Chapter Summaries

Bane visited Dr. Genus's laboratory on Egghead, where Zephyr began treatment to restore his health and severed arm. After learning the process would take thirty-six days, Bane decided to take Genus to Meruvio to investigate biological modification technology.

• Bane read a Marine internal publication and learned that Sengoku appeared to be preparing to step down as Fleet Admiral while a succession struggle began.
• Ain led Bane to Dr. Genus's laboratory, where Zephyr lay inside a transparent chamber as Vegapunk assisted Genus.
• Dr. Genus began filling Zephyr's chamber with ecological fluid and said the treatment would restore Zephyr's peak condition, asthma-free health, and severed arm.
• Dr. Genus explained that Vegapunk's Lineage Factor research had impressed him, while his own past attempts to reproduce Zombie Man's regeneration had mostly failed disastrously.
• Dr. Genus said Zephyr's treatment would take thirty-six days, so Bane urged him to go to Meruvio and study its biological modification technology.

Bane and Dr. Genus used Cloud Tai to raise their warships toward Merveille and discussed turning the island into the Neo Marines’ headquarters. Bane planned to build a network of floating islands and an aerial elevator, and proposed using robots, marine loyalists, and captured Pirates as the workforce.

• Bane found that Merveille’s sheer cliffs made it difficult to reach and considered how to bring the warships up.
• Dr. Genus used Little Vegapunk’s Cloud Tai to create Island Cloud that lifted the warships into the air.
• Bane asked whether Island Cloud could lift entire islands, and Dr. Genus explained the technology’s risks and limitations.
• Bane proposed building an Island Cloud elevator and making Merveille the Neo Marines’ headquarters, with floating islands and aerial roads.
• Dr. Genus estimated the project would need at least twenty thousand workers, and Bane suggested using robots, Zephyr’s loyal marines, and Pirates captured through Baroque Works.

Bane and the Marines took control of Meruvio and its surviving Flying Pirates, then inspected Shiki's research with Dr. Genus. Dr. Genus dismissed Indigo's monster research as outdated but saw the creatures as useful food for improving Bane's abilities, and proposed turning the island into Bane's personal ranch.

• Bane led the Marines across Meruvio toward Shiki's palace, defeating the island's beasts and taking them back as provisions.
• Indigo surrendered with the surviving Flying Pirates, and Bane gave them the choice of prison or serving him before Ain took charge of their supervision.
• Bane and Dr. Genus examined Shiki's research center as Indigo explained that its IQ serum could transform ordinary creatures into powerful monsters within days.
• Dr. Genus called Indigo's research something he had solved forty years earlier, leaving Indigo stunned.
• Dr. Genus explained that the monsters could provide useful nutrients and resistances for Bane, and proposed making Meruvio a ranch for him.

Zephyr recovered his health and lost arm on Egghead as Bane prepared to establish a Neo Marines headquarters in Meruvio under the cover of a Marine base. With tensions rising between Sakazuki and Kuzan, Zephyr and Bane planned to support opposing sides while preparing for Kuzan to join the Neo Marines if he left the Marines.

• Zephyr completed intense physical tests without asthma and celebrated the return of his lost arm, while Ain and Bane congratulated him.
• Bane explained that he had submitted a scaled-down proposal for a Marine G-6 Base in Meruvio to secure approval and funding for the Neo Marines' headquarters.
• Zephyr and Bane discussed Sakazuki's push to relocate Marine Headquarters to G-1 and the growing conflict between Sakazuki, Kuzan, and the Marines' factions.
• Bane said Zoro had reported fierce public clashes between Sakazuki and Kuzan, and Zephyr reassured Bane that Sengoku would tolerate his support for Sakazuki.
• Zephyr planned to contact his former subordinates and support Kuzan, promising to recruit him into the Neo Marines if he left the Marines, while Bane prepared to support Sakazuki.

Bane reunited with Trafalgar Law and returned toward Marine Headquarters, where he learned that Sengoku was preparing to step down and the Inspector General position might return. After Ain explained the rules for attacking a Shichibukai, Bane concluded he could legally target Doflamingo for secretly placing a pirate inside the Marines as a Vice Admiral.

• Bane took Trafalgar Law’s Vivre Card, and Law promised to gather intelligence on the Donquixote Family while his subordinates investigated Dressrosa.
• Bane and the Marines left the deserted island for Marine Headquarters, and he agreed to find Nami a Devil Fruit Encyclopedia when they returned.
• Ain told Bane that Sengoku was preparing to step down and that the vacant Inspector General position might be reinstated.
• Ain warned Bane that attacking Doflamingo could damage his future in the Marines, then explained the circumstances that allowed Marines to attack a Shichibukai.
• Bane declared that Doflamingo’s support for a pirate who infiltrated Marine Headquarters and became a Vice Admiral already constituted a serious threat to Marine security.

Bane arrived at Marine Headquarters and learned that Sengoku would announce his resignation as Fleet Admiral amid growing interference from Mary Geoise and escalating division among Marine leaders. He concluded that the Marines needed to choose a new Fleet Admiral quickly as he entered the Fortress of Justice with Hina.

• Hina told Bane that Sengoku would announce his resignation at a senior officers' meeting, with absent Vice Admirals joining by video conference.
• Hina revealed that Mary Geoise had transferred Aramaki from Cipher Pol, and that he had defeated Onigumo in a sparring match after becoming a Headquarters Vice Admiral.
• Bane suspected Aramaki's transfer was a move by the Five Elders to influence the Marines and possibly position him for an Admiral seat.
• Hina told Bane that Sakazuki and Kuzan had nearly come to blows during a meeting, after which Onigumo and Momonga fought and were severely punished.
• Bane realized the conflict between Sakazuki's and Kuzan's supporters was widening and decided the Marines needed to settle the Fleet Admiral succession quickly.

Bane arrived at the Marine Headquarters senior officers' meeting and openly told Kuzan he supported Sakazuki because it could help him become an Admiral. After Sengoku convened the meeting, he began by discussing plans to build Neo Marine bases in the New World.

• Hina resented that she could not attend the meeting, while Bane teased her before taking the elevator upstairs.
• Kuzan asked Bane whom he supported in the coming leadership conflict, and Bane immediately named Sakazuki.
• Bane entered the meeting room, greeted Issho and Garp, and took the seat beside Sakazuki, who thanked him for his support.
• Aramaki arrived, noticed Bane seated beside Sakazuki, and silently took another seat.
• Sengoku opened the meeting and raised the shortfall in applications for planned Neo Marine bases in the New World.

Bane defended Zephyr’s proposal to establish the G-6 Marine Base and was appointed to lead its construction with Zephyr. A heated dispute between Sakazuki and Kuzan over expanding Marine recruitment ended without a decision, leaving the issue for a future meeting.

• Sengoku presented Zephyr’s proposal to establish a New World G-6 Marine Base on Meruvio, and Vergo objected to the plan.
• Bane explained that he would lead the base project with Zephyr’s assistance and challenged Vergo’s objection.
• The officers approved the G-6 proposal, naming Bane and Zephyr as its project leaders.
• Sakazuki argued for greatly expanding recruitment, while Kuzan warned that untrained recruits would weaken the Marines and suffer heavy casualties.
• Sengoku called for a vote, and although Sakazuki’s side gained a slight advantage, he postponed the decision because the officers lacked an overwhelming consensus.

Sengoku reflected on his years in the Navy and reconciled the officers amid the tension over his successor. He announced that he would resign as Fleet Admiral in one week, leaving Sakazuki and Kuzan to choose the next leader within a month.

• Sengoku praised the Navy’s victory over the Whitebeard Pirates and recalled his long service, prompting the officers to express their respect and reluctance at his departure.
• Sengoku acknowledged the officers’ differing ideals and praised their dedication to justice, easing the hostility in the conference room.
• Sengoku declared that the Navy would prevail and announced he would resign as Fleet Admiral one week later.
• Sengoku told Sakazuki he would not interfere in the succession and said he would become Inspector General after stepping down.
• Sengoku ordered Sakazuki and Kuzan to decide who would become Fleet Admiral within a month, and both accepted.

Bane and Issho discussed Marine politics and the preparations for Zephyr’s forces, then received Sengoku’s order to travel to Impel Down and strip abilities from several imprisoned Pirates. Bane, Hina, and Garp were set to make the trip, with Ain confirming Hina could accompany them.

• Bane and Issho reflected on Sengoku’s leadership and learned that Aramaki had tried to recruit Issho on Mary Geoise’s behalf.
• Issho asked about Zephyr’s preparations, and Bane explained that nearly twenty thousand Marine Guerrilla Force members would head to Meruvio within about a month.
• Hina delivered Sengoku’s order directing Bane to Impel Down to strip the abilities of Douglas Bullet, Byrnndi World, Vasco Shot, and Catarina Devon, with Garp as his mission partner.
• Hina asked to join the trip, Ain confirmed it complied with regulations, and Bane agreed to take her along.

Bane and Garp traveled toward Impel Down, discussing Ace, Luffy, and the Marines’ future. Garp revealed he had resigned from active duty to train recruits, while Bane remained confident Sakazuki would become Fleet Admiral and that Garp would support him; the prison came into view as they approached.

• Bane told Garp to keep Ace in Impel Down and suggested defeating Red-Haired Shanks might change Luffy’s determination to become a pirate.
• Garp said the Red Hair Pirates were formidable and questioned whether Sakazuki would become Fleet Admiral, but Bane insisted Sakazuki would win because he was more resolute than Kuzan.
• Garp revealed he had submitted his resignation and would serve as chief instructor for Marine Headquarters’ new recruits.
• Garp began to advise Bane about his future as a Marine, then let the matter go, and Bane said he was certain Garp would support him.
• Impel Down appeared on the horizon as the warship carried Bane and Garp toward the prison.

Bane and Garp arrived at Impel Down, where they met Warden Magellan and Vice Admiral Bastille. After Magellan’s poison affected Garp and Bane absorbed it with his Darkness Power, Magellan escorted them inside without the usual security inspections.

• Bane and Garp’s warship stopped outside Impel Down while prison staff verified their documents and the defenses opened a passage to the harbor.
• Bane and Garp disembarked and greeted Magellan and the stationed Vice Admiral Bastille.
• Garp approached Magellan confidently but was poisoned by his toxins, and Bane absorbed the poison with his Darkness Power.
• Magellan praised Bane’s ability, then led the group toward his office on the fourth level without requiring inspections.

Bane visited Impel Down with Garp, Ain, and Hina to deliver Fleet Admiral Sengoku’s order and learned that the prison was struggling with overcrowding and high mortality. He proposed importing prisoners to work on a new Marine base in the New World, leaving Magellan bewildered by the idea.

• Ain gave Magellan Sengoku’s order while Bane and Garp joked about Magellan’s private bathroom.
• Magellan explained that Impel Down was overcrowded, especially after receiving over thirteen thousand remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, and that prisoners and staff suffered under the prison’s conditions.
• Magellan described how even prisoners with short sentences often died before they could be released.
• Bane realized Impel Down’s prisoners could provide labor for the planned Marine base in the New World.
• Bane asked Magellan about importing Pirates from Impel Down as workers, and Magellan reacted with confusion.

Bane proposed using suitable Impel Down prisoners as laborers to build Merveille, and Magellan said the plan required the Fleet Admiral’s approval. After meeting Shiryu on Level Six, Bane reflected on the prison staff’s convictions and felt more determined to build the Neo Marines.

• Magellan told Bane that the Fleet Admiral would need to approve his proposal to send selected prisoners to work on Merveille, and Bane agreed to seek approval from Sakazuki or Kuzan.
• Magellan led Bane and the others to Level Six and thanked him for killing Shiki, whose escape had brought Magellan to his position as warden.
• Magellan confronted Shiryu, who mocked the prison staff’s convictions, while Magellan and Hannyabal defended their role in protecting the seas from the darkness of Impel Down.
• Bane watched the exchange and resolved that rebuilding the Neo Marines could give admirable people a place in a new era.
• Garp praised Magellan and Hannyabal for maintaining their convictions and said their work in Impel Down deserved respect.

Bane and Magellan visited Ace and Jinbe in Impel Down, where Bane challenged Ace’s belief that he should never have been born and discussed Jinbe’s likely release. They then began collecting Devil Fruits from the imprisoned pirates, starting with Vasco Shot.

• Magellan brought Bane and Garp to Ace and Jinbe’s cell, where Ace admitted he resented Bane but no longer wanted to kill him and believed his life had brought suffering to those he loved.
• Garp asked Ace whether he had found his answer, and Bane urged him to consider the hopes and sacrifices of his mother, Portgas D. Rouge.
• Bane and Magellan left Garp with Ace and discussed Jinbe’s imprisonment; Bane believed Headquarters would eventually release him, and Magellan expressed respect for Jinbe’s record.
• Magellan led Bane to Vasco Shot’s cell, where Bane used darkness to subdue him and took his Devil Fruit before moving on to the next prisoner.

Bane and Magellan agreed on a plan to send eligible Impel Down prisoners to work while easing the strain on prison staff. After Bane gave Garp four Devil Fruits, they left for Marineford, encouraged by Garp’s report that his grandson no longer talked about dying.

• Bane proposed the Impel Down Labor Reform Plan, which would send non-Devil Fruit users serving under five years to work without reducing their sentences, with prison supervisors accompanying them.
• Magellan agreed that the plan could ease the prison’s burden and give overworked staff opportunities to decompress.
• Hannyabal brought Garp to Magellan’s office, where Bane handed Garp a box containing four Devil Fruits for Headquarters to store.
• Garp listened to Bane and Magellan discuss the plan and came to see its merits, especially its potential to reduce prison staff’s mental strain.
• Bane learned that his advice had helped Garp’s grandson stop talking about dying, then left Impel Down with Garp and the others for Marineford.
• Magellan watched the warship depart and told Hannyabal that the sea might become better with more officers like Bane.

After his retirement ceremony, Sengoku met with Bane, who told him he planned to kill Doflamingo and revealed that Trafalgar Law had secretly helped the Marines. Sengoku recalled Rosinante’s efforts to save Law and learned that the child had grown into someone who helped the sick.

• Sengoku found Bane outside the retirement ceremony and asked why he had left early.
• Bane told Sengoku he planned to go to Dressrosa and kill Doflamingo, and Sengoku admitted his deep hatred of him.
• Sengoku explained that Doflamingo’s Shichibukai status and Celestial Dragon connections made it difficult to move against him.
• Bane revealed that Trafalgar Law had secretly sided with the Marines at Sabaody Archipelago and helped him locate and kill Shiki.
• Sengoku recalled how Rosinante had tried to cure Law’s Amber Lead Syndrome and later learned that Law held free clinics for poor people.

Bane told Sengoku that Marine Vice Admiral Vergo was a Donquixote Family mole whose actions helped cause Rosinante’s death. Sengoku vowed to inspect G-5 and kill Vergo himself if the accusation proved true.

• Sengoku offered to take responsibility if Bane acted against Doflamingo, but Bane said he had a reason to act and revealed that a Donquixote Family mole had risen to senior rank in the Marines.
• Sengoku described the background the Marines had assembled for Bane, leaving Bane to suspect Master Koushiro had arranged a false identity for him.
• Bane named Vergo, commander of Marine Base G-5, as the mole, and explained that Trafalgar Law had identified him as a senior Donquixote Family officer.
• Bane said Vergo had prevented Rosinante from contacting the Marines during the Minion Island incident, leading to Rosinante’s exposure and death at Doflamingo’s hands.
• Sengoku said he would inspect New World Marine bases with Bane the next day and kill Vergo himself if the accusation was confirmed.

Bane and Sengoku set out on an urgent mission while Sakazuki and Kuzan prepared to duel over the Fleet Admiral position. Sengoku refused to intervene, leaving Marine Headquarters unable to stop the duel as the two Admirals sailed for Punk Hazard.

• Sengoku woke Bane and hurried him toward a warship, while Nami and Fubuki teased Bane after seeing him asleep naked.
• Bane, Sengoku, Zoro, Fubuki, Nami, Ain, and Weber headed to the harbor after breakfast, where Hina reported that Sakazuki and Kuzan planned to duel at Punk Hazard.
• Sengoku dismissed the coming duel as a matter he could not handle, and Bane learned that Borsalino had hurried off to the Sabaody Archipelago instead of intervening.
• Bane left Marineford with Sengoku's party, while Sakazuki and Kuzan separately boarded warships and departed for Punk Hazard.
• Garp watched the warships leave as the Grand Staff Officer told him the duel had become inevitable and urged him to consider how to manage the aftermath.

Bane’s relationship with Fubuki and Nami became intimate, leaving all three embarrassed when Sengoku caught them outside his cabin. Bane declared that the two women were his wings, and they punched him for it.

• Sengoku heard the warship creaking and discovered that Bane’s cabin was directly above his.
• Ain waited outside Bane’s cabin, and Fubuki retreated inside after encountering Sengoku in the corridor.
• Nami teased Fubuki about joining her and Bane, while Bane joked about their fitness and his weakness for beautiful women.
• Bane pulled Fubuki and Nami close and declared that they were both his wings.
• Fubuki and Nami exchanged a glance and punched Bane in the face.