Chapter Summaries

The Straw Hat Crew reassured Vivi that they would help reclaim Alabasta, but she warned them that Crocodile was a Shichibukai backed by Black Spear. When the crew realized Austin was the powerful figure behind the organization, they took comfort in believing he would support them, while the narration noted that both sides trusted Austin to take their side.

• Vivi admitted she doubted her strength against Crocodile, and Nami, Sanji, Zoro, Luffy, and Usopp promised to help her.
• Vivi warned the crew that Crocodile was a Shichibukai, and Sanji explained that the organization included powerful pirates such as Dracule Mihawk.
• Vivi revealed that Black Spear ruled the Shichibukai, and the crew relaxed when they learned the figure was Austin.
• The Straw Hat Crew and Baroque Works both believed Austin would support them, though the narration described him as famous for backstabbing.

Austin created the Supernova identity Hades to pass the time and drew attention with a 400 million Beli bounty. Meanwhile, Blackbeard Teach hid on Dra Island with Lafitte and Van Augur, who questioned why he feared the Whitebeard Pirates; Teach began to explain that his caution was not because of Ace.

• Austin read a report about Blackbeard Teach stealing the Dark-Dark Fruit and decided to confront him while using a new identity.
• Austin took to the sea as Hades, wearing an appearance modeled on young Uncle Gaban and wielding two axes.
• The World Economic News Paper publicized Hades, whose reported clashes and escapes from Shichibukai and Marine forces raised his bounty to 400 million Beli.
• Teach hid on Dra Island with Lafitte and Van Augur after defecting from the Whitebeard Pirates with the stolen fruit.
• Lafitte questioned Teach's caution, and Van Augur silently awaited his answer; Teach insisted he was not being cautious because of Fire Fist Ace.

Teach explained that he had taken the Dark-Dark Fruit from Black Spear Dotol Austin before he was supposed to receive it, then tried to recruit Hades as Vice-Captain of the Blackbeard Pirates. He offered Hades the secret of transferring Devil Fruit abilities, claiming even Vegapunk and Black Spear knew only an incomplete version.

• Teach told Lafitte and Van Augur that he feared Black Spear because he had taken the Dark-Dark Fruit from him without permission.
• Teach and his crew spotted Hades and decided to invite him, with Teach confident he could offer terms Hades would accept.
• Teach offered Hades the Vice-Captain position, and Hades pretended not to know him while declaring he would serve only a future World King.
• Teach claimed he alone had mastered the perfect method of transferring Devil Fruit abilities and that Vegapunk and Black Spear possessed only incomplete information.

Hades entertained Teach’s offer to join the Blackbeard Pirates and tested his strength against him, using his Gravity Fruit to wound Teach before Teach revealed his Dark-Dark Fruit. As Teach’s ability nullified Hades’s Devil Fruit power and pulled him closer, Hades declared that only Haki could transcend everything.

• Teach offered to make Hades his right-hand man and claimed he could help him master a second Devil Fruit ability.
• Hades agreed to join only if Teach defeated him, and the two clashed with axes and Armament Haki.
• Hades used Gravity Field to immobilize Teach and slash his chest, then claimed his Gravity Fruit made him unbeatable.
• Teach recovered and revealed the Dark-Dark Fruit, using Dark Hole to pull Hades in and suppress his Devil Fruit power.
• As Teach dragged him closer, Hades declared that only Haki could transcend everything.

Hades endured a three-day battle with Blackbeard before agreeing to join his crew, while Austin headed toward Alabasta as the Straw Hat Pirates encountered Fung Kley. Fung Kley’s final transformation stunned everyone and left the scene in silence.

• Hades and Blackbeard fought for three days until both were exhausted, and Hades agreed to join the Blackbeard Pirates if Teach became World King.
• Teach celebrated recruiting Hades and planned to find a ship’s doctor for his crew.
• Austin flew toward Alabasta after making a long-distance clone, intending to join the events surrounding the Straw Hat Pirates.
• Crocodile dismissed Marine Captain Smoker as a threat, while Nico Robin questioned whether the Marines could disrupt their plan.
• Fung Kley demonstrated his ability to copy people he had touched, then revealed his grand finale form and left the Straw Hat Pirates speechless.

The Straw Hat crew learned that Mr. 5 could transform into Dotol Austin and discovered he was one of Crocodile’s subordinates. After arriving in Alabasta, Luffy accidentally sent Ace and Smoker flying into each other, setting off a chase as Luffy declared he had come to defeat Crocodile.

• Mr. 5 transformed into Dotol Austin, shocking Vivi, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Usopp.
• Mr. 5 revealed he had touched Austin and said the encounter had earned him Austin’s personal acknowledgment.
• After Mr. 5 departed, Vivi revealed he was one of Crocodile’s subordinates, and the crew landed in Alabasta.
• Ace searched for someone at a small restaurant in Alabasta when Smoker arrived and challenged him.
• Luffy’s surprise headbutt sent Ace and Smoker flying into each other, and Smoker recognized Luffy and accused him of thinking Austin’s territory would keep him safe.
• Luffy said he had come to defeat Crocodile, and Smoker and Ace pursued him together.

Austin grew bored watching the fighting in Little Alabasta and sent Seagull King to follow the others while he rested. Meanwhile, Teach’s Blackbeard Pirates planned to hunt powerful Devil Fruits, and Hades proposed making Austin’s Warp Fruit a future target.

• Austin joked with Seagull King about the three Logia users in Little Alabasta, then decided the fighting was too boring to watch.
• Austin told Seagull King to follow the group from above while he rested.
• Teach read reports about rumors that Black Spear had returned and told his crew they would begin their rise by hunting powerful Devil Fruits.
• Teach named Whitebeard’s Tremor-Tremor Fruit as his own first target, and his crewmates shared what abilities they wanted.
• Hades suggested that after Teach became a Dual Devil Fruit User, the crew should target Austin’s Warp Fruit, leaving Teach sweating as he tried to hide his unease.

Teach planned to capture Ace and provoke a war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines, while Crocodile pursued control of Alabasta and the Ancient Weapon Pluton. After learning Robin would not confirm that the Poneglyph revealed Pluton’s location, Crocodile attacked her and vowed to build a military nation with Austin’s support.

• Hades encouraged the Black Crew’s officers to seek powerful Devil Fruits, but Teach redirected the discussion toward capturing Ace and starting a war with the Whitebeard Pirates.
• Ace left Luffy and his companions to continue searching for Blackbeard, while Austin worried about his recklessness and lack of strength.
• Crocodile defeated Luffy in the desert, drained his arm, and pierced his chest with her golden hook, but Robin saved him.
• Crocodile captured King Cobra and questioned him before heading underground to investigate the Poneglyph.
• Robin told Crocodile that the Poneglyph recorded only history, so Crocodile declared her useless and pierced her stomach with the golden hook.
• Crocodile announced that she would seize Alabasta and find Pluton, then combine it with Austin’s wealth and influence to create a formidable military nation.

Vivi begged Austin to save Alabasta, offering the country’s loyalty, while Luffy defeated Crocodile in the collapsing underground palace. Luffy declared that he would send Austin flying too if Austin ever harmed his companions or destroyed a country, leaving Vivi despairing and Austin suppressing a smile.

• Vivi watched the rebels and royal army slaughter one another and pleaded with Austin to save Alabasta in exchange for the country’s loyalty.
• Crocodile told Luffy that her ambition was only part of the investment made by Black Spear and boasted about Austin’s power.
• Luffy used his blood to hit Crocodile and battered her with Storm Gatling, knocking her unconscious.
• Luffy declared that he would send Austin flying too if Austin ever hurt his companions or destroyed another country.
• Vivi’s expression changed to despair, while Austin struggled to suppress a smile.

Austin left Alabasta after summoning rain and urging Vivi to do her best as its future queen, while the Straw Hat Pirates helped bring the war to an end. Smoker defied the World Government’s orders and tried to arrest Crocodile, only for a tall figure to appear beside her.

• Austin dismissed Vivi’s concerns, summoned a storm that brought rain to Alabasta, and departed after calling her the future queen.
• Igaram brought a child who revealed Mr. 2 had impersonated the King, prompting the rebels and royal forces to lay down their weapons.
• The Straw Hat Pirates met Cobra carrying Luffy, and Zoro later asked Vivi what she wanted to tell them about their future.
• Smoker accused Crocodile of harming Alabasta and defied the World Government’s order to let the Shichibukai go free.
• A tall figure appeared beside Crocodile and addressed Smoker after he hung up on the World Government.

Austin overwhelmed Smoker and the others in Alabasta, restored Crocodile to Little Sand, and left her to be taken to Impel Down. The Straw Hat Pirates learned that Austin had heard Luffy’s challenge and would await them on their journey.

• Hina and Tashigi saluted Austin, while his Conqueror’s Haki forced Smoker to his knees and knocked out the Marines and civilians nearby.
• Austin identified the Sickness-Sickness Fruit’s effect on Crocodile, removed the illness from himself, and used Conqueror’s Haki to restore her to Little Sand.
• Austin said Little Sand should spend time studying in Impel Down, then vanished; Smoker contacted Fleet Admiral Sengoku to report his appearance.
• The Straw Hat Pirates discussed Austin’s presence in Alabasta, and Vivi revealed that he had asked her to tell them he would be waiting on their journey.
• Usopp told Chopper that Luffy had promised to punch Austin into the sky, leaving the crew terrified that Austin had heard the challenge.

After Alabasta’s temporary victory, the Straw Hat Pirates worried over Luffy’s threat to challenge Austin, then found resolve in the need to surpass powerful opponents. Meanwhile, Doflamingo told Austin that the World Government had uncovered his biological-weapons experiments, deepening the strain between them.

• At Alabasta’s banquet, Luffy’s threat to send Austin flying alarmed the Straw Hat Pirates, who warned him that Austin was stronger and more dangerous than Mihawk.
• Luffy insisted he would challenge Austin if necessary because he had to surpass every obstacle to become Pirate King, and the crew eventually accepted his resolve.
• Doflamingo told Austin that the World Government had discovered evidence of biological-weapons experiments, though the details remained secret.
• Doflamingo reported that Mihawk had killed several CP0 agents and that the World Government would grow more suspicious, further worsening relations with Austin.
• Austin remained calm and said he was prepared to abandon his plans if the World Government threatened Old Gick.

Austin spoke with Doflamingo about the Shichibukai meeting and Bellamy while Crocodile remained imprisoned, and the Blackbeard Pirates arrived at Rogue Town. The Five Elders learned that Red-Haired and Whitebeard had been in contact and decided they needed to appoint a new Shichibukai quickly.

• Austin used Observation Haki to see Little Sand imprisoned, then learned from Doflamingo that Bellamy had borrowed his name and that Doflamingo was heading to a Shichibukai meeting.
• Little Sand woke in Crocodile's body in a Marine cell, and Smoker told her she had been stripped of her Shichibukai title and would be sent to Impel Down.
• The Straw Hat Pirates and the Blackbeard Pirates arrived at Rogue Town, where Blackbeard let his crew roam freely and Hades set off to kill.
• A Marine told the Five Elders that Red-Haired and Whitebeard seemed to have been in contact, and the Elders ordered their movements observed without rash action.
• Saint Nusjuro said the World Government needed to appoint a new Shichibukai after Crocodile's arrest.

The Five Elders decided to fill Crocodile’s vacant Shichibukai position and chose Enel as their suggested candidate, while ordering the Marines to convene a meeting. The meeting began at Marine Headquarters with Doflamingo and Kuma present, but the chapter ended before the Shichibukai discussed the vacancy.

• The Five Elders agreed that the Shichibukai ranks needed to be restored and directed Cipher Pol to continue investigating Austin.
• Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru received the World Government’s orders to send Crocodile to Level 6 of Impel Down and convene a Shichibukai meeting.
• The World Government recommended Enel as a candidate to replace Crocodile.
• Doflamingo and Kuma arrived at Marine Headquarters for the meeting.
• Doflamingo used his strings to make two Marines fight until Sengoku entered and ordered him to stop.

Mihawk and Lafitte attended the meeting to discuss Crocodile’s replacement as a Shichibukai, and Teach was put forward as a candidate. Elsewhere, Austin called Sammy to say he was returning to the Sabaody Archipelago and warned that it might soon become lively.

• Mihawk arrived at Marine Headquarters and said he had arranged everything at the site he had left behind.
• Mihawk said he was interested in the pirates involved, including Luffy’s crew and Zoro.
• Lafitte recommended his captain, Teach, as Crocodile’s replacement, and Mihawk said Austin had mentioned Teach before.
• Mihawk told Lafitte to go and make Teach’s name known across the seas.
• Austin called Sammy and told her he was on his way back to the Sabaody Archipelago.

Sammy and the residents of Sabaody Archipelago celebrated Austin’s return, while he called Mihawk and Hades as events unfolded around them. The chapter ended with a mysterious attacker confronting a World Government vessel in the New World.

• Sammy and Austin’s two maids spread the news of Austin’s return and planned a celebration in the Red-Light District.
• Rayleigh heard about Austin’s return and studied Hades’s new 412-million-Beli Wanted Poster, noting how much he resembled Gaban.
• The Blackbeard Pirates tried to pursue Luffy’s ship toward Sky Island, but Hades used psychokinesis to keep them from falling into the surging current before dozing off.
• Austin called Hades and learned from Mihawk that Lafitte had appeared at a Marine Headquarters meeting; Mihawk also raised the matter of a laboratory.
• Guernica and the CP0 agents aboard a World Government vessel were attacked by forces in the sky and beneath the ship, as an unseen enemy unleashed a thunderstorm and a tsunami shoulder throw.

Austin prepared to return to Sabaody Archipelago, while Mihawk agreed to visit Perona because Moria was expected to lose to the younger generation. At Shakky’s bar, Rayleigh and Shakky discussed Austin’s strength and their refusal to use Pure Gold before Austin arrived.

• Austin learned that Enel and Fisher Tiger were guarding the sea area together and planned to return to Sabaody Archipelago.
• Austin urged Mihawk to visit Perona, and Mihawk agreed after remembering how much she feared loneliness.
• At Shakky’s Bargain Bar, Shakky teased Rayleigh about Austin’s popularity and Doll’s interest in him.
• Rayleigh said Austin might be stronger than Shanks and compared him to Rocks, while he and Shakky declined to use Pure Gold to preserve their strength or beauty.
• Austin entered the bar and teased Rayleigh and Shakky for talking about him behind his back.

Austin told Rayleigh and Shakky about traveling to the past, joining the Rocks Pirates, and fighting Roger, Garp, Saint Garling, and Rocks. Meanwhile, the Blackbeard Pirates found the Straw Hat Crew on an island, but Marine Admiral Aokiji appeared before they could attack.

• Austin explained that he had spent two years in the past as a Rocks Pirates captain and had fought four powerful opponents, killing Rocks after a deadly battle.
• Rayleigh and Shakky listened to Austin’s account, and the three shared a drink before Austin left for his headquarters.
• King Luffy’s group left Sky Island after defeating Foxy’s group and reached a deserted island.
• Teach’s Blackbeard Pirates followed Hades’s guidance to the island where the Merry was docked, intending to confront the Straw Hat Crew.
• A freezing chill startled the Blackbeard Pirates, and they recognized Marine Admiral Aokiji.

Kuzan encountered Blackbeard’s crew while heading to check on Luffy, then recognized the disguised Dotol Austin and attacked. Teach and Hades fought back, while the Straw Hat crew watched from the forest as Aokiji faced the Black Crew.

• Luffy and the Straw Hat crew heard a commotion on the shore and went to investigate, hoping to find a Sea King.
• Kuzan rode toward the island to check on Garp’s grandson and encountered Teach’s crew preparing to capture Luffy.
• Teach tried to avoid a fight by telling Kuzan that his crew was nominated to become Shichibukai, but Hades stepped forward and challenged the admiral.
• Kuzan unleashed his freezing power after recognizing Dotol Austin despite his changed appearance, and Teach countered with the Dark-Dark Fruit while Hades attacked with his axes.
• Teach and Hades exchanged blows with Aokiji as Burgess was frozen, while Robin recognized the admiral from her childhood.
• Hades spotted the Straw Hat crew hiding in the forest and mocked them for being afraid to fight the Marines.

Hades and Kuzan fought while Luffy rushed into the battle, and Kuzan recognized Robin as the survivor of Ohara. Hades escaped with Teach’s crew after taunting Luffy and threatening Kuzan, leaving the Straw Hats to face the Admiral.

• Hades and Kuzan clashed as Luffy shouted that he would become Pirate King and charged toward them.
• Kuzan froze the sea with Ice Age, but Hades cut the ice apart with a flurry of axe slashes.
• Luffy attacked with Storm Rifle, and Kuzan was shattered into ice before reforming in front of him.
• The Straw Hats rushed out of the forest, and Kuzan recognized Robin as Nico Robin, the Ohara survivor.
• Hades and Teach’s crew escaped on a flying raft while Luffy tried to pursue them and Zoro and Sanji held him back.
• Hades warned Kuzan not to interfere or Garp’s grandson could die, leaving Kuzan furious as the Straw Hats remained behind.