Chapter Summaries

Hancock returned to Amazon Lily after refusing to answer Vice Admiral Momonga's war summons, but Old Hag Zaza urged her to go and protect their country. The chapter ended with Hancock throwing Zaza out and ordering a bath, still afraid to join the war.

• Hancock ordered her subordinates to take the supplies from Vice Admiral Momonga's warship and left for Amazon Lily without giving him an answer.
• Old Hag Zaza visited Hancock and confirmed that the Central Authority had summoned her to war.
• Hancock admitted that she was afraid to go, while Old Hag Zaza warned that Amazon Lily could be attacked if it lost the protection of the Shichibukai title.
• Old Hag Zaza presented a fake divination saying Hancock should go at once, and Hancock became furious.
• Hancock grabbed Old Hag Zaza by the hair and threw her out the window, then asked whether her bath was ready.

Hancock used the ring to contact Bai Hao and asked about his organization’s purpose and rules. His explanation eased her worries, but he revealed that he intended for Whitebeard to die and for Akainu to replace Sengoku as Fleet Admiral.

• Hancock, haunted by memories of the Celestial Dragons, decided she needed to see Bai Hao again and put on the ring he had given her.
• Hancock used the ring to contact Bai Hao, but he declined to meet in person and spoke with her through a voice call.
• Hancock asked about the organization, and Bai Hao said it existed to correct history according to his will, with betrayal punishable by death.
• Bai Hao explained that members could refuse missions and offered to unlock the ring’s functions so Hancock could contact other members.
• Bai Hao admitted he had no real vision for history and revealed that he planned for Whitebeard to die, ushering in a new era in which Akainu would replace Sengoku as Fleet Admiral.

Bai Hao told Hancock about the coming conflict between the World Government and Luffy’s allies, then offered her membership in the Spirit Pavilion. Hancock remained conflicted and refused to join, leaving the Marines to prepare for the great war without her.

• Bai Hao described the future defeat of the World Government and promised Hancock protection and freedom if she joined the Spirit Pavilion.
• Hancock considered joining but rejected the idea of offering up her soul and decided to wait.
• Momonga waited for Hancock to travel to Navy Headquarters, then reported that she had refused to Sengoku.
• Sengoku lamented the loss of Hancock’s strength and adjusted the Marines’ deployment for the great war.

As Ace’s execution approached, Vivi and Kuina discussed their mission to protect Luffy and Ace during the coming war. At Impel Down, Luffy and Blackbeard agreed to pursue their separate goals without interfering with each other, then used Blackbeard’s Shichibukai status to disrupt the prison staff.

• Vivi and Kuina received Bai Hao’s order to protect Luffy and Ace during the coming battle.
• Vivi and Kuina discussed the war’s possible effects on civilians and looked forward to using the Transformation Technique with Shirahoshi and Perona.
• Ace’s execution day arrived, and Bai Hao reached Impel Down with Blackbeard’s group.
• Luffy asked Blackbeard about his plans, and Blackbeard said he intended to recruit people from the prison.
• Luffy and Blackbeard agreed to work toward their separate goals while cooperating against everyone else.
• As Hannibal inspected Blackbeard, Luffy slipped away, while Blackbeard used his Shichibukai status to obstruct the prison staff.

Luffy found and freed Usopp, Buggy, and the others in Impel Down, then led them into a prison-wide breakout as he headed for the sixth level to rescue Ace. Meanwhile, Ace had already been transferred to Navy Headquarters, where Sengoku learned that Luffy and Blackbeard were causing chaos at Impel Down.

• Luffy found Usopp and reunited with him in Impel Down.
• Buggy recognized the treasure map on Luffy's arm and asked for it as payment for his help.
• Luffy gave Buggy the map, obtained the prison keys, and freed Usopp and the others.
• Luffy told the group he would descend to the sixth level to rescue Ace, and Usopp agreed to go with him.
• Buggy guided the group as they released prisoners and threw Impel Down into chaos.
• At Navy Headquarters, Sengoku received a report that Blackbeard and Straw Hat Luffy were causing massive destruction in Impel Down.

Bai Hao weighed how to alter the Summit War, considering the consequences of saving Whitebeard or letting Ace live. The chapter ended with him questioning whether to let Whitebeard leave the war alive.

• Sengoku learned that prisoners had escaped Impel Down and ordered the Marines to prevent anyone from freeing Level Six criminals.
• Luffy, Buggy, Usopp, Jinbe, and the other escaped prisoners boarded a Marine warship and set sail from Impel Down.
• Blackbeard recruited Shiryu of the Rain and continued toward the lower prison levels to find powerful allies.
• Bai Hao flew above the execution site at Navy Headquarters and considered whether to let Whitebeard survive.
• Bai Hao reconsidered his plan after realizing that Ace surviving could disrupt Luffy's training, while Whitebeard surviving might keep the sea relatively peaceful.

As the Navy prepared to execute Ace, Spirit Pavilion and the Shichibukai waited near Navy Headquarters while the admirals anticipated Whitebeard and the Witness of History. The Navy broadcast Ace’s arrival at the execution platform to the world, with three hours remaining until the execution.

• Bai Hao considered whether to let Whitebeard die or survive and decided to wait before choosing his fate.
• Vivi, Shirahoshi, Kuina, and Perona hid beneath the sea near Navy Headquarters using disguises created with Bai Hao’s Transformation Technique, and Shirahoshi celebrated being able to walk on land.
• The Shichibukai waited at Navy Headquarters as Moria wondered whether Bai Hao and his companions would appear, and Doflamingo’s grin unsettled him.
• The three admirals prepared for the possibility that Whitebeard and the Witness of History would arrive.
• With three hours remaining until Ace’s execution, Navy officers escorted him toward the execution platform and broadcast the scene around the world.

As the world waited for Whitebeard to appear, Sengoku revealed that Portgas D. Ace was the biological son of Pirate King Gol D. Roger. The chapter ended with the revelation shocking viewers across the world, while Whitebeard had still not appeared.

• Spectators doubted that Whitebeard would come to Marineford, while Rayleigh expected him to appear and worried he might die there.
• Sengoku asked Garp whether he would accept what was coming, and Garp walked away from Ace’s execution platform.
• Sengoku asked Ace who his father was, and Ace insisted that Whitebeard was his only father.
• Sengoku explained that Portgas D. Rouge carried Ace for twenty months to hide him from the World Government, then revealed that Ace was Gol D. Roger’s biological son.
• People watching around the world erupted in shock at Sengoku’s revelation.

Sengoku revealed that Ace was the Pirate King’s son and explained why Whitebeard had protected him, as Whitebeard’s forces arrived at Marineford. The chapter left the two sides facing off as Edward Newgate appeared before Sengoku and Ace.

• Sengoku told the crowd that Ace was the Pirate King’s son and that Whitebeard had taken him in to protect and raise him.
• Ace insisted that he had joined Whitebeard’s crew so Pops could become the Pirate King.
• A vice admiral reported that the Gate of Justice had opened without orders and the Marines had lost contact with the engine room.
• Whitebeard’s forty-three allied pirate crews appeared offshore, prompting the Marines to prepare for battle while waiting for Whitebeard.
• Four of Whitebeard’s ships emerged from beneath the sea at the harbor with Whitebeard and his commanders aboard.
• Edward Newgate greeted Sengoku and looked toward Ace.

Whitebeard unleashed the Tremor-Tremor Fruit’s power at Marine Headquarters, and the Whitebeard Pirates began their assault to rescue Ace. The two tsunamis threatening the Marines were frozen by Aokiji, who then dodged Whitebeard’s attack.

• Whitebeard shattered the air and caused a massive seaquake, shocking the Marines and the Four Women of Spirit Pavilion beneath the sea.
• Kuina wanted to test her improved strength against Whitebeard, while she, Perona, and Shirahoshi mourned that he might die.
• Whitebeard reassured the emotional Ace that he had sent him after the man who hurt their comrade, and his commanders vowed to rescue him.
• Whitebeard summoned two enormous tsunamis toward Navy Headquarters, and Sengoku warned the Marines that Whitebeard could destroy the world.
• Whitebeard ordered the pirates to charge, but Aokiji froze the tsunamis with Ice Age and dodged Whitebeard’s slash.

The Battle of Marineford grew more chaotic when Luffy and the escaped prisoners arrived to rescue Ace. Beneath the sea, Vivi and Kuina waited for Squard to betray Whitebeard before beginning their operation.

• Akainu secretly met with Squard and appeared to persuade him to turn against Whitebeard.
• Akainu killed a Marine deserter as he returned to the battlefield.
• Luffy and the Impel Down escapees arrived aboard a warship that fell from the sky, startling Sengoku, Garp, and Ace.
• Luffy charged toward Ace, while most of the newcomers did not follow him.
• Vivi told Kuina and the others to wait until Squard stabbed Whitebeard and the battle reached its most intense phase.

Sengoku revealed Luffy’s family ties and prepared to execute Ace ahead of schedule while shutting down the worldwide broadcast. As Marines and pirates faced off at the harbor, a group of people resembling Bartholomew Kuma appeared and surrounded the pirates.

• Sengoku announced that Luffy was Ace’s sworn brother and Dragon’s biological son, prompting Marines to target him and Whitebeard’s forces to reinforce him.
• After a vice admiral reported that preparations were complete, Sengoku ordered the Marines to begin Ace’s early execution.
• Sengoku ordered the visual Den Den Mushi signal cut so the world could not see what happened next.
• A group of people resembling Bartholomew Kuma appeared around the harbor and surrounded the pirates, leaving them stunned by the number of identical bears.

The Marines deployed Vegapunk’s humanoid weapons, and Squard stabbed Whitebeard after Akainu manipulated him. Four women from Spirit Pavilion appeared and revealed Akainu’s scheme, leaving Sengoku and Akainu wondering how they knew about it.

• Vegapunk’s humanoid weapons joined the battle and attacked Marines and pirates alike, shifting the advantage toward the Marines.
• Whitebeard ordered his men to push toward the plaza while Sengoku ordered the Marines to retreat from the ice and shut down the image-transmitting Den Den Mushi.
• Squard ambushed Whitebeard aboard his ship, stabbing him while the commanders watched in shock.
• Marco pinned Squard down, and one of the Four Women of Spirit Pavilion emerged from the sea and said Akainu had manipulated him.
• A pirate’s Den Den Mushi recorded the women’s arrival and their revelation, while Sengoku and Akainu struggled to understand how they knew about Akainu’s plan.

Squard accused Whitebeard of trading the pirate crews for Ace and stabbed him, but Whitebeard embraced and forgave him. As the Marines’ broadcast ended and the Encircling Wall failed to activate, Whitebeard faced the betrayal with affection for his son.

• Squard claimed Akainu had revealed that Whitebeard planned to sacrifice the pirate crews to save Ace, and said he had stabbed Whitebeard because of his hatred for Roger.
• Marco accused Squard of being tricked, while Sengoku ordered Aokiji to freeze the last Den Den Mushi and end the broadcast.
• Sengoku activated the Encircling Wall, but thick ice prevented it from fully rising.
• Bai Hao reflected that his medicine had not restored Whitebeard’s reaction speed enough to dodge Squard’s attack.
• Crocodile berated Whitebeard, but Whitebeard embraced Squard and told him he would still love him despite the betrayal.

Whitebeard broke the ice wall, opened an escape route, and led his sons into battle after rejecting Akainu’s claim that he had betrayed them. As the fighting intensified, Sengoku worried about the Four Women of Spirit Pavilion and ordered the Marines to activate the encircling wall.

• Whitebeard smashed the ice wall and told the pirates to choose whether to leave or fight alongside him.
• The moved pirates charged the Marines, while Squard collapsed in remorse and Marco urged him to turn his grief into strength.
• Marco and Sengoku wondered who the Four Women of Spirit Pavilion were as they dodged every attack without retaliating.
• Sengoku demanded to know why the encircling wall was not ready, and Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru discussed the delay and the planned attacks.
• Akainu watched the Four Women of Spirit Pavilion standing unharmed among the Marines and questioned their identities and purpose.

The Marines trapped the pirates inside the encircling walls and began their assault, while Whitebeard failed to break through the barrier. Luffy reached the Three Admirals and attacked as Sengoku watched Garp closely.

• Sengoku learned that Oars Jr.'s blood had jammed part of the encircling wall, leaving a gap, and ordered Akainu to begin the operation.
• Akainu unleashed Meteor Volcano as the Marines fired on the trapped pirates, melting the ice and damaging the Moby Dick.
• Whitebeard struck the encircling wall with his Tremor-Tremor Fruit power, but it remained intact, and Sengoku ordered Ace's immediate execution.
• The pirates rushed toward the wall's gap while Jinbe used water currents to help Luffy reach the Three Admirals.
• Luffy swung the enormous piece of wood at the Three Admirals and shouted for them to return Ace, while Sengoku kept Garp under watch.

Usopp and Franky sabotaged Marineford’s encircling walls, while Luffy tried to break through the Admirals to reach Ace. The walls collapsed, leaving the battlefield stunned as Bai Hao began controlling the clouds.

• Usopp sniped both executioners, delaying Ace’s execution, then began targeting the cannons on the encircling walls.
• Luffy attacked the Three Admirals and charged through their blockade, but Kizaru kicked him away; Marco intercepted Aokiji before he could strike Luffy.
• Sengoku recognized Usopp as Yasopp’s son and complained to Garp about his grandsons.
• Franky surfaced after sabotaging the encircling walls’ mechanical structure and marked the weakened sections with Xs.
• Usopp fired at Franky’s marks, causing the encircling walls to collapse and crushing or injuring Marines.
• Bai Hao watched the battlefield fall silent, then began controlling the clouds with his mind.

The battle at Marineford intensified as the Whitebeard Pirates and Navy clashed, while Whitebeard fought his way toward Ace. Luffy was badly wounded, and the Witness of History had still not appeared.

• Pirates charged into the plaza after the encircling walls disappeared, and the Navy rushed to meet them as the four Spirit Pavilion women stood untouched amid the fighting.
• Sengoku and Garp discussed the missing Witness of History and suspected the four women might be connected to him.
• Aokiji blocked Whitebeard but was intercepted by Jozu, while Akainu stopped Marco and Kizaru wounded Luffy before kicking him away.
• Whitebeard caught the unconscious Luffy, ordered him treated, and continued forward until Akainu confronted him.
• Garp punched Marco away, sat in the Admiral's chair, and challenged the pirates to get past him.
• Watching the battle and its casualties, Ace lowered his head against the execution platform.

Bai Hao appeared on the execution platform and claimed to be the Witness of History, startling Sengoku and Garp with his knowledge of the past. He said the World Government and Celestial Dragons were nearing their end, but insisted he had come only to witness and gently influence events.

• Bai Hao appeared on the execution platform, greeted Sengoku, and sat on a golden chair.
• Bai Hao revealed that he knew Ace's childhood words and thoughts, then claimed he had witnessed the world's history.
• Garp questioned Bai Hao about Roger's execution and the defeat of Rocks, and Bai Hao corrected him about Roger's role.
• Sengoku asked whether Bai Hao knew the truth of the Void Century, but declined his offer to explain it.
• Bai Hao predicted the Celestial Dragons and World Government would disappear and said he would act only as a guide and catalyst.
• Sengoku and Garp distrusted Bai Hao's claims, and Sengoku gave Garp a meaningful look.

Bai Hao appeared on the execution platform, and Garp’s punch passed through him, leaving the Marines and pirates baffled. Sengoku ordered Ace’s execution to continue while he and Garp watched Bai Hao, who challenged the logic of their plan; Sengoku and Garp were left with dark expressions.

• Bai Hao appeared on the execution platform, and the pirates mistakenly took him for an ally.
• Garp punched Bai Hao, but his fist passed through, and Sengoku guessed Bai Hao might be a Mythical Zoan user who created illusions.
• Sengoku ordered the execution to continue, while he and Garp kept their attention on Bai Hao.
• Bai Hao asked why Sengoku used executioners instead of killing Ace directly and then wiping out the Whitebeard Pirates.
• Garp and Sengoku understood Bai Hao’s criticism and wore dark expressions.