Maynard the Pursuer

The Colosseum is still roaring from the reveal. The crowd chants "Burgess!!! Burgess!!!" while Jesus Burgess stands in the arena, laughing beneath the thunder of cheers. The location card calls it "Scene 1: Corrida Colosseum." Spectators reel: "Blackbeard's pirate crew, huh..." and "What insane strength...!!" Outside the first shock, Luffy realizes what Burgess's presence means. He had thought, "I thought that Luffy would have no problem winning a tournament like this, but..." Now he sees that rough battles lie ahead and that if he reveals himself, enemies will converge on him. He tries to move on with "Anyway, I'll go ahead and get to work..." but the one-legged soldier begs, "Yaya!? Please wait! I will go as well!!" Franky snaps, "Like I said before, stop getting in the way!!"

The one-legged soldier tries to follow the group because he still has his own mission. Franky insists, "I've got not use for someone who doesn't know where the factory is!! I need to find the highest ranking Doflamingo Family member around and beat the info out of him..." The soldier pleads, "Please! Please wait!!" and Franky growls, "What do you want!!?" The soldier lowers his voice: "Let's change locations!!! We can't talk about something that important around here! It's taboo!!" Luffy, listening from the bars, asks, "What are you talking about?" The scene shifts to the audience seating, where another observer notes, "The 'Pirate Mercenary' Hildeem showed up!" and asks, "And Ganbia the Missionary...!?" Someone says, "Yeah... all sorts of guys showing up!" The hidden man says they have requested reinforcements because Burgess's presence surprised him too.

In one corner of the Colosseum's waiting room, a man reports by Den Den Mushi: "I'll confirm with Issho-san shortly." He gives the code name "Roger." Then a loud, smiling man greets him: "Yo, yo, mister!" The newcomer is introduced as "Bartolomeo Pirate Crew Staff Officer: Ganbia the Missionary, bounty: 67 million berries." Ganbia notices the other man's secrecy: "You... might you be communicating with someone on the outside? A bit suspicious, no? Ha ha." The man tries to deflect, and Ganbia laughs, "Ha ha ha!! Taking some notes, there? Sneakily trying to make those cool guys you named famous?" As the man clicks the call closed and says, "I'll call back in 10 minutes," the tension turns clear. Ganbia has stumbled onto someone operating undercover inside the waiting room.

The undercover man deals with the interruption violently. In the "Toilets/Garbage Dump," water splashes as he washes his hands, and Ganbia lies beaten. The page identifies the man as "Fighter 0429: Capman (Marine HQ Vice Admiral: Maynard the Pursuer)." Maynard says, "Ah, Ganbia the Missionary, who I mentioned before... Bartolomeo's man... Go ahead and forget about him... I must have been seeing things." Then he reports, "My apologies. I've taken care of the problem." The cover name Capman hides a Marine vice admiral in the Colosseum, and his target is not simply the tournament but the criminals gathered inside it. The chapter title now becomes literal: Maynard is pursuing information from within the arena under a fighter's disguise.

The tournament moves forward. The announcer calls, "Moving on, it's time for B-block!! Enter, combatants!!!" The stands roar as the next set of fighters begins. Elsewhere, Fujitora listens calmly and says, "That was quite a few notable names... Shall we be going now?" He wants the situation handled with force and order: "For the time being, they should head to... I'd like to bring over three battleships..." When asked where to send them, he searches his memory: "Ehh... where was it... Ah... 'Green Bit'. Yes, there." A subordinate offers his coat, and Fujitora turns from the Colosseum toward the next point of conflict. The scale of Dressrosa's crisis widens: while Luffy pursues Ace's fruit inside the tournament, the Marines are already preparing action around Green Bit.

Fujitora, now identified as "Marine HQ Admiral Fujitora (Issho)," orders the next steps with quiet authority. "Request a large number of medical officers. We're going to have injuries..." he says, then adds, "And also... what was it... right... I'd like you to find out how many people are in the audience, as well as the population of this city... and of the whole country..." A subordinate hesitates: "Ah... do we really need to know that?" Fujitora answers from the back of a coat marked with justice: "Rather than the number of enemies... shouldn't one instead count the number of those who need protecting...?" The line shows his priority clearly. He is not measuring Dressrosa only as a battlefield; he is measuring the civilians who could be harmed.

At a cafe in the northeast, the Caesar exchange team discusses the route to Green Bit. Law, Robin, Usopp, and Caesar sit together at Cafe Bar La Baltai while a local warns them, "Green Bit, huh... Can't really recommend it..." He asks, "You guys researchers? Or explorers?" and Robin asks whether the bridge is sturdy enough. The man answers, "Unless it's something worth risking your lives for... I say don't go." Robin presses the practical detail: "But the bridge is sturdy enough, yes?" The warning is not vague superstition; Green Bit is physically connected to the city, but the people of Dressrosa avoid it. Law's team has a destination, a hostage, and a trade to complete, but the local knowledge suggests the path itself is dangerous.

The local explains the iron bridge to Green Bit. "For sure. It's an iron bridge. But, well, look at the entrance... As you can see, no one's using it." The bridge stands blocked off, with signs and wreckage around its mouth. He says, "All around Green Bit... there live swarms of 'fighting fish'... Seems like until they appeared, people came and went regularly. Started about 200 years ago, I hear..." Caesar reacts badly: "Shurorororo... Sir... just what are these 'fighting fish'?" When told they are "violent fish with horns" that attack ships, Usopp panics: "No use? ...Oi!! You saying that even an iron bridge could be brought down by these fish!?" The answer is grim: "Well, they'll capsize it!! For that reason, the bridge was strengthened with iron, but... it's still no use."

Caesar complains immediately: "Indeed! The guy you're exchanging agrees!! You fool!! Change the location of the exchange!!!" Law refuses. The cafe owner says that as for what has become of the bridge, "only those who've gone can say," and he does not know anyone who returned. Law remains unmoved. "We're not changing anything. We've come this far, so quit complaining." He is worried about something larger than the danger of the crossing: "Rather than that... what I'm worried about is the current state of this country. Even though their king just abdicated... this city is perfectly calm...!!" Caesar says, "Even if it's still a bit soon, this is far from what I expected...!!" Then Robin steps into view, and Usopp starts, "What's up, Robi--" before stopping in surprise.

The reason for Robin's concern emerges from the crowd. Usopp asks, "Why are they here...?" as three masked figures pass through the street. He recognizes the danger at once: "It's 'CP-0'...!! Ehh...!? CP...!?" Another voice wonders, "Who the hell are they...!?" and Usopp fears the connection: "Could... could they be connected with 'CP-9'...!?" The locals explain their status: "They're the highest ranking of the agencies... When they appear, you can be sure nothing good is going on." Law, watching with a dark expression, agrees: "...That's for sure." The page names them in full as "The world's strongest intelligence agency CP-Aigis0." Their arrival changes Dressrosa's atmosphere: the World Government's highest intelligence arm has appeared openly in the city.

Scene 3, "The Fairy and Zoro," returns to Zoro's chase. He lunges after the tiny thief and yells, "Gotcha now!! I'll be taking my sword and..." The figure darts away with a scream of "Darry ahhh!!" and Zoro is hurled through the air, crying "Kyah hhh!!" before crashing down. He lands hard with "Ah" and "Uhh," while the stolen sword clatters separately. For a moment, all the motion is impact: the thief's escape, Zoro's fall, and the sword knocked loose. Zoro, half-buried and furious, mutters only "Eh" after realizing how easily the tiny opponent has slipped him again. The scene reinforces that the so-called fairies of Dressrosa are not just invisible pranksters; one has enough speed and force to frustrate even Zoro.

Zoro spots the fairy again. "He got me!!" he growls as the tiny figure launches upward, but then the surrounding humans notice the disturbance. Someone coughs and says, "Ow... owowowo this is bad, bad!!" Another cries, "We've really screwed up!! A human saw us!!" The tiny one says, "Gotta get outta here," while another whispers, "The human..." Zoro, still chasing after his sword, shouts, "Just who are you people!?" The page shifts to "Scene 4: Kinemon, Alone and Astray." Kin'emon, still disguised in his ridiculous old-man face, insists to strangers, "I am but a simple old man, that I am!!" He is completely lost, separated from the others, and forced to keep pretending while Dressrosa's citizens and hidden beings complicate the search around him.

Kin'emon's disguise fails immediately. Men point at his hat and shout, "Liar...!! That hat, it's in the shape of a topknot!! You're a samurai...!! There's no mistaking it! You're Kin'emon of the Foxfire!!" They reveal they have been waiting for him: "We confirmed that you were on the Punk Hazard broadcast, and now you've returned here, samurai...!!" One aims a pistol and says, "If you care about the life of that 'Kanjuro' who you're after!! Right? Now come quietly." Kin'emon does not answer; his attention shifts to the sniper watching from above. Through a scope, the attacker says, "I've confirmed the target...!!" The page marks the new thread as "Scene 5: Sanji, in Love," while Kin'emon stands caught between enemies who know exactly who he is.

The sniper fires, but Sanji arrives like a storm. The shot cracks through the air, and Sanji kicks the attacker away with a shout of "Urahhh!!" The men stare as he lands between Kin'emon and danger. A voice says, "No, no. A sniper 8 meters up in the air? A simple matter," and Violet watches him with awe: "Amazing... you... you're so strong!!" Sanji, glowing with romance, says, "Here... we're experiencing the hurricane known as love...!!" Violet clings to him and says, "You're so reliable." Sanji declares, "As long as I'm here with you!! For you see, now, I'm in love!!" In a small letter-box aside he writes, "Dear Nami-san, Robin-chan... How is the weather where you are?" as if announcing that his heart has already changed course.

Scene 6 shifts to the Sunny-Go safety and security team. Momonosuke, pretending to be a shogun, drinks while someone cries, "You mustn't drink it all, that you mustn't!!" He answers with "Incorrect!!!" and the sound "Sip sip gulp gulp." Chopper plays retainer and scolds, "Listen! The role of a 'taster' is to consume only a bit of the shogun's food to check for poison, that it is!" Momonosuke demands, "Bring the tea, Choperemon!" and Chopper answers, "Yes yes." Nami, acting as maid "O-Nami," pampers him: "My lord, how are you feeling?" Momonosuke rests on her lap and says, "Mm I am satisfied and well at ease." Nami beams, "Are you now... that's wonderful, that it is," while Brook watches in disbelief at how far the child has pushed the game.

The Sunny crew's game collapses into irritation. Brook protests, "I am also satisfied!! Yohoho," and Momonosuke shouts, "Dobeba Roban!!" Nami snaps, "That... that hurts, Nami-san!!" and another voice asks, "Eh? Isn't this a lap pillow party!?" Chopper yells, "What kind of party!?" Momonosuke claims, "We're playing 'shogun'!" and the others realize, "That Momo... when we leave him alone... he clams up and falls into deep thought." Someone observes, "He hasn't said anything, but at that age... I'm thinking he must be dealing with something deep, in his heart..." Brook accepts the explanation with, "...Really now... so that's how it is..." but Chopper demands side entertainment anyway. Brook refuses: "No way. I only take orders from Luffy-san..." Chopper snaps, "Just do it!!"

Brook begins playing, singing, "The vitality corpse comes back!!! Even buried, even buried," while strumming. The others react with "No way" and "Come on!!" until a sudden noise interrupts the game: "Thump crash." Brook turns with "Eh?" and Chopper, Nami, and Momonosuke freeze. More sounds come from the ship: "Flump flump tap tap," then "Crash clang!!" Someone says, "It's coming from the men's quarters...!!" Nami asks, "Eh!? I thought no one was on the ship besides us." Chopper mutters, "Right! Eh, what's that noise!? Scary... weird..." The unseen presence rustles inside, and the tension spikes. Brook finally shouts, "There's someone there!!" while the others stare in fear at the source of a mysterious voice aboard the Sunny.

Back at Corrida Colosseum, the crowd waits for B-block. The announcer calls, "Calling B-block participants!!" and someone asks, "Is 'Capman' here!?" Another wonders, "What about 'Bartolomeo'?" In the shadows, a figure turns and says, "Ah." The official calls, "You... you're 'Bartolomeo,' yes!? B-block is starting!" Then he asks the crucial question: "And... have you seen 'Capman' around here?" The answer is ominous: "...Well..." Deep in the corridor lies the result of the unseen fight. A battered man has been left broken while the narration of the crowd becomes clear: "The crazed rookie Bartolomeo!! This guy is bad!!" Maynard, under the name Capman, has apparently been crushed offscreen, and Bartolomeo steps into the tournament as an even more dangerous participant than the officials expected.

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