Chapter Summaries

Issho brought the World Government delegation to a remote location and negotiated the Tru Empire’s terms for joining, but the talks turned into a trap. After the tall, thin man said he would report the conditions, a masked Cipher Pol agent touched Issho and left him experiencing hallucinations.

• Issho transported the delegation to an uninhabited area more than a hundred kilometers from the Royal City.
• Issho told the tall, thin man that the Tru Empire would join the World Government only if it received three concessions and was free from other interference.
• Issho used gravity to crush the braided man into a crater after the man taunted him, and the tall, thin man kicked his subordinate away when he attacked again.
• The tall, thin man apologized and said he would pass the Tru Empire’s conditions to the higher-ups, then asked where Issho had trained an army of more than ten thousand men.
• A masked Cipher Pol agent touched Issho, making him sheathe his sword and experience hallucinations, while the tall, thin man revealed the group’s deception.

Issho resisted the white-masked man's illusion and attacked the five Cipher Pol agents after they tried to question him. The agents surrounded him, and the tall, thin man ordered Water Cat to stay back after Issho's gravity attack left the braided man trapped in a vast pit.

• The braided man mocked the white-masked man and asked Issho about the Tru Empire, while the tall, thin man demanded information about its military and Admirals.
• Issho revealed that he was unaffected by the illusion, and the five agents retreated in alarm.
• The tall, thin man tried to smooth things over and resume negotiations, but Issho insisted someone else handle the matter and attacked with Gravity Blade Fierce Tiger.
• The tall, thin man and the white-masked man escaped the attack, while the braided man was struck and buried but crawled out unharmed.
• The braided man attacked Issho with his transformed braid, but Issho used Gravity Sword - Endless Hell to sink the area and trap him in a deep pit.
• The other agents retreated, and the tall, thin man told Water Cat to remain on the outskirts because his attack and defense were weak.

Issho confronted the Cipher Pol agents and faced the tall, thin leader’s time-stopping Devil Fruit ability. Nova and Abona intervened from hiding, discovered the ability’s range, and Abona moved to attack the masked agent.

• Issho questioned the Cipher Pol agents’ intentions, then summoned meteors with his gravity field as they charged him.
• The tall, thin leader used the Clock-Clock Fruit to stop time within a limited area, freezing the meteors and everyone inside it.
• Nova and Abona watched from hidden space, and Nova revealed that he had secretly freed Issho from the masked agent’s illusions.
• At Nova’s direction, Abona tested the time-stop boundary with a Haki slash, which froze at roughly a hundred meters from the leader.
• Abona used Observation Haki to approach the white-masked agent, who had little strength beyond his Illusion-Illusion Fruit ability.

Nova secretly helped Abona and Issho survive the CP agents’ Time-Time Fruit attack, leaving the agents trapped between a meteor and Abona’s strike. Issho demanded that the World Government accept the Tru Empire’s conditions and announce them through the World Economic Journal.

• Nova recognized that the masked man’s Devil Fruit was especially dangerous against large forces and ordered Abona not to kill him.
• Abona changed his attack and severely wounded the masked man instead of killing him.
• Nova used Space Power to pull Issho out of the tall, thin man’s Time Power field.
• Abona and Issho confronted the trapped CP agents, and the tall, thin man offered to relay their conditions to his superiors.
• Issho added that the World Government must announce its agreement through the World Economic Journal.

Issho and Abona negotiated with the Cipher Pol agents, securing recognition and privileges for the Tru Empire while agreeing to give up its demand for Seastone technology. The Tru pair departed with the injured Water Cat, leaving the agents wary of the empire’s strength.

• The tall, skinny man said the higher-ups had agreed to recognize the Tru Empire as a first-class affiliated nation, waive Celestial Gold, and open the Red Line passage, but refused to provide Seastone technology.
• Issho and Abona prepared to leave, and the tall, skinny man offered to negotiate other terms rather than let the Seastone technology leak.
• Issho agreed to take the injured white-masked man in exchange, removed the meteor, and Abona carried him away.
• The agents withdrew their Time Power, bringing the braided man out of the crater, where Abona’s attack had split him in two before his teammates reassembled him.
• Issho warned the agents to leave the Tru Empire and respect its rights as a World Government affiliate, then departed with Abona and the white-masked man.
• A red-striped-mask agent proposed a Buster Call, but the tall, skinny man warned that the Tru Empire’s navy and warships made that plan dangerous.

After Issho and Abona returned to the royal palace with a dying CP0 agent, Nova killed him and extracted a Devil Fruit from nearby fruit. He explained how Devil Fruits transferred to suitable fruit after their users died, then Issho asked him about another matter.

• The tall, thin CP0 agent and his team swallowed their humiliation after Issho and Abona escaped, knowing they could not attack the Tru Empire yet.
• Issho and Abona appeared in the royal palace with a badly injured masked man, and Abona urged Nova to save him.
• Nova created a spatial barrier, killed the man with a spatial arrow, and extracted a Devil Fruit that appeared in a grape on the platter.
• Nova explained that a Devil Fruit could attach itself to a suitable fruit near its deceased user and that extraction required a spatial barrier.
• Issho accepted Nova's explanation and asked him a solemn question.

Nova ordered Abona and Junhe to delay a Marine Admiral from reaching Crimea while the kingdom’s merger with the Tru Empire proceeded. As the empire expanded across the South Blue, Nova assigned Issho to train Enel with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit on Sky Island.

• Nova told Abona to join Junhe and keep the Marine Admiral out of Crimea for at least two days, and Abona left to carry out the order.
• Nova revealed to Issho that he had eaten two Devil Fruits, and Issho accepted the explanation for Nova’s abilities.
• Nova explained that Crimea would become the Tru Empire’s food-growing base, and Issho planned to travel to Sky Island to train its soldiers.
• Nova ordered Issho to give Enel the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and help him train to become powerful within two years.
• Over the next two months, five neighboring countries merged into the Tru Empire, which grew to occupy nearly one-third of the South Blue.
• The Tru Empire secretly removed corrupt officials, supplied weapons to resistance movements, and sent reporters to document the uprisings.

Abona and Junhe sailed to intercept Marine ships sent to reinforce the Crimea Kingdom, while Admiral Sakazuki prepared to face the approaching Tru Empire ironclads. The fleets closed in as Sakazuki’s magma began damaging his own ship, but neither side had yet attacked.

• After five neighboring countries merged into the Tru Empire, its economy continued to grow.
• Abona and Junhe led two ironclad warships toward Crimea’s waters to stop the Marine reinforcements before they arrived.
• Abona ordered the fleet behind them to change course while his and Junhe’s ships continued at full speed.
• A lookout spotted two approaching ships, and a Marine soldier reported to Admiral Sakazuki that they were likely Tru Empire ironclads.
• Sakazuki went onto the deck and let magma flow over his body, prompting a Marine officer to warn him not to attack first.

The Marines’ mission in the South Blue stalled when two Tru Empire warships blocked their path, and Sakazuki prepared to fight despite Sengoku’s warning to avoid conflict. The ships remained in a tense standoff as Sakazuki demanded that the Tru Empire withdraw.

• The Tru Empire fleet ordered the Marine warships to stop for inspection and illuminated them with powerful searchlights.
• Sakazuki ordered his ship to prepare for battle, while his adjutant warned that conflict could start a war with the Tru Empire.
• Garp declined to put his ship on alert and told Momousagi that the blockade was deliberate and the Marines’ mission was partly to show their concern for member nations.
• The two sides drew close as the Tru Empire warships kept their weapons ready, while Garp and Momousagi stayed aboard their ship and ate.
• Sakazuki’s adjutant identified him over a loudspeaker and demanded that the Tru Empire ships withdraw, but neither side attacked.

The Tru Empire Navy intercepted Sakazuki's Marine warship and insisted on inspecting it, while Garp told Momousagi why the Marines and World Government avoided provoking the rapidly rising empire. The standoff remained unresolved, with Sakazuki facing two Tru Empire Admirals and the empire's king, Genji Chōno, described as a formidable mystery.

• Abona and the Tru Empire Navy demanded to inspect Sakazuki's warship, and Sakazuki refused, claiming Marine Headquarters had authority in the South Blue.
• A Tru Empire officer said previous impostors had posed as Marines, while Sakazuki recognized Abona and Junhe as Tru Empire Admirals.
• Momousagi asked Garp whether the Marines should intervene, and Garp said the Tru Empire had already noticed them and advised against provoking a conflict.
• Garp explained that the World Government had investigated the Tru Empire for a year without learning how it built its steel warships.
• Garp told Momousagi that Genji Chōno had transformed the empire in six years, was stronger than she was, and had recruited Issho as an Admiral.

Garp explained how the Tru Empire had risen from poverty into a powerful state, while its ships stalled Sakazuki’s Marines through the night. At dawn, Akainu received orders to reach the Crimea Kingdom, only to find a line of Tru Empire patrol warships blocking the way.

• Garp told Momousagi that the Tru Empire had transformed after its current king took power, and that the Marines had become concerned after discovering people there could use the Marine Six Styles.
• Garp said the Tru Empire’s people were skilled at making their actions seem reasonable, and he believed Sakazuki would not start a fight.
• Marine and Tru Empire crews argued through the night without advancing, while additional Tru Empire warships quietly approached under cover of darkness.
• Abona and Junhe watched updates as representatives from the Crimea Kingdom set out to submit an agreement that would incorporate the kingdom into the Tru Empire.
• Akainu received orders from Marine Headquarters to reach the Crimea Kingdom by morning, then saw a line of Tru Empire naval patrol warships appear ahead.

The Tru Empire Navy blocked Sakazuki and Garp’s two warships, claiming a military exercise barred ships from approaching until noon. After Garp recognized Abona, Junhe reinforced the warning by firing a powerful cannon shot into the sea, leaving the Navy unable to advance.

• Abona aimed the Tru Empire fleet’s cannons at the Navy ships and told Sakazuki they could not enter the exercise area until noon.
• Junhe offered to assist the Navy with its mission after the exercises, but Sakazuki remained furious.
• Garp came onto the deck, recognized Abona, and asked Junhe to let the Navy pass.
• Junhe refused Garp’s request and told him to wait until the exercises ended.
• Junhe ordered Kabachu to fire at the waters ahead, and the cannon blast demonstrated the Tru Empire’s firepower to the Navy.

Garp boarded Abona’s warship to discuss Abona’s place in the Tru Empire and question him about the country’s strength. They parted without reconciling, with Abona warning Garp that his son, the Revolutionary Army’s leader, already stood against him.

• Garp ordered the Marines not to attack and went alone to meet Abona aboard the Tru Empire’s warship.
• Abona told Garp that the Tru Empire’s king had saved him and that he chose to serve the country instead of returning to the Marines.
• Garp asked whether Abona had killed a Celestial Dragon and questioned him about the Tru Empire’s military base and Genji Chōno’s strength.
• Abona refused to reveal the empire’s secrets and rejected Garp’s offer of a Vice Admiral position, saying he preferred to remain in the Tru Empire.
• Garp said he did not want to face Abona as an enemy, and Abona warned him that his son, the Revolutionary Army’s leader, was already on the opposing side.

After the Tru Empire’s fleet withdrew, Garp and Sakazuki followed it to Naniwa Port to see the country for themselves. They arrived that evening, where an official told them they needed to wear special wristbands to enter.

• Garp accepted Abona’s reassurance and returned to the Marine ships, while both sides maintained their standoff.
• The Tru Empire’s warships withdrew at noon, and Sakazuki concluded the Crimea Kingdom was likely gone.
• Garp invited Sakazuki to visit the Tru Empire, and Momousagi eagerly joined them.
• Garp, Sakazuki, Momousagi, and some Marine officers followed the fleet to Naniwa Port and were astonished by its scale and development.
• At the National Affairs Hall entrance, a Tru Empire staff member told Garp he needed to wear a wristband that restricted Devil Fruit users’ powers.

Garp and Sakazuki’s Marine party entered the Tru Empire, where suppression bracelets, a bustling modern city, and an extravagant hotel revealed how dramatically the nation had changed. They were led to a ruler-arranged hotel stay and reached the dining floor, where a lavish meal awaited them.

• A staff member explained that visitors to the Tru Empire had to wear bracelets that suppressed Devil Fruit abilities, and Garp and his companions put them on.
• Garp’s party left the port hall and marveled at the crowded streets and modern buildings of the Tru Empire.
• Xiao Mo, a hotel receptionist, told the Marines that the Empire’s ruler had arranged their rooms, and Sakazuki agreed to follow him.
• The Marines learned that rooms at the Welcome Hotel cost 150,000 Beli per person per night and that 800 rooms remained in service.
• Sakazuki asked for dinner, and Xiao Mo led the group by elevator to the hotel’s lavish dining area.

Garp and the other visitors explored the Tru Empire’s Royal City, where Garp learned about its commercial rules and discovered that his wristband monitored and restrained outsiders. After he tried to remove it, police arrived to take him in for questioning.

• After dinner, Momousagi and the others left the hotel to explore the Royal City, while Garp walked through its streets in casual clothes.
• A vendor explained to Garp that small businesses paid management fees instead of taxes and that the kingdom’s Ministry of Commerce controlled production and exports.
• When Garp began asking about the country, his wristband glowed red and tightened, prompting the vendor to warn him not to ask forbidden questions.
• Garp tugged at the wristband but could not break it, and its flashing lights drew a squad of police officers.
• A police officer told Garp he was under investigation for trying to remove his wristband and making improper remarks, while Garp laughed and called it a misunderstanding.

Garp and the Marines left the Tru Empire without gathering useful intelligence after its bracelet system and security measures blocked their investigation. Over the next three years, the Tru Empire kept developing and expanded its control over more than half of South Blue.

• Police stopped Garp from entering restricted areas and warned him that forcing off his bracelet would cost him his hand.
• Sakazuki questioned the Marines about their visit, but they reported that the Tru Empire’s security had repeatedly blocked them.
• Garp explained that their bracelets had exposed them as outsiders, and Sakazuki refused to report the failed mission to Sengoku.
• The Marines returned to their ships without useful intelligence, recognizing that attacking the Tru Empire could damage the Marines’ and World Government’s credibility.
• Over the following three years, the Tru Empire continued developing and brought more than half of South Blue under its control through voluntary submissions and territorial mergers.

After three years of growth, the Tru Empire had become a powerful first-class World Government affiliated nation, and the World Government discovered that its military base was on a Sky Island. At Marine Headquarters, Sengoku and the other officers debated how to contain the Empire, which had grown beyond their control.

• The Tru Empire expanded its commerce and influence, becoming recognized as one of the world's strongest nations while keeping its military strength secret.
• The World Government's investigation revealed that the Tru Empire's military base was on a Sky Island, though it had not uncovered how the Empire transported people there.
• Sengoku told Marine officers that the Sky Island information was confirmed, but Garp noted that knowing the location was of little use if they could not reach it in force.
• Sengoku revealed that no Cipher Pol members had survived after the information was leaked, while Tsuru explained that the World Government could not openly retaliate against a first-class affiliated nation.
• Sengoku argued that the Marines needed to strike at the Tru Empire's growth before its military and technology made it impossible to contain.

The Marines debated the World Government’s demand to investigate the Tru Empire, whose growing territory, military strength, and defenses made infiltration nearly impossible. Sengoku revealed that the World Government had chosen Momousagi for the mission, while Tsuru fiercely opposed sending her.

• Aokiji suggested using the Tru Empire’s strength against the Four Emperors, but Kizaru and Sengoku dismissed the idea and turned to the investigation.
• Sengoku explained that the World Government wanted the Marines to uncover how the Tru Empire reached Sky Island and built its steel warships.
• Garp and Sengoku described the Tru Empire’s strict port controls, tracking wristbands, and inaccessible royal palace, making infiltration extremely difficult.
• Tsuru asked whether the World Government wanted someone to enter the royal palace, and Sengoku confirmed that it had chosen Momousagi.
• Tsuru furiously rejected the assignment, while Sengoku considered how to respond.
• The Tru Empire’s influence had spread across nearly twenty South Blue countries, whose ports and defenses it controlled while keeping factories and commercial projects outside its borders.

Nova arrived in Foosha Village and visited its tavern, where he met Makino and began learning about the village. He introduced himself as a businessman traveling for pleasure and stopped to enjoy the peaceful place.

• Nova used his Observation Haki to survey Foosha Village and walked there from the forest.
• Nova decided the quiet village seemed like a pleasant place to rest and headed for its tavern.
• Makino welcomed Nova, and Taluk recommended the village's popular Rum Road.
• Nova ordered Rum Road and asked Makino to tell him about the village.
• Makino asked what brought Nova to Foosha Village, and Nova said he was a businessman who had stopped to rest.