High-Altitude Situation

The inside cover repeats the volume branding with "Volume 32 'Love Song'" and the One Piece logo. The same Straw Hat crew illustration appears in black and white on the left, showing Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami with crown, Usopp, Chopper, and Robin on the Going Merry above the clouds. The right side features a faint map background of the Grand Line with various island names visible. Author credit "EIICHIRO ODA" appears at the bottom along with Japanese publisher text.

A mostly blank page contains only a single line of Japanese text centered in the middle: "★この作品はフィクションです。実在の人物・団体・事件などには、いっさい関係ありません。" This is the standard disclaimer stating that the work is fiction and has no relation to real persons, groups, or events.

The chapter title page for 296 reads "Chapter 296 'High-Altitude Situation'". The central illustration shows Portgas D. Ace standing in a smoky, ruined area, shirt open and wearing a beaded necklace, a Marine cap, and pants. He carries a large white Marine box labeled "極秘" (Top Secret) in one hand while smoke billows around him. A massive unconscious figure with a sack marked "美王" lies slumped beside him. The caption below states "ACE'S GREAT SEARCH FOR BLACKBEARD VOL. 21" and "THE MARINE WHO SAVED BOTH THE MAN AND THE INTELLIGENCE IS ON FIRE".

A fierce warrior with spiky hair and three swords leaps through the air, shouting commands. "FALL OVER WESTWARDS." "MAKE THE GIANT JACK STALK." The massive beanstalk begins to topple with thunderous force. Below, the giant structure crashes through buildings and terrain as people flee. "AGHH!" screams a falling figure. On the ground, survivors gather around the injured warrior. "WE'RE COUNTING ON YOU! YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO CAN CUT DOWN SUCH A RIDICULOUSLY HUGE THING!" A small child and a woman watch anxiously while another man kneels. "I-I-IS HE... IS HE ALRIGHT!I"

A calm man with a scar over his eye smiles confidently. "My goals here are complete. The only remaining things to do now..." In the distance, a massive structure hangs in the clouds. "No matter how much they thrash about or how fast they run, it's already too late... That pitiful rabble just doesn't know when to give up..." Below, the enormous shadow of the falling island looms. "Is watch raigou destroy the entire sky island, And then depart for Faerie earth. Yahaha... I even feel a little reluctant to deliver the finishing blow now that the moment is almost upon me." Dark energy crackles ominously as the sky island trembles.

Zoro slashes repeatedly at the giant stalk. "DAMN IT! HE'S MAKING HOLES EVERYWHERE!" Massive impact sounds echo: "ドンッ!!" "ドォォォ" The enormous beanstalk splits violently under his strikes. "ズババンッ!!!" Debris flies as Zoro continues cutting through the colossal plant from above, his swords flashing in determined arcs.

Zoro finishes the cut with a fierce grin. "IT'S A CLEAN CUT! BOOYAH! WHAT A WAY TO GO!" The giant stalk begins its final collapse. "AGHHH! ZORO!" someone cries out in alarm as the structure plummets. "!!!I" A shocked onlooker watches the massive fall. Explosions and debris erupt below: "カランシャーン!!" The stalk crashes into the island, sending shockwaves through the clouds and ground.

A black-haired woman stares in shock and yells, "LOOK!" Nearby, an armored warrior clutches his head and cries out in despair, "B... B... But at least he cut it! OH NOOOOO!" The colossal snake Nola coils tightly around the crumbling ruins of an ancient city, its massive body refusing to topple despite the damage. Onlookers shout in confusion, "W... WHY WON'T IT FALL OVER!I" as dramatic sound effects echo: グゴォ... and ズドォー...! Smaller panels show close-ups of determined faces and the snake's silhouette against the cloudy sky, with the label "NOLA" shining near the beast amid the destruction.

Nola rears up with jaws open wide against the ruined city backdrop as voices call out "NOLA!" and "NOLA...". A long-haired man excitedly gestures and shouts, "LET'S GO RING THE BELL! COME! HAHA! WERE YOU SLEEPINGI" while an elder beside him joins in. Multiple characters cheer, "WE'LL RING THE BELL YOU LOVE SO MUCH TO REACH ALL THE WAY TO NOLAND!" and "YES, LET'S RING THE BELL TO REACH EVEN THE ENDS OF THE SEAS!" Nola responds with enthusiastic cries of "CHULALA!" and musical notes as the group rallies together.

Nola reacts with surprise, its eyes wide and body twisting as it lets out a string of cries: "CHULALA!I CHULALALA! CHULALA! CHULALA CHULALA". The snake suddenly lunges forward with a massive, joyful outburst, "CHULALALA LALALALA LALALA!" and "CHULALA!", its coils thrashing wildly through the air and ruins. Onlookers watch in astonishment with exclamation marks and question marks hovering above them as Nola's enormous form fills the panels, moving with unstoppable energy.

A tremendous impact strikes with a huge "ドゴォーン!!" sound, sending Nola reeling. A long-nosed man yells in panic, "WHAT WAS THAT HUGE IMPACT JUST NOW!I" while the black-haired woman notes, "...It's still no good! It leaned over a little... but it still won't fall! Even that huge impact couldn't knock it over..." Nola continues to struggle and coil with sounds like ゴゴォ... ズズズズ ウワー...!! as someone exclaims, "THE STALK IS-" amid flying debris and motion lines.

Nami stands amid the ruins, sweat on her face as she reflects, "I would have never gotten them involved in all this...! If I... Had the courage myself to confront God from the beginning." She continues, "...It may be that now no one will be able to survive." Below, the vast ruined city stretches under stormy skies with the massive beanstalk rising. On the massive ships, warriors and civilians crowd the decks. An old man with a long beard grips a weapon and shouts, "IS THIS THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO IS WAIT FOR OUR DEATHS!I" Another voice answers, "THEN WHAT IS!I" A third declares, "IF THIS ISN'T THE VERY DEFINITION OF DESPAIR." Crew members murmur, "We're only human... It's natural to do so..." "Only to now find ourselves stuck with no place to go or return to. Only the judgment of death awaits us now..." A desperate cry rings out, "CAPTAIN MCKINLEY! PLEASE STOP DOING THAT!" Someone else yells, "CAPTAIN!" The captain stands firm as the ships drift through the clouds.

Robin stands with a serious expression while Usopp and others react nearby. A voice questions, "Just what connection does Straw Hat have with it!I" Another states, "Ringing that bell... Only carries meaning for those who've inherited Kalgara's will!" Someone orders, "You stay quiet!" A panicked shout follows, "NO, STOP! WIPER, PLEASE!" Usopp, gripping his weapon, declares, "AND NOW THE WHOLE STALK IS BEGINNING TO LEAN OVER! IT'S TIME FOR MY 'DANCE OF THE GUNPOWDER STAR!' WITH A GREAT HOWL, THE STALK WILL BE BROUGHT TO ITS KNEES BEFORE ME! WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH FOR OUR PIRATE CREW... USOPP'S OUR LAST LINE OF DEFENSE!" He adds, "ZORO'S ALREADY CUT HALF OF IT!" Robin replies calmly, "More importantly, we've gotta focus on bringing that stalk down! Luffy and Nami are waiting up there!" Usopp retorts, "Leave him be, Robin. A guy that injured isn't gonna be able to stop us." Below, Robin descends the stalk as narration reads, "The whole world mocked him, but his descendants continued to believe him. Even today, they still search for the city of gold down in the blue seas." A voice recalls, "Down in the blue seas, 400 years ago... there was a certain explorer who lied about finding a city of gold." Usopp screams, "WAIT- AND AWAAAY I GOOOO!"

Robin smiles faintly amid the ruins and thinks, "Even in this desperate situation... He throws away his chance to escape for this instead... Such romance..." She muses, "...Or so that's what Straw Hat believes. Ringing the golden bell will tell the descendant down below that the lost city of gold was up here in the sky all along." A small voice asks, "What a strange man... Isn't it a lovely reasonI" Suddenly large impact SFX "ドゴォオオーン" erupt as something massive strikes. Robin's eyes widen in shock, "What... What's the name of that descendant..." A close-up shows her face as she realizes, "!I Then is the name... Montblanc Cricket..." The ruins tremble with more SFX "ゴゴゴゴオオオ..." and "ドゴォオオーン" as debris flies.

A massive close-up of Wiper's sweating face shows him whispering, "NOLAND...I" Narration continues, "OF HIS ANCESTOR 400 YEARS AGO." Smaller panels flash: "GREAT WARRIOR KALGARAI" Usopp yells "IS THIS WHAT A MIRACLE IS," while Nami cries "WiperI" and "Agh-". Wiper answers simply, "Yes..." Below, Usopp unleashes a barrage: "ROLLING GUNPOWDER STAR!" "GUNPOWDER STAR!" "GUNPOWDER STARS!" "Certain kill, GUNPOWDER STAR!" Enemies scream "GAHHHH!" and "Usoooop banzai!" as massive explosions and impact lines fill the battlefield. Nami watches in awe, "Whoa whoa whoa whoaaa!"

A fierce-eyed warrior with a headband glares and prepares his weapon. "LEAP! MOVE IT!" he shouts as the massive serpent coils around him. The giant snake's body twists violently while a voice from the side pants, "Huff... Huff... Man, it won't even budge! Is this thing really a plant!I Guess I'll have to try my three sh-" The warrior slams the dial against the snake's body. A massive shockwave erupts with the word "REJECT!" exploding across the page in huge letters. The snake's coils are blasted apart in a swirling vortex of force and debris. Far below, a tiny figure stares upward in shock, "!!I"

A black-haired girl and a bearded man watch in horror as the colossal impact shakes the sky. "W... WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!I" the bearded man roars. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! A REJECT DIAL!" someone cries as the dial's power is recognized. "WIPER!" The enormous serpent begins to plummet, its body unraveling. "FALL!" reads one caption as the snake tumbles through the clouds. "GIANT JACK!" another caption declares while the massive form crashes toward the ruins below, kicking up dust and debris.

The giant snake's body is torn apart mid-fall, "RIP! RIP! RIP! RIP!" The long form twists and plummets toward the ruined city. "AHHH!" a voice screams. Onlookers including a dark-haired woman and others stare upward as the serpent crashes down with a thunderous "ズズズ..." The massive head slams into the ground, sending shockwaves through the rubble. "IT'S FAAAAA-LLLLIIIIINNNG!" a terrified voice yells as the colossal body settles among the destroyed buildings.

Luffy grins fiercely and declares, "RIGHT! I'M COUNTING ON YOU!" Nami shouts back, "LUFFY! IT'S TIME TO GO!" as the path begins to lean. "It's starting to lean over...!" A close-up shows hands gripping a dial. "VROOM! VROOM!" The speed increases dramatically. Nami sweats, saying, "The speed's too much for me to even try to control it!" and "Certainly never tried this before. Jet dial set on max speed!" A determined woman with goggles grips the controls tightly. "LET'S DO THIS!" she yells. "OKAY!" she confirms as the mechanism activates with a powerful burst.

Luffy grits his teeth in pain as he is struck, shouting "AGH!" and "NGH!" A figure declares, "I suppose I'll destroy the Upper Yard a little bit..." Another voice adds, "Oh well... To prevent their approach," while a third remarks, "My, what an impatient bunch... Can they not even wait for raigou to be completeI" A determined warrior with a headband and armbands thrusts his fist forward and yells, "GOOOOOO! IT'S ALL UP TO YOU TWO NOW!" Onlookers cry out, "Look! Giant Jack is falling over! What's going on in Upper Yard...!I" Massive impact lines and debris fill the sky as the enormous structure collapses. Below, a massive sword labeled "MAMA-RAGAN!" crashes down amid clouds and rubble with heavy "ドドドド" sound effects. Luffy is launched upward as voices shout "LUFFY!" and "IT'S TIME TO FLY!" He responds, "RIGHT!"

A close-up portrait shows a stern-faced man with spiky black hair, a headband, facial markings, earrings, and a serious expression, staring forward intensely against a plain background.

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