Ch. 164Dust Settles

Xia Qiu learned that Drum Kingdom had accepted Zala as its future Queen and arranged for Vivi to attend her coronation. Meanwhile, Nojiko encouraged Marcel to rejoin Luffy’s crew, and he sailed with the Straw Hat Pirates toward the Grand Line.

  • Heckle reported that Drum Kingdom accepted Zala’s rule after Dalton’s defeats, and Xia Qiu agreed to let her govern until her July 1st coronation.
  • Xia Qiu declined to attend Zala’s coronation because his presence could attract the Marines, but arranged for Vivi to go instead.
  • Marcel said goodbye to Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji at Silvan Island because he had found his family and planned to return home.
  • Nojiko urged Marcel to continue his adventures and repay Luffy’s crew, who had saved his life and helped him avenge himself.
  • Marcel asked to join Luffy’s crew, and the Straw Hat Pirates accepted him as their navigator before leaving the island the next day.
  • Nojiko explained to Marcel’s mother that she sent Marcel away because she wanted him to recover his love of adventure and live happily again.

Ch. 165Ace Arrives

Ace arrived at Drum Kingdom in pursuit of Blackbeard, only to learn the crew had already left. Smith then gave him an Eternal Pose to Mock Town and offered ongoing help tracking them.

  • Ace reached Drum Kingdom, ate and slept through a meal at a village bar, then paid the bartender for information about Blackbeard.
  • The bartender told Ace that Blackbeard had defeated Walpol and the royal guards before leaving Drum Kingdom, apparently heading west.
  • A middle-aged man named Smith approached Ace and claimed to have information about Blackbeard.
  • Smith told Ace that Blackbeard was in Mock Town on Jaya Island and gave him an Eternal Pose to reach it.
  • Smith offered contacts to keep Ace updated if Blackbeard moved, and Ace agreed to report what happened.

Ch. 166All Forces Mobilize

Xia Qiu mobilized Baroque Works to pursue Blackbeard, while Ace prepared to travel with Mr. Christmas to rescue Nami. The chapter ended with Ace’s six-armed Fish-Man companion waiting in the cold on Drum Island.

  • Xia Qiu ordered Mr. Christmas to follow Ace and arranged for Vivi, Cecilia, and Baroque Works’ agents to support the mission.
  • Heckle gathered supplies and took Xia Qiu and Cecilia by submarine to Alabasta, where Vivi agreed to guard the prisoners on Island Two.
  • Ace objected to having someone accompany him, but Smith explained that Mr. Christmas could provide support and rescue Nami without interfering in Ace’s fight.
  • Mr. Christmas revealed that his Door-Door Fruit could take people into a Spatial Dimension, and Ace agreed to set out after waiting for his companion.
  • Ace’s six-armed Fish-Man companion waited aboard the boat on Drum Island, complaining about the cold and wondering when Ace would return.

Ch. 167The Battle Begins

Ace and Baroque Works arrived in Mock Town to rescue Nami and capture Blackbeard. Hachi and Mr. Christmas got Nami away, leaving Ace to confront Blackbeard.

  • Ace landed in Mock Town with Hachi and Mr. Christmas, who contacted Baroque Works intelligence to locate Blackbeard.
  • Nami waited with Blackbeard's crew while Lafitte urged Blackbeard to help Hody seize Fish-Man Island and secure a Shichibukai position.
  • Two Haidar Pirates harassed Nami, and Lafitte killed them before questioning why Blackbeard kept her alive.
  • Ace attacked Blackbeard with flames as Mr. Christmas opened a door to extract Nami.
  • Hachi blocked Lafitte from striking Nami, and Mr. Christmas took her through the Spatial Dimension.
  • Ace accused Blackbeard of betraying Whitebeard, killing a crewmate, and kidnapping Nami, then challenged him to face punishment.

Ch. 168Battle

Ace and Hachi fought the Blackbeard Pirates while allies arrived to hold off their reinforcements. Nami watched from a hillside, hoping Ace and Hachi would win.

  • Ace’s flames drove Mock Town’s pirates away as Van Augur, Bασσας, and Doc Q headed north to help Lafitte and search for Nami.
  • Hachi fought Lafitte with his six swords and kept him from escaping, despite being outnumbered once the other Blackbeard Pirates arrived.
  • Van Augur prepared to shoot Hachi, but a woman threatened him through a small door that opened in the air.
  • Heckle attacked Bασσας, while Doc Q persuaded the tall woman to stand aside and watch their fight.
  • Hachi intensified his attacks after allies arrived, and Lafitte continued fighting him as Nami watched Ace battle Blackbeard from a hillside.

Ch. 169Strength and Speed

Heckle struggled against Champion Bασσας’s overwhelming strength before revealing Second Stage Soru, a speed technique that let him overwhelm Bασσας with rapid attacks. As Van Augur realized Bασσας might lose, a voice warned him not to move.

  • Bασσας charged Heckle and repeatedly forced him to evade rather than fight head-on.
  • Heckle used Shave to dodge Bασσας’s attacks, but Bασσας kept up with him and struck him back.
  • Heckle activated Second Stage Soru, using the Kilogram Fruit to accelerate beyond Bασσας’s reactions.
  • Heckle battered Bασσας with rapid punches while Bασσας tried to block them.
  • Van Augur watched Heckle gain the advantage and worried that he would be in danger if Bασσας lost.
  • An unseen voice told Van Augur not to move.

Ch. 170Exchange

Hachi gained the upper hand against Lafitte, but Van Augur intervened and switched opponents, turning the fight into a stalemate. Meanwhile, Heckle and Bασσας traded a devastating blow, and both struggled to continue fighting.

  • Hachi trapped Lafitte with ink and a six-sword attack, but Van Augur shot Hachi and gave Lafitte an opening to escape.
  • Van Augur called for Lafitte to switch opponents, and his shots stopped Hachi while Lafitte avoided Mr. Christmas, balancing the four-way fight.
  • Doc Q used exploding apples to force Cecilia to retreat, then aimed a strange weapon at her.
  • Heckle struck Bασσας with his Ten Ton Fist, but Bασσας countered with an elbow strike that shattered his arm, and both fighters were injured.
  • Bασσας insisted he would not lose, and Heckle clenched his fists and prepared to fight him again.

Ch. 171A Giant Beast Arrives

Ace lost his battle with Blackbeard, and Nami failed to save him from being captured or killed. As Blackbeard faced the helpless pair, a gigantic beast arrived and confronted them.

  • Ace and Blackbeard exchanged powerful attacks, and their flames-and-darkness clash ended with Blackbeard still standing.
  • Blackbeard struck Ace down, leaving him unable to fight, while Nami ran to his side and begged Teach to spare him.
  • After Teach refused Nami's offer to join his crew, Nami attacked him with a dagger, but he kicked her away.
  • Blackbeard prepared to hand Ace and Nami over to the Marines when a gigantic six-legged beast approached and roared before them.

Ch. 172Overwhelming Force

Xia Qiu, Robin’s Giant Beast, killed Blackbeard and approached the wounded Ace and Nami. Instead of eating them, it spoke to Ace and demanded that he become its subordinate.

  • Nami recognized the charging Giant Beast as Robin’s, and Ace and Blackbeard wondered why it had appeared.
  • Blackbeard’s Black Hole failed to stop Xia Qiu, which broke his arm and bit him in half.
  • Ace pleaded with Robin to spare Nami, while Nami and Ace accepted the possibility of dying together.
  • Xia Qiu opened its jaws over Ace and Nami, then told Ace to become its subordinate.

Ch. 173Mr.1

Xia Qiu persuaded Ace to become his subordinate by explaining how he had saved Ace and Nami and offering a four-year term. Ace agreed on the conditions that Nami and Hachi could leave and that he would not be ordered to harm innocents; Xia Qiu then went to check on his fighting subordinates.

  • Xia Qiu explained that Blackbeard had planned to hand Ace over to the World Government and use his execution to lure Whitebeard into a war.
  • Xia Qiu revealed that he knew Ace was Roger's son and insisted that he had saved Ace, Nami, and Hachi.
  • Ace hesitated to leave the Whitebeard Pirates, but Xia Qiu offered to release him after four years of service.
  • Ace agreed to join Xia Qiu if Nami and Hachi were allowed to leave and he was not made to kill indiscriminately or harm innocents.
  • Xia Qiu agreed to let Nami and Hachi go after treatment, provided they kept his identity secret, and Ace agreed to tell Whitebeard the truth.
  • Xia Qiu swallowed Blackbeard's corpse and headed off to check on his subordinates, who were still fighting.

Ch. 174A Bountiful Harvest

Xia Qiu joined the fight against the Blackbeard Pirates, helping Hachi, Heckle, and the others turn the battle in their favor. The chapter ended with Xia Qiu focused on claiming the Dark-Dark Fruit and using it for someone he had already chosen.

  • Lafitte proposed waiting to see whether Ace or Blackbeard won, and the fighters continued their standoff until a third party approached.
  • Xia Qiu charged into the battle, broke Bασσας's remaining arm, and helped Heckle bring him down.
  • Xia Qiu and Cecilia cornered Lafitte; he was knocked down with both wings broken after stabbing Cecilia in the abdomen.
  • Xia Qiu's attack left Van Augur exposed, and Hachi killed him with a slash.
  • Heckle and Mr. Christmas helped Hachi put Doc Q at a disadvantage as Xia Qiu considered the Reinforcement Energy, Ace's service, and the Dark-Dark Fruit his gains from the battle.

Ch. 175Symbol of the Era

Xia Qiu revealed that he was Mr.0, secured his subordinates’ loyalty, and demonstrated his strength to Baroque Works. He then declared his ambition to make the era bear his name, leaving Ace, Lucci, and the others astonished by the scale of his goal.

  • Xia Qiu identified himself as Baroque Works president Mr.0, and the gathered members agreed to keep serving him as he introduced Ace as Mr.1 for the next four years.
  • Heckle struck Xia Qiu with his Ten-Ton Steel Fist, but Xia Qiu blocked the attack with Armament Haki; Mr. Christmas’s Door-Door Fruit ability also failed to affect him.
  • Xia Qiu outran Cecilia using Shave, then released a powerful aura that made Mr. Christmas collapse before assigning missions to the group.
  • At Island Two, Ace discussed Xia Qiu’s Haki and strength with him and Lucci, then asked what the president intended to accomplish.
  • Xia Qiu argued that Whitebeard could no longer lead the era and declared that he would make history bear his name and become its symbol.

Ch. 176One Minute

Zala was crowned king of the Drum Kingdom, renamed it the Sakura Kingdom, and appointed Dalton and other ministers. When the former king Wapol returned with his pirates, Zala defeated him and his allies, strengthening the villagers’ confidence in her rule.

  • Dalton welcomed Vivi and the other guests to Zala’s coronation ceremony, where he crowned Zala king.
  • Zala renamed the Drum Kingdom the Sakura Kingdom and appointed Dalton Minister of General Affairs, Alken captain of the guards, and other officials.
  • A messenger announced that Wapol had returned, and Zala set out with Dalton, Alken, and Mr. Christmas to confront him.
  • Wapol landed with his men and ordered them toward the castle, but Zala defeated him, Jace, and Cromalimon in one minute.
  • Zala offered Wapol’s guards and Doctor 20 the choice to join her kingdom or die, and they agreed to become her subordinates.
  • Villagers cheered Zala’s victory as Mr. Christmas stayed behind to handle the pirates’ corpses.

Ch. 177Winds of Change

After killing Wapol, Xia Qiu began learning Iron Body while Lucci reconsidered whether to keep teaching him the Six Powers. Nami reported Ace’s new allegiance to Whitebeard, and Marine investigations into Robin and the Giant Beast led Aokiji to decide to act personally.

  • Xia Qiu learned that Zala had been crowned queen, then told Kalifa he had mastered Shave and asked her to teach him Iron Body.
  • Kalifa agreed to teach Iron Body, while Lucci worried that helping Xia Qiu learn the Six Powers could strengthen him and delayed his escape plan.
  • Nami told Whitebeard that Ace had become Xia Qiu’s subordinate and warned him about a rebellion plot on Fish-Man Island; Whitebeard said he would not interfere directly.
  • Sengoku ordered an investigation into Robin and the Giant Beast, focusing on Alabasta and Jaya Island.
  • Aokiji connected the Giant Beast’s appearances to Robin’s likely base and set out to make up for letting her go.

Ch. 178Arrival

Vivi returned to Alabasta after securing agreements with Sakura Kingdom, while Luffy arrived there and learned that Ace was nearby. That night, a mysterious visitor froze Vivi’s arm and asked to speak with her.

  • Vivi thanked Zala for the invitation, then departed Sakura Kingdom as Zala and Dalton headed back from the harbor.
  • Mr. Christmas met Luffy and his crew as they arrived, recognized Luffy as Ace’s brother, and invited them ashore to resupply and wait for Ace.
  • Xia Qiu told Ace that Luffy had reached Sakura Kingdom, and Ace left by boat to meet him.
  • Vivi returned to Alabasta, learned that Cecilia had dealt with pirates, and went to sleep after bathing and eating.
  • A shadow approached Vivi in her room, and her sand blade and right arm froze when she attacked it.
  • The mysterious visitor told Vivi that they wanted to speak with her.

Ch. 179Aokiji

Aokiji confronted Vivi to learn Robin’s whereabouts and discovered that Baroque Works was coercing the Alabasta royal family. Vivi agreed to reveal the organization’s base and president’s identity in exchange for protection, and Aokiji planned to capture its leaders.

  • Aokiji questioned Vivi about Robin and threatened the Nefertari family if she refused to cooperate.
  • Vivi said Robin had left and explained that a powerful organization was surveilling her and threatening Alabasta.
  • Aokiji deduced that Cecilia was the casino’s main surveillant and learned that she served the organization’s president.
  • Vivi told Aokiji she could arrange a meeting with the president on Elvin Island, and he proposed following her there to capture him.
  • Vivi identified the organization as Baroque Works and offered to reveal its Whiskey Peak base and the president’s identity if Aokiji overlooked her coerced involvement.
  • Aokiji promised to deal with Baroque Works and help protect Vivi and Alabasta.

Ch. 180Ice and Fire

Vivi met Heckle and Xia Qiu on Elvin Island, while Aokiji followed her and launched an attack that exposed the meeting. Ace intervened and helped Heckle and Xia Qiu escape, leaving Aokiji to promise Vivi he would investigate other leads to protect Alabasta.

  • Vivi sailed to Elvin Island with a World Government agent and told Heckle she wanted to discuss opening a second casino.
  • Aokiji froze the sea and the island’s guards, then attacked Heckle and Xia Qiu after they realized Vivi had led him there.
  • Aokiji froze Xia Qiu and pursued Heckle, but Ace appeared and used Cross Fire to cover Heckle’s escape.
  • Ace and Aokiji fought across the island as Xia Qiu escaped, and Ace detonated explosives stored beneath the island to break away.
  • Ace escaped in a flame-powered boat, while Aokiji suppressed the explosions and could not catch him.
  • Aokiji apologized to Vivi and said he would contact the Marines and investigate the bases she had mentioned.

Ch. 181Escape

Xia Qiu escaped across the frozen sea after realizing how outmatched he and Ace were by Aokiji. He reviewed the plan with Vivi to expose Baroque Works, protect her, draw the Marines’ attention away, and disappear until he had mastered the Six Powers and Life Return.

  • Ace crossed the ice by boat, and Heckle joined him as Xia Qiu sprinted away across the frozen sea.
  • Xia Qiu concluded that he and Ace could not defeat Aokiji and considered why fighting him in Alabasta would be too risky.
  • Xia Qiu recalled his contingency plan with Vivi, including coded island names that identified which Marine force had arrived and how she would respond.
  • Xia Qiu expected Aokiji to dismantle Baroque Works after Vivi revealed its bases, while its exposed evidence would help clear Alabasta and let Vivi retain control of its legitimate assets.
  • Xia Qiu planned to reunite with Ace, divert the Marines, then hide and train until he mastered the Six Powers and Life Return.
  • Xia Qiu reached the end of the frozen sea, leaped into the ocean, and swam away.

Ch. 182Target

Cecilia escaped the Marines’ operation in Alabasta with Mr. Christmas’s help while Aokiji and Vivi discussed how to protect the casino. Xia Qiu regrouped with Ace and Heckle at sea, then planned to draw the Marines away before secretly returning.

  • Mr. Christmas rescued Cecilia from the casino after she discovered Marine agents nearby, and one agent pursued her while the other alerted Aokiji.
  • Aokiji told Vivi that Cecilia had escaped and explained that he could not remain in Alabasta, but would arrange for someone to help guard the casino if Ace and Heckle returned.
  • Mr. Christmas brought Cecilia to a room near the Alabasta coast and told her to travel to Island No. 2 while he returned to Sakura Kingdom.
  • Xia Qiu surfaced after receiving a signal and reunited with Ace and Heckle, who had escaped Aokiji’s attack by boat.
  • Xia Qiu decided to travel elsewhere to divert the Marines’ attention, then secretly return by a route leading toward a place he had in mind.

Ch. 183An Unexpected Choice

Aokiji received Momousagi in Alabasta to help pursue Ace, Heckle, and Xia Qiu, while Robin learned of Xia Qiu’s new bounty and worried about the path he was taking. Xia Qiu, Ace, and Heckle reached the fog-shrouded region where Moria was hiding, making him their next target.

  • Aokiji’s subordinates reported Baroque Works’ crimes and recovered plans, and Aokiji said the Marines would continue investigating and hunt down the fugitives.
  • Momousagi arrived in Aru-Ma City to take responsibility for coordinating the operation, then asked Vivi to take her to the casino.
  • Robin read the newspaper reporting Xia Qiu’s 150 million bounty, Heckle’s 100 million bounty, and Ace’s 600 million bounty, and she told Sabo she trusted Xia Qiu’s reasons.
  • Xia Qiu, Ace, and Heckle reached Moria’s mist-covered island, and Xia Qiu named Moria as their target.
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