The cover is a Giant Jump character gallery special for the New Year, showing the Straw Hat crew celebrating at a table. The printed text says, "GIANT JUMP CHARACTER GALLERY! SPECIAL NEW YEAR'S FRESH ART ISSUE!" and "LET'S ALL CELEBRATE THE DAWN OF A NEW YEAR WITH 2020'S FIRST JUMP ISSUE!!" Oda's note reads, "Drawn as a request from Jump's publishing office, where it was pinned to the door. 'How the Straw Hat gang spends their New Year's Eve.'" This is extra celebratory artwork, not part of the flashback plot.
Monkey D. LuffyRoronoa ZoroNamiUsoppSanjiTony Tony ChopperNico RobinFrankyBrook
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After escaping from Sky Island, the Roger Pirates return from the clouds and sail toward a shipbuilder's city. The narration places them "in the shipwright's company," while the crew shouts about where they have gone: "No, the Antarctic!" and "The Arctic is colder!" Someone yells, "Stop fighting all the time!" as the ship cuts through the sea. At Water 7, they inspect the Oro Jackson's color, and one man asks, "Really? You have a stone in your country? What color is it?" Oden answers simply, "It's red." Roger's excitement rises because he already stole a rubbing from Big Mom's poneglyph and senses another one may be close. He laughs that all Road Poneglyphs are now within reach, calling it "a gift from the heavens," while the others answer, "Great, Captain!"
Gol D. RogerKozuki OdenSilvers RayleighScopper Gaban
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In Water 7, the crew reaches Scrap Island, where Tom greets Roger with loud affection. The shouting overlaps: "Too-om-san!" "Too-oom!!" "Tom! I've been wanting to see you!" Roger laughs, "Long time no see, guys! Taha hahaha!" The long-horned cowfish fishman Tom is as loud as ever, and the others note, "They are as loud as ever." Franky, still a young orphan, watches the pirates and asks whether the train is finished yet; Tom answers that it is still being designed, and Franky snaps, "Are you kidding me? It's still being designed!" Roger notices the abandoned boy and asks, "You're an orphan? Wanna come with us?" Franky refuses: "You'll just abandon me too! I don't want anything to do with you pirates." Tom explains, "You were abandoned by pirates? You're a funny kid!"
Gol D. RogerKozuki OdenTomFranky
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The voyage carries the crew to the real Fish-Man Island beneath the sea. Joyful singing fills the passage with "Yohohoho-Yohohoho-Yohohoho-Yohohoho," and the words of "Bink's Sake" drift across the panels: "Going to..." and "...deliver Bink's sake." Oden stares through the bubble-coated ship as it descends into a city of fishmen and merfolk, but the wonder is mixed with danger. Someone warns, "There's a big chance we'll die on the way to the real Fishman Island!" Oden is too excited and asks, "Oh, is this 'Fishman Island'!?" Another crewmate says, "Let's go to the amusement parks!!!" only to be scolded, "Don't be foolish, Oden!"
Kozuki OdenGol D. RogerSilvers RayleighScopper Gaban
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The noise of Roger's arrival shakes the undersea world. Roger says, "You heard that, Rayleigh?" and Rayleigh answers, "Heard what? We're 10,000 leagues under the sea!" Oden is sure he heard something too, while a fishman stares silently. The ship draws attention from every direction, and people cry, "Where is all this noise coming from?!" "Waaait---!!" and "Why are you here, humans?" King Neptune recognizes Roger at once: "Roger? I could barely recognize you!" Roger shouts back, "Look, it's me, Neptune! Roger!" Neptune asks whether Roger is the one making all the noise, and Roger proudly answers, "It's me!"
Gol D. RogerSilvers RayleighKozuki OdenNeptune
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Neptune first fears the Roger Pirates have caused disaster, but Roger protests, "We haven't done anything wrong!" Neptune explains why he stopped them: "Listen, I stopped you to talk about a 'prophecy'! Something only a man of your caliber could achieve!" He declares, "The doors to Fishman Island will be opened for everyone and the border between our worlds will be no more," and because Roger is present and powerful enough, Neptune suspects the promised day is near. Then the guards discover real damage: "The door that allows ships into the harbor has also suffered some damage!" "Our army has suffered some damage!" "Sir Neptune!" Neptune notices a hole near the border bubble and orders, "Go and patch it!" The crew realizes they caused trouble after all: "Dammit! We've been standing right here! It wasn't us!!"
Gol D. RogerNeptuneKozuki Oden
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The source of Neptune's fear is a three-year-old mermaid named Shyarly. She touches her crystal ball and says, "The day of disaster... will only happen after the mermaid princess is born." The people around Neptune react in confusion: "Wait a minute, I'm not even married." "Should we throw a party now or wait until she's born?" "So the king is going to have a daughter in the future..." "Mermaid princess? Now that's new!" Neptune admits, "I only became king a few months ago too..." The court also explains that Otohime has been leading political demonstrations, "demanding the king to better our relationship with humans," while Shyarly once made a prophecy about how a carp would marry into the royal family. Neptune trusts her enough to listen, even if the prophecy sounds absurd.
ShyarlyNeptuneOtohimeGol D. RogerKozuki Oden
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At the Undersea Forest, Roger sees the country caught up in Shyarly's prophecy and says, "Neptune, for the last time, we've got nothing to do with this chaos!" Oden notices two poneglyphs in the forest: "Wait a second! There are two poneglyphs in this forest." One of them seems less important, but the other is an apology from a man named Joyboy. Roger is impressed that Oden can read them. More importantly, the weapon that could shake the whole world is not there. Roger realizes the Sky Island poneglyph said that weapon would be here, and Neptune connects it to Shyarly's prophecies: "Every 100 years, Poseidon - the god of the sea - is reborn. His hidden power to destroy the world lays dormant inside a pure maiden." Roger answers that he recently heard about that weapon.
Gol D. RogerKozuki OdenNeptuneJoy Boy
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Neptune reduces the prophecy to its terrifying core: "To put it simply, it's highly likely that my daughter is the weapon that will destroy the world." He admits this is as far as the prophecy goes and that he has no idea what kind of person she will be, then even offers to give Roger "some tips on fatherhood." Roger pushes for the timing instead, asking Shyarly whether she has another prophecy and when Poseidon will be born. Shyarly answers, "10 years." Neptune is disappointed by Roger's lack of interest in family affairs, but Roger jokes that he does not have enough time left to return and steal Neptune's "shaggy daughter." Neptune explodes, "Who said she'll be shaggy?!" The crew clarifies their aim: "Neptune, what we're after is the treasure left behind by the weapon's creator. We're not interested in the weapon, right Roger?"
Gol D. RogerNeptuneShyarlySilvers RayleighKozuki Oden
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The Roger Pirates leave Fish-Man Island singing, "Following the sea breeze--" "Riding on the waves--" "Far across the salty depths--" "The merry evening sun--" "The circling birds sing in the sky--" and "Farewell to the harbour--." Their voyage then reaches Wano, described as "Wano Kuni, New World," but the return is not the homecoming Oden imagined. Toki has collapsed: "Whaaat?!" "Toki collapsed!?" She is stable for now, but she came down with a terrible fever and cannot sail in this state. Toki insists she planned to go to Wano anyway, and Roger is bluntly honest with her. Oden writes that she needs to get off at Wano to follow the doctor's orders, but this means he must face his homeland sooner than he expected.
Gol D. RogerKozuki OdenAmatsuki TokiKozuki MomonosukeKozuki Hiyori
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Oden's retainers beg him to stay. Kin'emon says, "You're just going to ditch her with Kin'emon, aren't you?" and others plead, "Lord Oden!" "We've protected Kuri in preparation for your return!" "Please become Wano's ruler once again!" Toki cuts through them, pointing at Oden and shouting, "Don't you dare break your promise! You swore to see that adventure to the end!" Kin'emon asks whether Oden has considered her feelings, but Toki silences him: "Haven't you considered Oden's feelings! He'd feel awful if his adventure ended because of me!" Oden briefly thinks he could tell whether his country had changed even by turning around, but admits he knew he would never leave if he looked with his own eyes. He chooses the voyage and declares, "Enough! I'll continue to travel!" while the retainers break down in tears.
Oden later condemns himself for that choice. He writes, "We got Wano's poneglyph as fast as possible and left my country and beloved family behind. Scum." He also records, "4 years later, a homecoming like this would not be waiting for me." The ship tries to approach Zou next, but the elephant island is alive and moving. A crewmate says, "Even though the Vivre Card points over here, I don't think we can land at Zou yet," and another shouts, "Seriously, this isn't an island!!!" When they finally arrive, the Minks are startled: "Look! Pirates have come to visit!!" and "And they brought the Kozuki clan with them!!" Oden is shaken, saying, "Yeah, it's just... this island gives off a different vibe."
Kozuki OdenGol D. RogerAmatsuki TokiKozuki MomonosukeKozuki HiyoriInuarashiNekomamushi
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On Zou, Duke Hichugiskan receives them and asks, "Hm, is this a letter of introduction from Nekomamushi?" When he sees Oden and the others, he says, "I am so glad that both of them are still alive and well!!" but also warns, "You don't know how much turmoil your disappearance has caused!" The Minks celebrate anyway, crying, "Minkmanship for the saviours!" "Wait, what is this!!" and "Free hugs!!!" Oden can feel something wrong inside himself and asks if Roger senses it too. Roger does. Beneath the great whale tree, Oden says, "Something is here..." and "It feels like something 'huge' is being stored here!!" The island itself seems to guard a massive secret.
Kozuki OdenGol D. RogerDuke HichugiskanInuarashiNekomamushi
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Inside Zou, the crew finds the last Road Poneglyph. Roger shouts, "We found it!! The last Road Poneglyph!" while someone sees "the Kozuki clan's seal!!!" Oden realizes, "This means we're sworn brothers with the Minks!!" A young Pedro begs Roger, "Please take me with you!!" Roger likes his spirit but tells him, "Your name is Pedro, right? I like your spirit, but it isn't your time yet!! Your time to 'shine' has yet to come!!" Pedro asks when his time will come, and Roger answers, "You'll know when it happens! Help us then!!" Oden records the turning point: "And so, we finally assembled the 4 Road Poneglyphs. The only thing that was left was... 'the final island.'"
Gol D. RogerKozuki OdenPedroInuarashiNekomamushi
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At an unknown harbour, Roger is coughing hard. His crew worries, "Roger!! Are you alright?!" but he shuts the door with a "Click..." and comes back to business: "Alright boys, have we figured out our destination yet!?" They answer, "Yes, we did Captain," and when someone asks when they should leave, Roger replies, "Right now!!!" Buggy suddenly comes down with a high fever as they approach the last island, and the crew jokes about the "you'll-die-if-you-go-to-that-island" disease. Buggy cries, "Noooo, I was so close!" and "Please take me with you!" while Shanks stays with him and says, "Don't worry about Buggy! One day, we'll sail there with our own ship!" Buggy asks whether that is lucky or unlucky, but Roger's final push continues without the two apprentices.
Gol D. RogerBuggyShanksKozuki OdenSilvers RayleighScopper Gaban
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The news erupts across the world: "Breaking news! No, actually, big news! The biggest news!" The newspapers declare, "Gold Roger, has finally answered the unanswered mystery of the world! He conquered the Grand Line!" and "He has successfully sailed across every single ocean there is!" The world now calls him, "In the words of the greatest pirate that has ever lived," and gives him the title: "He is the King of the Pirates!!" Oden writes that on that fateful day they learned everything in the world: the "Void Century," the "Meaning of the D. name," and the "Ancient Weapons." He admits that he also learned Wano had connected with the world in the past. Then the narration asks the question that matters most: "But do you want to know what Gol D. Roger, King of the Pirates, did when the treasure he sought was placed in front of his very eyes?"
Gol D. RogerKozuki OdenSilvers RayleighScopper GabanShanksBuggy
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When Roger finally stands before the treasure Joy Boy left behind, he laughs. The crew laughs as well, stunned by the point where the great journey ends. Oden records Roger's words: "Joy Boy, I... I really wish I had been born in the same era as you. You left behind such an unbelievable treasure...!! What a funny story!!" The others ask, "Hey guys!!! How about this name... 'Last Island' that no one arrived at yet. In the past 800 years... and beyond the furthest ends of it all..." Roger, still roaring with laughter, gives the island its name: "Laugh Tale." The chapter closes on his face and the line, "He laughed," transforming the secret of the world into an image of wonder, irony, and impossible joy.
Gol D. RogerKozuki OdenJoy BoySilvers RayleighScopper Gaban
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End of chapter19 pages
Discussion
p8
One poneglyph originates from sky island.
p9Poseidon is confirmed as a mermaid in the conversation.
p9Shyarly made a prophecy ten years prior to the current scene.
p9Neptune is Shyarly's father and discusses her future.
p10Toki fell ill with fever preventing further sailing with the crew.
p10The Roger Pirates visited Wano Kuni during their voyage.
p10Toki planned to go to Wano separately from the main journey.
p11Oden faces pressure from retainers to return to Wano as ruler.
p11Toki insists Oden fulfill his promise to finish the voyage.
p11Kin'emon is assigned to stay with Toki during the argument.
p12The Roger Pirates retrieved Wano's Poneglyphs before departing.
p12Zou is revealed as a massive elephant rather than a normal island.
p12Minks of Zou welcome the Kozuki clan upon arrival.
p13Duke Higuchishkan holds a letter of introduction from Nekomamushi.
p13Oden experiences sudden stomach discomfort during the meeting.
p13Minks react with excitement upon recognizing Oden.
p14The Kozuki clan seal appears on the chamber wall above the poneglyph.
p14Pedro requests to sail with the Roger Pirates.
p14The crew has now collected all four road poneglyphs.
p15Roger suffers a coughing fit at an unknown harbour.
p15Buggy falls ill just before the final destination.
p15The crew confirms the next destination on the map.
p16Gold Roger is announced as the first to conquer the Grand Line.
p16The world learns about the void century D. name and ancient weapons.
p16Wano is noted to have historical connections with the outside world.
p17The island is named Laugh Tale by the Roger Pirates.
p17Roger Pirates discover the final island that no one had reached before.
p17Roger reacts with laughter and tears to the tale of Joy Boy.
p17Chapter 967 concludes on this page.
What is said, page by page
p0Spread text announces Giant Jump Character Gallery special New Year's fresh art with explanatory caption about Straw Hat New Year's Eve.
p2Narration describes crew returning safely from Skypiea clouds and sailing to ship-builder city.
p2Crew member yells about Antarctic being colder during argument.
p2Horned man declares he found the type he was looking for.
p2Crew discusses red stone from country and its color.
p2Captain states he has all road poneglyphs and questions gift from heavens.
p2Crew mentions stealing rubbing from Big Mom.
p3Tom greets loudly with excitement at reunion.
p3Young Franky questions if the train is finished yet.
p3Background workers note the group is as loud as ever.
p3Tom calls the boy an orphan abandoned by pirates and offers him to join.
p4Crew sings Bink's Sake repeatedly during voyage.
p4Binoculars user warns of high chance of death approaching real Fishman Island.
p4Crew member tells Oden not to be foolish.
p4Another suggests going to amusement parks instead.