars continued compiling a Poneglyph dictionary. The Navy sent an unusually powerful fleet toward the island, leaving Buggy and the scholars facing imminent destruction.

• Buggy admitted he could not remove the candy bombs from the scholars’ heads and urged them to finish the Poneglyph dictionary so Joker could remove them.
• Dr. Clover asked Buggy to take Robin with him when he left, then reminded him that the Buster Call was approaching.
• Buggy panicked when he realized the Buster Call threatened him too, and considered relying on his second personality to survive the Navy Vice Admirals.
• Sengoku ordered the Navy to blockade Ohara and sent the Buster Call fleet ahead of schedule.
• Sengoku dispatched more than twenty warships, seven or eight Vice Admirals, and Admiral Candidates Akainu and Aokiji to destroy Ohara.

Doflamingo learned that Golden Lion had freed Byrnndi World, Patrick Redfield, and Douglas Bullet from Impel Down and formed an alliance with them. As the Buster Call began at Ohara, Joker found Dr. Clover dead and prepared to take his identity and oppose the World Government.

• Doflamingo learned through his clones that Golden Lion had escaped Impel Down with Byrnndi World, Patrick Redfield, and Douglas Bullet, who allied with him against the World Government.
• Ohara's scholars worked to finish the dictionary before the Buster Call, while Olvia and Sauro hurried to warn them.
• Spandam arrived near Ohara with a World Government vessel, and Sakazuki and Kuzan met with him before his ship went ahead to assess the island.
• World Government agents clashed with Ohara's scholars, then withdrew as the Buster Call began.
• Joker found Dr. Clover dead, removed his own facial skin and Clover's with the Chop-Chop Fruit, and declared that he would inherit Clover's will.

During the destruction of Ohara, Kuzan let Robin escape and accepted Dr. Clover’s final message, unaware that Joker had staged the encounter. After the Buster Call, Kuzan discovered the truth about the Poneglyphs, while the Navy returned to headquarters and learned of major disasters.

• Olvia gave Robin an invisibility ring and entrusted her to Sauro before running back toward the burning Tree of Omniscience.
• Kuzan intercepted Sauro and Robin but let Robin escape, then accepted a dictionary and Poneglyph rubbings from the dying Dr. Clover.
• Doflamingo revealed that Joker had disguised himself as Dr. Clover and risked his life by entering suspended death to fool Kuzan.
• Robin fell asleep in her boat as a ghostly figure emerged from her ring, and Kuzan read the translated Poneglyph text aboard a Navy warship.
• Buggy survived Ohara’s destruction, and the Navy learned that nearly every Impel Down prisoner had escaped and that Monkey D. Dragon had resigned.

As Dragon prepared to leave the Navy, Doflamingo confronted him about overthrowing the World Government and proposed an alliance. Dragon accepted, leaving with a secure Den Den Mushi as the two began working together against the Government.

• Dragon boarded the ship that would take him away from the Navy and found Doflamingo waiting with rum.
• Doflamingo suggested he knew Dragon planned to overthrow the World Government, and Dragon admitted it before Doflamingo tricked him into thinking Garp was nearby.
• Doflamingo proposed an alliance and suggested the Navy might one day turn against the World Government.
• Dragon agreed to ally with Doflamingo and gave him a white anti-eavesdropping Den Den Mushi.
• Dragon and Doflamingo shook hands, briefly unleashing powerful Conqueror's Haki that cracked the ship.

Doflamingo and Dragon recognized each other’s strength as they left Navy Headquarters, while Aokiji set out to verify the Poneglyph’s authenticity and locate the Donquixote family. As pirates spread conflict across the seas, Doflamingo continued suppressing them as the Navy’s celebrated Vice Admiral Steve.

• Doflamingo and Dragon each considered the other a potential ally after witnessing his Conqueror’s Haki Infusion.
• Aokiji took a long leave to investigate the copied Poneglyph and find where Rosinante and his mother had settled.
• Golden Lion’s alliance and pirate pressure pushed Kaido and Charlotte Linlin into a loose pact, while conflict spread into the first half of the Grand Line.
• Doflamingo destroyed a pirate ship with a sword strike, earning praise from his Navy crew.
• Doflamingo ordered his soldiers to capture the surviving pirates and search the wreckage for treasure.

Doflamingo discovered an unknown Devil Fruit while collecting spoils, then learned that Gion had challenged Dracule Mihawk and needed support. On Winter Ice Cream Island, Mihawk defeated Gion decisively, leaving her to face the gap between their swordsmanship.

• Doflamingo found an unknown Devil Fruit aboard a pirate crew's ship and ordered the Marines to store it as spoils of war.
• Tokikake called Doflamingo and asked him to support Gion, who had challenged Dracule Mihawk on Winter Ice Cream Island.
• Doflamingo agreed to head to the island, which was about six hours away.
• Mihawk overwhelmed Gion in their duel, leaving her badly wounded while he suffered only superficial injuries.
• Mihawk withdrew his blade and ended the fight, and Gion acknowledged that she had no chance of defeating him alone.