Recaps

Gier Buster used his Hollow-Hollow Fruit ability to humiliate Silver Axe Xiong, then escaped his pursuit and joined the Rocks Pirates. Rocks accepted him as an officer, and Gier Buster immediately declared himself Houka’s fan.

• Gier Buster’s ability left Silver Axe Xiong disgraced, and Xiong chased him while Golden Lion Shiki and the watching pirates laughed.
• Rocks and the other officers saw Gier Buster reach the skull, recognized him as a Hollow-Hollow Fruit user, and learned that Xiong had been struck by a Negative Hollow.
• Rocks ordered Charlotte Linlin to make Xiong return to screening recruits, but Xiong ignored her and kept pursuing Gier Buster.
• Charlotte Linlin sent Prometheus crashing into Xiong, and Xiong finally suppressed his anger and retreated.
• Rocks waived Gier Buster’s welcoming slash and made him an officer, while Houka welcomed him to the crew.
• Gier Buster told Houka he was a fan and hoped to stay by his side, leaving Houka wondering why the gunslinger seemed so sleazy.

After Gier Buster joined the Rocks Pirates, Houka organized a welcome banquet where Silver Axe Xiong struggled with his humiliation and his lack of a Devil Fruit or Conqueror’s Haki. Houka offered Xiong advice, leaving him feeling grateful and drawn closer to the vice captain.

• Pirates at Skull Castle celebrated Ganzi and Gier Buster joining the Rocks Pirates, while Bolo Gram and Buckingham Stussy considered their own chances of joining.
• Houka organized a welcome banquet for the two newcomers and enforced the rule against fighting on the day a recruit joined.
• Golden Lion Shiki provoked Silver Axe Xiong over his defeat, and Houka warned Xiong not to underestimate Devil Fruit abilities.
• Gier Buster toasted Xiong, while Babel and Newgate mocked Xiong’s temperament and lack of kingly qualities.
• Houka told Xiong that he could pursue Conqueror’s Haki through resolve, and Xiong felt grateful and began to see Houka as a warm, respected leader.

Houka strengthened his standing among the Rocks Pirates while Rocks still refused to formally name him first mate. As Shiki encouraged newcomer Ganzi to compete for the role, the crew's attention shifted to Stussy, the [Science Bandit], arriving on Elysium Island.

• Silver Axe let go of his resentment toward Gier Buster and resolved to improve himself after Houka's advice.
• Rocks and Houka discussed the first-mate position, with Rocks insisting Houka had yet to prove himself through strength and Conqueror's Haki.
• Shiki encouraged Ganzi to compete with Houka for first mate, while Charlotte Linlin warned them not to threaten Houka.
• Gier Buster declared that Houka was his vice-captain, and Babel approved of his stance.
• Rocks and the officers investigated the cheering on Elysium Island, where Houka recognized the arriving woman as Stussy, the [Science Bandit].

Buckingham Stussy drew the attention of the Rocks Pirates, hoping her beauty would persuade them to recruit her. Rocks ordered Houka to test her strength, and Houka launched an attack that left Stussy dodging crescent slashes as the crowd watched.

• Buckingham Stussy captivated the pirates gathered outside Skull Eye and hoped Rocks and his officers would recruit her.
• Rocks questioned Stussy's strength, and Houka said she should be capable after becoming one of the Rocks Pirates' original officers.
• Rocks ordered Charlotte Linlin to test Stussy, but Houka volunteered instead.
• Houka used his Moon Rising Over the Sea phenomenon to make a dramatic entrance, delighting the female pirates and reporters.
• Houka attacked Stussy with crescent slashes, and Stussy cast off her robe and dodged with a high-speed movement technique.

Stussy faced Houka’s test and earned a place in the Rocks Pirates after surviving his moonlight weapon barrage. She joined the crew and immediately tried to get close to Houka, while Rocks welcomed her and clarified that the crew had no vice captain.

• Houka summoned moonlight weapons and challenged Stussy to prove she was qualified to join the Rocks Pirates.
• Stussy dodged and shattered Houka’s weakened attacks with her agility and Armament Haki.
• Houka stopped the test and announced that Stussy had passed, drawing surprise from the pirates watching.
• Houka lifted Stussy into the air with his Anti-Gravity Ability, and she followed him toward Skull Eye.
• Rocks welcomed Stussy aboard and told her she could join Ganzi and Basta at the welcome banquet.
• Rocks informed Stussy that the Rocks Pirates had no vice captain.

Houka’s unofficial status as vice-captain sparked a contest among the Rocks Pirates’ officers, and Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate all declared they wanted him for their own crews. Shiki awakened Conqueror’s Haki as he challenged Rocks, and the chapter left the officers watching the three kings clash their Haki over Houka.

• Rocks said his crew had no vice-captain unless Houka earned everyone’s recognition, while Babel, Sambel, and Streusen backed Houka’s claim.
• Stussy decided to support Houka after gauging the officers’ reactions, and Shiki declared he would appoint Houka vice-captain once he became captain.
• Linlin and Newgate also said they wanted Houka as their vice-captain, prompting Houka to joke that he might refuse Rocks’s offer.
• Shiki challenged Rocks and awakened Conqueror’s Haki, then credited Houka as his lucky star.
• Linlin and Newgate unleashed their own Conqueror’s Haki, and the stunned officers watched the three kings compete over Houka.

Rocks crushed Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate in a display of overwhelming Conqueror's Haki after they challenged him over Houka. With Skull Castle nearly destroyed, Rocks confronted Houka about his ambitions, and Houka revealed that he sought immortality and the sea of stars.

• Rocks unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, knocking out most pirates on Elysium Island and forcing the officers in Skull Castle to struggle under its pressure.
• Shiki and Linlin insisted they would take Houka, so Rocks struck them down and blasted them through Skull Castle onto the island.
• Newgate broke through Rocks's Haki suppression and attacked him, but Rocks overpowered him and sent him crashing onto Elysium Island.
• Rocks and Newgate's clash damaged Skull Castle, and Houka complained that the headquarters and his room were about to be ruined.
• Rocks asked Houka whether he truly wanted to be vice-captain, and Houka answered that his goals were immortality and the vast sea of stars.

Rocks nearly killed Houka to force him to awaken Conqueror's Haki, then explained that Houka could become first mate only if he surpassed Newgate, Shiki, and Linlin. As the crew's officers recovered from the apparent clash, Newgate and Bolo Gram realized another Conqueror's Haki had awakened and suspected Houka.

• Rocks attacked Houka with Xebec's Sword and crushing Conqueror's Haki, forcing Houka to fight desperately for his life.
• Houka awakened Conqueror's Haki and survived with a severe shoulder wound, then cursed Rocks and thanked him for pushing him past his limits.
• Rocks said Houka could become first mate only if he grew stronger than Newgate, Shiki, and Linlin, and explained that Xiong and Ganzi were not ready to awaken Conqueror's Haki.
• Houka urged Rocks to bring back the others before the crew mistook their clash for an internal feud, and Rocks agreed to teach the officers a lesson.
• Bolo Gram pulled the injured Whitebeard Newgate from the rubble on Elysium Island, and they suspected Houka had awakened Conqueror's Haki.

Rocks defeated Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate, and Houka went to collect the injured pirates. Bolo Gram tried to flee with his companions after learning Rocks and Houka wanted him, but Houka pursued him to recruit him by gentler means.

• Rocks defeated Shiki, Linlin, and Newgate, leaving Shiki badly injured and Linlin determined to become stronger and take Houka away.
• Houka checked on Linlin and Shiki, then flew with them to find Newgate.
• Bolo Gram learned from Newgate that Rocks and Houka wanted him to join the Rocks Pirates and tried to escape with his companions.
• Houka spotted Bolo Gram struggling to carry his unconscious companions and flew after him, intending to recruit him without using Rocks's harsh methods.

Houka persuaded Bolo Gram to join the Rocks Pirates as an affiliated crew after Rocks’s Conqueror’s Haki left most pirates on Elysium Island unable to resist. Rocks accepted Bolo Gram as the crew’s fourth officer, while the gathered pirates reacted to Houka’s newly revealed Conqueror’s Haki.

• Houka used his Gravity Ability to lift Bolo Gram’s pirates and urged Bolo Gram to join the Rocks Pirates rather than try to escape.
• Houka convinced Bolo Gram that joining would protect his companions and let the Bolo Pirates keep adventuring under the Rocks Pirates’ flag.
• Rocks arrived and asked whether Houka had found another officer, and Houka persuaded him to waive the slash normally required for joining.
• Bolo Gram agreed to join the Rocks Pirates, and Rocks celebrated gaining a fourth officer.
• Gil Basta recognized Bolo Gram, Stussy fixated on Houka, and Babel and Silver Axe Xiong reacted to Houka’s Conqueror’s Haki.

The Rocks Pirates’ new officers and affiliated crews drew attention, while Houka’s photographs remained wildly popular and female Celestial Dragons expanded the bounty on him. On Elysium Island, the crew recovered from Rocks’s Haki, and Gier Buster publicized the four Conqueror’s Haki users beneath Rocks, further strengthening the crew’s reputation.

• News agencies reported Ganzi, Gier Buster, and Buckingham Stussy joining the Rocks Pirates, while Houka’s latest photographs sold out newspapers and drew larger bounties from female Celestial Dragons.
• The injured pirates awoke to find Skull Castle in ruins, and Bolo Gram explained his joining as Ganzi’s fleet and the Bolo Pirates became affiliated crews alongside other approved pirate crews.
• Silver Axe Xiong mocked the badly injured Shiki, who repeatedly boasted that he had awakened Conqueror’s Haki and challenged Xiong to do the same.
• Stussy helped Sambel sort Houka’s love letters and secretly destroyed letters from beautiful actresses and pirate women.
• Gier Buster announced that Houka, Newgate, Shiki, and Linlin all possessed Conqueror’s Haki, proclaiming them the four kings beneath Rocks.

After nearly a month on Elysium Island, the Rocks Pirates prepared to leave and continue recruiting powerful fighters, while Houka advised the island’s defenders to prioritize survival. Aboard the airborne Sword of Xebec, the crew showed off flashy new Divine Disk techniques inspired by Houka.

• Shiki and Silver Axe Xiong urged the Rocks Pirates to leave Elysium Island, and Rocks ordered Houka to arrange their departure for the West Blue.
• Houka assigned affiliated crews to manage and defend Elysium Island, then warned Barlow and the Ancient Moon Club to flee rather than die protecting the territory.
• The Rocks Pirates left Elysium Island, which remained a prosperous pirate haven as underworld forces, pirate crews, and government spies flocked there.
• Aboard the Sword of Xebec, Ganzi imagined building an airborne smuggling fleet.
• Gier Buster, Linlin, and Shiki displayed Nether Moon, Solar, Thunder, and Rock Divine Disks inspired by Houka, while Shiki also made a Golden Divine Disk with his Float-Float Fruit.

Rocks’s crew stopped in the New World to help Shiki claim the famous swords Oto and Kogarashi before heading to the West Blue. Shiki battled their owner while Houka fended off Stussy’s demands for exclusive affection.

• Rocks rejected Silver Axe Xiong’s request to visit the North Blue first and announced that the crew would go to the West Blue.
• Babel mocked Silver Axe Xiong for losing influence as stronger officers and newcomers rose through the crew.
• Golden Lion Shiki fought the dual-sword swordsman who wielded Oto and Kogarashi, repeatedly sending mud-and-stone lions after him.
• Rocks admired the swordsman’s strength, but said he would force the man to submit or let him die.
• Stussy urged Houka to discard his love letters and choose her, but Houka refused to promise exclusivity and declared his dream was to give women a warm home.

After Golden Lion Shiki defeated a dual-sword master and took Oto and Kogarashi, Newgate stopped the swordsman from giving up on life. Shiki claimed his new blades, and Charlotte Linlin asked Houka for a famous sword, but Rocks and Silver Axe Xiong set other destinations first.

• Golden Lion Shiki defeated the dual-sword master and seized Oto and Kogarashi, leaving him injured in the fight.
• Newgate challenged the swordsman’s despair, and the man changed his mind about dying; Houka and Shiki then left with the others.
• Shiki celebrated his new swords and discussed how a blade’s rank could rise with its owner’s fame.
• Charlotte Linlin asked Houka for a famous sword, and he identified Emperor Sword Napoleon, the heirloom blade of the Frans Kingdom.
• Rocks ordered the crew to go to the West Blue first, while Silver Axe Xiong called for the North Blue, forcing Linlin to wait; Houka suggested the Frans Kingdom might be in the West Blue.

Imu and the Five Elders investigated Rocks and Kozuki Houka, whose multiple Devil Fruit abilities made him a higher priority target than Rocks. Unable to track the Flying Warship or infiltrate the crew, the World Government planned to expand its undercover efforts and sought to capture Houka.

• Imu questioned the Five Elders about Rocks, while they admitted their agents had failed to uncover the pirate crew's movements or core members.
• The Five Elders explained Imu's three types of ability marks, the limited immortal-life contracts, and the rivalry between the Five Elders and Holy Knights seeking their positions.
• The Five Elders reported that Houka had displayed Moonlight, Gravity, and Vampire abilities, though they did not know how he obtained them.
• Imu declared Houka more important than Rocks and ordered the Five Elders to bring him to the Holy Land as soon as possible.
• The Five Elders decided to send more agents, including undercover Marines, into the pirate world and continue efforts to recruit pirates and underworld leaders.

Ganzi tried to persuade Houka and Shiki to establish an aerial shipping business, but Rocks insisted the crew focus on conquering the world. Meanwhile, Houka weighed possible Devil Fruit abilities and decided to concentrate on improving his Haki.

• Ganzi pitched an aerial shipping route across the Calm Belt to Houka and Golden Lion Shiki, but Rocks rejected the plan and argued that powerful fighters mattered more than money or numbers.
• Charlotte Linlin celebrated Houka's help in obtaining Napoleon and hoped he would eventually tell her about Mother Carmel.
• Golden Lion Shiki sparred with Whitebeard Newgate, who defeated him with superior strength and swordsmanship.
• Houka considered the More-More Fruit and other abilities, then grew overwhelmed by the number of powers he wanted.
• Houka stopped dwelling on new abilities and resolved to focus on developing his Three-Color Haki.

Rocks left the Rocks Pirates temporarily after entering West Blue, leaving Houka in command while he headed toward his hometown. The crew accepted Houka’s authority and continued toward Frans Kingdom, as Houka wondered whether God Valley’s discovery was connected to scattered Heavenly Tribute treasures.

• Rocks announced that he was leaving the crew and appointed Houka to lead the Rocks Pirates while he was away.
• Rocks loaded treasure and supplies onto a small boat and rowed away, while the crew speculated that he was returning home.
• Houka formally took command aboard the Sword of Xebec, and Xiong, Shiki, and Ganzi silently accepted him as the temporary leader.
• Charlotte Linlin urged Houka to lead the crew to Frans Kingdom to seize Emperor Sword Napoleon before they went after Malone in West Blue.
• Houka watched the direction Rocks had gone and wondered whether Heavenly Tribute treasures had exposed God Valley to Figarland Garling.

As the Rocks Pirates speculated about Rocks’s return to God Valley, Houka dismissed their curiosity and affirmed that Charlotte Linlin was his family. He left with Sambel for training while Stussy continued plotting how to win him over.

• Houka reasoned that God Valley was prosperous and had trade connections, and he planned to remind Rocks to protect it from the Holy Knights.
• Golden Lion Shiki and the others asked Houka to predict whether Rocks had returned home or hidden treasure, but Houka demanded five billion Beli for the answer and scared them off when he threatened to collect.
• Whitebeard Newgate warned the crew that family must not be harmed, and Bolo Gram agreed with him.
• Houka told Charlotte Linlin that she was his family, prompting Linlin to rush to him and argue with Stussy over who could claim his love.
• Houka took Sambel to the training room for gravity training, while Stussy resolved to win Houka over through romance or science.

The Rocks Pirates raided Frans Kingdom, taking Emperor Sword Napoleon and other riches before leaving after Louis XVI surrendered and paid protection money. Aboard the Sword of Xebec, Charlotte Linlin turned Napoleon into a Homies blade, while Houka considered the swords scattered across the seas.

• Louis XVI surrendered Emperor Sword Napoleon and paid the Rocks Pirates protection money, while his fighters objected to his decision.
• After the Rocks Pirates left Frans Kingdom, Louis XVI berated his subordinates and asked the World Government to exempt the kingdom from next year's Heavenly Tribute.
• The Five Elders refused to waive a full year's tribute and ordered CP agents to investigate why Rocks had not appeared during the raid.
• Charlotte Linlin fused her soul essence with Emperor Sword Napoleon, making it a conscious Homies blade that could serve as her hat and weapon.
• Charlotte Linlin, Prometheus, Zeus, and Napoleon performed the Roaring Light Cannon, blasting a huge waterspout across the sea.
• Houka praised Napoleon and reflected on the swords that had drifted from Wano Country, including Extreme Path Fireline, Wado Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu, Enma, and Ame no Habakiri.

Houka considered notable people and valuable swords in the West Blue while the Rocks Pirates prepared to deal with Malone and move on to the North Blue. As the crew traveled, Houka trained Linlin and his crewmates discussed the Devil Fruit abilities they hoped to obtain.

• Houka considered recruiting or killing Fugetsu Kizaburo to claim Extreme Path Fireline, and wondered about Shimotsuki Furiko and the Shimotsuki family's swords.
• Silver Axe Xiong urged Houka to deal with mafia boss Malone before Rocks returned, while Shiki wanted to rob more World Government member nations.
• Whitebeard Newgate suggested Rocks might pursue Count Patrick Red after Malone, recalling Houka's claim that Red could fight him with physical skills and Three-Color Haki.
• Houka focused on teaching Linlin to develop her Soul-Soul Fruit Ability and the techniques of the three great Homies.
• Bolo Gram said he wanted a Zoan ability, preferably an Ancient Zoan or Mythical Zoan, and Newgate promised to find him one.
• Stussy asked Houka to save a powerful Devil Fruit for her, hoping for a Logia or Mythical Zoan so Rocks would not consider her too weak.

Rocks returned to God Valley to visit the hidden Davy Clan, share supplies and knowledge, and discuss his plans to defeat Imu. He left without saying goodbye to protect his family’s secrecy, while a red-haired girl who would become the mother of Shanks and Shamrock played in town.

• Rocks brought treasure and supplies to the secluded Davy Clan and told his family about the Rocks Pirates and Kozuki Houka’s ability to foresee the future.
• Rocks’ grandmother warned him not to fight Imu before obtaining two legendary powers, while his father refused to let the clan sail with him.
• Rocks spent several days adding intelligence and Haki training methods to the Davy Clan’s inherited records.
• A red-haired girl played in God Valley’s town; she would later become the mother of Shamrock and Shanks.
• Rocks quietly left God Valley to keep his presence from exposing the island, then thought of Alice as he sailed away.

Mafia boss Malone prepared to face the Rocks Pirates when they arrived at his headquarters in Sicily Island. Aboard the Sword of Xebec, the crew debated who would confront him and whether to recruit him before he reached his full potential.

• Malone rejected his advisers’ suggestion to retreat and decided to meet the Rocks Pirates at his headquarters.
• Silver Axe Xiong suggested sending the lower-ranked officers to handle Malone, while Gier Buster dismissed him as too weak to merit a fight.
• Bolo Gram volunteered to confront Malone, and Shiki watched with skepticism about his strength.
• Houka recalled that Malone had been one of Rocks’s original officers but had fallen early, and considered waiting until he grew stronger before recruiting him.
• Newgate supported recruiting Malone early, saying that changing Houka’s foretold future made it more uncertain.

The Rocks Pirates arrived on Sicily Island to recruit Mafia boss Malone, who agreed to join and fought Bolo Gram to prove his strength. Houka approved Malone provisionally, but Malone was left wondering why Rocks had not appeared to judge him.

• Malone lowered his Mafia's weapons and asked why the Rocks Pirates had come to Sicily Island.
• Golden Lion Shiki announced that Malone could join if he proved his strength, and Malone chose to accept the challenge.
• Silver Axe Xiong dismissed Malone, and Bolo Gram jumped down from the Flying Warship to fight him.
• Bolo Gram overwhelmed Malone while holding back, and the Mafia members watched their boss fight beyond his usual limits.
• Houka approved Malone's provisional entry into the Rocks Pirates and said Rocks still had to approve him.
• Malone asked where Rocks was after realizing the captain had not appeared.

The Rocks Pirates settled in on Sicily Island after absorbing Malone’s Mafia, while the Five Elders concluded that Rocks’s hometown was in the West Blue and redirected Garling’s search there. The chapter left Alice in Shadow Port, cursing Rocks for leaving her behind and wishing she could join his crew.

• Malone told Houka that the Castle-Castle Fruit assassin had left the West Blue for the Grand Line, and Houka accepted that he had missed his chance.
• The Rocks Pirates’ officers spent several days enjoying Sicily Island; Stussy acquired Mafia firearm technology and upgraded weapons for Gier Buster.
• The Five Elders inferred that Rocks had left his crew to visit his West Blue hometown and ordered Garling to search the sea for his family.
• Garling abandoned his search in the latter half of Paradise and headed for the West Blue, unaware that the Lulusia Kingdom was where Rocks had stayed.
• Alice read a newspaper report and Rocks’s wanted poster in Shadow Port, cursing him for leaving without a word and wishing she could join the Rocks Pirates.

The chapter recounted how Brook’s music inspired young Patrick Redfield to dream of finding genuine companions, then followed the Shimotsuki and Fugetsu families’ dangerous journeys out of Wano Country. The surviving Shimotsuki planned to settle in the East Blue, while Fugetsu Kizaburo reached the West Blue alone, and Kozuki Sukiyaki prepared Oden to become Kuri’s daimyo.

• The Rumbar Pirates adopted Laboon, then visited Red Earth Island, where Brook’s music inspired Patrick Redfield to dream of sailing freely with true companions.
• After the Rumbar Pirates departed, Redfield heard the fear and slander in his family’s servants and guards and grew disgusted with their hidden thoughts.
• Fugetsu Kizaburo led his clansmen through the New World, but extreme weather and the Calm Belt killed the others before he reached the West Blue alone.
• Shimotsuki Kozaburo and Shimotsuki Furiko led their surviving clansmen toward the East Blue after learning about the outer seas and deciding to settle there.
• Kozuki Sukiyaki planned for his son Oden to subdue Kuri and become its daimyo, while worrying over the four-year-old’s unruly nature.