Arc 26From Mystery Island to Whole Cake

Vic secured a truce with the World Government, uncovered the Soul Tree’s secrets, and used its fruits to protect and train people he cared about. He then reached Whole Cake Island to challenge Big Mom over Wendy’s unwanted marriage, leaving the gathered guests awaiting Big Mom’s response.

  • Saturn offered Vic a Shichibukai title and two billion Beli in exchange for peace, and Vic accepted the terms while asking him to return the eight fighters to Mary Geoise.
  • Vic reunited with his crew on Titan Island, shared the Poneglyphs with Olvia, and learned of Pluton’s location, Joy Boy’s promise, and the Soul Tree’s path to godhood.
  • Vic found Mystery Island’s hidden chamber, learned how Soul Fruits worked, cut down the Soul Tree, and collected nearly all its fruits before leaving for the East Blue.
  • Vic arrived at Cocoyasi Village in time to stop Arlong from killing Bellemere, drove the Fish-Men away, healed Bellemere, and gave Soul Fruits to her, Nami, and Nojiko.
  • Vic trained Nami and Nojiko in an illusion, then visited Kuina and Ace before meeting Rayleigh in Sabaody and learning more about Roger’s failed attempt to reach the God Realm.
  • Vic gave Rayleigh news of Roger’s son, signed the Shichibukai contract with black dog’s blood, collected the promised two billion Beli, and returned to Titan Island.
  • After Wendy told Vic that Big Mom planned to marry her to one of her sons, Vic accepted Big Mom’s tea party invitation and sailed with his crew to Whole Cake Island.
  • Vic confronted Big Mom in her great hall, revealed Wendy’s objections to the marriage, offered a Devil Fruit to cancel it, and claimed Wendy’s kingdom as the guests watched Big Mom’s smile fade.
Chapters 629–653 Vol. 7 Read

Ch. 629Shichibukai

After two years of fighting, Saturn offered Vic the Shichibukai position to end their conflict, but Vic negotiated for compensation instead. The World Government agreed to pay his two-billion-Beli bounty in exchange for his promise to stop attacking its bases and the Shichibukai, and Vic told Saturn to recall the eight fighters hunting him.

  • Saturn proposed a truce after the World Government’s losses in its two-year conflict with Vic.
  • Saturn offered to make Vic a Shichibukai and clear his name through a news report blaming someone else for the Celestial Dragon’s death.
  • Vic refused the Shichibukai offer and asked for money, saying he wanted to buy a pirate ship.
  • Vic demanded the two-billion-Beli bounty on his head as compensation.
  • Saturn agreed to pay if Vic stopped attacking World Government bases and the Shichibukai, and Vic asked him to send the eight fighters back to Mary Geoise.

Ch. 630Two Years of Change

After two years in hiding, Vic secured his plan to become a Shichibukai and returned to Titan Island, where he reunited with his transformed companions. The crew had grown stronger during their seclusion, and Vic was ready to resume the plans and connections he had put aside.

  • Vic and Saturn ended their call, each privately believing he had outmaneuvered the other over Vic's Shichibukai title and the two billion Beli.
  • Vic reflected on the work he had left unfinished, including translating Poneglyphs, building a ship, and visiting old friends.
  • Vic returned to Titan Island, where Rebecca had used the Float-Float Fruit to bring the ship safely to the island's edge.
  • Rebecca, Wendy, Ain, Olvia, Barnett, and Mantis came out to greet Vic after two years apart.
  • Vic observed how his companions had changed and grown stronger, including Barnett's development as vice captain and Mantis's progress toward awakening his Devil Fruit.

Ch. 631Building Strength

Vic told his crew that the World Government had compromised and that they could stop running, while explaining that becoming Shichibukai would give them time to train and build strength. The crew prepared to claim Titan Island as their territory, with Vic insisting that his long-term goal had not changed.

  • Kanbo’s years of accumulated training paid off as he mastered both types of Haki and grasped Ryuo.
  • Vic praised Frodeku for being able to hold off a Holy Knight and explained that his limited Armament Haki reserves kept him from winning outright.
  • Vic announced that the World Government had compromised and told Mantis to move his villagers’ island near Titan Island, which he planned to claim as territory.
  • Rebecca questioned whether the World Government would let Vic become a Shichibukai after he killed a Celestial Dragon, and Vic said they could shift the blame and clear his name.
  • Mantis accused Vic of deceiving the crew about the Shichibukai, but Vic explained that the crew needed time to grow stronger before facing the World Government again.
  • Mantis apologized and vowed to fight a Holy Knight alone next time, while Vic said he should aim to handle at least three in more than ten years.

Ch. 632Olvia's Excitement

After a celebratory banquet on Titan Island, Vic privately showed Olvia five copies of Poneglyphs he had recorded during his adventures, giving her a chance to study the Ancient Script and the history she had long pursued. Olvia was overcome with gratitude and hope that Vic might change the world.

  • Vic declared the victory worth celebrating with a banquet and told Rebecca and Mantis to move the island the next day and greet Whitebeard.
  • After the banquet, Vic called Olvia to his house, where he presented five scrolls covered in Ancient Script.
  • Olvia recognized the scrolls as copies of Poneglyphs and marveled that Vic had gathered five when Ohara had found only one.
  • Vic explained that he had recorded the Poneglyphs during his Grand Line adventures and invited Olvia to examine them now that the World Government was no longer a major problem.
  • Olvia became emotional as she studied a copy, thanked Vic for changing her life, and hoped he could change the world.

Ch. 633A Shocking Discovery

Vic and Olvia read several Poneglyph records, learning about Ancient Weapons, their power source, Joy Boy’s apology, and a cryptic island. Vic decided to investigate the island’s coordinates in search of the mysterious godhood mentioned in the inscription, while Olvia was disappointed that the records revealed little about the Void Century.

  • Vic read the Alabasta Poneglyph and learned that Pluton was located in Wano Country, with coordinates also recorded.
  • Olvia read the Poneglyph about Poseidon and struggled with the World Government’s accusations against Ohara, reaffirming that the scholars had done nothing wrong.
  • Vic learned that Pluton and the giant robot required an unknown energy source and considered having Vegapunk research it once his surveillance was dealt with.
  • Olvia read Joy Boy’s apology to the mermaid princess, which said someone bearing a D would one day fulfill his promise to liberate the Fish-Man Race.
  • Vic read a Poneglyph containing coordinates and cryptic clues about an island, a mirror, a tree, and godhood, and resolved to visit the location.
  • Olvia finished reading the records disappointed that they offered little information about the Void Century.

Ch. 634Traces of a Dream

After reading the Poneglyphs, Vic urged Olvia to focus on developing her Devil Fruit while keeping their discoveries secret. The World Government publicly cleared Vic of the Celestial Dragon killings and prepared the way for him to join the Shichibukai.

  • Vic told Olvia that the Poneglyphs were unlikely to reveal the full history of the Void Century and urged her to develop her Devil Fruit ability.
  • Olvia left after deciding to prioritize her training, then dreamed of being intimate with Vic after he secretly used illusions and his Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability to relieve her tension.
  • Mantis noticed Olvia’s changed demeanor and teasingly suspected Vic had made a move, while Olvia felt embarrassed and guilty about her dream.
  • Vic told the crew that the World Government’s newspaper had blamed another culprit for the killings, apologized to him, and offered compensation and a possible return to government service.
  • The article also prepared the public to accept Vic as a future Shichibukai by portraying him as a former marine who would protect civilians.

Ch. 635Searching for It Far and Wide

Vic followed the Poneglyph’s coordinates to Mystery Island, which he had visited for years to collect Mystery Fruits, and tried to understand how its giant tree could help him become a god. He trained beside the lake while waiting for the full moon, hoping to discover the tree’s secret.

  • Vic gave Rebecca, Mantis, and Barnett instructions before leaving Titan Island to investigate the Poneglyph’s coordinates.
  • Vic reached the intersection of the four coordinates and discovered that the recorded island was Mystery Island in the Calm Belt.
  • Vic realized the island’s mirror was its central lake and the tree that appeared there each full moon was the one described by the Poneglyph.
  • Vic concluded that collecting Mystery Fruits one at a time would take too long and began searching for a way to obtain them in greater numbers.
  • Vic trained by the lake for more than half a month as he waited for the full moon to reveal the giant tree.

Ch. 636A Tangled Mystery

Vic waited for the full moon to investigate the giant tree and its Mystery Fruits, but found no clue to Joy Boy’s cryptic instruction to “become a god in the tree.” He decided to try again on the next full-moon night, then cleared away the clouds so the moon would appear on schedule.

  • Vic watched the full moon rise as beasts gathered around the poisonous lake, wary of his powerful aura.
  • When two Mystery Fruits fell from the giant tree, Vic seized them and subdued the surrounding beasts with Conqueror’s Haki.
  • Vic searched the tree for clues, but it sank back into the lake before he discovered anything, and its deadly gravity returned.
  • Vic considered how Joy Boy had arranged the lake’s unnatural effects and decided to wait another month before resuming his search for Poneglyphs.
  • On the next full-moon night, Vic used lightning and a wind-infused slash to disperse the clouds and reveal the moon.

Ch. 637A Discovery

Vic used the Voice of All Things to find a hidden entrance in the giant tree and discovered a glowing chamber inside its trunk. There, he found a mysterious sapling and a detailed chart of the Grand Line, but he remained unable to contact the outside world until the tree surfaced again.

  • As the giant tree began sinking into the lake, Vic used the Voice of All Things to sense a hollow in its trunk.
  • Vic cleared moss from the trunk, found and opened a concealed door, then entered before the tree sank beneath the water.
  • The hidden entrance sealed behind Vic, leaving him inside the submerged tree with no Den Den Mushi signal and no way out until the next full moon.
  • Vic followed a glowing passage into a chamber containing a small luminous tree growing from the floor.
  • Vic examined reliefs on the chamber wall and recognized one as a chart of the Grand Line, which he carefully recorded.

Ch. 638A Shocking Secret

Vic discovered that the relief depicted the woman he had seen among the powerful figures and read her account of the Soul Tree, the Gods of Law, and the Grand Line’s creation. He realized Soul Fruits could help him pursue godhood, but the inscription left him questioning the World Government’s cover-up and the threat Law Gods were meant to guard against.

  • Vic recognized the woman in the relief as the powerful figure he had seen on the Red Line, whom he suspected had awakened the Woods-Woods Fruit.
  • Vic read the inscription explaining that Soul Fruits strengthened souls and that strong souls and wills helped people comprehend laws and become Gods of Law.
  • The woman described how King Nika and other Law Gods shaped the Grand Line’s islands to temper people, and how the Soul Tree offered another path to godhood.
  • The inscription explained that the Soul Fruits would all ripen together and could be safely gathered by cutting down the glowing tree on a full-moon night; the tree also concealed the fluctuations of a breakthrough.
  • Vic concluded that the World Government had suppressed the truth about Law Fruits and wondered whether it had also limited people to eating one fruit.
  • Vic speculated that Law Gods needed to protect Qingning Star from enemies beyond their world, while recognizing that many mysteries remained.

Ch. 639Harvesting the Fruits

Vic harvested the Soul Fruits from the Soul Tree and left Mystery Island with a stockpile that would accelerate his Haki cultivation. He headed toward the East Blue, intending to visit old acquaintances before pursuing his path to godhood.

  • Vic vowed to avenge the Forest Law God once he became powerful enough, then spent a month cultivating while he waited for the full moon.
  • When the Soul Tree rose, Vic cut down the glowing tree in the ring-shaped space and stored it in his Dimensional Ring.
  • Vic used Conqueror's Haki to hold back the gathering beasts and Sea Kings, then collected nearly all the Soul Fruits before the tree sank.
  • Vic took several striped donkeys from the island to eat and used his Rumble-Rumble Fruit power to encourage them to reproduce.
  • Vic ate a Soul Fruit and cultivated his Armament Haki with its Primal Spirit, then flew from Mystery Island toward the East Blue.

Ch. 640Bellemere

Vic visited an East Blue town and learned from a newspaper that Jinbe had become a Shichibukai, prompting him to fear that Arlong had been released. He rushed toward Cocoyasi Village to save Bellemere, though a month had passed since the news was published.

  • Vic heard townspeople say the Shichibukai system had been announced and learned there were five Shichibukai.
  • Vic asked the crowd for a copy of the newspaper to see who had joined the Shichibukai.
  • Vic saw Jinbe in the paper and realized Arlong might have been released from Impel Down.
  • Vic feared Arlong would attack Cocoyasi Village and put Bellemere in danger.
  • Vic turned into lightning and rushed toward Cocoyasi Village, hoping Arlong had not arrived yet.

Ch. 641A Desperate Situation

Arlong and his crew attacked Cocoyasi Village and discovered Bellemere’s family, demanding head taxes they could not afford. Genzo and the villagers fought back to protect Bellemere, Nami, and Nojiko, leaving the village in a desperate clash with the Fish-Men.

  • Arlong collected protection money from Cocoyasi Village and noticed cooking smoke rising near Bellemere’s home.
  • Arlong led his crew to Bellemere’s cottage, where he injured her and captured Nami and Nojiko.
  • Genzo reached the cottage and tried to persuade Bellemere to pay, but she could not afford the head tax for her family.
  • Genzo attacked Arlong and was cut down by a Fish-Man.
  • The villagers arrived with tools and weapons and charged the Fish-Men to rescue Nami and Nojiko.

Ch. 642A God Descends

Vic arrived in Cocoyasi Village just as Arlong shot Bellemere, taking the bullet and stopping Arlong’s attack. He gave Arlong a chance to return the villagers’ money and leave for Fish-Man Island, warning that otherwise none of his crew would escape.

  • Arlong ordered the Fish-Men to beat the resisting villagers and aimed his flintlock at Bellemere as a warning.
  • Genzo, Nami, and Nojiko watched helplessly as Arlong fired at Bellemere.
  • Vic rushed in and took Arlong’s bullet, which lodged only shallowly in his powerful body.
  • Arlong recognized Vic and fired the rest of his bullets, but Vic caught them all and dropped them at Arlong’s feet.
  • Vic told Arlong to return the villagers’ money and go back to Fish-Man Island, or face him in the orange grove.

Ch. 643A Deterrent

Vic drove Arlong and his men away from the village, then healed Bellemere and gave Soul Fruits to her and the children. The chapter left Vic holding Nami and Nojiko while Genzo watched jealously.

  • Vic helped Bellemere up and healed her minor injuries as Nami and Nojiko ran to embrace her.
  • Arlong chose to retreat, ordering his men to leave behind the money and depart rather than risk fighting Vic.
  • Vic gave Bellemere a Soul Fruit and healed her broken arm and other injuries with his ability.
  • Bellemere thanked Vic and worried about saving some of the fruit for Nami and Nojiko, and Vic promised them fruit as well.
  • Vic gave Soul Fruits to Nami and Nojiko, then picked them up while Genzo watched with jealousy.

Ch. 644Dreams

After helping Cocoyasi Village survive Arlong’s attack, Vic shared a meal with Bellemere, Nami, Nojiko, and Genzo. He then asked the girls about their dreams, hoping Nami still wanted to become a navigator.

  • Bellemere sent the injured villagers home, and Vic invited Genzo to return after getting his wounds treated.
  • Vic cooked a meal with Sea King meat, and Genzo, Bellemere, Nami, and Nojiko eagerly ate with him.
  • Vic reflected that his intervention had saved Bellemere and the villagers from the tragedy Arlong would have caused.
  • Vic took Nami and Nojiko to a seaside cliff and asked what they wanted to do when they grew up.
  • Vic worried that his arrival might have changed Nami’s dream of becoming an exceptional navigator.

Ch. 645Using an Illusion

Vic stayed in Cocoyasi Village and used an illusion to give Bellemere, Nojiko, and Nami months of training in only a few days. He left the village with Bellemere prepared to protect it and the girls continuing their training.

  • Nojiko said she wanted to care for her family's orange grove, while Nami shared her dream of becoming a navigator and mapping the world.
  • Vic told the girls they needed to learn to protect themselves and offered to stay for a few days if they wanted to get stronger.
  • Nami and Nojiko agreed to train, and Vic drew them and Bellemere into an illusion where they underwent months of instruction.
  • Bellemere awakened Observation Haki and trained to protect Cocoyasi Village and supervise the girls.
  • Vic left after five or six days in reality, and Bellemere later learned from Genzo that nearly seven months had passed in the illusion.

Ch. 646Dark King Rayleigh

Vic visited Kuina and Ace in the East Blue before heading to Sabaody to sign his Shichibukai contract. At Shakky's Rip-off Bar, he met Dark King Rayleigh and asked him to join his pirate crew.

  • Saturn contacted Vic and arranged for him to sign his Shichibukai contract in Sabaody.
  • Vic visited Shimotsuki Village, reunited with Kuina, and spent several months training her in an illusion.
  • Vic visited Foosha Village, left food for Luffy, and put Ace through six months of special training in an illusion.
  • Vic traveled to Sabaody, contacted Saturn, and went to Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
  • Vic recognized Dark King Rayleigh and invited him to join his pirate crew.

Ch. 647Roger's Terminal Illness

Vic spoke with Rayleigh about the Roger Pirates’ past and learned more about Roger’s unknown, virus-caused terminal illness. Rayleigh explained that the illness weakened Roger, while Vic questioned how Roger alone had been infected and suggested the crew must have separated.

  • Vic asked Rayleigh to join his crew, and Rayleigh declined while offering to help Vic as a promising pirate.
  • Rayleigh recounted his adventures with Roger, including God Valley, meeting Shanks and Oden, and reaching Laugh Tale.
  • Rayleigh warned Vic about the Holy Knights and explained that he had not used his strongest Haki against Bullet.
  • Vic asked what illness had afflicted Roger, and Rayleigh said an unknown, aggressive virus had damaged Roger’s body and limited his fighting strength.
  • Vic reasoned that Roger must have encountered the virus while separated from his crew, since it had infected him alone.

Ch. 648Secrets and Speculation

Vic learned from Rayleigh that Roger may have contracted a deadly virus while attempting to reach the God Realm, and he suspected a Law God had sabotaged the breakthrough. The chapter left Vic believing the Celestial Dragons might be hiding Law God powerhouses who eliminate potential rivals.

  • Vic connected Roger's symptoms to the virus described in his medical book and asked Rayleigh where Roger had gone alone.
  • Rayleigh recalled that Roger had left to pursue an unknown realm, returned gravely ill, and later warned Rayleigh and Gaban not to attempt a breakthrough lightly.
  • Vic realized Roger had independently sensed the God Realm and thought a virus had stopped him from entering it.
  • Vic inferred that Roger's warning referred to Law Gods sensing breakthroughs and attacking those who might become their rivals.
  • Vic connected the virus used against Roger to the Celestial Dragons' origins and suspected their Law God powerhouses had erased knowledge of the God Realm to suppress challengers.

Ch. 649Signing the Contract

Vic learned from Rayleigh that Celestial Dragons secretly targeted people who might reach the God Realm, then told him Roger had a son in Garp’s care. After signing the Shichibukai contract with a drop of black dog’s blood instead of his own, Vic collected two billion Beli from the Sabaody Marine base.

  • Vic realized Rayleigh’s warning meant he would need to make his Law God breakthrough carefully, and he thanked Rayleigh by revealing that Roger had left behind a healthy son.
  • Vic told Rayleigh that Garp was raising Roger’s child and persuaded him that keeping the child’s identity secret would protect him.
  • A black bat delivered the Shichibukai contract, and Vic returned it after marking it with black dog’s blood rather than his own.
  • Vic left Shakky’s bar and went to the Sabaody Marine base to collect the two billion Beli Saturn had promised him.
  • Vic stored the money in his Dimensional Ring while the base commander watched in astonishment.

Ch. 650Big Mom's Tea Party

Vic returned to Titan Island, where Wendy told him Big Mom had arranged for one of her sons to marry her. Big Mom personally invited Vic to the wedding tea party, and he agreed to attend with his crew.

  • Vic returned to Titan Island and found that Rebecca had brought Mantis's old acquaintances to the island.
  • Wendy told Vic that her father had informed her Big Mom planned to marry her to one of her sons next month.
  • Vic agreed with Wendy that they would go to the wedding and confront Big Mom about the arrangement.
  • Big Mom called Vic and invited him to her son's wedding tea party, claiming their past conflict had been settled.
  • Vic accepted Big Mom's invitation and said he would attend on time.

Ch. 651Setting Out for Whole Cake Island

Vic and his crew set sail for Whole Cake Island to settle the matter that had burdened Wendy, while he used the month-long voyage to develop his fruit and strengthen the crew. They arrived in the surrounding waters after Wendy secretly coordinated their arrival with her father.

  • Vic agreed to Big Mom's invitation and ordered Wendy to prepare the crew to leave for Whole Cake Island.
  • Rebecca lifted the pirate ship from Titan Island with her Float-Float Fruit, while Kanbo and Frodeku unfurled its sails; Rebecca also brought a floating island stocked with Vic's flying swords.
  • Vic distributed Soul Fruits to the crew and told them to eat them after Haki training, while he focused on developing his fruit during the voyage.
  • Rebecca and the others drove off pirates who challenged Vic, and the crew reached the waters around Whole Cake Island after a month at sea.
  • Wendy arranged their arrival time with her father without arousing the Big Mom Pirates' suspicions.

Ch. 652The Black-Robed Law God

Vic arrived at Whole Cake Island for Big Mom’s tea party and questioned Katakuri about the mysterious black-robed man. He suspected the man was a Law God connected to his Dimensional Ring, but left without confirming it and continued toward Big Mom’s castle to deal with Wendy’s situation.

  • Vic’s ship approached Whole Cake Island, and other ships cleared a path when they recognized his emblem.
  • Katakuri and Cracker welcomed Vic and his companions ashore and offered to take them to Big Mom.
  • Vic asked Katakuri whether he knew the mysterious black-robed man, and Katakuri said he did not know the powerhouse but suggested asking Big Mom.
  • Vic speculated that the black-robed Law God had made his Dimensional Ring and might have been watching him as a potential successor.
  • Vic reached the avenue leading to Big Mom’s castle and sensed her powerful aura inside, while noting that no other powerhouses of her level had attended the tea party.

Ch. 653No Respect

Vic arrived at Big Mom’s tea party and publicly demanded that she cancel her son’s wedding to Wendy, offering a Devil Fruit in exchange. Big Mom’s anger rose at his disrespect, leaving a confrontation looming in the crowded hall.

  • Katakuri led Vic and his companions into the great hall, where Big Mom, Stussy, Morgans, Underworld figures, and Big Mom’s children were gathered.
  • Big Mom warmly greeted Vic and recognized Mantis, who awkwardly greeted her in return.
  • Vic interrupted Mantis and told Big Mom that he had come to discuss something rather than attend the wedding.
  • Vic brought Wendy forward, revealed she was meant to marry Big Mom’s son against her wishes, and offered a Devil Fruit if Big Mom would cancel the marriage; he also claimed Wendy’s kingdom.
  • The guests reacted with astonishment as Big Mom’s smile faded and the hall anticipated her response.
Arc 26 of 49
Arc 26 of 49