Chapter Summaries

Norton tried to recruit Ace by promising to help him surpass Roger, but Ace refused until Garp’s arrival turned their meeting into a confrontation. As Norton’s fleet clashed with the Marines at Loguetown’s harbor, Garp landed before Norton and Ace and vowed to capture them both.

• Norton revealed that he knew Ace’s ambitions and tried to recruit him, but Ace refused to rely on anyone else to surpass Roger.
• Norton blocked Ace from leaving and stopped his Fire Fist with his bare hand, then learned that Garp was approaching Loguetown with Momousagi Gion.
• Norton ordered his crew to assemble at the harbor, and Ace agreed to watch him face Garp.
• Garp and Momousagi arrived with ten Marine warships as Norton’s thirty-one ships emerged from the mist and exchanged cannon fire with the Marines.
• Garp landed in front of Norton and Ace, recognized Ace, and declared that he would capture both of them.

Norton overwhelmed Garp and Momousagi Gion in head-on clashes, but the Marines pressed their attack as the Norton Pirates tried to escape. Zoro defended the White Pearl from boarding Marines while Nami spotted another ship approaching.

• Momousagi Gion split a pirate ship with one slash, and Norton fought Garp, whose full-force punch sent Norton’s body adapting and growing stronger.
• Norton struck Garp with a Serious Punch, smashing him through seventeen buildings and a clock tower, while Ace chose to stay and watch the fight.
• Garp ordered Smoker to capture Portgas D. Ace and told the Marines to leave his fight with Norton alone.
• Norton caught Gion’s blade between two fingers and slammed her into the sea, then ordered the pirates to retreat under cover of the Mist Whale’s fog.
• Marine forces boarded the White Pearl, and Zoro defeated the colonel and two majors with his Three-Sword Style.
• Nami warned Zoro and Funing that another ship was approaching.

Norton’s fleet fought off Marine boarding parties as Zoro crippled the secondary command ship, allowing the pirates to resume their breakout. Garp returned to challenge Norton in a devastating duel, and as both prepared their strongest punches, Norton worried their next clash would sink his ships.

• Zeff, Sanji, Patty, and Kuro defended the Baratie from Marine officers, while Buggy’s crews fought across the pirate ships and Gin charged three Marines alone.
• Norton defeated two Marine rear admirals, but turned toward Loguetown when he sensed Garp preparing to return.
• Zoro struck the Marine secondary command ship with Flying Dragon, disrupting its coordination and helping the pirate fleet resume its breakout.
• Garp returned and exchanged powerful blows with Norton, sending shock waves across the sea and forcing both fleets to stop fighting.
• Garp realized Norton was growing stronger during their duel, and both men gathered their strength for one final punch as Norton feared their clash would sink the pirate ships.

Norton defeated Garp with a single punch, then let the wounded Marine retreat after revealing he intended to recruit Ace. As the Marines withdrew from Loguetown, Ace escaped Smoker and an Albatross watched from the clouds.

• Garp unleashed Infinite Fist Bone, but Norton shattered the attack and sent Garp crashing through two warships and into the harbor wall.
• Gion tried to protect Garp, but he ordered her to retreat with the Marines and judged that continuing the fight would only cause more deaths.
• Norton said he would spare Garp because he planned to recruit Ace, then warned the Marines to leave.
• Garp ordered the Marines to withdraw, and Gion led him toward the flagship as the fleet began retreating.
• Ace watched the Marines pull back, escaped Smoker, and disappeared into flames while Smoker remained among the ruins.
• An Albatross quietly slipped into the clouds above Loguetown.

A newspaper report proclaimed Silver-Haired Norton the East Blue’s new force and possible Fifth Emperor after his victories over Garp and Gion. Doflamingo, the other Emperors, Shanks, and the Marines reacted to the news, while Garp warned Sengoku that Norton had likely held back.

• Morgans’s newspaper reported that Norton had unified East Blue pirate crews, gathered over thirty ships and three thousand subordinates, and defeated Garp and Gion.
• Doflamingo ordered Diamante to investigate Norton, especially whether he had grievances against the Celestial Dragons.
• Crocodile, Moria, Kaido, Big Mom, and Whitebeard read the news and considered Norton’s strength and growing influence; Big Mom ordered Perospero to propose a marriage alliance if Norton reached the New World.
• Shanks warned his captains and friends to watch Norton, saying his rapid buildup of power could upset the balance of the new era.
• Sengoku confronted the injured Garp over the newspaper’s portrayal of the Marines’ defeat.
• Garp told Sengoku that Norton grew stronger during their fight and had not used his full strength when he defeated him.

After defeating Garp, Norton’s fleet assessed its losses, repaired its ships, and received new bounties, including a one-billion-Beli bounty for Norton. Zoro challenged Norton and was swiftly defeated, while Sanosuke asked to eat a Devil Fruit so he could grow stronger.

• Sengoku heard Garp warn that Norton wanted the entire world and ordered preparations for an emergency Marine leadership meeting.
• Norton’s officers reported that the fleet had only twenty-seven seaworthy ships left and had lost three hundred men, so Norton assigned repairs and medical reports before they entered the Grand Line.
• Nami read the new bounty posters, which listed bounties for Norton’s crew and gave Norton a bounty of one billion Beli.
• Zoro challenged Norton, but Sanosuke stood in his way until Zoro defeated him in a duel.
• Norton stopped Zoro’s strongest attack with one punch, and Sanosuke asked to eat a Devil Fruit to become stronger.

Sanosuke ate the Ink Crow Devil Fruit and fought Zoro to a standstill, proving the fruit’s power before Norton stopped their duel. After the Norton Pirates’ fleet survived a violent storm, it was stranded in the Calm Belt and surrounded by a group of Sea Kings.

• Norton offered Sanosuke the black-feathered Devil Fruit, and Sanosuke ate it, gaining the Zoan Bird-Bird Fruit, Ink Crow Form.
• Sanosuke and Zoro fought on the Baratie’s deck, with Sanosuke using his wings, feathers, and ninja techniques to match Zoro until Norton stopped the duel.
• Norton advised Sanosuke to develop his fruit’s abilities, while Sanji secretly trained his kicks so he would not fall behind.
• Three days later, Funing reported that the fleet’s ships had been reinforced, and Norton ordered them to sail toward the Grand Line.
• Nami guided the fleet through a violent compound storm, and Funing confirmed that all twenty-seven ships survived.
• The fleet emerged in the Calm Belt, where Zeff identified the danger as Sea Kings as enormous creatures rose from the water and encircled the ships.

Big Black carried Norton’s fleet through the Calm Belt and up Reverse Mountain into the Grand Line, where Norton found Crocus and persuaded him to treat the wounded. Crocus explained that the fleet needed a Log Pose to navigate the Grand Line, leaving Nami to seek one.

• Big Black drove off the Sea Kings, then carried the fleet across the Calm Belt until a giant scorpion Sea King attacked; Norton destroyed its pincer and armored body with one punch.
• Big Black carried the ships up Reverse Mountain, bringing the Norton Pirates fleet into the Grand Line at Twin Cape.
• Norton recognized the scarred whale Laboon and found Crocus, whom he asked to treat the fleet’s wounded and join his crew.
• Crocus refused to join but treated more than five hundred wounded pirates after Norton pressured him into it.
• Nami asked Crocus why her compass kept spinning, and he explained that the Grand Line required a Log Pose to navigate.

After Crocus explained the Grand Line’s magnetic routes, Norton’s crew secured a Log Pose and planned to plunder and gather intelligence as they sailed onward. They endured brutal weather before reaching Granvor, where Norton and his officers spotted a town beneath enormous dead birches.

• Crocus explained that the Log Pose guided ships along one of seven routes that eventually converged, and he reunited with Buggy, who angrily refused to forgive Shanks.
• Nami warned Norton that the fleet was nearly out of money, and the crew discussed the need for a Log Pose and an Eternal Pose to navigate the Grand Line.
• Sanosuke found a Log Pose aboard the fleet, and Norton planned to plunder pirates, wealthy locals, and Marines while asking Funing to build an intelligence network.
• Crocus went to tend to Laboon after the whale injured himself ramming the Red Line, while Buggy thanked Norton for bringing him to his old friend.
• The Norton Pirates set sail the next morning and struggled through blizzards, gales, thunder, and whirlpools before reaching Granvor.
• Norton and his officers went ashore to scout Granvor, where Nami spotted a town beneath towering dead birch trees.

Norton and his companions arrive in Birch Town, where Mayor Polido welcomes them and warns that a month-long magnetic recording and an approaching freeze will keep them stranded. While the group attends a banquet, Sanosuke reports that masked townspeople burned their boat, and the Bald-Headed Girl secretly overhears Funing receiving the warning.

• Norton and his companions reach Birch Town, where Mayor Polido welcomes them and invites them to stay.
• Masked townspeople search the group's boat, burn it, and destroy the wreckage before spotting a fog-covered fleet offshore.
• At the banquet, Zoro drinks himself to sleep, Buggy entertains children, Nami challenges the locals to a drinking contest, and Kuro watches Polido.
• Polido tells the guests that the Log Pose will take a month to record the island and that Granvor's Winter will freeze the surrounding sea.
• Sanosuke calls Funing to report the boat's destruction, and she agrees to tell King while the Bald-Headed Girl secretly listens.