Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Werther, Monet, and Buffalo fly away from Punk Hazard toward Dressrosa as the temperature drops and dark clouds gather.
• Buffalo has never encountered weather this severe. Werther suspects they are entering a dangerous New World storm and worries that, if Buffalo falls, the group may be stranded over the sea.
• Lightning strikes overhead, prompting Werther to tell Buffalo to descend. The wind and thunder then abruptly stop, making Monet think the danger has passed.
• Werther recognizes the unnerving stillness as the “calm before the storm.” He warns that the approaching winds and storm could be deadly, especially since Buffalo is a Devil Fruit user who could lose his strength if soaked and fall into the sea.
• As the first breeze stirs Monet’s hair, Werther realizes the storm is nearly upon them.

Character developments and interactions

• Werther stays practical and protective, assessing the danger and making plans to keep Monet and Buffalo together if they fall. Though he jokes with Monet, his fear is grounded in experience and an awareness of his own limits.
• Monet is relaxed at first, then frightened by the storm, but misunderstands the sudden calm as a sign that the danger has passed. She rests on Werther’s lap, showing growing ease with him.
• Buffalo struggles against the cold and cannot drink because his neck propeller gets in the way. Though shaken, he remains committed to flying and expresses loyalty to Doffy, asking Werther to pass on his last words if he dies.
• Werther’s teasing of Monet contrasts with his serious exchange with Buffalo, whose shared awareness of the danger makes their conversation more solemn.

Significant themes

• Nature’s power: Even capable fighters are vulnerable to extreme weather and the sea.
• Experience and judgment: Werther recognizes the danger where Monet sees relief, showing how familiarity with the sea shapes their responses.
• Loyalty and companionship: Buffalo’s devotion to Doffy and Werther’s determination to protect his companions are emphasized.
• False calm: The sudden silence is not safety but a warning that greater danger is approaching.

Key plot points and events

• Buffalo struggles to fly through increasingly violent winds as a vast storm closes in on the group.
• Werther uses Observation Haki but cannot scan far enough to find an escape route. He devises a new method: sending out small masses of lightning infused with Observation Haki to detect danger at a distance.
• At first, every signal warns of danger. Then lightning nearly strikes the group—possibly drawn toward Werther because his active Thunder Core makes him an electrical target.
• One probe reports a direction where danger is less severe. Werther directs Buffalo that way, and Buffalo flies at extraordinary speed downwind as rain begins.
• Werther’s senses detect an inhabited island ahead. The group heads toward it, with their immediate hope of survival restored.

Character developments

• Werther remains frightened but refuses to surrender. His calm, practical thinking leads him to improvise a new scouting technique and guide the group toward safety.
• Monet is terrified and initially close to despair. Werther’s composure steadies her, and she begins to believe he may find a way through.
• Buffalo follows Werther’s instructions despite not understanding his directional wording at first, then adjusts course and pushes himself to fly faster than ever.

Significant themes

• Resourcefulness under pressure: Werther turns a limited ability into an improvised means of searching for safety.
• Hope and perseverance: Even when every signal points to danger, Werther continues looking for a chance to survive.
• Fear and leadership: Werther is afraid like the others, but his ability to act despite fear helps restore their confidence.
• Nature’s overwhelming power: The storm makes clear that the sea can threaten even powerful people.

Character interactions

• Monet watches Werther think through the crisis and draws courage from his steady manner.
• Werther communicates the danger and gives Buffalo simple, direct instructions after realizing Buffalo does not understand “two o’clock.”
• A near-miss with lightning shocks Werther and Monet alike, underscoring their shared vulnerability as they press on toward the island.

Plot points and events

• Werther, Monet, and Buffalo reach an island during a fierce rainstorm. Werther heads toward town, then realizes the other two have fallen behind.
• He finds Monet struggling on the ground and Buffalo nearly drowning face-down in a puddle. The heavy rain has weakened them because both are Devil Fruit users.
• Werther rescues Buffalo, then carries Monet on his back and drags Buffalo by hand to a nearby town.
• At a hotel, Werther looks for a doctor to help Buffalo, who has swallowed muddy water. The owner says the town’s doctor vanished three days earlier.
• Deciding to improvise, Werther presses down on Buffalo’s swollen belly. Buffalo spews muddy water over the room, but still does not appear better. The chapter ends before the outcome is known.

Character developments and interactions

• Werther proves resourceful and protective, rescuing both companions and getting them to shelter. His confidence in his makeshift “treatment” also comes across as reckless and comically overconfident.
• Monet is vulnerable in the storm and depends on Werther’s help. She gives him a reproachful look after he fails to hear her calling, then turns away when she realizes what he intends to do to Buffalo.
• Buffalo is nearly helpless in the rain and later pleads for a doctor, but remains conscious and speaks up against Werther’s rough plan.
• Werther teases the situation, carrying Monet on his back while insisting on carrying Buffalo by hand. The hotel owner and waiter watch in astonishment as he attempts to treat Buffalo.

Significant themes

• The cost and limits of power: Devil Fruit abilities come with a serious vulnerability—submersion in water drains users’ strength, leaving Monet and Buffalo helpless in the downpour.
• Care amid comedy: Werther takes responsibility for his companions, but his blunt rescue and improvised medical care turn a dangerous situation into farce.
• Mystery and foreshadowing: The town’s doctor has disappeared, hinting at a larger local problem that may become important later.

Key plot points and events

• After the storm, Werther treats Buffalo by forcing filthy water from his lungs and stomach, then using a cleaning solution invented by Tuski. Buffalo recovers enough to stand and breathe normally.
• Werther, Monet, and Buffalo book rooms at a hotel and wait for the rain to stop. Once it clears, they head out to eat.
• At dinner, Buffalo asks for money to visit the island’s casino. Werther gives him a suitcase containing about twenty million Beli, and Buffalo excitedly leaves.
• Monet says she wants to visit a hot spring. Werther joins her, curious to experience one himself.
• At the spring, the baths are divided by gender, so Werther and Monet separate. In the men’s bath, Werther unexpectedly encounters two powerful men he already knows.

Character developments

• Werther shows practical medical competence learned from observing Tuski, generosity toward Buffalo, and a self-deprecating streak as he reflects on his romantic luck and dangerous life at sea.
• Buffalo recovers quickly and confidently asks Werther for money to enjoy himself, reflecting his trust in Werther.
• Monet reveals an unusual fondness for hot springs despite being a Devil Fruit user, explaining that she enjoys the vulnerability of warm water.

Significant themes

• Trust and loyalty: Werther looks after Buffalo and readily gives him a large sum of money.
• Care amid danger: Even in a harsh, unpredictable world, the characters make time for recovery and ordinary pleasures.
• Humor and self-awareness: Werther’s thoughts about his lack of romantic charm contrast with his adventures and relationships.
• Unexpected encounters: A quiet evening at the hot spring ends on a note of suspense.

Character interactions

• Werther checks Buffalo’s recovery and reassures him that Tuski can examine him later if needed.
• Monet approaches Werther to ask for money for food and reports that the storm has passed; the two then go to dinner together.
• Werther encourages Buffalo to state what he wants and funds his casino visit.
• Monet shares her hot-spring preference with Werther, who agrees to accompany her.
• The chapter closes with Werther and two familiar, formidable men recognizing one another in the men’s bath.

Plot and events

• Werther arrives at a hot spring and unexpectedly finds Garp and former Admiral Aokiji there.
• Garp and Aokiji are visiting the island to help Aokiji recover from severe burns. After being delayed by a storm, they come to the spring, where they encounter Werther, a Shichibukai who fought them during the Summit War.
• Though all three remember their past clashes, nobody is looking for a fight. Garp leaves to rest, trusting Aokiji to manage if trouble arises.
• Aokiji asks Werther about his duel with Akainu, whom he calls “Red Dog.” Werther explains that his earlier wound had damaged Akainu’s lung, yet Aokiji still lost. He laughs it off, though his amusement conceals deep bitterness.
• Werther and Aokiji share a laugh over their injuries and the unlikely situation. Their noise briefly wakes Garp, who calls them lunatics before falling asleep again.

Character developments and interactions

• Werther is relaxed and unexpectedly reflective. He has no wish to fight Garp and feels sympathy for the burden of Garp’s choices concerning Ace. He also remains candid and provocative, teasing Garp and discussing the fight with Aokiji.
• Aokiji appears outwardly cheerful about losing to Akainu, but his laughter masks disappointment. He and Werther show mutual respect and ease despite having once fought each other.
• Garp is wary at first but relaxes when he senses Werther is not hostile. His weariness and grief are suggested through Werther’s thoughts about Ace and the Summit War.
• The three men’s encounter shifts from uneasy surprise to casual conversation, revealing that former enemies can share a peaceful moment.

Significant themes

• The aftermath of war: Injuries, defeat, and grief continue to affect the characters after the battles end.
• Duty, family, and regret: Werther reflects on Garp’s choices regarding Ace and the consequences they may have carried.
• Justice and power: The discussion of Akainu’s appointment contrasts Aokiji’s sense of justice with the World Government’s political interests.
• Fate and unlikely connections: Former opponents find themselves unexpectedly sharing a hot spring rather than fighting.

Plot points and events

• While sharing a hot spring with Werther, Kuzan—formerly known by his Marine code name, Aokiji—asks for help entering the Underworld. Werther warns him that its illegal dealings may provoke Kuzan to interfere, and that breaking its rules could bring powerful hunters down on him.
• Werther explains that the World Government originally founded the Underworld to secretly sell weapons, but lost control of it. Kuzan doubts this, having never heard the revelation as an Admiral.
• Werther directs Kuzan to find Ferdinand on Tutu Island and give the code phrase “ki11,” revealing his own Underworld identity. He warns Kuzan that several opponents match his strength, and one may be stronger.
• Kuzan leaves with Garp. Werther expects Kuzan’s sense of justice to make the Underworld’s corruption difficult for him to tolerate.
• The chapter shifts to the New World, where the Supernovas are unsettling the balance of power. The main struggle is between Blackbeard and the weakened remnants of Whitebeard’s crew.
• Werther believes Blackbeard will eventually seek revenge and intends to stop him from becoming an Emperor. For now, he waits while Blackbeard is still fighting Marco’s forces, and considers using the life force stored in his Black Ring to grow stronger.

Character developments and interactions

• Kuzan moves from uncertainty about his future to a determined plan to enter the Underworld. His confidence in his strength falters when Werther describes the powerful enemies waiting there.
• Werther acts as Kuzan’s guide but is blunt about the dangers and openly claims he may hunt Kuzan if he violates the Underworld’s rules. He also reveals his Underworld alias, “ki11.”
• Werther and Kuzan share a relaxed drink in the hot spring, but their conversation turns into a serious warning about the Underworld’s power and corruption.
• Werther and Blackbeard remain on a collision course: Werther remembers their past conflict and plans to prevent Blackbeard from gaining the influence needed to retaliate.

Significant themes

• Hidden corruption and compromised institutions: The World Government’s role in creating the Underworld undermines its public legitimacy.
• Justice versus power: Kuzan’s moral instincts may clash with the Underworld’s brutal customs, while Werther stresses that strength alone cannot protect him.
• Shifting power and preemptive conflict: The New World’s unstable balance and Werther’s concern about Blackbeard point toward future struggles over authority and revenge.

Key plot points and events

• After leaving the men’s changing area, Werther waits for Monet but grows alarmed when she remains inside for hours.
• He enters the women’s changing area and finds dozens of women unconscious, including Monet. Her pulse is normal, and neither the spring water nor Werther’s Observation Haki reveals a cause.
• Werther carries Monet out, wrapped in his coat. The spa owner recognizes the event as the “calamity” associated with Lord Ohm and collapses in fear.
• A young woman explains that Lord Ohm is believed to be an island deity who controls people’s desires. The unconscious women will briefly wake that night, then fall unconscious again and walk to a Blood Sacrifice Pool.
• There, they will cut their wrists and lose large amounts of blood before regaining their senses. About thirty percent die from blood loss, and the sacrifice must be completed by the following evening or they will never wake.

Character developments

• Werther shifts from enjoying the hot spring to focused concern for Monet. He stays composed amid the unconscious women and becomes determined to find Lord Ohm and stop the danger.
• The spa owner is revealed as deeply afraid of the recurring calamity and its consequences for the victims’ families.
• The young woman provides the crucial explanation, showing sorrow and hatred when describing the sacrifice.

Significant themes

• The chapter contrasts relaxation and vulnerability with sudden, unexplained danger.
• Fear and superstition dominate the island’s response to Lord Ohm, while Werther responds with skepticism and action.
• The blood sacrifice raises the stakes through helplessness, coercion, and the high cost of survival.

Character interactions

• Werther’s urgent attempts to wake Monet establish his concern for her.
• The spa employee confronts Werther for entering the women’s area, but the owner’s attention shifts to the unconscious victims.
• Werther presses the owner and onlookers for answers; their terror leaves them unable to respond.
• The young woman explains the threat, and Werther questions her closely, intent on learning how to save Monet.

Key plot points

• A young woman explains that every ten years, many island women faint. They awaken that night, lose consciousness again, and return after dawn with no will of their own. They regain themselves only after a dangerous blood sacrifice, which kills about a third of its participants.
• Werther suspects Lord Ohm is behind the ritual and hopes killing him might save Monet, but no one knows where the Blood Sacrifice Pool is, and it will not appear until the women awaken.
• Werther carries Monet from the Hot Spring to a hotel. Aokiji stops Garp from confronting him, apparently recognizing—or at least suspecting—that Werther has a reason for carrying her.
• While Werther sleeps, Monet attacks him, seemingly under another force’s control. Her eyes glow pink, and she fights recklessly, even risking serious injury. Werther eventually restrains her.
• The entity speaking through Monet claims to be the “Goddess of Lust” and offers Werther Monet in exchange for his leaving the island. Werther rejects the claim and mocks the supposed god. The entity then tries to make Monet strangle herself.

Character developments and interactions

• Werther stays focused on protecting Monet despite the confusing and compromising circumstances. He recognizes signs of supernatural or Devil Fruit-like control and shifts from trying to understand the island’s ritual to directly subduing the force controlling her.
• Monet is briefly transformed from an unconscious victim into a dangerous, controlled attacker. Her apparent willingness to fight through pain shows that she is not acting of her own free will.
• Aokiji and Garp investigate the mass fainting. Garp suspects Werther of exploiting Monet, but Aokiji silently prevents him from interfering.
• Werther and the possessing entity confront one another: it tries to manipulate him with Monet, while he refuses to cooperate and challenges its supposed divinity.

Significant themes

• False divinity and manipulation: The “goddess” uses fear and temptation to control events, while Werther sees through its claims.
• Sacrifice and danger: The island’s ritual promises the women’s recovery but carries a high risk of death.
• Autonomy and control: Monet’s forced actions—and the entity’s attempt to make her kill herself—underline the threat to her will and safety.

Key plot points and events

• Werther uses a lightning attack to break Lord Ohm’s control over Monet. Monet regains control of her body, though she tells Werther she remembers only losing consciousness at the hot spring.
• Werther explains that a Devil Fruit user had controlled her and suggests she is no longer needed as a blood sacrifice. He leaves her to rest and promises to explain more the next day.
• Alone, Monet remembers the humiliating truth: she had been conscious but unable to control her body, which was made to undress Werther while he slept. Relieved he did not witness it, she feels mortified and furious at the person who controlled her.
• Werther concludes that Lord Ohm likely has a Devil Fruit power that lets him charm or control people from behind the scenes. He also recalls that he forgot a promise to Hancock to help remove the slave mark on her back.
• Before sleeping, Werther uses Observation Haki and detects someone watching him. He swiftly pulls the watcher through the window and threatens her, but realizes she is the young woman he met at the hot spring.
• Once Werther eases his intimidation, the frightened woman asks whether he can kill “her” and offers information in exchange. Werther identifies himself as the Thunder Swordsman, and she recognizes the name.

Character developments and interactions

• Werther demonstrates caution and decisive strength, while remaining considerate enough to give Monet privacy and a blanket. His forgotten promise to Hancock reveals a careless, sheepish side.
• Monet is no longer under another’s control, but hides how much she remembers out of embarrassment. Her anger is directed at the person who hijacked her body.
• The young woman is physically weak and terrified by Werther, yet gathers resolve to bargain with him. Her offer suggests she knows something important about the person behind the events.
• Werther and Monet’s exchange is awkward but practical; his confrontation with the watcher shifts quickly from threat to negotiation.

Significant themes

• Loss of bodily autonomy: Monet’s ordeal is disturbing because she remains conscious while unable to control her body.
• Trust and coercion: Werther must judge strangers cautiously, while the young woman risks approaching him for help.
• Embarrassment and vulnerability: Monet’s shame and the watcher’s fear provide comic relief amid the danger.
• Unkept obligations: Werther’s forgotten promise to Hancock introduces a personal responsibility he may need to address later.

Plot points and events

• Jie, a native of Buga Island, explains that two centuries ago young women began mysteriously falling unconscious, just as they are now. Around the same time, Lord Ohm appeared and the island’s many hot springs began disappearing.
• Jie recounts how her older sister, one of the victims, woke in a trance and killed their father with a knife. After regaining her senses, the sister understood what she had done and later died by suicide.
• Jie reveals that she once secretly went to the Blood Sacrifice Pool and saw Lord Ohm emerging from its water. She admits she lied earlier: the pool has a fixed location. It is an extremely deep hot spring said to connect to every spring on the island.
• Werther is startled by the account because he sensed that Lord Ohm was a Devil Fruit User. Jie insists she saw no bubble or other protection around her, leaving Werther to wonder how she could enter the water without weakening.

Character developments and interactions

• Jie’s grief and anger emerge as she recounts her family’s tragedy. Seeking revenge, she bargains with Werther, offering crucial information in exchange for his killing Lord Ohm.
• Werther listens without sympathy on the surface, but recognizes the brutality of the world. He agrees he will kill Lord Ohm, though he avoids making a promise and says he had already planned to confront her.
• Jie shows both desperation and resourcefulness: she lies about the pool’s location to keep Werther from rushing into danger, then confesses when she believes her information can help secure revenge.
• Werther’s confidence is unsettled by the apparent contradiction between Lord Ohm’s Devil Fruit power and her ability to rise from water unharmed.

Significant themes

• Trauma and guilt: Jie's sister’s return to consciousness brings unbearable awareness of her actions, ending in suicide.
• Revenge and bargaining: Jie turns painful knowledge into leverage to pursue justice against Lord Ohm.
• Cruelty and survival: Werther sees the world as governed by greed and brutality rather than the idealized adventure he once imagined.
• Mystery and contradiction: Lord Ohm’s connection to the hot springs—and her apparent immunity to water—challenges what Werther believes about Devil Fruit users.

Plot points and events

• Jie offers Werther a reward for killing Lord Ohm: a large piece of Sea Jade, a rare mineral found only on Buga Island.
• Werther tests a tiny piece of Sea Jade and discovers that it gently improves vitality and helps restore strength. Though tempted by its value, he returns it to Jie rather than take it from her.
• Jie explains that a much larger piece once sold for three billion Beli, attracting the attention of the Dragon People. Their subsequent search of the island killed a fifth of its population.
• Lord Ohm appeared after the Dragon People left. Jie suspects Ohm may have lived underground and emerged because their intrusion disturbed her.
• Jie also connects Lord Ohm to Rainbow Powder, a cheap substance that induces vivid wish-fulfillment hallucinations and has become a widespread habit among islanders.
• Jie reveals that she became severely dependent after trying it once. She resisted by cutting herself whenever she craved it, leaving extensive scars. Sea Jade helped her survive the resulting injuries.
• Werther realizes Rainbow Powder is addictive and considers the social upheaval that might follow if the island lost access to it.

Character developments and interactions

• Werther moves from curiosity about the reward to recognizing the broader significance of Sea Jade, the island’s history, and Rainbow Powder. He shows restraint by returning Jie’s stone, while his interest in the crisis suggests he may see an opportunity in the island’s vulnerability.
• Jie proves resourceful and candid, sharing valuable information despite her fear of the Dragon People. Her scars reveal the cost of her struggle with addiction.
• Their conversation shifts from bargaining over a reward to a deeper exchange about the island’s history and its inhabitants’ dependence on Rainbow Powder.

Significant themes

• Power and exploitation: The Dragon People’s pursuit of Sea Jade devastated the island’s population.
• Addiction and dependence: Rainbow Powder offers escape and wish fulfillment, but its widespread use leaves the community vulnerable.
• Survival and sacrifice: Jie endured severe self-harm to overcome her addiction, aided by Sea Jade.
• Hidden causes and consequences: Lord Ohm’s arrival may be linked both to the Dragon People’s search and to Rainbow Powder’s rise.

Plot points and events

• On Buga Island, Desire God Church Bishop Diser is interrupted while having sex and learns that three famous visitors have arrived: former Admiral Aokiji, Garp the Hero, and the Thunder Swordsman, Werther.
• The church began as Diser’s scheme. After witnessing the island’s frightening events—young women collapsing and mass blood offerings—he invented a goddess and promised that worship would protect believers’ daughters. He knows the promise is false and suspects a monster lives in the Blood Sacrifice Pool.
• Though he once planned to flee after ten years, Diser has become attached to the wealth, influence, and abuse of power the church provides. Frightened by the visitors, he briefly considers running, then decides he may be able to exploit their arrival to strengthen his position and undermine the mayor. He uses a strange, rainbow-colored powder before collapsing into laughter.
• Meanwhile, Werther watches a girl leave and prepares to follow the unconscious young women to the Blood Sacrifice Pool the next day. He hopes to obtain a powerful piece of Sea Jade, but must account for Garp and Aokiji’s presence. He decides to rest rather than act prematurely.

Character developments and interactions

• Diser is exposed as a cynical fraud whose greed and desire for power outweigh his fear. He manipulates islanders’ terror into religious devotion and treats both women and followers as tools.
• Diser’s subordinate is a fanatical believer, eager to punish outsiders in the goddess’s name. His fervor contrasts with Diser’s private knowledge that the faith is fabricated.
• Werther remains calculating and opportunistic. He weighs the risks posed by the powerful visitors but feels confident that their lack of skill in scheming gives him room to act.
• Garp and Aokiji do not appear directly, but their reputations immediately unsettle Diser and complicate Werther’s plans.

Significant themes

• Exploitation of fear: Diser turns a community’s genuine terror into a source of control and profit.
• Power and corruption: Success has made Diser unwilling to give up his authority, despite the danger it brings.
• Self-interest and manipulation: Both Diser and Werther view the island’s crisis as an opportunity—Diser for influence, Werther for treasure.

Key plot points and events

• Werther finds Monet waiting for him the morning after she was mysteriously controlled. She wants to discover who was responsible and vows not to forgive them. Buffalo is still gambling.
• The town is unusually quiet and frightened of Lord Ohm. Werther sees followers of the Desire God Church proclaiming faith as the route to salvation.
• A group of girls, dazed and apparently controlled, walks through town carrying weapons. Locals identify the event as Blood Sacrifice Day, a ritual that happens every ten years.
• Werther follows the girls toward a wasteland, with Monet accompanying him. He also notices Aokiji and Garp following the procession.
• When church followers block the way, Aokiji freezes them with Ice Age. Werther stops the ice from reaching him by using lightning, and Aokiji realizes Werther has become stronger since the Summit War.
• The girls reach a strange, seemingly bottomless hot spring called the Blood Sacrifice Pool. They line up and cut their wrists.
• As Werther approaches the pool, he is briefly overcome by dizziness. He senses a force spreading from it and suspects it is Lord Ohm’s Devil Fruit power—the same influence that nearly controlled him.

Character developments and interactions

• Werther remains curious and ready to intervene, but recognizes that the pool’s power can affect him. His strength impresses Aokiji.
• Monet is determined to uncover who controlled her. She also envies the apparent difference between Aokiji’s power and her own Logia abilities.
• Aokiji acts first against the church followers, freezing them to clear the path.
• Garp watches Werther cautiously as the two sides converge on the ritual.
• The townspeople’s fear and the church members’ fervor contrast sharply, underscoring the ritual’s hold over the island.

Significant themes

• Coercion and control: The girls’ vacant expressions and Werther’s near loss of awareness suggest that a powerful force is manipulating people.
• Faith and fanaticism: The church presents the ritual as sacred, while its followers’ zeal conflicts with the townspeople’s despair.
• Power and uncertainty: Even powerful figures may be vulnerable to Lord Ohm’s influence, and the mystery surrounding the sacrifice remains unresolved.

• Key events: The Blood Sacrifice Pool’s strange pulse proves much stronger in the water than in the air, so Werther realizes he must rely on Armament Haki to descend. Mayor Cole Black warns him not to enter, but offers no useful information; his pleasant manner is at odds with a brief chill in his eyes. Werther says the pool connects to the island’s hot springs, meaning Aokiji cannot simply freeze it. Though Werther admits he is pursuing something below rather than rescuing the girls, Garp jumps in to investigate after seeing their injuries. Werther follows, leaving Aokiji and Monet to keep watch. Underwater, Werther uses a Geppo-like technique to descend quickly, finds Garp, and signals him to continue as the pulse intensifies.
• Character developments: Werther is pragmatic and self-interested, planning to use Garp’s strength as protection, but he still joins the descent. Garp’s powerful Haki impresses Werther, while his impulsive concern for the injured girls drives him to act. Monet, unable to approach the pool without Armament Haki, resolves to become stronger. Aokiji remains wary of Werther’s motives and stays behind because he cannot swim.
• Interactions: Werther challenges Aokiji and Garp about abandoning the girls, then explains why freezing the pool will not work. Garp and Werther’s shared underwater mishaps—both choking after laughing—break the tension between them. Aokiji trades barbs with Werther before taking up watch with Monet.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts duty and self-interest: Garp acts out of compassion, while Werther openly pursues his own goal. It also emphasizes the value of strength and preparation, as Armament Haki is essential to facing the pool’s danger, and hints at hidden threats through the growing pulse and the mayor’s suspicious demeanor.

Plot points and events

• While Aokiji and Monet remain above the pool, Mayor Blake leaves them and searches the frozen followers of the Desire God Church for Bishop Diser.
• Blake breaks the ice around Diser’s face and accuses him of plotting to use Werther, Garp, and Aokiji to kill the creature in the pool, end the sacrifices, and expose Blake.
• Blake reveals that Rainbow Powder lets him know what its users imagine. He says he and the woman in the pool planned the church’s rise as a test of Diser, and that the town’s families were deliberately spared from the sacrifices.
• Blake claims the woman is his lover, that the island depends on her, and that the powder would disappear if she died. He rejects Diser’s offer to cooperate and kills him by stabbing him through the eye and brain.
• Jie, who previously gave Werther information, witnesses the murder and realizes Blake supplies the town’s Rainbow Powder and is allied with the underwater creature. When she tries to warn the townspeople, Blake catches her and moves to silence her.

Character developments and interactions

• Mayor Blake is exposed as the hidden power behind the powder and the creature’s protector. His tenderness toward his “love” is paired with ruthless violence toward anyone who threatens her. He treats Diser’s betrayal as unforgivable and turns on Jie despite their formerly affectionate relationship.
• Diser is revealed as a calculating merchant who hoped to manipulate the outsiders and eliminate the creature while preserving his church. His fear and attempt to bargain do not save him.
• Jie shifts from a helpful informant to a frightened witness. Her past crush on Blake makes his betrayal especially personal, but she still tries to alert the town.
• Blake’s exchanges with Diser expose competing schemes: Diser sought to use the outsiders, while Blake and the woman had been managing the church and sacrifices themselves. His confrontation with Jie brings the danger directly to someone connected to Werther.

Significant themes

• Deception and hidden agendas: Religious authority, the powder trade, and the town’s apparent order conceal Blake’s control and the creature’s influence.
• Power and dependence: Blake portrays the woman as indispensable to the island, suggesting that the community’s happiness rests on a dangerous supernatural arrangement.
• Love twisted into obsession: Blake frames his violence as devotion, treating any threat to his lover as grounds for murder.
• Betrayal and vulnerability: Diser’s schemes fail, while Jie’s trust in the man she once admired leaves her facing immediate danger.

Key plot points and events

• Mayor Blake leaves the dying Jie behind, despite his guilt, resolved to make her the island’s “true god.”
• He enters a locked warehouse built around a hidden hot spring, the source of Rainbow Powder. The powder first appeared naturally decades ago, became prized for fulfilling people’s desires, and stopped appearing on its own seven years earlier. Blake has secretly supplied the town with it ever since and visits the spring daily to meet someone.
• In the Blood Sacrifice Pool, Werther and Garp encounter an invisible boundary where a force intensifies their desires. Werther finds that lightning dispels it, but each burst also shocks Garp, who repeatedly convulses while Aokiji watches from above.
• The pair reach the pool’s flat bottom and find two passages leading into the surrounding wall. With limited time underwater and no idea how strong their target is, Werther returns to the surface to get air or diving equipment. Garp is left deciding whether to follow.

Character developments and interactions

• Blake is hardened by his ambition: though he feels some guilt over killing Jie, he suppresses it and focuses on his plan. His daily visits to the spring suggest a long-standing, private attachment or arrangement.
• Werther is resourceful, testing lightning against the pool’s influence, but cautious enough to retreat rather than enter unknown tunnels unprepared.
• Garp endures Werther’s accidental shocks with irritation, though he understands why Werther used them.
• Aokiji worries about Garp and begins questioning how Werther can use lightning underwater if it comes from a Devil Fruit.

Significant themes

• Desire and corruption: Rainbow Powder and the pool’s influence both magnify desire, hinting at the power’s danger and the town’s dependence on it.
• Guilt versus ambition: Blake’s remorse for Jie is overridden by his determination to pursue his plan.
• Risk and restraint: Werther’s decision to turn back shows the value of preparation when facing an unknown threat.

Key plot points and events

• Werther returns from the underwater pool without Garp, prompting Aokiji to question him. Garp soon surfaces, angry that Werther shocked him repeatedly underwater.
• Werther explains that they cannot remain underwater long and leaves to find another way to explore the pool.
• Garp asks Werther to revive the girls intended for sacrifice. Though he claims to be no hero, Werther uses lightning to wake them—but declares that the pool’s contents are his in exchange, threatening to fight anyone who contests him.
• On the way to town, Werther and Monet find Jie, the young woman who had provided Werther with useful information, dead from a slit throat. Signs of a struggle and a bloodied piece of clothing suggest she was killed by someone from town, but Werther does not investigate.
• Werther asks Monet to bury Jie while he searches town for diving equipment. He learns it exists but is too expensive for ordinary people.
• An elderly woman approaches Werther, searching for her daughter. Her description matches Jie, and Werther realizes the woman is Jie’s mother. He struggles to tell her that her daughter is dead.

Character developments and interactions

• Werther remains brusque and self-interested, but his actions reveal some compassion: he saves the girls and arranges Jie’s burial. He treats the pool’s treasure as payment and avoids pursuing Jie’s killer.
• Garp shows unexpected humility by pleading with Werther to save strangers, despite their strained relationship.
• Aokiji is cautious around Werther, recognizing that his injuries and Garp’s absence leave him at a disadvantage.
• Monet follows Werther’s request to bury Jie, though she privately resents being treated like his maid.
• Jie’s mother enters the story seeking her missing daughter, forcing Werther to confront the human cost of Jie’s death.

Significant themes

• Self-interest versus compassion: Werther rejects the role of hero yet helps others, though he frames his aid as a transaction.
• Loss and grief: Jie’s death and her mother’s search underscore the suffering caused by the events in town.
• Power and vulnerability: Underwater, Werther’s lightning gives him an advantage over Garp, while limited oxygen constrains even powerful characters.

Key plot points and events

• Werther tells an old woman that her daughter is dead, explaining where her companions buried her and assuring her that she likely died quickly. He offers to bring her Lord Ohm, whom he has promised Jie he will kill.
• The old woman accepts the news and says she will wait by her daughter’s grave. Werther senses that her grief and despair may drive her to do something dangerous.
• Mayor Black secretly watches Werther. Frustrated by the strength of Werther and his companions, he decides he may have to release “that thing,” though he is unsure whether someone can control it.
• Werther buys a canister intended for inflating balloons, but realizes it can serve as a small air tank. He plans another dive into the Blood Sacrifice Pool, with Monet and Buffalo accompanying him only to observe from a safe distance.
• Before they leave, Werther receives an urgent call from Anita: her father, a World Noble, is gravely ill and may have less than a month to live. Anita plans to return to Mary Geoise with Tuski, whose Devil Fruit ability may be able to cure him. Werther offers his support and says he will wait for them in Dressrosa.

Character developments and interactions

• Werther chooses painful honesty over giving the old woman false hope, while showing some compassion by reassuring her and offering help with her revenge. He remains focused on investigating the pool.
• The old woman moves from disbelief to devastated acceptance. Her quiet resolve suggests grief may turn into a desire for revenge, making her an unsettling wildcard.
• Mayor Black grows more desperate and is preparing to unleash a mysterious force against Werther and his companions.
• Anita temporarily sets aside her adventures to help her dying father. She trusts Werther’s advice about Tuski and is comforted by his offer of support.
• Monet and Buffalo agree to accompany Werther to the pool, though only as observers.

Significant themes

• Truth versus comforting lies: Werther believes honest grief is preferable to years of false hope.
• Loss and revenge: The old woman’s bereavement may transform her into a dangerous force.
• Loyalty and support: Werther reassures Anita and is willing to help her despite being unable to treat her father himself.
• Escalating danger and uncertainty: Mayor Black’s plan and the hidden threat beneath the pool foreshadow further conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Werther learns from Anita that something is wrong, but trusts Tuski’s highly advanced Holy Healing Thread to cure it. Since he cannot help medically, he decides not to rush back to Dressrosa.
• He returns to the Blood Sacrifice Pool to investigate the strange presence he had sensed earlier. This time, the pulse has vanished, so he chooses one of the underwater passages at random.
• A venomous green octopus attacks him. Werther uses lightning to weaken it, then cuts it in half with his sword.
• He follows the passage to its end and surfaces in a large pool—only to discover he has emerged in the women’s section of a hot spring. The startled bathers scream and accuse him of being a pervert, and he quickly leaves.
• Returning to Monet and Buffalo, Werther describes the pool’s destination as “a man’s paradise.”

Character developments and interactions

• Werther remains practical about Anita’s illness, trusting Tuski’s abilities rather than pretending he can treat her himself. He also shows confidence and combat skill by defeating the octopus underwater, though his exploration ends in an embarrassing mishap.
• Monet and Buffalo cautiously ask about Werther’s change in mood and later question where the pool leads. Monet is especially surprised when he returns from town with wet clothes.
• Anita is distressed, but the chapter reassures readers that Tuski’s healing may be able to help her.
• Mayor Black’s confidence in the octopus proves misplaced: he underestimates how easily a powerful fighter like Werther can kill it.

Significant themes

• Trust in others’ expertise: Werther recognizes the limits of his own abilities and relies on Tuski’s medical skill.
• Power and misjudgment: The octopus seems formidable, but Mayor Black has little understanding of the strength of top fighters.
• Comic contrast: A dangerous underwater investigation ends not with a major discovery, but with Werther accidentally intruding on a women’s bath.

Key plot points and events

• Werther reunites with Garp and Aokiji at the Blood Sacrifice Pool. They agree to explore together, using an iron canister to help Garp withstand the shocks. Werther admits the passage he previously explored led to the women’s side of a hot spring.
• Werther and Garp descend into the pool and take the unexplored right-hand passage. As they swim deeper, the water grows colder, and Werther senses a presence beyond a bend.
• A fast-moving pink wave hits them despite Werther’s lightning. It traps Werther in an illusion of his old master and fellow disciples, whom he has missed deeply.
• Werther recognizes the illusion but briefly wants to remain in it. Remembering his responsibilities and the people still beside him, he breaks free by pushing the Thunder Core to its limit.
• He discovers Garp is still caught in the spell, apparently seeing Ace. When Garp attacks, Werther uses a broad burst of lightning underwater to weaken the pink influence and bring him back to consciousness.
• Around the bend, they find a woman collapsed from the shock. Werther recognizes her, and the sight makes him realize several things.

Character developments

• Werther reveals his longing for his former master and fellow disciples, but chooses duty over the comforting illusion. His lightning also proves useful against the enemy’s ability.
• Garp is vulnerable to the illusion, likely because it shows him Ace. He attacks Werther while enchanted, then recovers after being shocked.
• Aokiji encourages openness and cooperation by insisting the group share information.

Significant themes

• Memory and grief: The illusion exploits personal attachments and unresolved longing.
• Duty versus escape: Werther could stay in a comforting vision, but chooses to return to reality and face danger.
• Trust and cooperation: The group’s progress depends on sharing information and supporting one another.
• Power and vulnerability: Even formidable figures like Garp can be overwhelmed when an enemy targets their emotions.

Character interactions

• Werther and Aokiji tease Garp over his dislike of being shocked, while Garp pretends the shocks do not bother him.
• Aokiji presses Werther to disclose what he learned, leading to the awkward revelation about the hot spring.
• Werther faces an illusion of his old master, senior brother, and senior sister, then bids them a symbolic farewell.
• Werther shocks Garp to break the illusion’s hold and stop his attack.
• The chapter ends with Werther recognizing the unconscious woman, setting up a new revelation.