The Blank

In the Grand Line, at the ruins of the Muggy Kingdom, an enormous dark silhouette looms over the broken city while people scream, "Gyaaaaaaaaah!!" and another voice announces, "This country is..." The terror on the page turns into joy for Perona when the report reaches her: "Master Moria is aliveeee~" Tears fill her eyes as she reads the article titled "Gecko Moria's Zombie Invasion." She rushes to Mihawk with the newspaper and cries, "Look at this!! I'm so happy that Master Moria is alive!!" When he flatly answers, "...Yeah. I saw that this morning," she explodes: "Why didn't you tell me, then, you idiot!? This information is important to me!!" Mihawk, seated with his drink, only mutters, "Like I care..."

Perona prepares to leave the castle, arguing with Mihawk as if the years of living together have made them reluctant housemates. She demands, "Do you know how many meals I've prepared for you!?" Mihawk answers without looking impressed, "I've cooked more meals than you have." Perona fires back, "Yeah, but I helped you tend to your farm!! I let you live here." Then she declares, "I'm leaving!! Good luck living on your own!!" and, despite the noisy exit, adds from the doorway, "Stay safe." Mihawk watches her go and says, "Huh? Leaving now is probably for the best, though. An interesting topic was brought up at the Reverie." The unexpected concern breaks Perona down into grateful tears: "Such kindness!!! You...!! Don't suddenly start being so nice to me!! Thank you for everything!!" Mihawk's farewell is as dry as ever: "What a noisy woman."

The scene shifts to the New World, to Pirates' Island, Beehive, where the skull-shaped island echoes with "Waaaaaaaah...!!" and "Ghaaaah." Gecko Moria storms through the pirate stronghold, huge and furious, surrounded by fleeing pirates. He refuses to wait politely and roars, "Didn't you hear me!!? Call Teach over here this instant!!" His arrival is announced in full: Thriller Bark Pirates captain, former Warlord of the Sea, Gecko Moria, bounty 320,000,000. He has come directly into Blackbeard's territory, not to party with pirates, but to demand answers.

Moria's zombies crash through Beehive while pirates panic: "Zombies!! Gyaaaaaaaahh!!!" and "Save us...!!" Moria stands amid the chaos and bellows, "Show yourself, Black-beaaaard!!" From inside the town, Avalo Pizarro reacts with lazy irritation: "How noisy-nya!!" A subordinate warns him, "Master Pizarro, that's Gecko Moria!! He's a former Warlord!!" Pizarro wonders, "Why'd you guys let him pass through?" but the answer is simple: "He forced his way in!! He annihilated the port!!" The pirates explain the reason for Moria's rage: "Admiral Teach and that invisible man named Absalom, who arrived on this island a few days ago." Moria is "here to find..." and Pizarro, eating casually, recognizes the name with, "Oh, that guy..."

Moria suddenly hears Absalom's voice calling, "Master Moriaaa!!" and "I'm over heeeeeee!!" He turns with shocked relief: "Absalom!! Thank goodness you're alive!!" The man who appears beside a woman apologizes brightly, "Sorry boss!! This island is such a paradise. That I forgot to make contact with you!!" Moria tries to understand the situation and thinks through the danger: "...I see... That means... I've done a terrible thing to these people." He voices what everyone knows about Blackbeard's crew: "The Black-Beard Pirates... are notorious as ability hunters." Then he looks at Absalom's power with dread: "Your power is one that many people would want." Before the thought can settle, an unseen force slices into him with a violent impact, and Moria cries, "Ugh!!!"

Moria reels from the invisible attack, shouting, "Ugh...!! Who is it!!?" A figure slips back into view: Shiryu of the Rain. Moria immediately understands the horror of what has happened and demands, "You... did you just turn invisible...!?" Then the truth lands harder than the wound: "That's Absalom's ability...!!" Shiryu stands before him as a Blackbeard Pirates captain, an invisible human with the power of the Clear-Clear Fruit, and says, "Your hunch was correct... Gecko Moria. I've obtained a useful ability..." Another pirate laughs, "Ufu fu fu fu!!! Murun fu fu!!" Moria, cornered and furious, shouts, "Who in the hell are you!?"

With a "Poof!!" the fake Absalom reveals herself. The pirates call out, "Devon!!" and "Lady Devon!!" Catarina Devon appears in full, introduced as a Blackbeard Pirates captain, the Crescent Moon Hunter, user of the Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Beast Model: Nine-Tailed Fox. She had been wearing Absalom's face. The crowd cheers while Moria realizes the deception and snarls, "You bastards... what did you do to Absalom...!?" Devon laughs, "Mrun fu fufu!! We couldn't just let him snoop around!!" Then she twists the knife with the cruel answer: "If I'm remembering correctly, you like corpses!! If you're looking for him, I've got his corpse right here. Do you want to take it home with you?"

A shock rips across Beehive as pirates cry, "Waaaa!!" and "Kyaaaah!!" Someone shouts, "The Admiral summoned an earthquake!!" Blackbeard's laughter rolls over the island: "Zehaha hahaha!! Gecko Moria!" Moria bares his teeth and yells, "Black-Beard...!! You bastard! Show your-self!!" Teach refuses from a distance: "Don't disturb the order of this pirate island!! Nah, I'm busy right now... This island is a pirate's paradise!! You're supposed to have a good time here!!" Rather than killing the mood, he invites Moria into it: "Do you like parties, Moria!? If you do, come sail under my flag!!" Then he turns to the wider world: "Did you see the news this morning!? It's quite entertaining!! On the fourth day of the Reverie..."

Blackbeard sits laughing with his crew on Beehive, introduced as Admiral of the Blackbeard Pirates and one of the Four Emperors, Marshall D. Teach, bounty 2,247,600,000. The newspapers have set the world ablaze. Teach reads the chaos with delight: "In order to rescue Kuma, the commanders of the Revolutionary Army... finally clashed with Marine Admirals Ryokugyu and Fujitora!!!" He continues, "With the enraged Emperor, Big Mom, in hot pursuit!!! A bunch of hot-blooded brats are gathering on that island...!!" Then he shifts attention to Wano: "On the other side of things, Straw Hat is a hot-topic in the Wano Country, where Kaidou resides...!!" Blackbeard grins at the coming disaster: "What do you think will happen!!? It's already started...!!! The bloodbath between the powerful in the fight for the throne!! Zehahaha!!!"

The stage curtain falls and rises again with the bold announcement, "Wano Country - Act Two." Music and motion sweep across the page with repeated drumlike SFX, and the story returns to Kuri. The curtain opens on Mt. Atamayama, where the sign reads, "Wano Country: Kuri - Mt. Atamayama." The landscape is deceptively calm around the lone tree at the summit, but the metallic sounds "Clank!! Clink!!" ring from the mountain, making it clear that a clash is already underway.

At Mt. Atamayama, the source of the ringing steel is revealed: Inuarashi and Ashura Doji are locked blade to blade. Their steps close with "Tap tap" and "Tap tap," eyes narrowed, neither one yielding as their swords slam together in a burst of force. The impact fills the page, the blades grinding with "Grind" and "Grind" while the watching allies tense and tremble. The people nearby can only stare as the two powerful warriors test each other, the air marked by "Tense..." and "Shiver...!!"

The duel ends with both warriors breathing hard, "Huff... Huff... Huff..." Kin'emon steps in and says, "...... Let's stop here." Inuarashi and Ashura call each other's names, "Inuarashi..." and "Ashura!!" Back in Kuri's Amigasa Village, the rescued allies gather around O-Tama after her wound proves minor. They say, "Thank ya very much!!" and "We are in your debt!!" O-Tama smiles, "I'm glad that it was only a shallow wound!!" The dog, still recovering from losing consciousness, admits, "I was really scared and lost consciousness instantly... so I don't really remember what happened. I vaguely remember Umami-chan fighting desperately afterwards, though." He praises her ability: "To think an enemy like that would become your faithful servant... What an amazing ability you possess."

At Amigasa Village, O-Tama worries, "I'm more worried about big bro Luffy than my injuries right now." Chopper tries to reassure her: "Luffy's recovery speed is like that of a monster's... And his spirit won't be broken, either!! He'll be fine!!" Kiku adds, "Raizo said that he'll assist with the prison break mission." The ninja answer comes with, "Nin nin!!" and the group agrees, "Since he said so himself, let's just leave it to him!!" Outside at Mt. Atamayama, Ashura Doji tells Kin'emon, "I've misjudged you, Ashura!!" but Ashura rejects the gratitude: "Be grateful that I'm leaving without taking any of your belongings. Did you forget?! Our relationship has been like this since the beginning." He explains the difference between his admiration and Kin'emon's cause: "I admired a man named Oden... So I, a samurai, risked my life for him!!! However, I don't remember swearing to serve the Kozuki family!!" Kiku protests, "He was an even match for Master Inuarashi..." and Momonosuke quietly asks, "Isn't that right... Momonosuke!!?"

Ashura Doji turns the old wound into an accusation. He tells Momonosuke, "No, you should be the one to remember... The type of person that I am!! I'll definitely make you our ally." Kin'emon promises, "I'll commend you if you manage to do that," but Ashura strikes at the deeper betrayal: "Did you think that everyone would be happy that the Kozuki Family's samurai have returned!?" and then, with the title of the chapter made explicit, "You abandoned this country for 20 years!!! The blank that you left behind will never be filled!!" The scene cuts to Wano Country, Onigashima, where Kaido's highest officers discuss Jack. One says, "The offerings from Kuri have been pretty low recently." Another presses him: "With Doflamingo gone... you do know where to go for our next trade deal, don't you?" They mock him: "...They're mad at Jack again..." and "Jack... is being scolded!?" Jack bows and apologizes, "I'm sorry, big brothers...!!" Queen yells, "Do you understand, Jack the Drag-down!!?" while King says, "That's right!! We only need one, and it's that scumbag, King." Queen snaps back, "You're no better, Queen. How long does it take for you to break the spirits of a few cheeky brats!? You're incompetent!!" and Queen answers, "Shut your trap, you torture-loving perverted bastard!!" The page introduces the Beasts Pirates All-Stars Queen the Plague and King the Wildfire, ending with their insults still flying: "What'd you say!?"

No description for this page.