Ch. 81Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Key plot points and events

  • Adrian’s ship, the Nether Abyss, travels underwater from Water 7 toward Fish-Man Island. To spare Louf from the deep sea’s darkness, Adrian keeps the ship in the sunlit shallows until they reach the waters near Sabaody.
  • The ship then follows a deep-sea current past enormous Sea Kings and underwater volcanic activity, eventually reaching Fish-Man Island, sheltered inside two massive bubbles.
  • Adrian uses Mimic Ghosts disguised as sailors to guard the Nether Abyss while he explores. Lumi joins him through her pocket watch, and Louf is delighted by the island’s scenery.
  • Adrian notices that the streets are dominated by fish-men rather than merfolk, and that many fish-men regard him with hostility. He recognizes the island’s racial tensions and sends the uneasy Louf to the safety of Lumi’s castle.
  • A pirate crew led by Paris, a hulking captain with a bounty exceeding 200 million Beli, parades through the streets carrying a kidnapped mermaid named Syrina. The pirates boast that they intend to sell her at auction in Sabaody. Though enraged, the surrounding fish-men are too afraid to intervene.
  • Adrian considers stepping in, partly because defeating Paris would earn him substantial experience. His game panel then triggers a C-rank mission to rescue Syrina and defeat or destroy the Bullhead Pirates, with experience and Syrina’s increased affection as rewards.

Character developments

  • Adrian shows consideration for Louf by delaying the descent into darkness, and practical foresight by arranging guards for his ship. He is also calculating: he sees Paris as both a threat and a valuable source of experience.
  • Louf is curious and excitable but frightened by darkness and by the fish-men’s hostility. She trusts Adrian’s reassurance and accepts Lumi’s offer of shelter.
  • Lumi serves as the ship’s capable navigator and remains eager for Adrian’s praise, though she dislikes dealing with strangers.
  • The fish-men appear intimidated and powerless in the face of the pirates, reflecting Fish-Man Island’s lack of a strong protector at this point.

Significant themes

  • Prejudice and racial tension: Adrian sees the conflict among humans, merfolk, and fish-men as another tangled form of racial discrimination.
  • Exploitation and vulnerability: Mermaid trafficking is widespread, and the island’s residents are unable to stop powerful pirate crews from abducting merfolk.
  • Power and protection: The fish-men’s fear highlights the need for someone strong enough to defend the island.
  • Adventure-game mechanics: Adrian’s panel turns the rescue into a formal mission, blending a serious crisis with game-like rewards and cheeky commentary.

Character interactions

  • Adrian comforts Louf and gives her the option to avoid the hostile streets; she chooses to retreat with Lumi.
  • Adrian praises Lumi for navigating the ship to the island, making her visibly pleased.
  • The pirates taunt and intimidate the fish-men as they carry Syrina away, while the crowd watches helplessly.
  • Adrian silently assesses the situation and the mission panel nudges him toward confronting Paris.

Ch. 82Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Key plot points and events

  • Adrian triggers two random missions. The S-Rank Mermaid’s Lament asks him to end the worldwide mermaid slave trade, promising an enormous reward but warning that the task is almost impossible. He recognizes that the trade is sustained by the Celestial Dragons and cannot be stopped by force alone. He also accepts a less difficult mission.
  • Adrian confronts the Bullhead Pirates, who are carrying off a mermaid. When one pirate boasts about Captain Paris’s 222-million-Beli bounty, Adrian blasts him aside with a Ghost Energy Cannon.
  • Paris attacks, but Adrian evades his charge and wounds his arm with a sword strike. Paris transforms into his powerful bison-beast form and charges again.
  • Adrian meets the charge head-on, breaking one of Paris’s horns and cracking the other. Paris and the watching pirates then recognize Adrian as the White Ghost, a renowned pirate with a bounty exceeding 600 million Beli.
  • Paris tries to recover his confidence and resumes the fight. Adrian launches Withering Heart-Piercer, a ghost attack that passes through Paris’s attempted block and enters his chest. The chapter ends before its effect is revealed.

Character developments

  • Adrian shifts from joking about mermaids to confronting the brutal reality of their enslavement. He accepts the near-impossible liberation mission, then acts decisively to protect a captive mermaid. His overwhelming strength and calm confidence contrast with his opponent’s bluster.
  • Paris begins as an arrogant pirate who dismisses Adrian, but becomes fearful once he realizes who he is facing. He forces himself to fight on despite that fear.
  • The onlookers and Bullhead Pirates move from uncertainty about Adrian to excitement and panic as his identity becomes clear.

Significant themes

  • The scale of injustice: The slave trade is presented as a systemic problem backed by the Celestial Dragons, making individual heroism insufficient to end it.
  • Power and reputation: Paris’s confidence collapses when he learns Adrian’s identity, while Adrian’s reputation precedes him once his ghost ability is recognized.
  • Brute force versus skill: Paris relies on raw charging power; Adrian counters with speed, swordsmanship, and supernatural abilities.

Character interactions

  • Adrian’s intervention places him between the Bullhead Pirates and their mermaid captive.
  • Paris repeatedly confronts Adrian, first underestimating him and later fighting despite recognizing his reputation.
  • The residents watch and react to the clash, while Paris’s crew’s fear threatens to undermine their captain.

Ch. 83Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Key plot points and events

  • Adrian kills Paris, leader of the Bullhead Pirates, with Mini Hollow: Withering Heart-Piercer, then wipes out the rest of the crew. The game panel rewards him for defeating them and confirms completion of [Hero Saves Fish].
  • The rescued mermaid, Miss Syrina, thanks Adrian. He asks her to show him around Fish-Man Island, and she takes him to the Mermaid Cafe where she works.
  • News of Adrian’s arrival reaches Ryugu Palace. King Neptune worries that the World Government and Marines may pursue Adrian—and endanger Fish-Man Island in the process.
  • Queen Otohime points out that the island’s residents are unlikely to report Adrian, and argues that his actions so far suggest goodwill. She proposes asking him to extend his pirate flag’s protection over Fish-Man Island, since the island has lost the protection it once received from Roger.
  • Neptune hesitates because Adrian has antagonized the Celestial Dragons, but Otohime argues that his strength and defiance make him a promising protector. They remain uncertain what they could offer him in return, but agree they should speak with him.
  • At the Mermaid Cafe, Adrian releases Louf from the Lead-Gray Pocket Watch and introduces her to Syrina as a young Mink he met in Sabaody.

Character developments and interactions

  • Adrian remains casual and self-assured after the fight. He accepts Syrina’s thanks and uses it as an opportunity to explore the island. He is also protective of Louf, though he avoids explaining their relationship.
  • Syrina grows fond of Adrian, welcomes him warmly, and admires his willingness to help others. She becomes his guide around the island and greets Louf kindly.
  • Neptune is anxious about the risks Adrian’s presence could bring, but he listens to Otohime’s practical reasoning.
  • Otohime shows clear-eyed leadership: she balances her hope for peace with humans against the need to protect Fish-Man Island from predatory pirates. She sees Adrian’s power and anti-Celestial Dragon stance as potential safeguards.
  • Louf appears affectionately devoted to Adrian, calling him “Adrian-sama,” and is introduced to Syrina.

Significant themes

  • Protection through strength: Fish-Man Island considers seeking Adrian’s flag because conventional reputation and royal authority have not stopped pirates from targeting its people.
  • Idealism tempered by realism: Otohime hopes for peaceful coexistence but recognizes that some humans will not act peacefully.
  • Heroism and goodwill: Adrian’s rescue of Syrina gives the island’s leaders reason to view him as more than a dangerous pirate.
  • Power and political risk: Adrian’s reputation could deter enemies, but his conflict with the Celestial Dragons may also expose the island to retaliation.

Ch. 84Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Key plot points

  • Adrian brings Louf to Mermaid Café and introduces her to Syrina, a striking mermaid. Louf is intimidated by Syrina’s figure, and Adrian’s teasing about her own appearance leaves her sulking.
  • The group samples the café’s merfolk cuisine. Louf enjoys it, while Adrian admits it is not to his taste; Louf silently decides to become his favorite cook.
  • Adrian asks to meet the young fortune-teller Shyarly. Her reading shows only blank white when she tries to see Adrian’s future, leaving both of them puzzled.
  • Shyarly reads Louf instead and foresees Zou in ruins, Minks suffering, and a huge tusked elephant—apparently a vision of Jack’s future attack. She also sees a blurry figure wielding a blue light sword. Louf assumes this is Adrian and takes it as a promise that he will come to her aid.
  • A commotion erupts in the café. The group returns to find a gang of imposing Fish-Men, led by a burly red-skinned man, confronting the crowd. The chapter ends before the conflict is explained.

Character developments and interactions

  • Louf feels insecure beside Syrina, but her feelings for Adrian deepen when she interprets Shyarly’s vision as proof he will protect her and her people. She also shows thoughtfulness by remembering Adrian’s food preferences.
  • Adrian is curious about Shyarly’s unusually accurate prophecies. His future remains unreadable, suggesting that his game panel or abilities may somehow shield him from fate. He reassures Louf after her frightening prediction.
  • Shyarly demonstrates formidable prophetic ability, though she cannot interpret Adrian’s blank reading. Her vision for Louf appears to point toward a future crisis on Zou.
  • Syrina acts as a welcoming host and gently comforts Louf after the prophecy.

Significant themes

  • Fate and uncertainty: Shyarly’s predictions raise questions about whether future events can be avoided—and why Adrian seems beyond her sight.
  • Loyalty and affection: Louf’s attachment to Adrian is reinforced by her belief that he will stand by her and the Mink Tribe.
  • Appearance and insecurity: Louf’s comparison with Syrina fuels humorous teasing but also reveals her vulnerability.

Ch. 85Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Key plot points and events

  • Adrian recognizes the Fish-Men who arrive at the Mermaid Cafe: Fisher Tiger, Arlong, Hachi, and others from the Fish-Man District—the future core of the Sun Pirates.
  • Arlong confronts Adrian over the incident in which Adrian rescued Syrina, then demands that his half-sister Shyarly return to the Fish-Man District.
  • Shyarly refuses. When Arlong attacks Adrian, Adrian hits him with a Negative Hollow, leaving him overwhelmed by self-loathing rather than physically injured.
  • Fisher Tiger steps in to defend Arlong, even while admitting Arlong was wrong to attack first. Adrian defeats Tiger’s opening Fish-Man Karate strike with Yubashiri and Armament Haki, sending him through the cafe doors.
  • Outside, Tiger continues the fight with Fish-Man Karate techniques that use moisture in the air. Adrian counters one attack with a Flying Slash, but Tiger follows with a rapid barrage of water bullets.

Character developments

  • Adrian protects Shyarly’s right to choose and uses his unusual power to stop Arlong without seriously hurting him. He then faces Fisher Tiger directly and demonstrates his strength and combat skill.
  • Shyarly quietly asserts that she does not want to return to the Fish-Man District, though she remains worried when Arlong is struck down.
  • Arlong shows a protective sense of responsibility toward Shyarly, but expresses it through forceful, controlling behavior. The Negative Hollow briefly strips away his tough persona.
  • Fisher Tiger proves himself both a loyal leader, willing to defend one of his men, and a formidable fighter. His sense of responsibility leads him to challenge Adrian despite Arlong’s misconduct.

Significant themes

  • Family versus personal choice: Arlong believes Shyarly belongs with him, while Adrian insists her wishes should decide where she lives.
  • Leadership and loyalty: Tiger defends Arlong out of loyalty, even though he recognizes that Arlong started the conflict.
  • Prejudice and division: The Fish-Man District is marginalized by the rest of Fish-Man Island, while Arlong’s hostility toward humans reflects the radical attitudes growing there.
  • Power and humiliation: Adrian’s Negative Hollow defeats Arlong psychologically, illustrating a form of victory more damaging than physical injury.

Character interactions

  • Syrina explains Adrian’s rescue of her and tries to defend Shyarly’s choice to stay at the Mermaid Cafe.
  • Adrian asks Shyarly directly what she wants, turning a family dispute into a question of her own consent.
  • Arlong’s attack prompts Fisher Tiger to intervene; after Adrian strikes Arlong, Tiger confronts him in defense of his comrade.
  • The chapter ends with Adrian and Tiger exchanging increasingly powerful attacks, while their companions watch from the damaged cafe and street.

Ch. 86Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Plot and key events

  • Adrian and Fisher Tiger are about to fight when King Neptune’s golden trident interrupts them. Neptune arrives and ends the confrontation.
  • Fisher Tiger reunites with Jinbe and the others from Fish-Man District, including Arlong, and invites them to a barbecue. Neptune again tries to recruit Jinbe into the Ryugu Palace Guard, but Jinbe remains hesitant.
  • Neptune recognizes Adrian as White Ghost, who rescued Fish-Man Island residents from pirates, and invites him to Ryugu Palace. Adrian accepts.
  • At the palace, Queen Otohime senses Adrian’s arrival using her innate Observation Haki. She believes he may be Fish-Man Island’s true savior.
  • After a lavish banquet, Otohime privately asks Adrian to let Fish-Man Island fly his flag, hoping his reputation will deter pirates from abducting merfolk.
  • Adrian is willing to protect the island but points out that he has never had a pirate flag—or even a crew name. Louf enthusiastically suggests making a flag, and the chapter ends as they begin discussing its design.

Character developments and interactions

  • Adrian remains confident and independent. Though he dislikes the idea of a crew or flag, he is open to helping Fish-Man Island, partly because doing so could advance his quest to end mermaid slavery.
  • King Neptune shows a warm, informal side beneath his royal authority. He intervenes to stop the fight, welcomes Adrian, and continues trying to recruit Jinbe.
  • Queen Otohime demonstrates her concern for her people and her ability to empathize with and influence others through Observation Haki. Her request reflects her search for lasting protection.
  • Louf is relieved that Adrian is unharmed and eagerly supports the idea of a flag, revealing her desire for a stronger sense of crew identity.
  • Fisher Tiger respects Neptune’s authority and focuses on reconnecting with his fellow Fish-Men. Jinbe’s response suggests he remains uncertain about joining the royal guard.

Significant themes

  • Protection and responsibility: Otohime seeks security for Fish-Man Island, while Adrian weighs how his reputation can help.
  • Freedom and slavery: The threat of mermaid trafficking underlies the request for protection and Adrian’s ongoing quest.
  • Identity and belonging: Adrian’s solitary status contrasts with Louf’s wish for a named crew and flag.
  • Empathy and change: Otohime’s unusual Haki suggests that understanding and emotional connection can transform people.

Ch. 87Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Plot and events

  • Adrian designs two pirate flags for Fish-Man Island: an ornate emblem that Queen Otohime considers too complicated, and a simpler ghost-dragon wrapped around a cutlass. He lends the simpler flag and his name to the island as protection.
  • King Neptune and Queen Otohime publicly announce Adrian’s support. His fearsome reputation deters pirates, and Adrian’s hidden Mini Hollows quickly eliminate crews attempting to abduct mermaids. Crime, including in the Fish-Man District, drops noticeably.
  • After nearly a week, Adrian departs aboard the Nether Abyss. The royal family and island residents thank and bless him, while the Mermaid Cafe’s women send him off with exuberant, flirtatious farewells.
  • The ship navigates the dangerous White Dragon whirlpools under Lumi’s expert control and reaches the New World safely.
  • Almost immediately, Adrian senses a powerful battle and flies toward it. He finds Marine Admiral Sengoku fighting Douglas Bullet, a former Roger Pirate whose strength appears close to Admiral level. The chapter ends as Adrian considers how Bullet could later have fought Crocodile to a draw.

Character developments and interactions

  • Adrian uses his reputation and decisive violence to protect Fish-Man Island, earning the gratitude of Neptune, Otohime, and its people. He remains eager for the challenges of the New World, though the mermaids’ attention leaves him exhausted.
  • Neptune’s gratitude reflects his relief at seeing public safety improve; Otohime responds with warmth and tact.
  • Lumi’s skill as helmswoman reassures the crew and gets the Nether Abyss through the whirlpools. Little Fox and Louf react with nervous curiosity.
  • Adrian recognizes Bullet and weighs the contradictions in his history, especially the claimed draw with Crocodile. He speculates that Bullet’s loss of purpose after leaving Roger’s crew may explain the result.

Significant themes

  • Reputation as protection: Adrian’s name alone deters many predators, while his actions punish those who test that protection.
  • Protection and justice: His pledge to Fish-Man Island is backed by lethal force against human trafficking.
  • Adventure and uncertainty: A safe arrival quickly gives way to the threat and excitement of the New World.
  • Strength, purpose, and fighting spirit: Adrian’s speculation about Bullet suggests that power depends not only on ability but also on a fighter’s state of mind.

Ch. 88Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Key plot points and events

  • Adrian enters the sea battle between Marine Admiral Sengoku and Douglas Bullet, who has been rampaging since Roger’s execution.
  • Bullet unleashes overwhelming Conqueror’s Haki, which Sengoku answers with his own. Sengoku transforms into his golden Buddha form, and the two begin a fierce hand-to-hand fight.
  • Adrian creates a vast “Mist Theater” of White Hollows, claiming he is simply giving the battle a proper stage. Sengoku distrusts him and tries to pull him into the fight; Bullet initially ignores him.
  • Adrian uses his Hollow abilities to harass both opponents, focusing mostly on Sengoku. Sengoku dodges or blocks the attacks, while Bullet remains too absorbed in fighting to pay much attention.
  • Adrian’s Positive Hollow hits Bullet with “Heart Flutter,” briefly making him find Sengoku strangely handsome. The distraction lets Sengoku land a powerful punch that sends Bullet flying.

Character developments

  • Adrian treats the clash like entertainment and takes mischievous pleasure in provoking the fighters. He avoids directly confronting Sengoku, instead using his Hollow powers to disrupt the battle.
  • Sengoku shows both his formidable strength and tactical awareness. He recognizes Adrian as a threat, attempts to draw him into the conflict, and exploits Bullet’s momentary distraction.
  • Bullet is revealed as a driven, battle-obsessed fighter whose focus is almost entirely on Sengoku. His indifference to Adrian leaves him vulnerable to the Hollow’s unusual effects.

Significant themes

  • The chapter contrasts discipline and experience with raw strength and obsession: Sengoku’s skill and composure challenge Bullet’s extraordinary power.
  • Battle as spectacle is played for comedy, as Adrian turns a dangerous confrontation into an “arena” and watches from the sidelines.
  • The Hollow powers introduce absurdity and unpredictability into a serious fight, showing how even a powerful combatant can be thrown off by an unexpected emotional effect.

Character interactions

  • Sengoku recognizes and confronts Adrian, while Adrian answers with playful defiance and claims to be a neutral spectator.
  • Sengoku and Bullet trade powerful blows, with Sengoku trying to manage both opponents and Bullet focused solely on defeating him.
  • Adrian’s interference briefly makes it seem as if he and Bullet are working together, though their cooperation is accidental; his most decisive disruption is the Positive Hollow that distracts Bullet and gives Sengoku an opening.

Ch. 89Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Key plot points and events

  • Bullet recovers from Adrian’s Positive Hollow influence after Sengoku’s powerful Buddha-form punch. Furious and humiliated, he turns his attention to Adrian and vows to kill him.
  • Adrian uses his White Hollows to evade Bullet’s attacks and trap him in the Heart-Ravaging Maze. Bullet floods the area with Armament Haki, destroying the Hollows in his path, but cannot reach Adrian.
  • Bullet retreats to his ship, the Catapult, and uses his Combine-Combine Fruit to fuse with it, becoming a towering battleship-like machine. Its cannons fire through the White Hollows without harming them, since they are immune to physical attacks.
  • Adrian counters with Ocean Ghost: Venomous Vortex, directing a vast whirlpool of ocean wraiths to tear away much of the machine’s right leg. Bullet abandons the damaged mecha by shrinking it and throwing it out to sea.
  • The two pirates pause, with Bullet recognizing that he badly underestimated Adrian. The chapter explains Adrian’s tactical advantage: although he lacks the raw strength, physical condition, and combat skill to match Bullet directly, his unusual abilities and careful use of them let him avoid being hit.
  • Sengoku watches and hopes the two pirates will weaken each other, but doubts the Marines can reliably capture Bullet. Bullet can escape underwater in his submarine, so Sengoku considers that Garp or Zephyr may be needed to help secure him.

Character developments

  • Adrian shows confidence and strategic discipline. He understands his limitations and avoids a direct contest of strength, instead exploiting his ghost powers and the sea.
  • Bullet is revealed as a formidable physical fighter with powerful Haki and a versatile Devil Fruit, but his anger leads him to underestimate Adrian’s abilities. He is forced to reassess his opponent.
  • Sengoku remains formidable, but privately recognizes the practical limits of his Buddha form and the difficulty of capturing Bullet—even if he can defeat him.

Significant themes

  • Strategy versus raw power: Adrian’s planning and unconventional abilities compensate for his physical weakness.
  • Knowing one’s strengths and limits: Adrian succeeds by refusing to fight on Bullet’s terms.
  • The gap between defeating and capturing: Sengoku may be able to overpower Bullet, but Bullet’s submarine makes escape a separate challenge.
  • Unusual powers and countermeasures: Bullet’s machinery is powerful but ineffective against ghostly Hollows, while Adrian’s command of ocean wraiths turns the surrounding sea into a weapon.

Character interactions

  • Adrian taunts Bullet throughout their exchange, while Bullet’s threats and attacks reveal his growing frustration.
  • Sengoku observes the confrontation from a distance, hoping the pirates will eliminate or weaken one another, while also judging the danger each poses to the Marines.

Ch. 90Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Key plot points and events

  • Sengoku recognizes that White Ghost’s flight and elusive Hollow-Hollow Fruit make him exceptionally difficult for the Marines to capture. With Borsalino injured and no reliable way to pin Adrian down, Sengoku hopes Bullet will keep fighting him.
  • Bullet suddenly loses his will to fight, reflecting on his repeated defeats by Roger and his fear that he can never surpass him. Seeing Adrian’s strength only deepens his doubts.
  • Adrian realizes Bullet needs a new purpose and uses a miniature Mimic Ghost to tell him that Roger’s child is alive. When Bullet reacts intensely, they stage a spectacular fight to keep Sengoku from overhearing.
  • While their attacks cause chaos but no real damage, Adrian explains the World Government’s search for Roger’s pregnant wife, Portgas D. Rouge, and reveals that she and her unborn child are under Garp’s protection on Baterilla Island.
  • Bullet is especially provoked by the idea that Roger entrusted his child to Garp, his old rival, rather than to the Roger Pirates. He asks where they are.
  • After several minutes of noisy “combat,” Sengoku suspects Adrian and Bullet are putting on a show and moves in to investigate.

Character developments

  • Bullet shifts from defeated and directionless to fiercely engaged. The news of Roger’s surviving bloodline gives him a possible new goal and rekindles his anger and determination.
  • Adrian shows strategic cunning and an ability to read people. Rather than defeat Bullet, he manipulates his emotions and uses the staged fight to conceal their conversation.
  • Sengoku remains wary and practical. He recognizes Adrian as a serious, hard-to-capture threat, but grows suspicious when the apparent fight goes on without a clear result.

Significant themes

  • Purpose and rivalry: Bullet’s identity has long been defined by trying to surpass Roger; Roger’s death leaves him without direction.
  • Legacy and inheritance: Roger’s child represents a living connection to the man Bullet could never defeat.
  • Power versus control: Adrian’s flight and evasive abilities make him dangerous even without overpowering every opponent directly.
  • Manipulation and trust: Adrian uses carefully chosen truths—and Sengoku’s assumptions—to steer Bullet and conceal his intentions.

Character interactions

  • Adrian and Bullet maintain a convincing public battle while quietly discussing Roger’s family.
  • Adrian exploits Bullet’s resentment toward governments and his complicated admiration for Roger, emphasizing that Garp has been entrusted with Roger’s child.
  • Sengoku watches the apparent duel from a distance, then approaches when he suspects the two pirates are cooperating rather than truly fighting.

Ch. 91Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Plot points and events

  • Sengoku destroys most of Adrian and Bullet’s staged battle with a powerful shockwave, exposing that neither is seriously hurt.
  • Adrian asks Sengoku about Roger’s child and hints that Garp is secretly on a remote island—not in the East Blue’s Goa Kingdom. Bullet realizes Garp may be involved and silently records the location clue.
  • Sengoku denies knowing what Adrian means, but his reaction reveals that he knows Garp is protecting Roger’s widow and child. Torn between Marine policy and his sense of justice, Sengoku has chosen to look the other way.
  • Sengoku attacks Adrian, who escapes by flying away and leaves Bullet behind to face the Marine. Adrian neither helps Bullet escape nor particularly cares whether he reaches Baterilla Island or is captured.
  • Once safely clear, Adrian has the Nether Abyss brought back onto the sea. He tells Lumi and Louf about meeting Rouge and learning how she hid her pregnancy from the World Government’s search.
  • Adrian uses Dream Ghost: Wish Fulfillment to let Lumi and Louf experience his memory of Roger’s execution in Loguetown. Their reaction prompts Adrian to ask Lumi whether, as the Oro Jackson’s Ship Spirit, she knows where Laugh Tale is.

Character developments and interactions

  • Adrian remains playful and detached, using his knowledge to provoke Sengoku and influence Bullet without committing himself to either man’s cause. He also shares his memories with Lumi and Louf.
  • Sengoku is exposed as morally conflicted: he understands the Marines’ rationale for eliminating Roger’s bloodline but cannot bring himself to support killing an innocent mother and child. He hides his knowledge behind denial and attacks Adrian instead.
  • Bullet interprets Garp’s actions as an insult to Roger’s legacy and grows angrier at Sengoku, whom he suspects was involved. Adrian’s hint redirects his attention toward Garp and the child.
  • Lumi and Louf respond emotionally to Rouge’s sacrifice and Roger’s final declaration. Lumi’s connection to the Oro Jackson becomes especially significant when Adrian asks whether she knows Laugh Tale’s location.

Significant themes

  • Justice versus institutional duty: Sengoku’s silence reflects the conflict between Marine policy and personal moral conviction.
  • Legacy and loyalty: Bullet sees protecting Roger’s child as a betrayal, while Garp’s actions suggest a different way of honoring Roger.
  • Knowledge and noninterference: Adrian reveals enough to alter others’ choices but refuses to take responsibility for what follows.
  • Memory and experience: Dream Ghost turns personal recollection into something others can witness, linking Roger’s legacy to the mystery of Laugh Tale.

Ch. 92Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Chapter 92 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Lumi reveals that she knows the location of Laugh Tale and can steer the Nether Abyss there. Adrian, however, says he has no interest in seeking the One Piece or becoming Pirate King; his main concern is keeping Lumi with him.
  • Adrian decides to sail toward Wano Country to fulfill an old promise and see the legendary Land of Samurai.
  • Louf reminds Adrian that they had originally planned to visit Mokomo Dukedom/Zou. Adrian agrees to help her search for it, despite Zou’s extreme difficulty to locate.
  • Zou cannot be found with a Log Pose because it rests on Zunesha, a giant elephant constantly wandering through the New World. Adrian’s crew must first find information about its latest location.
  • The Nether Abyss arrives at Misteria Island, one of the pirate-dominated islands near Fish-Man Island.
  • Adrian and Louf begin searching for information about Zou, but they are intercepted by Charlotte Amande and Charlotte Cracker of the Big Mom Pirates.
  • Amande and Cracker reveal that Big Mom wants to recruit Adrian into her family—not merely as a normal subordinate, but as her next husband.
  • Adrian is stunned by the proposal and responds with irreverent jokes, asking whether Big Mom wants him to “compete on the same ship.”
  • In the following scene, Adrian realizes that marrying Big Mom would technically make him the father of her children. He teasingly asks Amande to call him “Daddy.”

Character Developments

  • Adrian remains confident, relaxed, and irreverent. Though he dismisses the One Piece quest, his thoughts reveal that he is thrilled to possess Lumi, whom he sees as the key to reaching Laugh Tale.
  • He also shows consideration for Louf, agreeing to help her return to Zou despite the logistical challenges.
  • Lumi is portrayed as shy and emotionally attached to Adrian, becoming embarrassed when he openly values her.
  • Louf is affectionate and slightly jealous, wanting Adrian’s attention and feeling disappointed when Zou is initially overlooked. Her irritation quickly fades, emphasizing her childlike and playful relationship with him.
  • Charlotte Amande is introduced as cold, sharp, and disciplined, while Charlotte Cracker is more direct and forceful. Both become visibly uncomfortable with Adrian’s provocative humor.
  • Big Mom’s unconventional method of expanding her influence through marriage is emphasized, contrasting her recruitment style with those of Whitebeard, Kaido, and Shanks.

Significant Themes

  • Possession and control of the future: Adrian believes that having Lumi gives him access to the future’s greatest secret—the route to Laugh Tale.
  • Adventure versus personal attachment: Unlike traditional pirates seeking the One Piece, Adrian is motivated more by his relationships, especially his attachment to Lumi.
  • Family and political power: Big Mom’s family functions as both a bloodline and a political organization, using marriage to consolidate influence.
  • Humor and irreverence: Adrian repeatedly undermines serious pirate-world events with jokes, especially the absurdity of becoming Big Mom’s husband and the implied father of her children.
  • The difficulty of navigating the New World: Zou’s moving location and the pirate-controlled islands highlight the unpredictable and dangerous nature of the New World.

Character Interactions

  • Adrian and Lumi share a flirtatious, affectionate exchange, with Lumi becoming shy after Adrian says he cares only about her.
  • Adrian and Louf bicker playfully over the missed visit to Zou, but Adrian ultimately agrees to help her.
  • Adrian questions Amande and Cracker about why they stopped him, refusing to be intimidated by their status.
  • Amande and Cracker deliver Big Mom’s marriage proposal, while Adrian responds with disbelief and increasingly inappropriate jokes.
  • The chapter ends with Adrian deliberately embarrassing Amande by asking her to call him “Daddy,” leaving the Charlotte siblings visibly uncomfortable.

Ch. 93Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Plot points and events

  • On Misteria Island, Charlotte Amande and Charlotte Cracker confront Adrian, ordered by Big Mom to bring him back to Totto Land. Adrian needles Amande about calling him “Daddy,” while she and Cracker attack.
  • Adrian evades Amande’s slow-moving sword strikes and Cracker’s rapid spiral thrusts, countering with sword slashes and Ghost abilities. He provokes Cracker by mocking his weapons and threatening to help Big Mom “discipline” her family.
  • Cracker expands his Biscuit Soldier into a six-armed form and launches a six-direction attack. Adrian shrinks to slip through the blades, then uses a Giant Hollow called Peacemaker to absorb Cracker’s counterattack and explode.
  • The blast devastates nearly half the town and destroys Cracker’s Biscuit Soldier armor, but Cracker survives inside a hardened biscuit fortress. He reveals his real appearance and summons a large army of Biscuit Soldiers.
  • Cracker hides his real body among the soldiers, using a fake version of himself to taunt Adrian. His surprise Wave Pretzel pierces Adrian—but Adrian is also a decoy. The chapter ends as this apparent Adrian transforms into another Peacemaker and explodes.

Character developments

  • Adrian remains playful and provocative even in combat, using taunts to unsettle his opponents. Beneath the humor, he shows quick reflexes, tactical cunning, and extensive control over his Ghost abilities.
  • Cracker proves both resilient and deceptive. Though his armor is destroyed, he survives, reveals his Biscuit-Biscuit Fruit’s mass-production power, and uses a decoy to launch a surprise attack.
  • Amande begins composed and hostile, but Cracker’s apparent defeat briefly shocks her. Adrian’s insults further enrage her, and she continues attacking rather than engaging in conversation.

Themes

  • Deception and misdirection: Both fighters use doubles—Cracker hides among his creations, while Adrian’s apparent body is another trap.
  • Power versus strategy: Cracker’s seemingly endless army offers numbers and durability, but Adrian argues that it does not make Cracker himself stronger.
  • Humor amid violence: Adrian’s teasing contrasts with the battle’s severe destruction and casualties.

Character interactions

  • Adrian repeatedly flirts with and insults Amande, prompting her to answer with sword attacks rather than words.
  • Cracker tries to silence Adrian and force him to come to Big Mom; Adrian mocks Cracker’s “one-of-a-kind” Pretzels and his biscuit army.
  • Amande and Cracker fight alongside one another, but Cracker asks her to let him handle Adrian alone. The chapter closes with Adrian’s apparent counterattack against Cracker’s surprise strike.

Ch. 94Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Adrian continues his brutal fight against Cracker, the Minister of Biscuits, after bombarding him with Peacemakers and weakening his defenses.
  • Entering Ghostification, Adrian overwhelms Cracker with extreme speed and swordsmanship. He cuts through Cracker’s biscuit soldiers and destroys his “Hard Biscuit: Fortress Wall” with Ryuo- and Black Jade-enhanced Armament Haki.
  • Cracker repeatedly blocks Adrian’s attacks and uses his biscuit powers to defend himself, but the prolonged battle rapidly drains his stamina and Haki.
  • Their confrontation becomes personal when Cracker defends BIGMOM after Adrian insults her. Adrian mocks their supposed relationship and emphasizes that they are already enemies.
  • Adrian unveils a new weapon, a blue-black Ghost Energy Sword, and uses the sensory illusion technique Murderous Blade: Yaksha. Cracker is deceived through manipulated sight, hearing, and smell, leaving him unable to defend himself.
  • Adrian severely wounds Cracker and prepares to kill him. Ghost Lady Amande intervenes, warning that Katakuri is approaching and will avenge Cracker.
  • Although Amande disrupts the Ghost Energy Sword, Adrian immediately draws Yubashiri and decapitates Cracker with One Sword Style: Iai: Maple Leaf Cutter.
  • Cracker’s death grants Adrian 660 million experience points, bringing him closer to advancing from Swordmaster to Great Swordmaster.
  • The system unlocks Adrian’s faction relationship with Totto Land. Totto Land becomes merely Indifferent, while the Big Mom Pirates become his highest hostile status: Deadly Enemy.
  • Adrian triggers the S-Rank series mission “Charlotte Family,” which tasks him with challenging the entire Big Mom Pirates and ultimately defeating BIGMOM.

Character Developments

  • Adrian: Demonstrates overwhelming speed, swordsmanship, Ghostification, Haki mastery, and tactical creativity. He debuts the Ghost Energy Sword and Murderous Blade: Yaksha, showing that his abilities are continuing to evolve. His hostility toward BIGMOM becomes explicit and irreversible.
  • Cracker: Despite his powerful biscuit defenses and determination to protect BIGMOM’s honor, he is gradually exhausted and psychologically outmaneuvered. His death establishes Adrian as a serious enemy of the Charlotte Family.
  • Amande: Reveals her loyalty to Cracker and the Charlotte Family by risking an attack to save him. Her intervention delays Adrian only briefly.
  • BIGMOM and the Charlotte Family: Their relationship with Adrian shifts from possible alliance or interest to open war after Cracker’s death and Adrian’s insults toward BIGMOM.

Significant Themes

  • Defiance and independence: Adrian rejects BIGMOM’s authority and any expectation that he should submit to her family or marriage proposal.
  • Death and resolve: Cracker’s belief that Adrian would hesitate is proven wrong; Adrian treats their battle as a genuine life-or-death conflict.
  • Family loyalty: Cracker and Amande act out of devotion to BIGMOM and the Charlotte Family, contrasting with Adrian’s refusal to recognize their familial bonds.
  • Power progression: The battle highlights Adrian’s growth through Haki, sword techniques, new Ghost abilities, and the rewards gained from defeating stronger enemies.
  • Faction conflict: The game system transforms a personal confrontation into a massive long-term campaign against the Big Mom Pirates and Totto Land.

Character Interactions

  • Adrian and Cracker exchange hostile insults while fighting, particularly over BIGMOM’s authority and appearance.
  • Cracker commands his Biscuit Soldiers to protect him and later fights with renewed anger after Adrian insults his mother.
  • Amande intervenes at the decisive moment, attacking Adrian and warning him about Katakuri’s imminent arrival.
  • Adrian dismisses Amande’s threat, destroys her attack’s effect, and kills Cracker anyway.
  • The system formally recognizes Adrian’s conflict with the Big Mom Pirates, setting up future battles against BIGMOM, Katakuri, and the wider Charlotte Family.

Ch. 95Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Plot points and events

  • Adrian accepts an S-rank mission to kill members of the Charlotte Family and destroy Totto Land, grumbling that its difficulty seems far higher. Cracker’s death completes a mission stage, and Adrian claims the experience reward.
  • He turns on Charlotte Amande, who is still reeling from Cracker’s death, and attacks her with the Great Grade sword Sleeve Snow.
  • At sea, Perospero and Katakuri learn that Cracker and Amande have engaged Adrian. Katakuri senses Cracker’s presence vanish and Amande’s weakening, then rushes to Misteria Island. Perospero follows with his candy platforms, while the rest of the crew heads ashore.
  • Adrian overwhelms Amande in a fierce sword fight. He uses future-sight Observation Haki and a powerful Sword Aura attack before cutting her down.
  • Katakuri arrives to find Cracker dead and Amande near death. Enraged, he attacks Adrian with Mochi Thrust. Their clash devastates the surrounding town, and they begin a fierce duel.

Character developments and interactions

  • Adrian remains cool and ruthless, treating his mission targets as obligations despite his complaints. He also shows confidence in his advanced Haki and swordsmanship, while taking care to respect Sleeve Snow as a weapon.
  • Amande shifts from disbelief and grief over Cracker’s death to desperate resistance, but Adrian’s relentless attacks exhaust and defeat her.
  • Katakuri is presented as a powerful, protective elder brother. Though initially cautious about Adrian’s strength, he abandons caution when he believes his siblings have been killed, unleashing his anger in a direct assault.
  • Perospero acts as a reassuring, protective older brother, but his confidence gives way to alarm once Katakuri detects that the fight is turning against their family.
  • The chapter’s central interaction is Adrian versus the Charlotte siblings: he kills Cracker, defeats Amande, and faces Katakuri’s retaliatory attack.

Significant themes

  • Family loyalty and grief: Katakuri’s fury is driven by the apparent loss of his siblings.
  • Duty versus mercy: Adrian’s mission leaves little room for compassion, even as Amande mourns Cracker.
  • Power and escalation: Each new arrival raises the stakes, culminating in a destructive clash between Adrian and Katakuri.
  • Perception and foresight: Katakuri’s Observation Haki helps him track the battle, while Adrian’s future-sight aids him in combat.

Ch. 96Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Adrian continues his fierce battle with Charlotte Katakuri on Misteria Island. Using future sight, swordsmanship, Armament Haki, Ghostification, and his various ghost abilities, Adrian successfully reads and counters Katakuri’s attacks.
  • Katakuri launches powerful techniques such as Horn Mochi, Peerless Mochi Blade Bullets, Grilled Mochi, and Naguri Mochi, forcing Adrian to rely on evasive abilities rather than purely physical combat.
  • Perospero arrives and discovers that Amande is barely alive. Using his Lick-Lick Fruit ability, he transforms her into a candy statue that stabilizes her condition and prevents her death.
  • Realizing that Amande can be saved, Adrian changes his priorities and decides to eliminate all three Big Mom Pirates. He unleashes a devastating Ghost Energy Cannon at Katakuri, Perospero, and Amande.
  • Katakuri and Perospero combine their abilities to shield themselves: Katakuri creates a mochi barrier while Perospero forms a hardened candy barrier. Adrian’s attack destroys both defenses, nearly killing them.
  • Katakuri orders Perospero to flee with Amande while he remains behind to hold Adrian back. He repeatedly blocks Adrian’s attempts to pursue them, even sacrificing his own strength and exhausting his Armament Haki.
  • Adrian creates Mimic Ghosts to overwhelm Katakuri, but Katakuri uses future sight and Naguri Mochi to destroy them. Perospero gains enough distance to escape.
  • As Adrian prepares a more powerful Ghost Energy Cannon to kill Perospero and Amande, the entire island begins transforming into mochi. Katakuri has awakened the Mochi-Mochi Fruit, turning the environment itself into flowing mochi and intercepting Adrian’s attack.
  • Katakuri also releases a powerful wave of Conqueror’s Haki, declaring that Adrian cannot cross the awakened mochi barrier. Adrian recognizes Katakuri as an exceptionally valuable and dangerous opponent, while remaining confident that he can ultimately defeat him.
  • On Whole Cake Island, young Galette informs Big Mom that Cracker’s Vivre Card has burned away and Amande’s is also deteriorating. Big Mom realizes that Cracker has died and Amande has survived, reacting with anger rather than concern.
  • Big Mom summons Zeus and prepares to travel to the Vivre Card room, strongly suggesting that she is about to intervene personally.

Character Developments

  • Adrian: Becomes more ruthless after learning that Perospero can save Amande. He shifts from treating Amande as already dead to actively trying to kill her and Perospero. He recognizes Katakuri’s awakening as a major threat but also sees Katakuri as a valuable target.
  • Katakuri: Demonstrates exceptional loyalty and responsibility toward his siblings. He repeatedly risks himself to protect Perospero and Amande, refusing to retreat even when Adrian has the advantage. His desperation and determination push him to awaken the Mochi-Mochi Fruit.
  • Perospero: Shows both combat ability and utility, using his candy powers not only offensively but also to preserve Amande’s life. He follows Katakuri’s order and escapes with her while Katakuri stays behind.
  • Amande: Remains on the brink of death after her earlier defeat, but Perospero’s Candy Man technique stabilizes her and gives her a chance to survive.
  • Big Mom: Reveals a disturbing lack of compassion, viewing Cracker’s death as less troubling than Amande’s survival after defeat. Her decision to personally respond increases the danger facing Adrian.
  • Galette: Acts as the messenger who brings the alarming news to Big Mom, visibly terrified of her mother’s reaction.

Significant Themes

  • Sacrifice and familial loyalty: Katakuri’s willingness to stay behind and endanger himself emphasizes the Charlotte family’s bonds, especially his protective role toward his siblings.
  • Power through desperation: Katakuri’s awakening occurs when he is pushed to his limits, showing how extreme circumstances can unlock greater strength.
  • The versatility of Devil Fruit abilities: Perospero’s candy power can kill enemies or preserve allies, while Katakuri’s awakened mochi can reshape the surrounding environment.
  • Mercy versus ruthlessness: Adrian’s response to Amande’s survival highlights his merciless determination to eliminate threats, contrasting with Katakuri and Perospero’s efforts to save her.
  • Escalation of conflict: The battle grows from a direct duel into a crisis involving awakened powers and the likely arrival of Big Mom herself.

Character Interactions

  • Adrian taunts Katakuri by using future sight to predict and neutralize his attacks, intensifying Katakuri’s anger.
  • Katakuri calls on Perospero to save Amande and later commands him to flee, prioritizing his siblings’ survival over his own.
  • Perospero uses his candy ability to preserve Amande, then cooperates with Katakuri defensively against Adrian’s cannon.
  • Katakuri repeatedly intercepts Adrian, preventing him from killing Perospero and Amande even while suffering severe strain.
  • Adrian and Katakuri end the chapter in a tense standoff: Katakuri stands behind his awakened mochi barrier and Conqueror’s Haki, while Adrian prepares to challenge him directly.
  • Big Mom’s conversation with Galette establishes that Cracker is dead, Amande is barely alive, and the next confrontation may involve Big Mom herself.

Ch. 97Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Key plot points and events

  • BIGMOM rushes to Misteria Island after learning that Adrian may have killed Cracker and Amande. Her Homies—Prometheus, Zeus, and Napoleon—join her.
  • Adrian has been fighting Katakuri from the air, using Ghost Energy bombardments to destroy the island. Katakuri’s awakened mochi attacks struggle to reach him, and the island has already lost about a fifth of its area.
  • BIGMOM confronts Adrian and demands, “Marry or life?” He refuses, provoking her. Her Conqueror’s Haki fails to intimidate him.
  • BIGMOM sends Prometheus to attack. Adrian’s Ghost Energy splits the fire beam and pierces Prometheus, damaging part of the Homie’s soul and causing him pain for the first time.
  • BIGMOM is shocked and furious, but proves her immense physical strength by swatting away another Ghost Energy projectile with her bare hand.
  • Adrian receives an S-rank challenge mission to survive against BIGMOM for as long as possible. He accepts it.

Character developments

  • Adrian relies on flight and ranged Ghost Energy attacks rather than swordplay, exploiting Katakuri’s difficulty fighting an airborne opponent. He remains defiant before BIGMOM and demonstrates that his power can harm her Homies.
  • Katakuri is pressured by Adrian’s sustained aerial bombardment. Though his awakening gives him broad control over the island, he cannot easily counter Adrian’s mobility or prevent the island’s destruction.
  • BIGMOM shifts from seeking Adrian as a potential husband to openly attacking him after his refusal. Her reaction to Prometheus’s injury reveals her attachment to her Homies, while her effortless deflection of Adrian’s attack highlights her extraordinary natural toughness.
  • Prometheus experiences pain and fear for the first time after Adrian damages the soul fragment sustaining him.

Significant themes

  • Power and matchup: Adrian’s range and flight give him an advantage over Katakuri, but BIGMOM’s raw strength presents a far greater threat.
  • Soul versus soul: Adrian’s Ghost Energy can damage the soul-based Homies, directly challenging BIGMOM’s Soul-Soul Fruit.
  • Defiance and survival: Adrian refuses BIGMOM’s demand despite the danger, then accepts a mission focused not on victory but on enduring against her.

Character interactions

  • Adrian taunts and battles Katakuri from above, while Katakuri tries to drive him down with awakened mochi attacks.
  • BIGMOM confronts Adrian with a marriage-or-death ultimatum; he rejects her and mocks her Conqueror’s Haki.
  • Prometheus attacks on BIGMOM’s command, then retreats behind her for protection after being wounded. BIGMOM examines him and confronts Adrian, who claims his power is also tied to the soul.

Ch. 98Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Plot points and events

  • Adrian begins Big Mom’s S-Rank challenge, seeking its large experience rewards rather than Legend Points. He believes he cannot beat her through direct strength, so he relies on his abilities and the Mist Theater.
  • Big Mom attacks with Napoleon, Zeus, and Prometheus, using Emperor Sword: Cognac, Thunderbolt, and the Giants’ Ikoku Sovereignty. Adrian evades lethal blows by switching places with a White Hollow and counters with Ghost Energy Cannons.
  • The battle’s setting gives Adrian an advantage: over the sea, Big Mom must protect her Homies, especially Zeus, since losing her aerial support could send her into the water. She is forced to defend against Adrian’s sustained barrage.
  • At the docks, Katakuri and Perospero discuss the badly injured Amande and the lack of anyone in Totto Land able to heal her. They also avoid discussing Cracker’s death. Katakuri watches the battle, hoping Big Mom will kill Adrian.
  • After more than twenty minutes of fighting, Big Mom grows tired of Adrian’s persistent attacks and awakens Prometheus, turning her hair into flames. She enters her strongest form as Adrian calmly checks his pocket watch.

Character developments and interactions

  • Adrian recognizes Big Mom’s overwhelming raw power and adapts rather than trying to overpower her. He exploits her vulnerability at sea and maintains pressure through the Mist Theater.
  • Big Mom initially treats the fight casually, but Adrian’s tactics and sustained assault earn her serious attention. She transforms to bring her full power to bear.
  • Katakuri is exhausted from his fight and troubled by Amande’s injuries, but he remains confident that Big Mom is holding back to protect her Homies.
  • Perospero worries about Amande and about Big Mom’s reaction to her failure. His concern reveals how little security the Charlotte children feel under their mother.
  • Adrian and Big Mom fight through escalating exchanges: her destructive sword and flame attacks against his evasive substitutions and relentless ranged assault.

Significant themes

  • Adaptability versus raw strength: Adrian survives by choosing tactics suited to the battlefield rather than matching Big Mom directly.
  • Power and vulnerability: Big Mom is immensely strong, yet the open sea makes her dependent on her Homies and cautious about protecting them.
  • Family without compassion: The Charlotte siblings share grief and concern, but fear their mother’s judgment and avoid confronting their losses.
  • Escalation and endurance: The prolonged battle steadily pushes Big Mom from amusement to recognizing Adrian as a serious opponent.

Ch. 99Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Plot and key events

  • Adrian escapes Big Mom by detonating the last of his Ghost Energy in a massive blast that devastates the surrounding sea. He then uses his Silent Phantom ability to sneak aboard the Charlotte Family ship while Big Mom’s rampage keeps the crew occupied.
  • He locates the badly injured Charlotte Amande, whom Perospero has sealed inside a thick candy shell in the captain’s cabin. Adrian passes through the barrier as a ghost and secretly places two Mini Hollows inside her.
  • Adrian leaves a Mimic Ghost behind to taunt Amande. Once he is safely away, he activates Withering Heart-Piercer, killing her. The game panel awards him substantial experience, including a bonus for defeating an enemy above his level.
  • Back aboard the Nether Abyss, Adrian collects the rewards for completing the S-rank challenge [Queen of Totto Land]. The experience lets him advance from level 61 to level 80, reaching the cap for Swordmaster.
  • His new advancement quest, [Limit Trial], requires 1,000 trial points, earned by defeating enemies—the stronger and harder the fight, the more points. Adrian considers whether he could deliberately make battles appear more difficult, but postpones the problem.
  • The chapter ends as Adrian begins the challenge quest’s reward draw: a random skill or specialty belonging to Big Mom, with some effects adjusted to suit his abilities.

Character developments and interactions

  • Adrian shows his characteristic mix of tactical skill, ruthless pragmatism, and comic self-justification. He kills Amande partly to claim her experience value, framing the act as mercy, and uses Big Mom’s fury as cover for his infiltration.
  • Big Mom is enraged and lashes out indiscriminately after Adrian vanishes. Her potential Hunger Pangs keep Katakuri and Perospero focused on containing her, unintentionally helping Adrian.
  • Perospero’s elaborate candy protection reveals his concern for Amande, but it cannot stop Adrian’s ghostly abilities.
  • Adrian’s encounter with Amande is a final, taunting one: she briefly regains awareness and looks at him with defiance, while he leaves her to die after placing the Mini Hollows.

Significant themes

  • Power gained through conflict: Adrian’s progress is driven by combat, experience points, and increasingly difficult quests.
  • Strategy over direct force: Rather than fight Big Mom’s crew head-on, Adrian exploits distraction, stealth, and his ability to bypass physical barriers.
  • Dark comedy and moral rationalization: Adrian treats assassination as an experience-farming calculation while insisting he is a “kindhearted” pirate.
  • Escalating challenges: Reaching level 80 is a major milestone, but the demanding advancement quest signals that greater power will require harder trials.

Ch. 100Round Three Is About to Begin! (Continued)

Key plot points and events

  • After defeating Big Mom, Adrian receives a panel reward and chooses Heavy Strike Specialization, which improves the force of his attacks. He spends his level-up points on Intelligence and maxes out Armament Haki, including Ryuo and Black Jade.
  • The Nether Abyss reaches Dressrosa while Adrian searches for information about Zou. The newspaper reports that his battle with Big Mom has shaken the Grand Line: he fought her for half an hour and killed Charlotte Cracker. It also reveals that Big Mom has placed a private, one-billion-Beli bounty on him. Adrian notes that his official bounty has not increased, despite his clash with Big Mom and the deaths of Charlotte family members.
  • To avoid attracting attention while Big Mom’s forces search for him, Adrian has Lumi hide the ship and Louf inside her castle. He gives the crew a casual disguise and heads into Dressrosa alone.
  • Adrian passes a graceful woman stepping off a sightseeing boat, then enters a busy town where crowds are gathering for the Unbeaten Swordsman’s 3,000th consecutive duel.

Character developments and interactions

  • Adrian continues to prioritize combat strength, selecting a practical attack specialty and upgrading his Haki rather than choosing abilities that seem like poor substitutes for Conqueror’s Haki. He is confident and irreverent, joking about his unchanged bounty and viewing Dressrosa’s reputation for romance as an opportunity to explore without Louf.
  • Louf is eager to accompany Adrian but accepts his order to stay behind. Their teasing exchange shows her affection and playful vanity, while Adrian’s real reason for leaving her behind is that he does not want her interfering with his plans.
  • Lumi supports Adrian’s precautions by concealing the ship and herself in her pocket watch.
  • The unidentified woman Adrian passes is introduced through her refined appearance, but the chapter does not reveal her identity or purpose.

Significant themes

  • Strength and strategic choice: Adrian values abilities that offer direct, reliable combat advantages and invests heavily in Haki.
  • Reputation versus official recognition: His fame and danger are growing, but the Marines and World Government have not adjusted his bounty.
  • Adventure and secrecy: Dressrosa promises new experiences, but Adrian must conceal himself from Big Mom’s pursuit.
  • Comic irreverence: Adrian’s ambition to enjoy Dressrosa’s “love and passion” undercuts the seriousness of his recent battle and bounty.
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