The title page for Chapter 294, titled "Raigou", features a cover story illustration. The caption at the bottom reads, "ACE'S GREAT SEARCH FOR BLACKBEARD VOL. 19 'PIRATES SET THE SHIP ON FIRE IN REVENGE! THE TOP-SECRET INTELLIGENCE IS IN DANGER OF BEING LOST!'". The scene depicts a chaotic moment on the sea. In the foreground, a man with a prominent mustache, wearing a suit and tie, clutches his head in shock and despair. He has a sword strapped to his back. Behind him, a large pirate ship is engulfed in roaring flames. The ship's main sail has large kanji written on it, translating to "Top Secret" (極秘). Thick smoke billows into the sky from the burning vessel. In the background, smaller boats with pirate figures can be seen fleeing the scene, and a marine base with the designation "G-2" is visible on the right side. The man in the foreground appears to be a marine officer reacting to the destruction of the intelligence ship.
unidentified marine officerbackground pirates
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High above the clouds, Enel stands on the deck of his massive flying ship, the Ark Maxim. The ship is soaring through a sky filled with dense, swirling clouds. Below him, the colossal, twisting vine of the Giant Jack beanstalk stretches upwards, piercing through the cloud layers. Enel looks down at the peak of the beanstalk with a confident and arrogant expression. He says to himself, "Ahh, I've finally arrived at the top of Giant Jack... Than God's Temple in search for something for at least 400 years... Now where could it be...?" He observes the ruins resting on the clouds at the very top of the stalk. "Yes, I don't think anyone has ever come up even higher." The scene shifts to a view looking down the beanstalk, where a tiny figure can be seen climbing. A large, heavy golden ball is attached to the figure's arm, dragging behind them. Enel narrows his eyes, focusing on the ruins below, and wonders, "Where is that golden bell...?"
Enel
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On the massive, twisting surface of the Giant Jack beanstalk, Luffy is engaged in a grueling climb. He is running upwards, his face contorted in extreme effort as he drags the enormous, solid gold ball that Enel fused to his right arm. The sheer weight of the gold is taking a toll on him. He pants heavily, his breath coming in ragged gasps: "PANT PANT HUFF... HUFF..." Sweat pours down his face as he pushes his body to the limit. He lets out a strained yell, "NGAAHH!" as he forces himself forward, the golden ball scraping against the giant plant. Another panel shows a close-up of his determined, exhausted face, continuing to pant, "PANT PANT HUFF... HUFF..." He roars, "RAHH!" as he finally crests the top of the beanstalk's main curve. As he reaches a flat area of clouds at the summit, he stops and looks around in astonishment. Before him lie the scattered, ancient ruins of a city, partially overgrown and resting on the cloud surface. Luffy stares at the desolate landscape and asks, "What the hell is this place!?"
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From his vantage point on the Ark Maxim, Enel looks down and spots Luffy's arrival at the ruins. He observes the rubber man with a mix of mild surprise and annoyance. "It's him, I see..." Enel mutters, noting the massive golden weight Luffy is dragging. "To think he could come all the way up here lugging that thing behind him..." Down below, Luffy is still struggling with the golden ball, letting out a frustrated "AHH!" as he tries to maneuver it. Suddenly, Luffy looks up and spots the flying ship hovering in the sky above the ruins. His eyes widen in recognition and anger. "THERE HE IS!" Luffy shouts, pointing towards the ship. Enel, looking down at Luffy, sighs dismissively, "What a nuisance." Undeterred, Luffy glares up at his enemy and bellows a challenge at the top of his lungs, "ENEL! WAIT RIGHT THERE!"
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High in the sky, the Ark Maxim suddenly tilts sharply. A massive bolt of lightning strikes down from the ship, hitting the top of the Giant Jack beanstalk with a deafening crash. The impact causes the entire structure to shudder violently. People on the lower cloud levels react in alarm to the sudden tremor. "Aghh...!" someone cries out. "Whoa-" another voice exclaims as the ground shakes. The violent jolt is too much for Luffy, who loses his footing on the edge of the ruins. He slips and plummets downwards, screaming, "AAAA AGHH HHHH HHHH!" as the heavy golden ball drags him into the abyss. Enel watches him fall and bursts into cruel laughter, "Yahaha!" Down on the lower cloud level, Usopp looks up in sheer panic, his eyes bulging and jaw dropping. He screams a warning to the others, "GET AWAY FROM THE STALK! SOMETHING'S FALLING DOWN THIS WAY!" Nearby, the giant snake Nola rests on the clouds. A voice, likely addressing the injured Wiper, says, "Wiper! It's no use even if you climbed up now! There's no way you can catch up to Enel all the way up there!"
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A massive impact shakes the lower cloud level as the giant golden ball attached to Luffy crashes down near the base of the beanstalk, kicking up a huge cloud of dust and debris. Someone screams "AGHHH!" in terror. A Skypiean turns to the heavily injured Wiper, who is lying on the ground, and says, "Wiper! See, I told you! You're in no shape to climb up!" Usopp, trembling with fear and tears in his eyes, stammers, "G-G-GUYS! YOU DON'T THINK LUFFY'S CORPSE ALSO FELL DOWN, DO YOU!?" Nico Robin looks up towards the top of the beanstalk, her expression serious. "The tip of the stalk...!? What's happening up there?" she wonders. Wiper, battered and bleeding, stares upwards with intense focus. He mutters through gritted teeth, "THE BELL THAT... THE GREAT WARRIOR KALGARA DESPERATELY TRIED TO RING..." Robin's eyes widen slightly as she realizes the significance of the location. "IT'S RIGHT ABOVE ME... AT THE TOP..." she says, looking up at the towering structure.
UsoppNico RobinWiperunidentified Skypiean
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High up on the Giant Jack, Luffy has managed to save himself from falling all the way down. He is hanging onto the side of the massive beanstalk, his rubber arm stretched out to grip a leaf, while the heavy golden ball dangles precariously below him. He grunts in frustration, "DAMMIT!" as he struggles against the weight. With a mighty effort, he swings himself back up, his arm retracting as he lands on a thick vine. "SWING," the sound effect notes his movement. From above, Enel's voice taunts him, "Just how do you plan to climb all the way up here now?" Enel is shown with a sinister, wide grin on his face, looking down at Luffy's predicament. "Shall I show you something quite interesting...?" Enel asks, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Yahaha... Stay right there..."
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On the Ark Maxim, Enel activates the ship's mechanisms. A massive exhaust port on the ship releases a thick, dark plume of smoke that billows up into the sky. "FLASH!" a bright light emanates from the ship as it begins to generate a massive storm cloud. Down on the beanstalk, Luffy looks up, confused by the sudden change. "Huh!?" he says, noticing the ship is no longer visible through the gathering darkness. "He's gone!" The dark clouds rapidly expand, crackling with intense electrical energy. "BZZZZT..." the sound of electricity fills the air as the clouds spread across the sky, casting a dark shadow over the ruins and the clouds below. Luffy, still hanging onto the beanstalk with the golden ball, stares up at the ominous sky in bewilderment. "What's that?" he asks, watching the terrifying phenomenon unfold above him.
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Luffy finally manages to haul himself and the heavy golden ball back up to the ruins at the top of the beanstalk. He collapses onto the ground, panting heavily, "HUFF... HUFF... I'm... back up..." He sits up, looking battered but determined. "I've gotta find a way. To get up on that ship..." he tells himself. Suddenly, the sound of an engine approaches, "VRROOM!" Luffy looks over in surprise as Nami arrives on her waver, speeding across the cloud surface. "Luffy!" she calls out. Luffy's face lights up with a huge smile. "Huh!? Nami? What're you doing here!?" he asks. Nami stops the waver and looks at him urgently. "I've come to bring you back! Sanji and Usopp saved me after you fell!" she explains. Luffy grins broadly, relieved to see her safe. "Ohh! Great!" he exclaims.
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The sky above Skypiea is transforming into a nightmare. The dark, crackling clouds generated by the Ark Maxim are coalescing into a massive, perfectly spherical shape. People on the ground look up in horror. "What is that!? The lightning clouds are changing their shape!" one person cries. "But more importantly-" another starts, before being cut off by a shocked "Wha!?" Nami, looking up at the sky, is terrified. "This is bad! There's a tremendous amount of electric charge and air current in that enormous lightning cloud...!" she warns. Panic erupts among the Skypieans below. "THERE'S A HUGE BALL FLOATING UP IN THE SKY!" "THE SKY IS TURNING DARK!" "ESCAPE TO THE SEAS!" "TO THE SEAS!" they shout, scrambling to evacuate. Nami continues to stare at the ominous sphere, her face pale. "THIS IS A NIGHTMARE! THERE'S NO WAY SOMETHING SO TERRIFYING COULD EXIST FOR REAL!" The giant black sphere hangs menacingly in the sky. "The lightning cloud became a sphere..." someone observes. "It's right above... Angel Island...!" Nami, trembling, wonders aloud, "Just what is he planning to do with that...?"
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Enel stands triumphantly on his ship, laughing maniacally at the destruction he is about to unleash. "Yahaha! The world is mine to do as I please!" he declares, his face twisted in a crazed smile. "With the ark Maxim and my powers, I can even achieve this godly feat!" Down below, the citizens of Angel Island are in full panic mode, fleeing on their ships as the massive black sphere descends upon them. "THE SKY IS FALLING!" a man screams in terror. "It's falling on Angel Island!" another shouts. The colossal sphere of dark clouds and crackling lightning looms over the island, dwarfing the buildings and ships. Enel raises his hand, commanding the devastating attack. "RAIGOU! (Coming of Lightning)" he shouts, as the massive sphere begins to touch down on the island, unleashing a terrifying rumble.
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The Raigou attack detonates with apocalyptic force. A blinding, massive explosion of lightning and energy completely engulfs Angel Island. The blast is so intense that it turns the entire sky white, obliterating everything in its path. The sheer scale of the destruction is staggering, as the island is vaporized in an instant. From their vantage point high up on the beanstalk, Luffy and Nami watch the explosion in stunned silence. Luffy's jaw drops, and Nami covers her mouth in horror. Down on the sea clouds, the fleet of ships carrying the fleeing Skypieans is rocked by the shockwave. The people on board look back at where their home used to be, their faces painted with shock and despair as they witness the total annihilation of Angel Island.
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The aftermath of the Raigou attack is a scene of absolute devastation. Where Angel Island once stood, there is now only a massive, gaping hole in the sea clouds, revealing the empty sky below. The island has been completely erased from existence. On the fleeing ships, the survivors are in a state of shock. "They helped us to evacuate...!" one person says, trembling. "Were the White Berets able to get away!?" another asks anxiously. Conis and her father, Pagaya, stand on the deck of a ship, staring in disbelief at the empty space. "IN A FLASH, OUR ISLAND WAS...!?" Conis stammers, tears welling in her eyes. "This can't be..." Pagaya adds, equally stunned. A voice cries out in despair, "THE ISLAND WE WERE BORN ON... IS NOW GONE WITHOUT A TRACE!" The massive crater in the clouds is a stark reminder of Enel's terrifying power. "EVEN THE SEA CLOUDS ARE COMPLETELY GONE!" someone observes, highlighting the sheer destructive force of the attack.
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Enel looks down at the massive hole where Angel Island used to be, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Ah yes, what a splendid view..." he says, chuckling. "Yahaha... This is how the sky should be." Down on the ruins of Upper Yard, the remaining fighters are reeling from the shockwave. "WHAT WAS THAT EXPLOSION JUST NOW!? AND THE RAIN OF LIGHTNING'S SHOWING NO SIGNS OF STOPPING!" someone yells. "I DON'T EVEN... THINK WE CAN MAKE IT OUT OF THIS ALIVE!" Nico Robin, standing near the injured Zoro and Wiper, looks grim. "How... HE COMPLETELY DESTROYED... ANGEL ISLAND...!?" she realizes, the magnitude of Enel's power sinking in. High above, Nami is furious and terrified. "HOW CAN YOU DO SOMETHING... SO WICKED... ENEL!!!" she screams at the sky. On the evacuation ships, Conis is crying, but her face shows determination. "I HAVE TO SEE TO IT THAT THEY SAFELY ESCAPE TO THE BLUE SEAS...! I HAVE TO KEEP ON WAITING FOR THEM...!" she tells herself. "THAT WAS AN ENORMOUS RUMBLING JUST NOW..." she adds, looking back at the destruction.
EnelNico RobinRoronoa ZoroWiperNamiConis
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Nami, still on her waver, turns to Luffy with urgency. "LUFFY! GET ON! WE HAVE TO GET DOWN!" she yells, gesturing for him to join her. "EVERYONE'S HEADING BACK TO THE SHIP! WE HAVE TO MEET THEM THERE!" Luffy, however, stands his ground, his expression serious. "No," he replies simply. Nami is taken aback and angry. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'NO!?' DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!?" she demands. Luffy looks at her with unwavering determination. "Even if I don't have to save you anymore, I still have unfinished business!" he declares. Nami is confused and frustrated. "Unfinished business!? What're you talking about!? Do you mean you have to get even with Enel!?" she asks. Luffy points towards the sky above them. "The golden bell is somewhere up here in the sky!" he states, his goal clear.
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Nami is exasperated by Luffy's stubbornness. "Golden what...? Oh who cares about the gold anymore! Our lives are more important!" she yells, gesturing wildly. "Didn't you see that explosion just now!? It doesn't matter even if you're immune to lightning! Enel now has the power to completely destroy Skypiea!" She points accusingly at the massive golden ball attached to his arm. "If it's about the gold... Look, you've already got a giant ball of gold attached to your hand! So just give up on the golden bell! You'll die!" Luffy glares back at her, his voice rising. "YOU SAW IT TOO, DIDN'T YOU!?" he shouts. Nami is taken aback. "See what!?" she asks. Luffy insists, "Be reasonable already!" Nami retorts, "As if!" Luffy's face is filled with intense conviction as he yells, "THE CITY OF GOLD! IT WAS UP HERE ALL ALONG!"
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Luffy's expression softens slightly, but his determination remains. "It wasn't a lie," he says quietly. Nami looks at him, confused. "Huh?" she asks. A flashback panel shows Mont Blanc Cricket, the man they met on Jaya. Luffy's voiceover continues, "AND THE MAN WHO HAD RUINED MY LIFE. THIS WAS A PERSONAL FIGHT BETWEEN ME, IF THERE REALLY WAS GOLD OR NOT... I DIDN'T CARE," Another flashback panel shows the cover of the picture book about Mont Blanc Noland, the "liar." Luffy's voiceover adds, "Diamond-head's ancestor..." The scene returns to the present, with Luffy shouting passionately, "WASN'T A LIAR! THAT THE CITY OF GOLD IS UP HERE IN THE SKY...!" Nami listens, her eyes widening as she understands his motivation. Luffy points downwards, towards the Blue Sea. "SO WE HAVE TO TELL HIM AND THE MONKEYS BELOW US!" he declares, determined to prove Cricket's ancestor right.
LuffyNamiMont Blanc Cricket
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Luffy's face is fierce with resolve as he explains his plan to Nami. "IF I CAN RING THE BELL, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR ME!" he shouts, referring to Cricket and the monkey brothers down in the Blue Sea. "OTHERWISE, HE'S GOING TO KEEP DIVING UNTIL HE WRECKS HIS BODY AND DIES!" Nami looks at him, her anger fading into understanding and concern. "Luffy..." she says softly. Luffy continues, his voice filled with conviction. "I WON'T LET ENEL TAKE THAT BELL NO MATTER WHAT! A GIANT BELL'S RING SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRAVEL REALLY FAR!" He clenches his fists, ready to face the self-proclaimed god. "SO I'M GONNA STAY UP HERE!" he roars, his eyes burning with determination. "AND RING THE GOLDEN BELL!"
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This is an SBS (Shitsumon o Boshu Suru) question and answer page. A reader named Akihiko points out a mistake in volume 28 regarding which dial was on which hand for the characters Hotori and Kotori during the "Surprise Dial Illusion." Oda enthusiastically admits the mistake, thanking the reader for providing an explanation that he can use to cover it up. Another reader asks about the character Pandaman appearing in the anime during the same scenes as the manga, and whether Oda instructs the animation staff on where to place him. Oda replies that he never tells them, and that the animators just have fun adding him in, even in places Oda didn't draw him. He expresses that he encourages the staff and voice actors to have fun and ad-lib, as it adds to the overall enjoyment of the series.
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End of chapter20 pages
Discussion
p8Sanji and Usopp previously saved Nami.
p9Lightning clouds begin forming a massive sphere.
p9Gan Fall issues evacuation warnings to islanders.
p9Nami detects dangerous electric charge buildup.
p10Enel stands on ark Maxim during sphere descent.