Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Wuli fights the Pirate Alliance while civilians evacuate by ship. Pirates fire cannonballs at the vessel, but Colonel Shu leaps aboard, knocks the shots away, then destroys the cannons by making their metal rust.
• Shu’s intervention boosts the marines’ morale, allowing them to resume defending the evacuation. Wuli continues battling the pirate captains.
• Vice Admirals Onigumo and Hōshō watch from the navy warships. Onigumo remains bound by orders to open fire in five minutes, regardless of whether the evacuation is complete.
• As the deadline approaches, both sides fight more desperately. The marines hold their line while civilians hurry aboard; at last, the final passenger—the elderly woman with a cane—gets on, and civilians raise the anchor.
• One-Eyed Dragon breaks away to stop the departing ship, intending to throw the civilians overboard. Shu intercepts him, but two other pirates rush toward the vessel while the remaining captains keep Wuli occupied.
• Wuli unleashes the Shigure Soen Ryu secret art, Fire of the Dying Rain. Its power appears to freeze his opponents and the surrounding air; he cuts through their weapons and wounds the captains, then races after the two pirates.

Character developments and interactions

• Wuli grows visibly angrier as the pirates repeatedly exploit his need to protect the evacuation. He responds with a powerful technique, decisively overwhelming the captains before pursuing the new threat.
• Colonel Shu proves crucial to the civilians’ escape, first saving the ship from cannon fire and then blocking One-Eyed Dragon. The marines praise him, and his actions restore their fighting spirit.
• The pirate captains coordinate attacks to pin Wuli down, while individual captains try to reach the ship. Their plans repeatedly falter because of Shu and Wuli.
• Onigumo remains focused on carrying out the navy’s bombardment order, while Hōshō watches with concern over the shrinking time.
• The civilians and marines work together under extreme pressure: the civilians board quickly and help raise the anchor as the marines keep the pirates at bay.

Significant themes

• Duty versus compassion: Onigumo’s orders threaten to override the effort to save the civilians.
• Sacrifice and teamwork: Shu, Wuli, the marines, and even civilian volunteers each play a part in getting the passengers to safety.
• Urgency and escalating stakes: The five-minute deadline intensifies the battle and forces every side to act quickly.
• Protection amid violence: Wuli and Shu’s combat is directed toward stopping the pirates from harming the fleeing civilians.

Plot and events

• Wuli turns the battle by defeating nearly every Pirate Alliance captain with a single sword technique, Blowing Snow. Its freezing sword energy slows and immobilizes them, leaving them unable to fight.
• The sight distracts a one-eyed pirate captain battling Shu. Shu uses the opening to corrode the captain’s weapon; the pirate recovers before Shu can do more.
• Wuli rallies the Marines, ordering them to regroup and withdraw once the final civilian ship has left the harbor. They obey, moving toward their warships.
• The one-eyed captain orders the pirates to pursue. Shu lands a punch while the captain is distracted, but the pirates charge anyway.
• Wuli blocks their advance with Tornado, a powerful wind-based slash that sweeps the attackers into the air.

Character developments and interactions

• Wuli emerges as a dramatically more powerful and decisive fighter. He defeats the enemy captains, commands the Marines with authority, and protects their retreat by confronting the pursuing pirates.
• Shu remains resourceful in combat, exploiting the one-eyed captain’s distraction to damage his weapon and strike him.
• The Marines respond quickly to Wuli’s orders, trusting his leadership and coordinating their withdrawal.
• The pirate captains and Alliance force are shaken by Wuli’s strength, but the one-eyed captain’s frustration drives them to continue the attack.

Significant themes

• Leadership under pressure: Wuli shifts from fighting to directing the larger operation, prioritizing an organized escape.
• Power and momentum: Wuli’s overwhelming techniques alter the balance of the battle and give the Marines a chance to withdraw.
• Duty and protection: The Marines’ retreat follows the evacuation of civilians, framing their fight as a defense of others.

Key plot points and events

• A tornado leaves the Pirate Alliance’s fighters scattered and unable to fight effectively.
• As Shu disengages from the one-eyed pirate captain, the Marines begin a Buster Call—a barrage launched not by the World Government warship, but by Marine warships already stationed near the port.
• Realizing the port is under attack, Marines and pirates rush to escape. Wuli heads back to the Marine warship, which begins withdrawing.
• Shu retreats, and the one-eyed captain abandons the pursuit. He orders his crew to board their damaged pirate ships, since the two undamaged ships have already left and they have few alternatives.
• The pirates crowd onto the remaining vessels, but some are too badly damaged to sail and begin sinking. The bombardment strikes ships and water alike, tossing vessels in the waves and setting decks ablaze.

Character developments and interactions

• Shu breaks off his fight and retreats as the danger escalates.
• The one-eyed captain shifts from aggression to survival, choosing escape over stopping Shu. He angrily presses his crew to board despite their ships’ damage.
• Wuli quickly returns to the Marine ship and helps carry out its withdrawal.
• The pirates respond to their leaders’ orders in panic, carrying wounded comrades and scrambling onto whatever ships remain.

Significant themes

• The cost of overwhelming force: The Buster Call threatens everyone in the target area, not just the intended enemy.
• Survival and desperation: With escape routes limited and ships damaged, the pirates accept grave risks rather than face the bombardment.
• Chaos of war: Explosions, wreckage, rising waves, and panic quickly overwhelm any remaining order or fighting.

Plot points and events

• The Buster Call begins, raining cannon fire on the town and turning it into a burning ruin.
• Jozu and Jesus Burgess keep fighting despite the bombardment, their clash driven by Jozu’s hatred and Burgess’s ambition.
• At the western harbor, Shiryu questions whether the Blackbeard Pirates should wait for Burgess. Blackbeard pretends to fear the bombardment, then decides to seize a Marine warship and leave.
• Wuli’s group reaches safety beyond the bombardment zone. The two pirate ships carrying civilians are also spared, while other pirate vessels are destroyed by cannon fire.
• A raft bearing the Blackbeard Pirates’ flag approaches the Marines. The crew’s arrival shocks the Marines and revives the hopes of the beleaguered pirates.

Character developments and interactions

• Blackbeard masks his intentions with comic fear, then reveals his bold, opportunistic plan to take a warship. His crew accepts his decision without objection.
• Shiryu remains wary of Blackbeard, admitting he still cannot read his captain, but is unafraid of the danger around them.
• Jozu and Burgess refuse to let the Buster Call interrupt their personal battle.
• Wuli shows concern for civilians and relief that his warning to Vice Admiral Hōshō helped keep their ships out of the bombardment.
• Hōshō and the other Marines realize the entire Blackbeard crew is present, dramatically worsening their situation. The surviving pirates, by contrast, take heart at the crew’s arrival.

Significant themes

• Violence and collateral damage: The Buster Call devastates the town and destroys ships indiscriminately.
• Ambition and personal grudges: Jozu and Burgess persist in fighting for deeply personal reasons even amid a larger crisis.
• Deception and uncertainty: Blackbeard’s theatrical fear conceals his plans, while Shiryu remains unsure of his captain’s true motives.
• Shifting alliances: The surviving pirates welcome the Blackbeard Pirates as potential allies solely because they share a common enemy.

Key plot points and events

• The Blackbeard Pirates arrive on a bamboo raft, prompting the Marines to stop their attack on the other pirates and focus on the new Four Emperors.
• Vice Admiral Onigumo orders all ten warships to bombard the raft. The Blackbeard crew emerges unharmed, unnerving the Marines and encouraging the pirates they had been pursuing.
• Onigumo orders a second barrage. Van Augur, the crew’s sniper, fires his rifle so quickly and precisely that every shell explodes in midair before reaching the raft.
• Wuli recognizes Van Augur as the “Soundless” sniper and identifies his weapon as Maxim. Onigumo also recognizes him.

Character developments and interactions

• Onigumo remains resolute despite the Marines’ fear, relying on concentrated fire as their best chance against the Emperor crew.
• Blackbeard taunts the Marines and displays confidence, while Van Augur silently demonstrates his exceptional skill.
• Shangyang urges Wuli to retreat, but he dismisses her suggestion and focuses on Van Augur. She returns to his shoulder and watches with him.
• The Marines’ confidence gives way to shock; the pirates’ hopes of escape rise when they witness the Blackbeard crew’s strength.

Significant themes

• The overwhelming power of the Emperors: The Blackbeard Pirates withstand a massive bombardment without damage.
• Skill and intimidation: Van Augur’s nearly imperceptible shooting turns the Marines’ weapons against the barrage itself.
• Fear versus resolve: Onigumo presses on despite the odds, while the Marines and pirates react differently to the new threat.

Chapter summary

Blackbeard’s raft approaches the Navy warships, and he first demands that the Marines hand one over. Vice Admiral Onigumo refuses, defending the Navy’s pride. Blackbeard mocks the lack of an Admiral and escalates his demand: he intends to take all the warships by force. Onigumo knows the Marines need to hold out until reinforcements arrive.
Catarina Devon volunteers to attack, and Blackbeard lets her choose her targets. She swiftly boards Onigumo’s ship and overwhelms its crew, leaving most of its thousand Marines down within minutes. Onigumo confronts her with eight swords, but Devon blocks his attacks with ease. Their fast, forceful exchange ends with Onigumo wounded and thrown against the mast.
Seeing him struggle, Hōshō and three other Vice Admirals rush to join him. Blackbeard objects to the Marines ganging up on Devon and calls on Shiryu, setting up the next clash.

Character developments and interactions

• Onigumo remains defiant despite recognizing that the Marines are outmatched. His fight with Devon reveals the gap between their strength.
• Catarina Devon is portrayed as confident and brutal, treating the battle as an opportunity to indulge her interest in the Marines.
• Blackbeard shifts from bargaining to open aggression and taunts the Marines over their lack of an Admiral.
• Hōshō and the other Vice Admirals respond to Onigumo’s danger by joining the fight.
• The exchange ends with Blackbeard calling Shiryu into action.

Significant themes

The passage emphasizes pride and duty under pressure, as the Marines refuse to surrender despite overwhelming odds, and the imbalance of power between the Navy officers present and the Blackbeard Pirates.

Key plot points

• Five Marine Vice Admirals, led by Onigumo, overwhelm Catarina Devon. Blackbeard remains confident and sends Shiryu of the Rain to draw the Marines’ attention and relieve pressure on her.
• Shiryu’s arrival unsettles the Vice Admirals, giving Devon room to recover. He then unleashes a powerful sword slash that forces everyone—including Devon—to dodge.
• The slash continues toward a civilian ship. Realizing the danger too late, Hōshō feels guilty for having dodged instead of stopping it.
• Navy Lieutenant Commander Wuli arrives aboard the civilian ship and counters Shiryu’s attack with a series of sword strikes, saving the passengers.
• The civilians and Marines celebrate Wuli’s timely intervention. Shiryu, impressed, asks his name; Wuli introduces himself.

Character developments and interactions

• Blackbeard stays amused and self-assured, treating Shiryu’s intervention as a demonstration of his new crewmate’s power.
• Catarina Devon is strained by the five-on-one assault and resents Shiryu’s intervention, even as it gives her breathing room.
• Shiryu shows formidable swordsmanship and little concern for who is in the path of his attack. He becomes interested in Wuli after Wuli blocks his slash.
• Onigumo and the other Vice Admirals prioritize defeating the criminals and adjust their tactics when Shiryu joins the fight.
• Wuli emerges as a courageous protector, stepping in alone when civilians are in immediate danger. Shu admires his readiness but worries about the strength of his opponent.
• Hōshō is left with regret over his decision to dodge Shiryu’s attack.

Significant themes

• Duty and self-sacrifice: Wuli risks himself to protect civilians when others cannot reach them in time.
• The cost of battle: Shiryu’s indiscriminate attack threatens innocents, underscoring how combat endangers those caught nearby.
• Pragmatism versus chivalry: Onigumo rejects Devon’s complaint that the Marines are fighting unfairly, arguing that defeating criminals matters more than appearances.
• Recognition through action: Wuli earns the civilians’ gratitude and Shiryu’s respect by demonstrating his strength at a critical moment.

Key plot points and events

• Wuli blocks Shiryu of the Rain’s powerful sword strike, protecting the civilians without being injured. The Vice Admirals and Shiryu are impressed by his strength.
• Shiryu becomes fixated on Wuli as his next “prey” and leaves Catarina Devon to fight the five Vice Admirals alone.
• Blackbeard is surprised by Wuli’s ability but considers him insignificant. He hesitates over whom to send into the fight, mindful of his crew’s strength and reputation.
• Lafitte urges Blackbeard to act before Sakazuki catches up. Blackbeard sends him to help Devon, who is close to defeat.
• Lafitte flies to the Marine warship, distracting the Vice Admirals long enough for Devon to escape their encirclement.
• Lafitte attacks Onigumo, the strongest of the Vice Admirals, but proves difficult to hit because of his speed. Devon then intercepts Hōshō and another Vice Admiral, declaring she can handle both.
• The opposing groups face off, anticipating a larger clash.

Character developments

• Wuli: Reveals extraordinary strength by stopping Shiryu’s attack unharmed, drawing the attention of both Marines and pirates.
• Shiryu: Develops an obsessive interest in Wuli, viewing him as a more exciting target than slaughtering prisoners.
• Blackbeard: Remains calculating and dismissive of Wuli, while balancing his crew’s fighting style against the need to act quickly.
• Lafitte: Shows initiative and confidence, pressing Blackbeard to respond and demonstrating speed and aerial mobility in battle.
• Catarina Devon: Holds her ground despite being outnumbered, then resumes the fight aggressively once Lafitte arrives.
• The Vice Admirals: Recognize that Wuli, Lafitte, and Devon are serious threats, but remain prepared to fight.

Significant themes

• Strength and status: Wuli’s rank as a captain contrasts sharply with his ability, challenging assumptions about who poses a threat.
• Predation and cruelty: Shiryu’s language of “prey” reflects his bloodlust and treats combat as entertainment.
• Strategy versus personal quirks: Blackbeard manages his crew cautiously, even while tolerating its members’ dangerous individual impulses.
• Tension before conflict: The chapter builds suspense through shifting matchups and ends just before the fighting intensifies.

Character interactions

• Wuli’s intervention protects the civilians and surprises Shiryu and the Marines.
• Shiryu abandons Devon to pursue his interest in Wuli, while Blackbeard largely leaves that choice unchallenged.
• Lafitte warns Blackbeard about Sakazuki’s approach and is dispatched to support Devon.
• Devon scolds Lafitte for showboating, then confronts two Vice Admirals as he engages Onigumo.
• The Marines and Blackbeard Pirates size one another up, setting the stage for an imminent battle.

Key plot points and events

• Shiryu of the Rain breaks the standoff by moving to board the civilians’ ship and hunt Wuli.
• Wuli intercepts him with a fast, well-timed sword attack. Shiryu avoids the strike at the last moment and counters with overwhelming force, slamming Wuli into the deck.
• Wuli survives, gets back up despite coughing blood, and evades Shiryu’s next sword-energy attack, which tears a long fissure through the deck.
• The Marines watch anxiously. Captain Shu says Wuli’s ability to keep Shiryu occupied would be valuable even if Wuli cannot defeat him.
• Hōshō, fighting Devon nearby, recognizes that Shiryu’s strength makes him a serious danger to the group’s chances of holding out for reinforcements.

Character developments and interactions

• Wuli shows sharp awareness, precise timing, and resilience, but is badly outmatched in raw strength. He continues fighting despite his injury.
• Shiryu is fast, confident, and brutally powerful. He toys with Wuli’s opening attack before countering with a devastating slash.
• Captain Shu and the Marines are deeply worried for Wuli, though Shu sees his delaying role as important.
• Hōshō stays engaged with Devon while monitoring Wuli’s fight, aware that Wuli’s defeat would increase the danger to everyone.

Significant themes

• Courage against overwhelming odds: Wuli keeps resisting despite Shiryu’s clear superiority.
• Endurance and tactical value: Holding a stronger enemy at bay can matter even without winning.
• The cost of delay: The group’s survival depends on buying time until reinforcements arrive.

Key plot points and events

• Shiryu of the Rain overwhelms Wuli with relentless sword attacks, leaving him battered and unable to counterattack.
• Disappointed by Wuli’s defensive fighting, Shiryu threatens civilians aboard a nearby ship to provoke him into showing his full strength.
• Wuli rushes to stop Shiryu’s three sword beams but cannot reach them in time through ordinary means.
• Wuli unleashes Shigure Soen Ryu Secret Art—Fire of the Dying Rain, a strange flame that slows the sword beams and briefly hampers Shiryu’s movements and thoughts.
• As Wuli moves to intercept the attacks, Shiryu’s growing aura weakens the technique’s effect. Rather than being alarmed, Shiryu is excited by the prospect of a real fight.

Character developments

• Wuli shifts from struggling defensively to fighting with fierce resolve when civilians are threatened. His power and unusual technique are revealed.
• Shiryu is shown to be cruel and thrill-seeking: he treats civilian lives as bait and regards the battle as entertainment. Wuli’s new technique finally captures his interest.

Significant themes

• Protecting the vulnerable: Wuli’s concern for civilians shapes his choices and fuels his resistance.
• Cruelty versus duty: Shiryu uses innocents as leverage, while Wuli insists on standing between them and danger.
• Escalation and hidden strength: Shiryu’s provocation forces Wuli to reveal a powerful technique, turning a one-sided fight into a more intriguing contest.

Character interactions

• Shiryu mocks Wuli’s apparent weakness, then deliberately threatens the civilians to draw out his strength.
• Wuli warns Shiryu not to involve innocents and challenges him to get past him.
• Their clash briefly affects the wider battle, as Shiryu’s surging aura causes others aboard the warship to falter.

Key plot points and events

• Shiryu of the Rain attacks Wuli with powerful sword strikes. Wuli initially defends, then counters; as the duel intensifies, his fighting spirit and sword intent grow.
• Elsewhere, three Marine Vice Admirals struggle to gain an advantage over Devon, while Onigumo and the others are increasingly worn down by Lafitte’s speed and relentless attacks. Onigumo fears the battle may turn against them and wonders where the reinforcements are.
• Civilians on a nearby island watch their town disappear in the bombardment. After the explosions stop, they hope the fighting has ended and that Wuli has saved their companions.
• Akainu Sakazuki arrives by warship as Rob Lucci approaches from the opposite direction aboard a World Government vessel. Both groups appear surprised by Sakazuki’s presence.

Character developments

• Wuli becomes more aggressive and gains momentum, with his sword intent beginning to take shape under pressure.
• Shiryu remains confident and presses his advantage with a relentless assault.
• The Marines’ Vice Admirals show signs of exhaustion, while Onigumo’s concern highlights how uncertain their position has become.
• Lucci’s confusion suggests that Sakazuki’s arrival—and the reason for it—was unexpected.

Significant themes

• Mounting pressure and endurance: The battles increasingly test the fighters’ stamina and resolve.
• Uncertainty in crisis: Civilians and Marines alike lack clear information about what is happening or whether help is coming.
• Escalation and unexpected intervention: Sakazuki’s arrival raises new questions about the conflict’s next turn.

Character interactions

• Wuli and Shiryu exchange increasingly forceful attacks, with Wuli adapting from defense toward offense.
• Devon and Lafitte keep the Vice Admirals occupied, worsening the Marines’ predicament.
• The civilians watch for signs of rescue, while Sakazuki and Lucci meet at sea and react with mutual surprise.

Key events

• Growing impatient with the prolonged battles, Blackbeard orders Van Augur to assist Lafitte and Catarina Devon’s fight against the Marines. He suspects the Vice Admirals are deliberately stalling while they wait for help.
• Van Augur confirms that the Marines are prioritizing defense over attacking. He targets Onigumo as the Vice Admiral blocks one of Lafitte’s strikes.
• Van Augur’s first shot wounds Onigumo, who narrowly dodges a potentially fatal hit. He then fires again, forcing Onigumo’s swords to defend against the bullets.
• Lafitte exploits the distraction to land a powerful kick, knocking Onigumo down and quickly gaining the upper hand against the remaining Vice Admiral.
• Van Augur also fires on Hōshō and the Marines fighting Devon. They evade the shots, but the sudden sniper threat disrupts their coordination and increases the pressure on them.

Character developments and interactions

• Blackbeard shifts from treating the fighting as entertainment to impatience and unease, deciding the crew must end it quickly.
• Van Augur proves an effective, calculating support fighter: he reads the Marines’ tactics and uses precise shots to create openings rather than expecting to defeat a Vice Admiral outright.
• Onigumo shows strong reflexes by evading Van Augur’s first shot and defending against the follow-up fire, though he is wounded and then overwhelmed by Lafitte.
• Lafitte quickly recognizes Van Augur’s intervention and capitalizes on the distraction without questioning it.
• Devon’s opponents, including Hōshō, are forced to divide their attention between their immediate fight and the unseen sniper.

Significant themes

• Coordination and tactical advantage: Van Augur’s long-range attacks turn the tide by supporting his allies at crucial moments.
• Pressure and uncertainty: The Marines’ apparent attempt to stall, along with the possibility of reinforcements, fuels Blackbeard’s unease.
• The danger of divided attention: Even shots that miss can disrupt fighters and weaken their position.

Plot points and events

• Van Augur’s shot at Captain Wuli is intercepted by Shiryu, who insists that Wuli is his to kill. Augur shifts his aim, helping Lafitte and Catarina Devon break through the Marines’ defenses.
• Devon knocks a Vice Admiral out of the fight. The Marines are rapidly overwhelmed; only Vice Admirals Onigumo and Hōshō and Wuli remain standing.
• Blackbeard learns that Jesus Burgess has returned from his battle with Jozu, easing his concern that the two fights might drag on.
• With the pirate crews preparing to withdraw, Wuli and Shu focus on evacuating more than 6,000 civilians. Shu has secured two pirate ships after arresting their crews, since the Marine warship cannot carry everyone.
• The pirates initially leave the civilian ships alone, but cannon fire suddenly strikes the harbor and damages them. The source of the bombardment is not identified.
• On a nearby island, civilians see their town burning and wonder what happened to Wuli and the others. After the explosions stop, two warships arrive: one carrying Fleet Admiral Akainu, and another associated with the World Government, carrying Rob Lucci and a mysterious cylindrical container.

Character developments and interactions

• Wuli remains focused on protecting the civilians despite the worsening battle. Shiryu’s possessive challenge unsettles him less than the Marines’ danger.
• Shiryu treats Wuli as a personal rival and blocks Augur’s shot so he can claim the kill himself.
• Van Augur adapts after Shiryu intervenes, helping his fellow Blackbeard pirates instead of continuing to target Wuli.
• Blackbeard is delighted by Burgess’s return, which seems to resolve one of his concerns.
• Shu acts decisively to arrange the civilian evacuation, while he and Wuli quietly hope the departing pirates will not interfere.
• Akainu and Lucci arrive independently, each seemingly surprised by the other’s presence. Lucci’s container raises an unanswered question.

Significant themes

• The contrast between brutal pirate–Marine combat and the urgent effort to save civilians.
• Uncertainty and shifting fortunes: the Marines’ position collapses, the evacuation is threatened by unexplained cannon fire, and powerful new forces arrive.
• Possession, rivalry, and personal pride, reflected in Shiryu’s insistence that Wuli is his prey.

Key plot points and events

• Shiryu of the Rain intensifies his sword assault on Navy Captain Wuli, damaging the warship and driving Wuli to the brink.
• Shiryu acknowledges Wuli as an unusually powerful and courageous captain, crediting the Navy’s World Military Draft for strengthening its ranks.
• The two clash over justice and power: Shiryu argues that the strong rule and that death may free people from exploitation, while Wuli insists he will protect those he can, even if he cannot save everyone.
• Shiryu unleashes a massive wave of sword energy and declares that Wuli’s death is certain.
• Blackbeard and Van Augur admire Wuli’s strength, with Blackbeard saying he might have recruited him under different circumstances.
• The Marines fear Wuli will fall. With most of their Vice Admirals already defeated, they worry the Navy’s defeat is inevitable.

Character developments

• Wuli shows unwavering compassion and resolve. He defines heroism by protecting people, not by allegiance, and accepts that limited power does not excuse inaction.
• Shiryu reveals a grim worldview: he sees violence and death as inseparable from the world’s power structure, and Wuli’s moral courage makes him eager to kill him.
• Blackbeard and Van Augur recognize Wuli’s unusual ability, though they regard his opposition as sealing his fate.

Significant themes

• Justice versus ruthless power: Wuli stands for protecting the vulnerable; Shiryu sees strength as the only force that determines who survives.
• The limits of heroism: Wuli cannot save everyone, but believes that doing what he can still matters.
• Hope amid impending defeat: The Marines’ despair contrasts with Wuli’s determination to keep fighting.

Character interactions

• Shiryu compliments Wuli’s strength, then challenges the value of his ideals and presses him toward defeat.
• Wuli answers Shiryu’s cynicism with a promise to resist injustice and refuses to be intimidated.
• Blackbeard and Van Augur discuss Wuli as a potential recruit, while the Marines watch anxiously and hope he can hold out.

Key plot points and events

• The Marines’ position deteriorates: Vice Admiral Hōshō is exhausted after fighting Catarina Devon, while Vice Admiral Onigumo is badly hurt by Lafitte. Both believe the Navy is close to defeat but refuse to give up.
• Hōshō watches Captain Wuli continue to hold off Shiryu of the Rain, a feat that surprises him given Shiryu’s strength.
• Shiryu’s killing intent intensifies, spreading a blood-red aura that overwhelms civilians and terrifies the onlookers. Fleeing pirates mock Wuli for standing his ground.
• Wuli shows no fear. He suddenly releases a powerful, strange aura that darkens the atmosphere and affects everyone nearby. Shiryu recognizes it as a demonic aura associated with a Demon Blade.

Character developments

• Wuli emerges as more than a determined newcomer: his hidden power becomes apparent, though its nature and limits remain unknown.
• Hōshō and Onigumo are physically beaten and pessimistic about the Navy’s prospects, yet their pride and duty keep them fighting.
• Shiryu is confident in his overwhelming strength, but Wuli’s aura unsettles him and prompts recognition.
• Catarina Devon remains in control of her encounter with Hōshō, taunting him and pausing rather than pressing her attack.

Significant themes

• Defeat versus perseverance: The Marines expect to lose, but their officers continue resisting.
• Power and hidden potential: Wuli’s sudden aura shifts the balance and challenges assumptions about his strength.
• Fear and resolve: Shiryu’s presence frightens nearly everyone, while Wuli remains composed.
• The cost of battle: The civilians’ reactions and the wounded officers emphasize the destructive force of the conflict.

Character interactions

• Devon taunts the exhausted Hōshō, who insists the fight is not over despite having little strength left.
• Lafitte overwhelms Onigumo, who responds by holding his ground with his swords ready.
• Marines and pirates alike watch Wuli, interpreting his stillness as possible fear; Shu admires his composure but urges him to escape.
• Shiryu’s aura dominates the battlefield until Wuli answers it with a force of his own, drawing Shiryu’s wary attention.

Key events

• Wuli’s sinister sword aura proves far stronger than the aura Shiryu of the Rain has encountered before. Intrigued, Shiryu attacks him with a powerful crimson strike.
• Their blades collide, unleashing violent winds and waves that shake the surrounding ships and threaten to damage the warship beneath them.
• Shiryu’s attack begins to overpower Wuli, but Wuli adds another surge of sinister energy, restoring the clash to a stalemate.
• Shiryu escalates with a much stronger blow. Wuli is badly pressured and spits blood, yet refuses to give in.
• Wuli unleashes his technique, Wind’s Sorrow: multiple strikes surge through his sinister energy with overwhelming force, wiping out Shiryu’s attack.
• Recognizing the danger, Shiryu commits his full strength to a final counterattack. Their powers collide, creating a shock wave and raising a tsunami that threatens everyone nearby.

Character developments and interactions

• Wuli reveals remarkable endurance and resolve, drawing on his last reserves rather than surrendering. His new technique suggests his sinister power is much greater than it first appeared.
• Shiryu of the Rain shifts from curiosity and confidence to alarm when Wuli’s attack surpasses his own. He responds by abandoning restraint and fighting at full strength.
• Blackbeard observes that Shiryu is getting serious and initially expects Wuli to lose.
• Shu, Hōshō, and Onigumo watch anxiously; the latter two recognize how dangerous Shiryu’s escalating attacks are.

Significant themes

• Perseverance under overwhelming pressure: Wuli keeps fighting despite injury and near-certain defeat.
• Hidden power and reversal: The apparent advantage changes when Wuli reveals Wind’s Sorrow.
• The danger of escalating conflict: The duel’s force endangers not only the fighters but everyone and every ship around them.

Key events

• Wuli and Shiryu’s battle unleashes enormous waves, damaging pirate ships and breaking apart the Marine warship beneath them. Marines are thrown into the sea.
• After the waters calm, the Marines search for Wuli but cannot find him. Shiryu reaches Blackbeard’s raft, also unable to locate his opponent.
• Blackbeard considers attacking the remaining Marine ships, but a warship arrives carrying Fleet Admiral Sakazuki. The Blackbeard Pirates withdraw rather than risk fighting him and attracting further Marine pursuit.
• Sakazuki lets them escape, prioritizing more urgent matters. When he arrives, he learns that a Marine colonel—Wuli—held off Shiryu and asks where he is.

Character developments and interactions

• Wuli’s fate is uncertain: He disappears after the battle, leaving his fellow Marines worried and Shiryu searching for him.
• Blackbeard shifts from planning another attack to retreating once Sakazuki appears, choosing caution over a potentially costly fight.
• Shiryu remains grim and silent, focused on finding Wuli; Blackbeard and the crew tease him about being soaked.
• Onigumo and Hōshō recognize that Wuli’s stand was crucial to their survival. Hōshō explains this to a surprised Sakazuki, who gains new respect for the missing colonel.
• Sakazuki demonstrates strategic restraint: despite pursuing Blackbeard, he declines to chase when doing so would distract from more pressing concerns.

Significant themes

• Courage and sacrifice: Wuli’s resistance gives the Marines time to survive until reinforcements arrive.
• The cost of conflict: The fighters’ clash causes widespread destruction and leaves Wuli’s fate unknown.
• Strategic judgment: Both Blackbeard and Sakazuki avoid unnecessary risks, choosing withdrawal or restraint over immediate confrontation.
• Reputation and duty: Sakazuki considers the survival of the Marine fleet important to the Marines’ standing and sense of power.

Key plot points and events

• Sakazuki learns that Colonel Wuli has vanished after being swept away, but sets aside the search when he receives news of a greater emergency.
• Former Admiral Zephyr has stolen the Dyna Stone and begun a plan to destroy the world. He has already detonated it on the first Endpoint Island. Sakazuki orders the Marines to stop Zephyr and defend the two remaining islands.
• Jewelry Bonney escapes custody by knocking out her guards, further enraging Sakazuki.
• The Marines capture the pirates left behind and assign Shu to escort them to Impel Down. With manpower diverted to the Zephyr crisis, the search for Wuli is left to civilians.
• The Blackbeard Pirates leave unpursued because the Marines are occupied. Burgess reports that he fought Jozu over a Road Poneglyph but failed to secure it when the Buster Call allowed Jozu’s crew to rescue him. Blackbeard is unconcerned, suspecting the Poneglyph was fake.
• On a deserted island, Bonney—having escaped—drags an unconscious Wuli ashore. After roughly trying to wake him, she succeeds. Wuli recognizes her as Jewelry Bonney.

Character developments and interactions

• Sakazuki shifts immediately from pursuing Blackbeard to confronting Zephyr’s catastrophic threat. His frustration over Wuli’s disappearance is overtaken by anger at the crisis and Bonney’s escape.
• Onigumo and the Vice Admirals question Sakazuki’s decision to let Blackbeard go, then accept the urgency of the new mission.
• Blackbeard remains confident and pragmatic, welcoming Burgess back without blame for losing the Poneglyph.
• Burgess explains that Jozu, despite losing an arm, remained formidable; Burgess defeated him but allowed his allies to extract him amid the bombardment.
• Bonney and Wuli meet under hostile, comic circumstances: she resents having to rescue him, while Wuli wakes confused and is startled by her rough treatment. Their encounter sets up an unexpected alliance or conflict.

Significant themes

• Competing crises and priorities: The Marines must abandon one pursuit to face a threat to the entire world.
• Uncertainty and survival: Wuli is presumed lost, but survives; Bonney’s escape brings the two together.
• Pragmatism and shifting fortunes: Blackbeard exploits the Marines’ distraction, while the Buster Call changes the outcome of Burgess’s fight with Jozu.

Plot points and events

• Jewelry Bonney revives Wuli after rescuing him from the sea. Wuli recalls using the power of a swordsmanship seed to unleash Wind’s Sorrow before losing consciousness.
• When Bonney asks who he is, Wuli nearly admits he is a Marine, then quickly claims to be a pirate, fearing her hostility toward Marines.
• Wuli gives his name and says they are both from the South Blue. Bonney recognizes him as Wuli the bounty hunter, infamous for driving pirates out of the South Blue.
• Once Bonney is satisfied that Wuli is not pursuing her bounty, she shifts into a child. She explains that she is injured and cannot maintain her usual appearance for long.
• Wuli promises to protect her in return for saving his life. Bonney doubts his strength, and a system notification sounds, suggesting Wuli may have completed a quest.

Character developments and interactions

• Wuli is shaken and vulnerable after nearly drowning. He hides his Marine identity, but remains grateful to Bonney and feels indebted to her.
• Bonney is wary and confrontational, questioning Wuli’s motives and identity. Her transformation reveals her physical condition and a more vulnerable side, though she quickly covers it with her usual scorn.
• Their exchange shifts from suspicion and threats to a tentative bond: Wuli offers protection, while Bonney challenges him to prove he can provide it.

Significant themes

• Concealed identity and mistrust: Wuli lies about being a Marine to avoid Bonney’s hostility.
• Reputation and recognition: Wuli’s past as a feared bounty hunter shapes how Bonney sees him.
• Debt and reciprocity: Wuli’s promise to protect Bonney responds to her having saved him.
• Vulnerability beneath bravado: Bonney’s child form exposes her injury, while her sharp manner masks concern and weakness.

Key plot points and events

• After defeating the pirates, Wuli checks the Heroic Way System. His mission is complete, earning him 500 experience and a gift package; his Heroic Way points have risen from 48 to 85. He realizes the energy orbs from defeated pirates were converted into points.
• Wuli opens the package, which contains a scroll, a white bottle, and a third, unidentified item. The chapter ends before their contents are revealed.
• Shangyang, Wuli’s divine-beast pet, emerges from the pet space and protests after sensing Wuli’s private thought that he might be useless.
• Jewelry Bonney grabs Shangyang, fascinated by his appearance but threatening to eat him. Wuli tells her Shangyang is his pet, and Bonney reluctantly lets him go.

Character developments

• Wuli remains curious about the System and its rewards, which he trusts to provide what he needs, though he still cannot see the purpose of Shangyang.
• Shangyang has grown to about the size of a seagull and can now leave the pet space on his own. He can also communicate with Wuli, but remains young and weak, despite boasting about his future strength.
• Bonney’s appetite is played for comedy: even an unusual, talking creature looks like food to her.

Significant themes

• Rewards and uncertainty: Wuli gains points and a new package, but the System’s rules and the rewards’ uses remain unclear.
• Growing bonds and responsibility: Wuli may question Shangyang’s usefulness, but he protects him when Bonney threatens to eat him.
• Comic contrast: Shangyang’s grand claims and indignation clash with his helplessness in Bonney’s grasp.

Character interactions

• Wuli accidentally lets Shangyang sense his doubts, prompting the bird’s offended demands for an apology.
• Bonney’s curiosity quickly turns predatory; Wuli steps in to protect Shangyang, while Bonney accepts that she cannot eat him—for now.