Recaps

River reunited with his former recruits and went to Sabaody, where he defied the Celestial Dragons, faced the Supernovas, and clashed with Rayleigh. As the Straw Hats escaped and River pursued Law, he found Corazon alive and working with his intelligence network.

• River’s former Recruit Corps members, including Bagu, Yigeer, Jialiluo, Aobisi, and Ronse, reunited with him at Marineford and vowed to follow him.
• Sengoku sent River to Sabaody to manage the Worst Generation, where River learned Kuma was losing his consciousness and proposed that they work together to reshape the world.
• River freed enslaved people and confronted the Celestial Dragons, then fought Zoro and demonstrated the gap between their swordsmanship.
• At the Underground Auction House, River helped free Camie and revealed Rayleigh backstage, but then fought the Straw Hat crew as they tried to escape.
• Rayleigh held River off while the pirate crews fled, then escaped after warning River about his secret purpose and the coming major event.
• River pursued Law and overwhelmed him, but Law escaped while Corazon, revealed as Donquixote Rosinante, reunited with him in a workshop alongside River’s intelligence agents Lucci and Kaku.

River defeated the Supernovas at Sabaody, then fought and killed Rayleigh as the Marines converged on the island. He secretly arranged for Rayleigh to be revived, took Zoro as his disciple, and the coming war over Ace’s execution drew Whitebeard and Kaido into motion.

• River defeated Bonney, Bege, Urouge, Apoo, Drake, Hawkins, and Kid at Sabaody, cutting off Kid’s left arm before heading to face Rayleigh.
• River and Rayleigh fought across Sabaody while Kuma sent the Straw Hat crew away, Dragon confronted Kizaru, and Marines rushed to the island.
• River opened the Seventh Gate and unleashed the Daytime Tiger, but Rayleigh continued fighting until his aging body reached its limit.
• River and Rayleigh traded their final attacks, and Rayleigh died after River won their duel.
• A masked figure stole Rayleigh’s corpse, and Lucci and Kaku later brought the critically injured, revived Rayleigh to Zoro aboard the Ark Maxim.
• River healed Rayleigh and accepted Zoro as his disciple, assigning Crocodile, Kaku, Lucci, and Enel as the first stage of Zoro’s training.
• Rayleigh returned to Shakky and said he planned to disappear from the world, while Whitebeard prepared to rescue Ace after learning of the execution.
• Kaido heard that Whitebeard was mobilizing for Marineford and ordered his forces to prepare so he could take Whitebeard’s head.

River prepared to rescue Ace and reshape the coming war, while Whitebeard’s forces and the Marines clashed at Marineford. As Teach broke into Impel Down and Lucci’s team rescued Portgas D. Rouge on River’s orders, River and Whitebeard began their long-awaited fight.

• Shanks learned from Yasopp that Rayleigh had died fighting River, poured liquor into the sea in tribute, and prepared to join the war at Marineford.
• River told Garp he would fight Whitebeard and bring the waning era to a close, then visited Ace in Impel Down and persuaded him to ask for help and choose to live.
• River arranged the release of prisoners from Impel Down, invited Redfield to join him, and accepted Sengoku’s assignment to lead the Recruit Corps in the war.
• River told Yigeer he would leave the Marines after the war and ordered his men to prepare, while Marineford’s forces took their positions and Whitebeard’s fleet approached.
• Sengoku revealed to the world that Ace was Gol D. Roger’s son, and Whitebeard emerged at Marineford aboard the Moby Dick to rescue him.
• Whitebeard’s arrival sparked fierce fighting, and River entered the battle, scattering pirates, injuring Jozu, and challenging Whitebeard directly.
• River and Whitebeard’s Conqueror’s Haki clashed as Teach used the war to break into Impel Down, while Lucci’s team found Portgas D. Rouge and began rescuing her on River’s orders.
• River and Whitebeard declared they would end their fight quickly and save Ace, then charged at each other.

River fought Whitebeard at Marineford, then joined forces with the Whitebeard Pirates and his own allies after declaring war on the World Government. The battle continued as River faced Akainu and his allies clashed with the Marines.

• River and Whitebeard traded devastating blows until River opened the Eighth Gate and overwhelmed Whitebeard in their duel.
• Whitebeard led his pirates into the Inner Bay while Luffy arrived with Buggy, Ivankov, and the freed prisoners to rescue Ace.
• River struck Whitebeard down, then shattered the Gate of Justice and sent a tsunami surging toward Marineford.
• Whitebeard died standing after entrusting Ace and his sons to River, while Luffy unlocked Ace’s handcuffs and Sengoku attacked the execution platform.
• River used a broadcast to condemn the Marines, declare war on the World Government and Celestial Dragons, and announce that he would build a new world.
• River and the Recruit Corps turned against the Marines, and the Whitebeard Pirates joined River after hearing Newgate’s voice.
• Shiki, Crocodile, Doflamingo, Moria, Enel, Rob Lucci, and Foxy arrived as River’s allies and fought the Marines at Marineford.
• River wounded Akainu in their clash, but Akainu burned River with magma and claimed victory before River regenerated and released a towering battle aura.