Recaps

River left Impel Down with Crocodile and began gathering powerful allies, recruiting Foxy and confronting CP9. In Mock Town, River defeated Doflamingo, renewed their bond, and asked him to find Fire Fist Ace.

• River left Impel Down with Crocodile after Hannyabal helped them escape, then sailed toward Sky Island to recruit Enel.
• River and Crocodile reached Sabaody, where River encountered Rayleigh, before continuing onward and recruiting Foxy for his Slow-Slow Fruit ability.
• At Water 7, CP9 attacked River, but he defeated them and offered Lucci and the others a chance to serve under him.
• River reached Mock Town, where Blackbeard recognized him and avoided a confrontation while River and Crocodile went to meet Doflamingo.
• River intervened when Doflamingo was about to kill Bellamy, then fought Doflamingo across Mock Town and overpowered his awakened string abilities.
• River unleashed the Eight Gates Formation and defeated Doflamingo’s strongest attack, then reminded him of their past bond and stopped him from giving in to despair.
• Doflamingo accepted River’s offer to inherit Homing’s number, and River restored him and strengthened his Haki before asking him to investigate Ace’s whereabouts.

Jiang Liu reunited with Ace, pursued Blackbeard, recruited Enel, and crossed swords with Mihawk. After their duel, Aokiji confronted Jiang Liu over his claim to be a righteous Marine.

• Jiang Liu found Ace in Rampo Town, revealed that he was Ace’s uncle, and fought him when Ace refused to abandon his hunt for Teach.
• Jiang Liu let Ace sail away with his Vivre Card and later attacked Blackbeard’s raft, but Teach and his crew survived and escaped.
• Jiang Liu carried Foxy’s Ship up to Sky Island, found Enel, defeated him, and recruited him to the group.
• Jiang Liu and his companions repaired the Ark Maxim and flew back toward the ocean, where they encountered Mihawk.
• Jiang Liu and Mihawk dueled with powerful sword strikes that split the sea and damaged Bark’s ship, while their clash drew attention from across the area.
• Jiang Liu and Mihawk wounded each other before Jiang Liu used Dragon-Slaying Draw, and Mihawk praised the technique as he recognized a way forward.
• Aokiji froze the sea and the wrecked ship, recognized Jiang Liu as the former Admiral Daytime Tiger, and challenged his claim to be a righteous Marine.

River defeated Golden Lion Shiki and brought him into Void Night, then recruited the fugitive former CP9 members and healed Rob Lucci. As the Marines prepared for war after capturing Ace, Sengoku recalled River to headquarters, where River began telling Lucci about his past.

• River fought Aokiji on the frozen sea and stopped when Sengoku ordered him to end the duel.
• News of River’s return spread, and Shiki declared his plan to destroy East Blue before River arrived at Floating Island.
• River reminded Shiki of their old agreement, rejected Shiki’s offer to serve him, and defeated him in battle.
• Shiki accepted River as his boss, and River restored his legs and removed the ship’s wheel from his head.
• After Blackbeard captured Ace, the Marines prepared for war against Whitebeard, and Garp left Water 7 for Marineford.
• River recruited the battered former CP9 members, healed Rob Lucci, and welcomed the group aboard the Ark Maxim.
• The Five Elders approved Sengoku’s plan to recall River to Marine Headquarters as the Marines prepared to announce Ace’s capture.
• River told Lucci how he rose through the Marines, described the Ohara Buster Call and his attack on Mary Geoise, and began recounting his past.

River returned to Marine Headquarters as the war over Ace’s capture approached, while strengthening Void Night and confronting the Navy’s three Admirals. He gathered the Shichibukai, visited his nephew Ace, and left with the war still set to begin and the Five Elders plotting against him.

• River welcomed Rob Lucci into Void Night, then received Sengoku’s summons and learned he had been promoted to Colonel.
• River strengthened Shiki, Crocodile, Enel, Foxy, and Lucci, assigned them roles, and headed for Marine Headquarters as Ace’s capture set the Marine–Whitebeard war in motion.
• River returned to Marineford, reunited with Gion and his former colleagues, and told Sengoku he would take part in the war while privately vowing not to let Ace die.
• Sengoku assigned River to summon the Shichibukai, and River called them to Marine Headquarters before clashing with Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan.
• River confronted the assembled Shichibukai, forced Doflamingo to stand down, struck Teach, and ordered them to fight against the Whitebeard Pirates.
• Jinbe begged River to prevent the war, then refused to fight and was stripped of his Warlord status and sent to Impel Down.
• River visited Ace in his cell, explained that the Marines intended to use his execution to draw out Whitebeard, and promised to do what he could after Ace asked him to protect Luffy.
• The Five Elders discussed assassinating River after the war, while River told Freya that Ace was his nephew and that the Marines she had monitored were his former subordinates.