The Stars Take the Stage

The battle summary opens with the raid still raging. The narration recalls that the samurai-pirate alliance began with an army of 5,400 against the Beast Pirates' 30,000-man crew, but after a valiant struggle and Otama's kibidango strategy, the disparity in military strength has shrunk. The page shows the defeated Flying Six across the map of Onigashima: Black Maria, Who's-Who, Ulti, Page One, and Sasaki are marked down, and the narration declares that "the mighty Flying Six... have been defeated!" The page frames the raid's momentum as a real shift. What began as a desperate assault by a much smaller force has now removed Kaido's elite Tobiroppo from the field, making the enemy army less overwhelming than it once seemed.

Onigashima itself continues drifting toward mainland Wano. The skull dome floats through the sky above the sea while the narration warns, "Now Onigashima... approaches mainland Wano." Only fifteen minutes remain until it reaches the Flower Capital. The page shows the gigantic island hanging over the land, with tiny figures below and the skull's face looming like a falling disaster. The raid is no longer only a battle inside Kaido's fortress; the fortress has become a weapon aimed at the capital. The page raises the pressure on every battlefield at once, because even if the alliance wins individual fights, they must still stop the island before it crushes the people below.

Inside the castle on the third floor, flames spread while Raizo confronts Fukurokuju. Someone shouts "Kurozumi Orochi!!" and another voice demands, "How could you swear allegiance to a man like him, Fukurokuju?!" Fighters cough and wheeze in the smoke, yelling "Fire!!" and "Put it out!!" Fukurokuju answers with ninja techniques rather than remorse. He uses "Ninpo: Clone Jutsu!" and creates multiple images of himself, then follows with "Ninpo: Earlobe Crackers!!" as his long earlobes lash outward like weapons. He declares that "the Oniwabanshu must always serve the current shogun," making his loyalty an institutional principle rather than a matter of conscience. The page sets Raizo's duty to Oden against Fukurokuju's loyalty to whoever holds power.

Fukurokuju attacks Raizo and mocks his loyalty. He asks where Raizo's loyalties lie, saying he is "clinging onto a ghost," and when Raizo asks whether he means Oden-sama, Fukurokuju snaps, "You've given away where your real body is!!" The earlobes strike and Raizo groans in pain. Fukurokuju then says Raizo was never suited to be a ninja, no matter how skilled he became at ninjutsu, because he always wore his heart on his sleeve. Raizo answers from the smoke that those feelings are the reason the retainers cannot rest. The page makes the duel ideological: Fukurokuju sees emotion as a fatal flaw for a shinobi, while Raizo treats the bond to Oden as the very thing that keeps him standing.

Raizo invokes the memory of Oden and the retainers' shared death-defying resolve. He says, "That day, we cried, laughed, and died alongside Oden-sama!!" and declares, "We are all ghosts, hell-bent on fulfilling our master's dream!!" The page cuts across wounded allied fighters and retainers as Raizo continues: "We are not here merely out of a sense of duty!! Every last one of us... is fighting because of that emotional bond!!" He says they cannot rest, even if the effort kills them, until they have seen the fight through. Tonight will mark the end of Orochi and Kaido's reign, and tomorrow will bring "a brilliant new dawn" with Momonosuke as shogun. Raizo's speech turns the Scabbards' grief into the future they are trying to secure.

On the third floor, the fight shifts to Killer versus Hawkins. Killer asks, "How many meat shields do you have left?!" while Hawkins, sweating but still composed, answers that there are not too many and says he really feels for Killer. Killer cuts through another straw doll with a heavy slash, but Hawkins reveals the cruel trick behind his confidence. He says Killer may not have many dolls left, but Killer should consider "whose life is currently standing in for mine!!" The implication freezes the fight: one of Hawkins's remaining straw dolls is tied to someone Killer cannot hurt. The page turns Killer's offensive advantage into a moral trap, forcing him to think before landing the killing blow.

The answer to Hawkins's trap appears on the second floor, where Law and Kid are still fighting Big Mom. Kid suddenly clutches his chest and yells, "What the hell?! Something stabbed me!!" Big Mom sees the opening and smashes him, while Law shouts, "Eustass-ya!!" Hawkins, still facing Killer, explains the game: if Killer finds a way to kill him, he will just be murdering his own captain. He admits it would have been fun to watch Killer unknowingly kill Kid, but seeing him agonize over fighting back should be amusing too. Hawkins then invites Killer to entertain him, saying he knows Killer will try his best. The page connects the two fights into one problem: Killer cannot freely attack Hawkins without endangering Kid in the battle against Big Mom.

Hawkins continues taunting Killer, saying that if Killer does kill him, he will only kill his own captain. Killer calls his sense of humor twisted, while Hawkins laughs "Fa fa fafa!!" and asks how Killer will choose to entertain him now. The page shows Killer trapped between rage and calculation, blade ready but no longer free to swing as he normally would. Hawkins's power turns friendship and loyalty into leverage, and he enjoys forcing Killer to hold back. The emotional pressure is sharper because Kid is not only Killer's captain but also the person whose life is being used as Hawkins's shield in a completely separate fight. The scene pauses on Killer's dilemma rather than resolving it.

On the skull dome live floor, King and Queen punish the traitorous Beast Pirates and converted allies. King stands in flames and says, "Listen up, you treacherous scum... You're all gonna pay... for turning your backs on the Beast Pirates!" Queen lashes out beside him as enemies and allies are thrown across the hall. Some call for Marco and Sanji to do something, but others recognize Marco is already at his limit and say they have to fight for themselves. Nearby, Chopper and Miyagi watch the wrapped-up Zoro, having already given him the shot, but the treatment has not taken effect yet because his body is in such bad shape. Meanwhile, King and Queen keep tearing through the live floor while fighters warn that, if this keeps up, they can exterminate the entire floor.

King spots the bandaged Zoro and orders, "Find Roronoa Zoro and finish him!!" Beast Pirates realize Zoro is apparently using some strange healing method and shout not to let him recover. King dives toward him and Zoro, still wrapped up, challenges, "I'm right here, come get me!!" Sanji tries to reach him, but the battlefield is too smoky and chaotic to see through. Perospero watches from a distance and prepares to fire on Sanji, saying he will snuff out Vinsmoke Sanji with his own hands. He spits that if Sanji had married Pudding like he was supposed to, they would not have had to join forces with these brutes, calling Sanji a "Germa reject" and telling him to die. The page piles danger onto Sanji and Zoro at once: King hunts Zoro, Queen keeps pressure on the floor, and Perospero targets Sanji from range.

Before Perospero can finish Sanji, Nekomamushi crashes into him. The mink declares, "I'm here to avenge Pedro!!" and knocks Perospero away, telling him, "Let's take this outside!!" Perospero yells as he is blasted through the live floor, and Nekomamushi follows, saying, "You're not gonna get away!" The distraction breaks Perospero's aim and saves Sanji from the sniper shot. At the same time, Beast Pirates find the wrapped Zoro and shout, "There he is! Roronoa Zoro!" Allies yell to protect Zorojuro because he was injured fighting for the cause, while others panic and run. The page clears one threat by handing Perospero to Nekomamushi, but it leaves the live floor still in crisis as King closes in on Zoro.

King descends on the wrapped-up Zoro, and fighters scream, "Waahh!! It's King!!" One of the allies begs to be left alone, calling him "whipper-snapper," while King advances through the smoke and flames. Marco intervenes with "Immortal Thistle!!" and blocks King's "Andon-- Divine Flame!!" The clash catches King by surprise and stops his attack before he can finish Zoro. Even exhausted, Marco still creates an opening by standing between King and the wounded swordsman. The page shows the old guard's last bit of support: Marco no longer has enough strength to carry the fight by himself, but he can still buy the moment needed for the Straw Hats' own combatants to return.

Marco speaks to King as he blocks him, saying he used to hear rumors about "a certain fire conjuring race that lived on top of the Red Line." He looks at King and says, "King... of the flames, huh?" Queen shouts that Marco is still breathing, and Marco admits, "Aah... I give!! This is more than enough for me. I've done my part..." Queen tells the Whitebeard Pirates to accept death already, but the moment Marco steps back, Zoro's bandages burst apart. Chopper and the others stare in shock as the medicine finally takes effect. The page links King's mysterious flame heritage with Marco's final support, then passes the fight forward: Marco's role is over, and Zoro is ready to stand again.

Zoro and Sanji re-enter the fight together just as the live floor needs them most. Hyogoro declares, "It's time for the stars to take the stage!!" and the crowd cheers that Zoro is all better. Zoro attacks King with "Three-Sword Style... Purgatory... Onigiri!!" while Sanji strikes Queen with "Diable Jambe... Mouton... Shot!!" Their simultaneous blows send King and Queen flying, and the narration calls them "the two wings in action!!" The Straw Hat allies shout that the crew is amazing. Sanji says, "Hey, Curly Brows, if we win this..." and Zoro answers, "I know, it'll finally be in sight." Together they name the goal: Luffy becoming King of the Pirates. The chapter ends with the two strongest Straw Hat fighters standing against Kaido's top commanders.

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