At Right Belly Fortress

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The countdown to eruption reaches its final moments, and the minks shout, "Here comes the eruption rain!" A huge mass of water swells above Zou like a giant ball, startling everyone below. Robin realizes, "That's enough to flood this place! We've got to get to higher ground!" while another voice asks, "Is that thing a huge ball of water!?" The city and forest brace for the incoming torrent as the strange daily phenomenon begins. The page establishes that what the Straw Hats thought was rain is actually water thrown onto Zunesha's back, enough to overwhelm the ruined streets unless everyone reaches safety.

Around the same time, on the left leg of the elephant, Kin'emon and Kanjuro continue climbing on their cat-shaped drawing. The leg shakes violently, and they shout, "Whoa aaa! We're shaking!" Kin'emon urges, "The sun will set at the rate we're going! Hang in there, Nekozaemon!" Kanjuro protests that the climb is asking too much of a cat, but another reminds him that cats are proficient at climbing trees. Nekozaemon clings to the enormous leg and meows as water and tremors make the climb increasingly dangerous. The samurai remain separated from the main group and are still struggling to catch up from far below.

The water begins pouring down the elephant's body, and Kanjuro panics that water is bad news because Nekozaemon is going to melt. The cat drawing slips and hisses as the overflow from the eruption rain falls upon the elephant's back. Back in Whale Forest with Luffy's group, Luffy cries, "Whoaaaa! That rain was crazy!" Wanda clarifies that, actually, eruption rain is not rain at all if one wants to be precise. She and the others ride through the rushing water on Croccy while the forest is drenched. The page links the samurai's peril on the leg with Luffy's group experiencing the same phenomenon from above.

Wanda explains that Zunisha bathes itself in water twice per day, meaning the rain was actually seawater. The water collects in a filtration device in the center of the city and is carried through aqueducts throughout the country wherever running water is needed. Luffy is amazed that this means they never have to worry about access to food, and Wanda adds that fish often get sucked up along with the seawater too. She calls it a blessing. Luffy then asks her to tell the captain and the others that he is in the forest and to come meet him. Wanda explains that Bepo is a native of the island, but because he is a pirate, he is currently under the care of the boss of the forest, Cat Viper. Carrot keeps biting Luffy, prompting him to shout, "Oi! Quit it with the biting!"

At Claw City with Zoro's group, the seawater flood rushes through the ruined streets. Usopp screams, "It's a flood!" and "But there's sharks! Freaking sharks! Why!?" Franky says they are already plenty safe up there, while someone asks what he is doing all the way up there. Law notes that with the amount of water that just fell, the system definitely makes sense, and Robin observes that both the city and the forest appear adapted to this level of water. The water is salt water, and the group wonders if the elephant was bathing itself a short while ago. Usopp complains that this stuff falls every day and asks how anyone could ever get used to that. Robin urges them to find the others and get off the island.

Zoro's group spots Luffy inside the city riding with Wanda and Carrot. Someone says, "Oi, look, there's Luffy! Inside the city!" and assumes that Nami, the dog-woman, and the jumping rabbit from earlier are taking him to their base. Another voice says, "Poor Luffy... they've duped him and they're taking him to their base..." Usopp panics when he notices Carrot has just taken a bite out of Luffy and concludes that the fears about minks eating people might be true. As they watch, Luffy screams while the water level falls quickly around the city. The misunderstanding between the two Straw Hat groups deepens, even as the flood recedes and the path toward Right Belly opens.

Wanda's memory returns to Jack's demand. The shadowed invader insists, "He should be here! I'm telling you, he's not!" and then threatens, "If you don't bring him forward, I'm gonna raze this country to the ground!" Wanda says she has no idea what he is talking about and no clue how to make him believe her. The paneling lingers on Luffy, Carrot, Wanda, and the wreckage, showing that the demand was both impossible and terrifying. The unidentified person Jack sought was apparently not found, but his refusal to accept that answer became the spark for the destruction of the Mokomo Principality.

Wanda names the destroyer of the country as Jack, and Luffy remembers that Jack's obituary appeared in the newspaper the other day. She explains that he attacked the four ships escorting Doflamingo. Luffy realizes Jack was on Dressrosa too and is shocked that even though he managed to sink two ships, the convoy got him in the end. Wanda says the obituary did not completely confirm his death, so chances are he is probably still alive, but the minks will never forgive him. Jack was crazy enough to attack a ship carrying an admiral and a former fleet admiral. Wanda says she gave Zoro and the others specific directions to the fortress, and they should arrive soon if they followed the plan.

Luffy's group reaches the others, and Luffy cheerfully calls out, "Whoa! Hey guys!" Zoro, Usopp, and the rest are stunned that he still has all his arms and legs. They accuse Wanda, the "Nami-dog-woman," of trying to turn Luffy into lunchmeat, and Zoro warns that they will not allow it. He tells her to give back their other friends, especially the ones that showed up before them, or his Santoryu will cut her three new ones. Wanda sighs and says they definitely do not understand what is going on, but whatever, they are here. The page resolves the mistaken rescue attempt as Luffy's group physically arrives at the fortress route.

The mist clears and the group sees the fortress right ahead, with the gatekeepers nearby. Usopp is told to look closer inside the mist. The gatekeepers ask Wanda who the people are and whether they are the Whale Forest invaders. Wanda explains that the newcomers bore no ill will and that one of them accidentally entered Whale Forest without ringing the bell of welcome. She orders the gate opened and tells everyone to announce that the Straw Hat crew has arrived. Luffy reacts in surprise, and the gatekeepers are stunned: "What!? These guys are...!?" The fortress finally receives the Straw Hats openly rather than as intruders.

Inside the fortress, Nami lies asleep against the enormous body of a host while Chopper anxiously calls her name. Someone shouts that Luffy and the others are here, and Chopper bursts into tears, crying, "They finally came!" and "They've made it safe and sound!" The news wakes Nami with a blink, and Chopper repeats that Luffy and the others came. The fortress scene confirms that at least Nami and Chopper survived the disaster and were sheltered by the minks. The emotional tone shifts from suspicion to relief as the separated Straw Hats are about to reunite.

Chopper tells Nami, "Just now! They just passed the fortress gates!" Nami sits up and asks, "Luffy and the others!? Really!?" Chopper is relieved, and a large host says, "Oh, so your friends have come... Wonderful." Nami reacts with joy and calls for Chopper, while other minks apologize amid the bustle. The fortress, built among rounded dwellings and foliage, is no longer a suspicious enemy base but a refuge where Nami and Chopper have been cared for. Their reaction shows how long and frightening the separation has been, and how deeply they had been waiting for the rest of the crew.

The Straw Hats enter Right Belly Fortress to an overwhelming welcome. A voice announces, "Important guests have arrived, everyone!" and orders the minks to prepare to host the friends of their saviors. The crowd shouts "Garchu!! Welcome!" and "Welcome, Straw Hats!" Luffy beams, saying everyone is giving off really good vibes, while Zoro, Usopp, Robin, and the others are bewildered by the warm reception. The fortress appears full of treehouses, rounded buildings, and cheering minks. The welcoming words reveal that the minks see the Straw Hats not as enemies, but as friends of the people who saved them during the crisis.

Luffy asks what "garchu" means and wonders whether the minks are a human-hating species after all. Wanda explains that in their eyes, humans are simply hairless monkey minks, a different variety of the same species. If they dislike someone, it is because of who that person is, not what they are. She says some who have never seen other minks might think differently, but the fur covering their bodies, called mink, is the pride of their race. She even calls the crew's lesser mink, hairless bodies beautiful. The minks surround the Straw Hats with affectionate greetings, licking and hugging them, while Usopp and Luffy realize these creatures love humans far more than expected.

Nami finally sees the others and calls, "Luffy!!" Luffy waves back, "Whoo! I'm glad to see you guys!" and immediately asks whether Sanji, Brook, and Momo are okay too. The reunion is joyful for a moment, but Nami's expression changes. She lowers her gaze and says, "I'm sorry..." Zoro notices the shift, and the group falls silent. In tears, Nami begins, "Sanji is..." The chapter ends on that unfinished sentence, with the narration teasing a Straw Hat crisis and a break next week. The relief of finding Nami and Chopper alive turns into dread as the crew realizes something has happened to Sanji.

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