Chapter Summaries

Gern announced that the Marines would take control of Wano, and challenged Luffy to prove he could protect it without abandoning his dream of becoming Pirate King. At Ringo’s port, Law learned Gern had captured Shanks and Dragon, while Kid warned that their battered crews needed to flee.

• Gern declared that he had come to take control of Wano on behalf of the Marines, and Hiyori staggered in despair.
• Luffy said Wano belonged to its people and offered to fly the Straw Hats’ flag over the country.
• Gern questioned whether Luffy would stay in Wano permanently and accept responsibility for its safety, leaving Luffy unable to answer.
• At Ringo’s port, Law decided to return to the Flower Capital after sensing powerful Haki, but Kid urged him to leave instead.
• Kid showed Law a photograph of Gern dragging the unconscious Shanks and Dragon toward the shogun’s residence, and warned that the Fleet Admiral and his forces might target them.

Kid left Ringo with the Poneglyph rubbings, while Luo headed alone to the Flower Capital to assess a chance of rescuing Shanks and his father. There, Gern rejected Luffy’s attempt to bargain and Hiyori began probing what the Navy’s takeover of Wano would mean.

• Kid departed Ringo after deciding not to risk his crew in a battle against Gern, while Luo put away the photograph and set off alone for the Flower Capital.
• Gern asked Luffy whether he could give up claiming Wano, and Luffy asked if Shanks and his father could leave if he withdrew.
• Gern refused to let Shanks and Luffy’s father go, explaining that the Navy intended to take over Wano and that Luffy had no leverage to bargain with him.
• Luffy grew furious and tried to attack Gern, but Jinbe and Zoro held him back.
• Hiyori approached Gern and asked what he meant by opening Wano’s borders, considering whether negotiating with the Navy could secure the country’s future.

Gern offered Hiyori a treaty that would bring Wano Country under the Navy’s control in exchange for protection and access to the outside world. Kin'emon urged resistance and called on Luffy for help, but Luffy admitted he could not defeat Gern.

• Gern proposed making Wano Country a Navy-controlled territory, with Hiyori remaining shogun but losing most of her authority.
• Hiyori considered accepting the deal as a way to protect Wano and give it a stable future.
• Kin'emon interrupted Hiyori, accused Gern of killing Momonosuke and seeking to enslave Wano, and vowed that the Red Scabbard Samurai would fight.
• Kin'emon begged Luffy to defend Wano again, but Luffy stayed silent as he weighed the danger to his crew.
• Luffy told Kin'emon, "I can't beat him."

Kozuki Sukiyaki surrendered Wano Country to the Marines to prevent further bloodshed, while Enel and Kizaru defeated the Red Hair Pirates’ force at sea. The Marines secured Wano, Shanks, and the revolutionaries’ leader, as Kizaru reflected on why he had chosen to stand his ground.

• Luffy admitted that he could not defeat Gern, and Kin'emon and the Straw Hat Pirates despaired at the prospect of further fighting.
• Tenguyama Hitetsu revealed himself as Kozuki Sukiyaki and urged everyone to stop fighting to spare Wano Country further devastation.
• Kozuki Sukiyaki declared that Wano Country would accept the Marines’ authority, order, and protection.
• Off Wano Country, Enel had helped Kizaru defeat and incapacitate the Red Hair Pirates’ officers, including Benn Beckman.
• Kizaru explained that he had fought desperately to support Gern, who had already carried too many burdens, and Enel praised his strength.

Big News Morgans published explosive reports announcing major shifts in the balance of power, including Luffy's rise as a new Emperor, Gern's victories, and the Marines' expansion into Wano. The Cross Guild exploited the resulting turmoil and rumors to win recognition as a new Emperor power.

• Gern took possession of Wano Country after Kozuki Sukiyaki declared the nation's allegiance to the Marines.
• Morgans assembled reports of the recent upheavals and sent a special edition newspaper around the world.
• The newspaper reported that Garp was missing, Luffy had become the Fifth Emperor after Kaido and Big Mom's defeats, and Gern had captured Shanks and Monkey D. Dragon before entering Wano.
• Crocodile and Buggy avoided targeting the Marines and spread exaggerated rumors about the Cross Guild's abilities and members.
• The Cross Guild's publicity and real fighting strength earned it recognition as a new Emperor power amid the changing balance of the seas.

After reading that Dragon and Shanks had been captured by Fleet Admiral Gern, Sabo demanded an immediate rescue, but the Revolutionary Army’s commanders warned that G-4 was a trap and that their movement had lost popular support. The meeting ended with Dragon’s rescue unresolved and the Army confronting its weakened position and uncertain ideals.

• The Revolutionary Army officers in Kamabakka Kingdom learned from a newspaper that Gern had defeated and captured Dragon and Shanks.
• Sabo called for an immediate rescue, but Karasu warned that G-4 was defended by Admirals Bullet and Issho and could draw in the Marines’ forces from New Marineford.
• Sabo questioned Gern’s motives and argued that the Army could not leave Dragon in Marine custody.
• Belo Betty argued that the independent Marines’ actions against the World Government made secret collusion unlikely.
• Betty explained that the Marines’ governance had cost the Revolutionary Army public support and that local resentment may have exposed Baltigo to Akainu.
• Sabo and the other officers fell silent as they faced the risks of a rescue and the Revolutionary Army’s weakened position.

Blackbeard discussed the Blackbeard Pirates’ battle with Garp and the shifting balance of power among the rising Emperor crews. After learning that Redfield had regained his strength, Blackbeard vowed to test who deserved an Emperor’s throne.

• Blackbeard complained that news of the Heart Pirates’ defeat had been overshadowed, then praised Kuzan for surviving the clash with Garp.
• Samuel Kronos vouched for Kuzan’s loyalty, convincing Blackbeard that Kuzan had fought Garp with everything he had and could be trusted.
• Blackbeard dismissed Luffy’s claim to the Emperor title and mocked Cross Guild, while Shiryu asked about the organization.
• Catarina Devon warned that Redfield had gained the Mythical Zoan Bat-Bat Fruit and regained his youth, making Cross Guild a serious threat alongside Crocodile and Edward Weevil.
• Blackbeard acknowledged the danger posed by the new powers and declared that he would test who deserved an Emperor’s throne.

Blackbeard introduced Saint Figarland Shamrock, who looked almost identical to Shanks, to the officers of the Blackbeard Pirates. Shamrock and Blackbeard traded insults over Gern, and the chapter ended with both insisting the other was no “Heavenquake.”

• Van Augur announced Shamrock’s arrival, and Blackbeard welcomed him as his “Benefactor,” calling him Red Hair.
• Shamrock stepped into the hall, startling the officers with his resemblance to Shanks, and Blackbeard revealed his identity as Saint Figarland Shamrock.
• Shamrock insulted Blackbeard, who taunted him about Gern and his defeat.
• Blackbeard mocked Shamrock for lacking Shanks’s scar, and Shamrock called him lowborn scum and no “Heavenquake.”
• Blackbeard retorted that Shamrock was no “Heavenquake” either.

In the Marine hospital, Koby declared that he would stop Luffy’s dream, drawing disbelief from Kizaru and a pointed challenge from Fleet Admiral Gern. Gern accused Koby of choosing Luffy because he expected mercy, while avoiding the far more dangerous Blackbeard.

• Gern questioned Kizaru’s request for six months of medical leave, and Kizaru exaggerated his injuries to justify taking time off.
• Koby watched news of Luffy’s three-billion-Beli bounty and coronation as the Fifth Emperor while SWORD members gathered around his hospital bed.
• Koby declared that he had to stop Luffy’s dream, prompting Kizaru to mock him for being Garp’s disciple.
• Gern asked Koby why he would not try to stop Blackbeard’s dream instead.
• Gern accused Koby of targeting Luffy because he expected his friend to spare him, while confronting Blackbeard would get him killed.

Gern reprimanded Koby for disobeying orders and causing the disaster that killed 344 Marines and left Garp missing, then warned that Sakazuki might make him answer for it. Kizaru also condemned Koby’s ambition and poor judgment, while Koby was left isolated in the ward.

• Koby tried to justify his actions by invoking Garp’s teachings, but Gern accused him of exceeding his authority and causing the tragedy through reckless decisions.
• Gern blamed Koby for 344 Marine casualties and Garp’s disappearance, then threatened to have Sakazuki teach him about absolute justice.
• Tesoro called Gern to the Fleet Admiral’s Office for an urgent meeting with Sengoku, and Gern left the ward.
• After Gern departed, Koby’s SWORD teammates distanced themselves, leaving only Helmeppo beside him.
• Kizaru warned Koby that he lacked the strength and judgment to imitate Gern, and told him to watch himself.

Gern discussed the Marine’s newly seized territories with Sengoku and Tesoro, then proposed a Reverie for every nation and region that backed the Marines. His plan revealed an effort to establish a political order that could rival or replace the World Government’s system.

• Gern entered the Fleet Admiral’s Office, where Sengoku questioned whether he had expected Garp to become trapped on Hachinosu.
• Sengoku warned that Blackbeard would be dangerous to fight and that an all-out war against the Blackbeard Pirates would cost the Marines dearly.
• Sengoku reviewed the Marines’ gains after Gern defeated Kaido and Big Mom, wiped out the Red Hair Pirates, and captured the Revolutionary Army’s leader.
• Gern said the Marines needed to consolidate their new territories by integrating Wano, establishing administration and garrisons, and stabilizing Red Hair’s former lands.
• Gern announced that he would convene a Reverie for every nation and region that sided with the Marines, shocking Sengoku and Tesoro.

Gern proposed holding a Navy-led Reverie to unite unaffiliated and oppressed nations under a new order, weakening the World Government’s influence. Sengoku and Tesoro understood the strategy, and Gern left them to organize invitations for nations seeking the Navy’s protection.

• Sengoku erupted in anger and grabbed Gern, warning that a Navy Reverie would openly sever the Navy’s remaining ties with the World Government.
• Gern argued that former World Government Member States might abandon the Navy if circumstances changed, so it needed to build lasting ties with nations the World Government had oppressed or ignored.
• Gern proposed giving those nations protection, trade stability, and an equal voice at a Navy-led conference, binding their interests to the Navy.
• Sengoku recognized that the new nations’ loyalty would undermine the old affiliated nations’ privileges and the World Government’s legitimacy, while Tesoro called the strategy “Surrounding the great nations with small ones.”
• Gern asked Sengoku and Tesoro to invite every nation willing to recognize the Navy’s new order and seek its protection, calling the gathering the founding ceremony of a new era.

Shamrock offered Blackbeard recognition of Hachinosu as a World Government Member State in exchange for joining an operation on Egghead Island, then demonstrated his apparent immortality. Blackbeard accepted the deal with renewed ambition, eager to gain that power and rise to the top.

• Blackbeard dismissed his officers and demanded to know what the World Government wanted him to do.
• Shamrock told Blackbeard to bring his forces to Egghead Island in two weeks, and Blackbeard objected to attacking a major Navy research base.
• Shamrock offered to recognize Hachinosu and its surrounding waters as a World Government Member State if the mission succeeded.
• Shamrock suddenly attacked Blackbeard, allowed himself to be shattered by Blackbeard's quake power, and then regenerated completely.
• Shamrock revealed his apparent immortality as an additional prize, and Blackbeard responded with wild laughter and embraced the prospect of the deal.

The Navy’s Reverie drew representatives from across the world, but Blackbeard’s arrival as Hachinosu’s king threatened to undermine Gern’s display of an inclusive new order. Gern allowed Teach into the conference while Douglas Bullet and Dracule Mihawk silently warned him not to cause trouble.

• Kings and representatives from many nations and peoples arrived at New Marineford for the Navy’s Reverie.
• A Navy petty officer announced that King Marshall D. Teach of Hachinosu had arrived with Lafitte and Samuel Kronos, shocking the delegates and enraging Sengoku.
• Lafitte presented Hachinosu’s World Government certification and argued that the broad invitation made them eligible to attend.
• Gern turned toward the Council Hall without challenging Teach, and Sengoku followed after glaring at him.
• Douglas Bullet and Dracule Mihawk unleashed Haki from either side of Teach, warning him that he could enter only if he behaved.
• Teach restrained his anger and proceeded toward the Council Hall with Lafitte and Samuel Kronos, more cautiously than before.

Gern announced that the Marines would abolish slavery, protect oppressed races, and recruit people of every race. Blackbeard and his advisers recognized that the policies also weakened rival powers and strengthened Gern and the Marines.

• Gern ordered the abolition of slavery wherever Marine authority reached and warned the former World Government nations to comply.
• Gern promised that Marines would rescue enslaved people of any race and punish those responsible, regardless of their backing.
• Gern opened Marine recruitment to all races, offering equal treatment, training, promotion, and honors.
• Blackbeard asked Lafitte why Gern was making these announcements, and Lafitte explained how the policies redirected public pressure toward the Celestial Dragons while appeasing the nobles.
• Samuel Kronos explained that recruiting nonhuman races would protect them, add powerful and loyal soldiers to the Marines, and bolster Gern's moral authority.
• Blackbeard concluded that Gern was more than a fighter and decided to keep something in reserve when working with the World Government.

After recovering from Gern Reginald Sigma’s Spark, Imu learned that Gear Fifth Luffy had appeared and that Gern had convened a Reverie at New Marineford. Imu erupted at the news, revealing to Gunko that it feared Gern.

• Imu recalled the pain caused by Gern’s Spark and saw a photograph of Gear Fifth Monkey D. Luffy.
• Gunko reported that they had made contact with Blackbeard, while the table held only Luffy’s photograph and a mutilated photograph of Gern Reginald Sigma.
• Imu told Gunko that everything would proceed according to plan.
• Gunko reported that Gern had convened a Reverie at New Marineford on behalf of the World Government and began to relay the Five Elders’ response.
• Imu flew into a rage, called Gern an error, and insisted that Mu’s success would restore normality.
• Gunko realized that Imu was afraid of Gern.

At the New Marineford harbor, Blackbeard failed to find trade partners for Hachinosu and confronted Gern, who mocked his credibility and scar. Blackbeard lost his temper and began summoning the powers of his Devil Fruits.

• After the Reverie, Blackbeard lingered at the harbor to seek partners for Hachinosu, but the delegates avoided him.
• Lafitte told Blackbeard that no one would openly cooperate with a pirate-founded nation on Navy territory.
• Gern approached Blackbeard, and Blackbeard mocked Gern while offering to reveal the World Government's promises in exchange for recognition and trade rights.
• Gern called Blackbeard a fence-sitter without credibility and taunted him about the scar left by the Golden Lion.
• Blackbeard erupted in anger, stirred the powers of the Dark-Dark Fruit and Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and insisted he was still the strongest of the Four Emperors.

Gern used his Conqueror's Haki to force Blackbeard to his knees and dismissed him as unqualified to be a Four Emperor. Gern left Blackbeard humiliated and questioned whether he possessed Conqueror's Haki at all.

• Gern focused dark purple Conqueror's Haki on Blackbeard, suppressing his Devil Fruit powers and forcing him to kneel.
• Lafitte collapsed unconscious after catching the Haki's aftershock, while onlookers watched in fear.
• Gern acknowledged the strength of the other Four Emperors but declared Blackbeard unqualified for the title.
• Gern told Blackbeard to leave and said Haki, especially Conqueror's Haki, reigned above all else.
• Gern questioned whether Blackbeard had ever possessed Conqueror's Haki, then walked away.

Blackbeard returned to his flagship after facing Gern Reginald Sigma at Marine Headquarters and admitted that he could not defeat “Heavenquake” Gern head-on. Samuel Kronos explained his fear of Gern, while Lafitte and Samuel reacted with disbelief at Blackbeard’s carefully phrased assessment.

• Blackbeard carried the unconscious Lafitte onto the Sword of Xebec and dumped him onto the deck.
• Samuel Kronos asked Blackbeard whether he had fought Gern Reginald Sigma and explained that Gern had once defeated him, crippled him, and taken his Gold-Gold Fruit and Heal-Heal Fruit.
• Blackbeard stopped berating Samuel and reflected on how terrifying Gern was, even compared with his own two Devil Fruit abilities.
• Blackbeard told his officers that he could not win head-on against “Heavenquake” Gern in his current state.
• Lafitte revealed he had been pretending to be unconscious, and he and Samuel silently questioned Blackbeard’s more dignified account of his retreat.

On Egghead, Luffy transformed into Gear Fifth and overwhelmed Rob Lucci, proving he had grown into the title of Emperor. He left Lucci battered but alive and hurried to answer Nami and the others’ call for help.

• Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates landed on Egghead, met Vegapunk, and discovered the wreckage of an Ancient Robot.
• Rob Lucci and CP0 infiltrated Egghead on orders from the Five Elders to retrieve Vegapunk and his Database.
• Lucci challenged Luffy and unleashed his awakened Leopard form, but Luffy transformed into Gear Fifth and battered him with a series of attacks.
• Luffy struck Lucci with a final Nika Jet Pistol, sending him through seven alloy walls and leaving him barely conscious in machinery wreckage.
• After Nami called for help, Luffy left Lucci and rushed to assist his crewmates.