Chapter Summaries

Marine trainee Cudilia Noki defeated pirate captain Sylvia Corbett and claimed the Dark-Dark Fruit, which he recognized from his knowledge of One Piece. After learning about its painful drawback, Noki ate it anyway, leaving Ain worried when he said he had tasted its awful flavor.

• Zephyr's graduating trainees attacked Sylvia Corbett's pirate crew, and Noki defeated Corbett with a swift sword strike.
• Noki recognized the Dark-Dark Fruit in Corbett's treasure chest and misled him by calling it the Human-Human Fruit, then took it after the pirates surrendered.
• Ain embraced Noki, and Zephyr praised his combat performance before warning him that the Dark-Dark Fruit would make him absorb damage and feel twice the pain.
• Ain washed the fruit and handed it to Noki, who ate a large bite despite her concern.
• When Ain thought Noki was feeling ill and moved to fetch a doctor, he stopped her and admitted he had tasted the fruit's flavor.

Noki became a Headquarters rear admiral under Kuzan and celebrated with Ain and several senior officers. After drinking enough to pass out, he woke quickly when his newly gained ability absorbed the alcohol, revealing that he was still learning what his power could do.

• Kuzan told Noki that he would serve under him as a rear admiral, and invited him to host a celebration dinner for Momonga and the others.
• Noki and Ain shopped for dinner, where Ain accepted a Navy girl's chocolates and publicly affirmed her relationship with Noki.
• Noki cooked a feast at home, and Momonga, Tokikake, Dalmatian, Yamakaji, Onigumo, Doberman, Strawberry, and Kuzan gathered to celebrate his promotion.
• The officers urged Noki to drink, and after several rounds he became silent and slumped over.
• Ain arrived with a wooden case, found Noki drunk, and let him rest with his head on her lap.
• Noki woke up and showed the officers that his new ability had absorbed the alcohol from his body.

Noki received Golden Scale, a Great Grade Blade, as a graduation gift from Ain, and the two spent the night together. The next morning Sakazuki scolded Noki for dating, while Gion and Tsuru visited and learned that Ain had given him the sword.

• Noki learned that Ain had bought Golden Scale from Zephyr as his graduation gift and embraced her gratefully.
• Ain stayed the night at Noki's home, and the two slept together without going beyond cuddling.
• Sakazuki arrived the next morning, sent Ain home, and scolded Noki for neglecting training to pursue romance.
• Noki told Sakazuki he planned to spar with Borsalino to test the Dark-Dark Fruit's effect on his light-based ability.
• Gion and Tsuru visited Noki after Sakazuki left, and Gion recognized Golden Scale as one of the Twenty-One Great Grade Blades and teased Noki about Ain's gift.

Noki agreed to consider Garp’s request to take command of the Loguetown base and keep Ace from becoming a pirate, in exchange for Garp’s training and other favors. He told Ain he would soon leave Marineford for East Blue, and she accepted his decision while asking him to stay faithful.

• Gion and Tsuru visited Noki, praised his relationship with Ain, and warned him that Garp planned to visit.
• Garp came to Noki’s house, praised his cooking, and asked him to take command of the Loguetown base and keep Ace in East Blue, preferably persuading him to become a Marine.
• Noki negotiated for Garp to teach him boxing and Haki, serve as his sparring partner, and grant him two future conditions, then agreed to consider the assignment.
• Noki decided to seek a transfer to Loguetown and told Ain he would leave Marineford soon, explaining that Garp had asked him to stop his grandson from becoming a pirate.
• Ain supported Noki’s departure and promised to wait for him, while asking him to keep in touch and avoid flirting with other women.

Noki secured Kuzan’s approval to transfer to Loguetown and recruited Borsalino as his sparring partner to develop the Dark-Dark Fruit. After an intense training session, Noki discovered that the fruit’s darkness could pull opponents from a distance, while direct contact with his body was needed to nullify their abilities.

• Noki told Ain he wanted to transfer to Loguetown, and she asked to join him at the training grounds.
• Noki persuaded Kuzan to approve his transfer to Loguetown for up to one year, despite Smoker having already been selected for the post.
• Noki convinced Borsalino to train with him by promising to prepare all three of his meals.
• Noki and Borsalino sparred before a crowd of Marines as Noki tested Dark Water and Dark Hole against Borsalino’s light abilities.
• Noki discovered that his body nullified Devil Fruit powers on contact, while the smoke itself could use gravity to pull targets from afar.
• Borsalino ended the session after Noki improved his techniques, and Noki agreed to prepare dinner for their next training session.

Noki prepared to leave Marineford for a training assignment in Loguetown, saying goodbye to Ain and departing aboard Garp’s warship. Once aboard, he sparred with Bogard, whose superior swordsmanship defeated him, and arranged to train with him during the voyage.

• Noki and Ain ate together, discussed his departure and their relationship, then shopped for supplies for his trip to the East Blue.
• Noki cooked dinner for Kizaru, who agreed to continue training him, and Headquarters later ordered Noki to report to Loguetown.
• Garp offered Noki a ride to the East Blue, and Ain and the other officers saw Noki off at Marineford’s harbor.
• After the warship sailed, Noki challenged Bogard to a swordsmanship spar and lost despite matching him at first.
• Noki asked Bogard to spar with him throughout the voyage, and Bogard agreed.

Noki arrived in Loguetown as its new Navy base commander, dealt with pirates threatening Dadi’s daughter, and assessed the weak local base. He imposed intensive training, appointed Tashigi to lead it, and took her on as his swordsmanship disciple.

• Noki reached Loguetown after sparring with Bogard on Garp’s ship for more than two weeks.
• Noki killed pirates who threatened Dadi’s daughter, then reunited with Dadi and followed him to the Navy base.
• Noki took command from Petty Officer Carter, learned that Bartolomeo’s bandits controlled nearby towns, and decided to strengthen the base’s training.
• Noki appointed Tashigi to lead the Marines’ drills and wagered that she could defeat them all after a week of training.
• Noki overwhelmed Tashigi’s Shigure with a wooden sword and asked her to become his disciple, telling her to trust his instructions.

Noki trained Tashigi, settled into his role as Loguetown's base commander, and acquired Sandai Kitetsu from Ipponmatsu's weapons shop. He left the story after slicing a pirate ship in two at the harbor to make an example of its crew.

• Noki ordered Tashigi to swing her sword three thousand times each day and praised her after she completed the first session.
• Noki called Ain, reassured her about taking Tashigi as an apprentice, and agreed to speak with her each evening.
• Noki carried exhausted Tashigi to her dormitory, where the cook Andreia Tereina fell for him and decided to prepare his meals.
• Noki visited Ipponmatsu's weapons shop, questioned the shopkeeper about his customers, and accepted Sandai Kitetsu as a gift.
• Noki found pirates preparing to sail from Loguetown and cut their ship in two with a sword aura.

Noki erased Spilot’s pirate crew with his dark power, then arranged a bounty-sharing partnership with Colonel Dadi and asked him to locate Bartolomeo. Back at the Marine base, Noki noticed another heart-shaped dessert and went to the kitchen to clarify that he was already taken.

• Noki engulfed Spilot’s ship and crew in darkness, wiping them out despite their pleas for mercy.
• Noki agreed with Colonel Dadi that Dadi would claim the pirates’ bounties and give Noki sixty percent, and asked him to find Bartolomeo.
• Noki released the wreckage and corpses for Dadi, who collected the bounty after Noki signed the capture proof.
• Noki inspected Carter’s Marine training and accepted afternoon tea from the base kitchen.
• Noki recognized the heart-shaped jam on his cake as a possible confession and went to the kitchen to explain that he was already taken.

Noki dealt with Tereina’s crush, spoke with Ain, and traveled to a village outside Loguetown to confront Bartolomeo. He nullified Bartolomeo’s barrier with the Dark-Dark Fruit and struck him, leaving their clash underway.

• Noki told Tereina he had a girlfriend, and she decided to keep pursuing him while claiming her heart-shaped food showed respect for her superior.
• Tashigi continued sword practice, while Ain grew jealous after hearing about Tereina and used Gion’s unread books to remind Noki of their agreement.
• After four days, Dadi found Bartolomeo in a village outside Loguetown, where he collected protection fees and had gained the villagers’ acceptance.
• Noki confronted Bartolomeo’s deputy, Dezaya, after she mistook him for a woman, and defeated her with one Finger Pistol.
• Bartolomeo came to face Noki, relying on his barrier, but Noki used the Dark-Dark Fruit to nullify it and slapped him.

Noki defeated Bartolomeo and persuaded him and his crew to join the Loguetown Marines, while Dezaya joined as his prospective disciple. At the base, Dezaya sparred with Tashigi, whose improved swordsmanship overwhelmed her until Noki stopped a potentially injurious blow.

• Noki broke Bartolomeo’s barriers, defeated him, and accepted him as a fan on the condition that he and his men join the Marines after settling matters with the Redlo gang.
• Dezaya asked to become Noki’s disciple, and he offered her a one-week training trial; she won rock-paper-scissors and returned to the Marine base with him.
• Noki told Sergeant Carter that Bartolomeo’s group would join the Loguetown Marines, then brought Dezaya to meet his other disciple, Tashigi.
• Dezaya challenged Tashigi to a spar, but Tashigi’s improved swordsmanship quickly gained the upper hand.
• Noki caught Tashigi’s wooden sword before it struck Dezaya and remarked that Tashigi’s performance put him on course to win his wager about her defeating the Marines.

Noki trained Dezaya and learned from Garp that Ace might sail around his seventeenth birthday, while Ain grew jealous of Noki's new disciples. After defeating Galoka the Lion in Loguetown, Noki discovered that his Dark-Dark Fruit could absorb and transform a Devil Fruit ability into a fruit, but he chose not to test whether he could safely gain another power.

• Noki assigned Dezaya an intense weeklong physical-training plan and brought her to the women's dormitory, where Tereina agreed to room with her.
• Garp told Noki that Ace was likely to set sail around January first, and Ain later admitted to Zephyr that jealousy over Noki's disciples had kept her awake.
• A week later, Dezaya watched Tashigi fight nearly thirty marines as a marine intelligence officer reported that Galoka the Lion was attacking people in town.
• Noki rushed to town and killed Galoka before he could attack Dadi and his daughter Sarah, then concealed the body and blood with darkness.
• Noki used Dark Liberation on an apple and watched it transform into a Devil Fruit, then decided not to risk absorbing its power into his own body.

Tashigi defeated Sergeant Carter and took charge of Loguetown's Marines while continuing her training under Noki. A week later, Noki learned Tereina was preparing for a cooking competition against Carmen and decided to help her win.

• Tashigi beat Sergeant Carter, who accepted defeat and handed over his duties as she was promoted to sergeant.
• Noki told Tashigi to lead the Marines' training, continued teaching her swordsmanship, and agreed to train Dezaya after she proved her determination.
• Noki received 5.4 million Beli for his bounty and learned Ain would be too busy to contact him regularly.
• Over the next week, Tashigi earned the Marines' respect while she and Carter divided military and administrative duties at the base.
• Noki discovered that Tereina was practicing for the cooking competition against Carmen, so he resolved to help her win.

Noki helped Tereina prepare for the Loguetown cooking competition by teaching her his Buddha Jumps Over the Wall recipe, then trained Tashigi and Dezaya and welcomed Bartolomeo’s group to the Marine base. After receiving news that Arlong had destroyed a Marine warship, Noki decided to lead an expedition against him.

• Noki gave Tereina his Buddha Jumps Over the Wall recipe and demonstrated how to make it, while she repeatedly asked him to teach her again.
• Noki trained Tashigi and Dezaya at the training ground before returning to his room exhausted.
• Bartolomeo and his followers arrived at the Marine base, where Noki assigned them uniforms and warned them to follow military rules.
• Dezaya and Bartolomeo argued over Noki’s attention, so he ordered Dezaya to do extra push-ups and made Bartolomeo train with her.
• Noki received a Headquarters report that Arlong had destroyed a Third Marine Branch warship and killed everyone aboard, then decided to lead an expedition.

Rear Admiral Cudilia Noci led Marines from Loguetown to Arlong Park to defeat Arlong and free Cocoyasi Village. After his Marines fought the fish-men, Noki unleashed the Dark-Dark Fruit’s power across Arlong Park.

• Noki left Bartolomeo and Carter to guard Loguetown and ordered them to stop a freckled boy in an orange cowboy hat if he appeared.
• Colonel Nezumi learned Noki was heading for Arlong’s territory and warned Arlong to prepare for the Marines’ arrival.
• Noki killed the fish-men who tried to bribe his warship, then landed with Tashigi and Dezaya and met Genzo, who led them to Arlong Park.
• Dezaya fought Kuroobi while Tashigi defeated Hatchan, and the Loguetown Marines clashed with Arlong’s forces.
• Noki saved a young Marine from Arlong’s attack and struck Arlong repeatedly, while Dezaya incapacitated Kuroobi with Finger Pistol techniques.
• Noki unleashed the Dark-Dark Fruit’s power and used Dark Devourer to spread darkness throughout Arlong Park.

Noki defeated Arlong and the Fish-Man Pirates, then joined Cocoyasi Village in celebrating their freedom. After hearing about Nojiko’s sister Nami, he left for Loguetown, but returned when corrupt Marine Colonel Nezumi arrived to seize Nami’s money.

• Noki used his Devil Fruit power to absorb Arlong and destroy Arlong Park, while the remaining Fish-Man Pirates were defeated.
• Noki gave the villagers the seized spoils, and Cocoyasi Village celebrated the end of five years of pirate rule.
• Nojiko spoke with Noki about her sister Nami, and he invited Nami to visit him in Loguetown if she wished.
• Colonel Nezumi arrived and demanded that the villagers surrender Nami and her savings, intending to steal the money for himself.
• Noki returned to Cocoyasi Village and startled Nezumi, who recognized the rear admiral and fell to the ground in terror.

Noki exposed Colonel Nezumi's collusion with Arlong, killed him, and ordered the Marines to repay the villages. Meanwhile, Ain arrived in Loguetown as vice base commander and settled into Noki's room, where Tereina discovered her asleep beneath the blanket.

• Noki confronted Colonel Nezumi about Arlong learning of the Marine operation, and the adjutant revealed Nezumi had colluded with the pirate for money.
• Noki killed Nezumi, warned the Third Marine Branch Marines to stop abusing their authority, and ordered them to distribute embezzled money to the harmed villages.
• Noki apologized to the villagers, then left for Loguetown while Nojiko resolved to help her sister join the Marines and serve under him.
• Ain defeated Bartolomeo with her Backward-Backward Fruit, learned Noki was away, and presented her transfer order to become Loguetown's vice base commander.
• Ain asked to stay in Noki's room, fell asleep in his bed, and Tereina later entered the room and pulled back the blanket, waking Ain.

Noki returned to Loguetown and reunited with Ain, who had been transferred to his base and had turned Tereina into a child after finding her in his room. Ain moved into Noki’s room, and the chapter ended with Carmen asking Ain to recommend her as Noki’s cooking student.

• Ain confronted Tereina in Noki’s room, identified herself as Noki’s girlfriend, and used her powers to turn Tereina into a child.
• Noki returned to Loguetown, reunited with Ain, and restored Tereina to normal with Dark Water.
• Ain met Tashigi and Dezaya, then went shopping with Noki before moving into his room.
• Carter brought a second bed into Noki’s room, though Ain and Noki woke up together in his arms the next morning.
• Carmen visited Noki to ask for cooking lessons and offered Ain help keeping an eye on Tereina in exchange for a recommendation.

Ain agreed to help Carmen become Noki’s cooking student, while Noki used a loophole in Marine bounty rules to have Dadi collect rewards for Arlong’s crew. Noki began teaching Carmen and Tereina to cook, leaving Carmen frustrated that her rival was learning alongside her.

• Ain promised Carmen she would speak to Noki, and Noki agreed to teach Carmen cooking after Ain explained Carmen’s offer.
• Noki gave Dadi the corpses of Arlong’s crew to claim their bounties and asked him to watch for a freckled boy in an orange cowboy hat.
• Dadi collected the bounties, and Ain questioned Noki about the money; Noki defended his plan by citing the rules for bounty claims.
• Noki taught Carmen and Tereina to make Ants Climbing a Tree after allowing Tereina to observe the lesson.
• Carmen complained to Ain the next day because she did not want Tereina learning alongside her, but Ain could not punish Tereina for taking cooking lessons.

Carmen’s scheme to push Tereina toward Noki backfired, and Ain disciplined both women while Noki enjoyed an easy life at Loguetown. When Noki finally found Ace in the square, he defeated him twice, leaving Ace’s confidence shattered.

• Carmen coached Tereina to pursue Noki, but Noki overheard them and left the kitchen; Ain then learned what happened and decided to discipline Carmen and Tereina.
• Ain trained Carmen and Tereina as cooking apprentices, while Noki relaxed at the base until a Marine reported that Ace had appeared in Loguetown Square.
• Noki approached Ace and Deuce, agreed to fight Ace away from the crowd, and countered Ace’s Flame Fist and Cross Fire.
• Noki quickly defeated Ace in their first exchange, and Ace demanded a rematch.
• Noki used Soru and Dark Water to defeat Ace again, leaving Ace’s confidence shattered.